Sermon Series Themes Churches Are Preaching Right Now

This article comes from episode 5 of Designed for Sunday, our short weekly podcast on what churches everywhere are preaching and designing. Listen to the episode here.

Every week, churches across the country sit down independently and decide what to preach next. They pick a book of the Bible, land on a theme, write a title, and start building graphics. What is remarkable is how often churches arrive at the same place without any coordination at all. This week, the patterns that surfaced are genuinely worth paying attention to, whether you are in a planning season or just trying to name a series that will actually connect.

What Are Churches Preaching Right Now?

Looking at the sermon series in production this week, Matthew was the most common book of the Bible by a clear margin, with seven churches working through it at the same time. Hebrews came in second with four, followed by Romans with three, and a handful of churches working in Psalms, Colossians, and Mark.

On the theme side, a cluster of churches independently landed on faith as their central subject. Not one or two, but several, with no apparent coordination between them. A separate group of series dealt with obedience and calling, that territory where a congregation is asked to sit with the weight of a real decision. And then there was one striking detail: two different churches typed in the exact same single-word title without knowing it. That word was "vision."

When multiple churches arrive at the same theme in the same week without talking to each other, Josh notes that it is worth treating as a signal rather than a coincidence. Something is moving in the broader church conversation, and that is worth paying attention to as you plan.

What Visual Styles Are Churches Choosing for Series Graphics?

Style choices this week were spread across a range of aesthetics, which reflects just how varied church design has become. Lo-Fi Zine was the most selected style, chosen by fifteen churches. Three styles tied for second, each picked by eleven churches: Gilded Reverence, Cinematic Double Exposure, and Atmospheric Environment. Acid Youth came in just behind at ten. You can browse the full range of available looks in the styles gallery to get a sense of what direction might fit your series.

What is interesting about those numbers is that the top styles pull in very different directions visually. Lo-Fi Zine is textured and raw. Gilded Reverence is formal and weighty. Cinematic Double Exposure is layered and dramatic. There is no single aesthetic dominating right now, which means churches are making intentional choices rather than following one trend.

Three Lessons for Your Next Sermon Series Title

The patterns from this week point to some practical principles that can sharpen how you approach your next series, both the title and the visual direction that follows it.

1. Start with the felt question your congregation is carrying. When churches cluster around a theme like faith without coordination, it usually means their congregations share a real need. Before you land on a title, ask what your people are actually hungry for, not just what fits your preaching calendar.
2. Name the tension, not just the destination. Series built around obedience and calling generate strong engagement because they put a name to something people are already living through. A title that surfaces a real tension earns curiosity before anyone hears the first sermon.
3. Cut the title down to its core. The fact that two churches independently chose a single word, "vision," is not a coincidence. That word works because it is concrete enough to mean something and open enough to let people bring their own experience to it. If you are stuck, keep reducing. Remove words until the title cannot get any smaller, and see what is left.
4. Let your graphic answer a question, not just announce a date. Your series image is often the first thing someone sees. If the title and visual together make a person feel understood before they know anything else about the series, you have done the job.
5. Check what season you are designing for. Theme clusters often follow the church calendar in ways that are easy to miss. Looking at the seasons your congregation moves through can help you time a series so it lands when people are most ready to receive it.

A Note on Titles That Open Doors

Josh puts it plainly: a title that asks a question opens a door, and a title that gives an answer closes one. This does not mean every series title needs a question mark. It means the best titles leave room for the congregation to step in. They name something real without resolving it before the first Sunday. That tension is what makes someone want to come back the following week.

The same principle applies to your graphics. A strong series image should feel like it is gesturing toward something, not explaining everything. Visual curiosity and verbal curiosity work the same way.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I come up with a good sermon series title that will connect with my congregation?

Start by identifying the real question or tension your congregation is already carrying, not the theological answer you want to land on. The most effective sermon series titles name something people are living through before they have the words for it. Once you have that tension, try to say it in as few words as possible. Shorter titles tend to invite people in rather than explain everything upfront, which gives the series room to build across multiple weeks.

What church graphic styles are popular for sermon series right now?

There is no single dominant trend at the moment, which is actually good news for churches trying to stand out. Textured and handcrafted looks, bold cinematic layering, and more formal reverent aesthetics are all being chosen in roughly equal numbers. The most important factor is not what is popular but whether the visual tone matches what your series is asking people to feel. A series on grief and lament calls for a different visual weight than a series on joy or mission.

How do I know if my sermon series theme is the right fit for this season?

One reliable signal is whether the theme connects to something your congregation is already asking about outside of Sunday morning. Themes like faith, calling, and vision appear repeatedly across churches in a given week because they map onto real, present anxieties and hopes in people's lives. If you find yourself gravitating toward a theme that you would not have predicted a year ago, it is worth trusting that instinct and asking why it feels urgent right now. That urgency is usually coming from somewhere real.

If you want to take any of these ideas from concept to complete series graphics, PixelChurch lets you type in your sermon series title and get a full visual kit in minutes. You can start a new series here and try it free.