Welcome to the October 2007 class on lay preaching!

Here are some expanded pre-class survey questions if you would like to post your answers here; that will enable the other class members to know more about you as we begin the class:

What is your congregation (name, diocese)?
What is the average Sunday attendance?
How long have you been preaching in your congregation, or when will you begin to preach.
How often do you preach/expect to preach?
What led you to sign up for this class?
What do you hope we might do or cover during the class?
What one or two things do you hope that you might get out of this class?

Hi, Everyone! I am from the Diocese of Nebraska, and am rector of the parish in North Platte. Our average Sunday attendance is 70-80 people at 2 services. The reason I am taking this class is because I want to train lay leaders to preach and am hoping this class will help me know what is helpful for them to know. Looking forward to "meeting" you soon!

Hi
I filled out a pre-class survey, but it did not make to the message board. I am a candidate for the diaconate in the diocese of Spokane. It is not required that I learn to preach, but it is not discouraged. I am a member at St. David's with a congregation of about 75 persons at tw services. I have preached once during a weekday Eucharist service. This sermon was the end assignment of a preaching class I took last summer from Whitwoth College. I enjoyed the challenge of preaching and sorting out how preaching is different from teaching. I would like to do it again. My priest is not opposed to my preaching as I demonstrate that I have the skills to do so. I love understanding the word of God and preparing a sermon helps me to understand better.

Hello
   I am old in years and new to ordained ministry. Our town is remote and small, so I try not to miss a learning opportunity of any kind. Trinity Church is where I serve (and have lived my whole life), average attendance, 28, Diocese of Spokane.
   I really hope to acquire a start on organization skills as to the flow of a sermon.

Hi All -- thanks for all your posts! I'm looking forward to tonight's class.

First of all -- hello Demi! Nice to see you here. I didn't know you had moved.

I signed up for this class because I am often asked to preach when I lead weekend retreats. I've done this, and have improved over the years, but there's room for more improvement (lots of it!). Preaching to a group that you don't know ahead of time, and a space you don't know ahead of time has particular difficulties, which we may or may not have time to talk about, but is a special area of interest to me personally. I'm very comfortable with public speaking, but would like some actual training in preaching, since my only training has been watching others do it, and doing it myself a few times! I look forward to "meeting" all of you.

Edited by author 02-27-2007 02:49 PM
I have recently moved to the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas from the Diocese of West Texas. I have been a lay professional (ministry development) in the church for about 20 years, but there is little likelihood I would be employed in this diocese. I hold an MTS from Seabury in congregational development.
I presently worship at St. Barnabas, Denton, which averages 95 on a Sunday. My priest has asked that I lead an adult class on the MDG's, and I am accustomed to presenting workshops.
I am not a preacher. However, in my previous diocese clergy frequently asked me why I didn't preach. (We had 4 top-notch preachers at my previous church.)
I'm comfortable doing exegesis. I'm hoping to learn a bit more about structuring a sermon, achieving a balance between interpretation, story, and application. I would like to feel equipped to preach.

My congregation is Holy Trinity Wallace/Emmanuel Kellogg
Average Sunday attendance is 20 - 23
I have been preaching for about 2 years. I preach approximately once a month. John Shepherd suggested this would be a good class for our Theol. Education School and I have been waiting for a class on preaching through the school. I have heard sermons that were pretty boring; not the style of the person, but the style of their preaching instructor. I wanted to develop my own style before taking homeletics. I think I have now done that, but need to become more comfortable with research, interpretation, and "creative writing". These are the things I hope this class will help me foster.

Edited by author 02-25-2007 12:07 PM
Here are some expanded pre-class survey questions if you would like to post your answers here; that will enable the other class members to know more about you as we begin the class:

What is your congregation (name, diocese)?
What is the average Sunday attendance?
How long have you been preaching in your congregation, or when will you begin to preach.
How often do you preach/expect to preach?
What led you to sign up for this class?
What do you hope we might do or cover during the class?
What one or two things do you hope that you might get out of this class?

Faith, thanks for your post! I've activated the registration button now next to the class listing. We have one other person who's registered (an earlier registration had to cancel). I've done the class with 2 people and it worked wonderfully, but hope to get a few more people over the next month. Hope you'll sign up!

The registration button is missing from your class listing, which means you have your six students apparently. Do you have plans to offer the course again and if so, is there a waiting list to which I might add my name?

Thank you.

Edited by author 10-18-2006 10:49 AM
Welcome to this new message board created around the eMinistry class "Faithful Words: A Class for Lay Preachers" but open to a general discussion of preaching as a lay person in your congregation. Please feel free to post -- with questions, comments, and reflections on your own experiences as a lay preacher or as a member of a congregation with a lay preacher. We'll keep this as an on-going conversation as eMinistry continues to develop classes to support you in your preaching ministry.