Preaching Seminar
Preaching Again for the First Time: Refreshing Your Preaching Ministry
This is a short non-credit preaching course for preachers who have seven or more years of experience and who want to refresh their preaching ministry. We will meet in person at AMBS for two days in October and one day in January. In November we will meet online for two hours.
In this gathering of experienced fellow preachers we will look at and address some of the habits that preachers develop over time with a view to improving preaching ministry. Through reading, lecture, discussion, preaching, and peer evaluations, students will revisit “Preaching 101” issues such as sermon form, text to sermon movement and sermon delivery. In addition, we will critically examine recent scholarly work on speech-act theory, narrative preaching, postmodern culture and various topics in theology with a view to refreshing and revitalizing preaching over the long haul.
Assignments include reading three recent books on preaching, two books common to all (TBD), and one book of choice. Participants will be invited to edit and revise one previously preached sermons, as well as prepare another sermon for the class. In addition, students are invited to give and receive counsel on their preaching ministry.
Schedule
- On Elkhart campus: Tuesday–Wednesday, October 16–17, 2012, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. EDT
- Online: Wednesday, November 8, 2–4 p.m. EST
- On Elkhart campus: Monday, January 28, 2013, 9 a.m.– 4 p.m. EST
October campus sessions: We will review basic preaching issues and introduce recent work on preaching. We also will do “Bible study performance”; wear loose fitting clothing: this gets physical.
Online session: Meeting online through Web Ex we will continue in a lecture/discussion format on recent theories and theologies helpful to preaching.
January campus session (day before Pastors Week): We will hear each other preach. Each student will prepare and preach one 12-minute sermon, and receive and give counsel.
Fees
Cost of this multi-day seminar is $300 per participant before September 15, $350 after September 15. A non-refundable deposit of $150 is due with registration; the balance is due the first day of the seminar.
Lodging for participants who travel from a distance is available for a fee, upon request, at the seminary guest house. Contact the AMBS receptionist, 574.295.3726 ext. 0, to arrange for lodging.
Presenter
Allan Rudy-Froese, Ph.D., Professor of Christian Proclamation, AMBS
Allan Rudy-Froese blends a love for the church, preparation and passion in communicating the Good News, and infectious humor. He was a pastor for nearly two decades, prior to entering doctoral studies in the area of homiletica—the art and theology of preaching—at the Toronto School of Theology. He has taught preaching in seminary settings in Canada and the United States, leads preaching workshops and serves as a coach for individual preachers.
Want this seminar to come to you?
We are open to offering this seminar in North American locations where groups of 10 or more can participate. If you are interested in hosting this seminar in your area, please contact Jewel Gingerich Longenecker at jglongenecker@ambs.edu or 574.296.6269 for more information.
