Thanks for signing up for our blogs. We want to welcome you to our new website and invite you to join the conversations with other clergy. What we've learned after a combined 55 years of experience in ministry is that while it is tempting to try to do everything by yourself, ministry can be lonely and there are times when we do better by sharing some of this load with colleagues and clergy friends. It does not change the fact that we take our faith seriously, but it helps us to avoid the temptation to take ourselves too seriously.
After this pandemic, we have found that across denominations we are all experiencing similar things. We believe we can help each other if we talk together.
Here are some opportunities to do just that...
Groups
Two Zoom Groups are starting August 2024
The First Group Will Focus on Sermon Series and Themed Preaching
Lectionary preachers have a whole shelf of books with preaching ideas, Bible commentary, and liturgy. But when you transition to using preaching themes, you may want some ideas for service prayers, or other liturgy. You may be searching for resources that track with your sermon series or monthly themes. We can provide that kind of support as you make this transition.
If you picked up a copy of UnCommon Preaching: An Alternative to the Lectionary. but now you are wondering how to really start preaching with more sermon series this group might be for you. It might offer you the bridge you need to imagine a whole new way to approach your preaching schedule, to plan your sermons ahead and you teach the Bible more effectively.
3. Or, if you have been curious about sermon series and how to use them effectively, this might be the group that helps you explore that idea and make plans to do a fall sermon series, or an Advent one.
Our group offers you
Monthly conversations on Zoom with other pastors who are embarking on this new preaching path.
Each month you will get time to talk about your ideas, and to raise your questions.
You will also get some time with Susan and get advice on what she has done with a passage. in 35 years of preaching Susan has road-tested many preaching ideas and used themes in 3 very different churches since 2009.
You will also get monthly resources in your inbox - enough to get you started but not too much so it feels overwhelming. Each month you will get sermon ideas for the themes and some prayers that you can use. The Second Group Will Focus on Church Growth -
Churches are in a dicy place as we all emerge into this post-pandemic world. Some churches are resigned to the fate of perpetual decline. But others are like salmon swimming upstream. They may be going against the trend; yet it is a fruitful time for these churches that are forging a new path, asking new questions and trying new things.
For those of you who are incurable evangelists - this group is for you. Being an evangelist doesn't mean you are a fundamentalist, though you might be. It just means you want to spread the Good News of faith. and welcome new people into your services.
Susan and Peggy have welcomed new members into every church they served. Growing a church is not rocket science, but it does not happen on its own. You need to be intentional. To grow your church you may need to make some changes - changes in programs, or in advertising, or in your preaching or in the ways you think about membership. We'll talk about how to do all of this.
Togehter we'll share all of our ideas about what really works.
Both Zoom groups - theme preaching and church growth - will begin at the end of the summer so you have time to incorporate what we talk about into your fall plans. If you want begin this conversation earlier than August, please be in touch.
DETAILS: To join a group send us an e-mail to indicate your interest.
COST: We want this experience to be affordable so we are setting it at $10 a session for 10 monthly groups. If the money is ever an issue let us know. We do this work because we are passionate about preaching and about church growth.
We believe that there are a lot of hopeful conversations that can happen when clergy get together and share. We hope you will join us on this journey.
Stay in touch -
Please e-mail us if you have a question or would like to suggest another group topic. Also let us know if you are interested in one of these groups but you can't join yet. We're pretty flexible and want to plan groups that will work for you.
Blessings, Susan & Peggy
Susan Cartmell Peggy O'Connor
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