Away Day

My next task is to take an Away Day for area lay preachers on Saturday.  The theme is: 'Issues facing today's preachers.'  It's a very long time since I addressed such an audience.  I am trying to learn from experience how best to deal with such an opportunity.  So, guess what, I am using a flip chart at the beginning to list their issues! (My last time doing this in Devon ended up with an almost unstoppable flow of issues that went onto three pages!)

I wonder whether as lay preachers they will have some different concerns, especially if they are itinerant going from pulpit to pulpit?   Being an occasional preacher is such a contrast with those who are in pastoral charge week-in-week-out.  I expect a range of issues to emerge such as:

• personal - confidence, building experience, developing gifting
• communication - how best to prepare and deliver sermons
• congregation - dealing with very different contexts with all that is involved in planning worship etc.
• culture - are there changes that make preaching more or less difficult?

But, I could be really surprised what this group says!  If you are a lay preacher reading this I would love to hear from you. As always with any group, I expect some unlearning will have to take place as well as (hopefully) fresh understanding.  Apparently around 30 people have signed up.  I'll let you know what happens.