Announcing Coaches & Deadline Extension
Please note, this post has been re-posted from an earlier blog that was maintained by the Faithful Preaching Project before it became part of the Sharing Faith Initiative. These posts have been re-shared to maintain the full story of the grant initiative.
“Preaching is a gift from God, but it can be crafted and honed.” - Rev. Prince Rivers, Pastor, Editor at the Alban Institute, and recent presenter at the Compelling Preaching Gathering
Preaching is a gift, and the Faithful Preaching Project aims to help preachers hone their preaching skills and instill faith in their listeners through our cohorts, workshops, and camps.
No April Fools here, we’ve extended the application deadline for the Clergy Cohort for two more weeks!
Clergy Preaching Cohort for 2024-2026
The Clergy Cohort is designed for preachers currently employed at small mainline churches. This cohort will run for two years, meeting most months online for coaching and learning. The schedule aims to avoid busy times like back-to-school, Christmas, and Easter. The meetings will be fairly spaced out to allow for clergy to tend to their already busy schedules. Each Fall and Spring, the cohort will gather for a retreat at Mo-Ranch in Hunt, TX for rest and regrowth.
Eligibility Requirements:
Masters of Divinity graduate
Employed at a small congregation (<100 in attendance)
Employed at a church in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, or Arkansas
Ability to connect to online learning portal provided by FPP
Ability to attend four in-person retreats over the next two years
The Clergy Cohort will have two coaches:
Mark Jefferson
The Rev. Dr. Mark Jefferson received his PhD from Emory University where he studied under Tom Long and Teresa Fry Brown and went on to teach preaching at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Virginia Theological Seminary. While at Virginia, he spearheaded their Lilly grant program for lay preachers, while also preaching over 200 sermons over five years to celebrate VTS’s bicentennial. He is a gifted preacher and engaging teacher.
Carolyn Helsel
The Rev. Dr. Carolyn Helsel has taught preaching at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary since 2015. She is currently the Program Director for the Faithful Preaching Project. Dr. Helsel is the author of two books and the co-author of another two books, and served on the editorial board of the Connections commentary series, published by WJK Press.
The Clergy Cohort application has been extended and will be open until April 15, 2024, with the cohort announced by May 1, 2024.
Lay Preacher Cohort for 2024-2025
The Lay Preacher Cohort applications are open now, and will remain open through May 1. These cohorts are one year long and there are no geographical limitations on participation. This program is designed to allow for lay preachers to meet together often, exclusively online, so they can receive the benefit of cohort participation while still meeting the needs of their weekly schedule. With this format, we plan to have four different Lay Preacher Cohorts over the time of the grant, hoping to support as many as eighty lay preachers in their call to preach faith-full sermons.
Keep an eye out in our next newsletter for details about this Lay Preacher Cohort’s coach, schedule, and goals for the year together.
The Lay Preacher Cohort application will be open until May 1, 2024, with the cohort announced by June 1, 2024.