Wesleyan Impact Partners will work with a cohort of innovative preachers who will engage in conversations with experts in new communication technologies, participate in learning journeys to deepen their understanding and expand their imaginations about how listeners hear sermons, and experiment with preparing and delivering sermons through new technologies. The program will then organize gatherings of preachers and religious leaders from across the country to share insights about the most effective new methods for delivering sermons through emerging communication technologies. Grant awarded in 2023.
Western Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in America, working collaboratively with Hope College and Pillar Church, will launch a preaching society at Hope College to provide undergraduates opportunities to explore potential vocations in ministry, create The Collegiate Chaplains Society to develop a network of chaplains committed to mentoring young adult preachers, develop new courses and preaching peer cohorts for seminarians, organize preaching festivals, and expand internship opportunities for future preachers at Pillar Church. Grant awarded in 2023.
Westmont College will invite preachers and hearers to explore together what is contextual, human, and community-creating about Christian proclamation. Annual cohorts of preachers will engage with lay members and Westmont faculty to better understand the increasing diversity of their churches and communities, examine model sermons from multiple preaching traditions, investigate topics and trends that are relevant to preaching today, reflect on their own identities as preachers, and receive regular feedback from peers and teams in their own congregations. Grant awarded in 2023.
Wheaton College’s Billy Graham Center will host annual conferences through a new Preaching Institute, create curriculum and resources on preaching, organize up to 150 preachers and potential preachers into peer cohorts that work together to strengthen the participants’ preaching skills, and form an advisory team comprised of exemplary preachers to serve as coaches and assist with curriculum development and conferences. Grant awarded in 2022.
Whitworth University will gather pastors into small preaching cohorts to explore innovative ways to create and deliver sermons that are experiential, participatory, image-rich, and connective, host virtual forums for preachers to connect with peers and share ideas and insights about their experiments with new methods of preaching, and organize annual in-person events for preachers focused on new communication skills and sermon planning for upcoming church seasons. Grant awarded in 2023.
World Mission University’s program establishes a new center dedicated to promoting compelling preaching in Korean American contexts. They will launch a new national conference while also hosting regional workshops. Additionally, WMU will work with regional pastors’ associations to develop preacher cohorts to help support their preaching ministries. Grant awarded in 2024.
Young Life (YL) will develop and launch a new five-day coaching camp that trains staff not only how to be an effective speaker/preacher, but how to train and coach other staff to be effective speakers/preachers. YL will build on the camp with a nine- to twelve-month cohort period in which participants receive individualized coaching. Built into this will be a certification process through which effective Gospel proclaimers are qualified to train other Young Life staff throughout the mission. Grant awarded in 2024.