Welcome!
The Faithful Preaching Project is an initiative funded by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. and designed to help preachers instill deeper faith in their listeners and empower them to live out their faith more fully in worship and in the community. Offerings include two simultaneous peer-learning cohorts as well as multiple opportunities for both preachers and congregants to develop their skills and abilities for faith-sharing in worship.
Announcing our Spring Workshop!
Workshop Title: "Spirituality for Preachers: Preaching is Your Life and Your Life is Preaching"
Facilitator: Rev. Dr. Lisa Cressman, Backstory Preaching
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (with a lunch break)
Description |
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The spirituality of the preacher creates an indelible imprint on their every sermon. But what is that imprint? What is the preacher's spirituality that is revealed with—and without—the preacher's awareness? By exploring our backstories, that is the stories, beliefs, and perspectives that make us us but are rarely spoken aloud, we become more aware of and able to offer our whole selves to God in service of our preaching and the benefit of our listeners. In this practical, four-hour workshop for lay and ordained, new and experienced preachers, we will pray, reflect, dialogue, and play to better understand how we and God are connected, so that we preach more authentically, courageously, and joyfully for our entire ministries. |
Ways to attend the Workshop
#1 - In-Person
Dr. Cressman will be on campus at Austin Seminary for the event, held in Wright Hall. Attendance is free and lunch will be provided. The in-person capacity is limited to 100 people. Please note, the registration form is limited to one-at-a-time, so please fill out unique forms if you'd like to register more than one person for this preaching workshop.
#2 - Online through ZoomThe workshop is available for interactive online attendance through Zoom. We hope the online experience will mean that even more preachers can benefit from Dr. Cressman's guidance and expertise. Please note, the registration form is limited to one-at-a-time, so please fill out unique forms if you'd like to register more than one person for this workshop. |
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How does the Faithful Preaching Project work?
Our desire to help preachers and church leaders share and inspire faith will be accomplished in many ways. Click below to expand each item and read about the pieces of the Faithful Preaching Project. Thank you for your interest!
Sharing Stories from the Faithful Preaching Project
![Green background with words and logo]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1734642391/austin/sio3j71nccieiiqj1bhd/MerryChristmasfromFPP.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1734642391/austin/sio3j71nccieiiqj1bhd/MerryChristmasfromFPP.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1734642391/austin/sio3j71nccieiiqj1bhd/MerryChristmasfromFPP.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1734642391/austin/sio3j71nccieiiqj1bhd/MerryChristmasfromFPP.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1734642391/austin/sio3j71nccieiiqj1bhd/MerryChristmasfromFPP.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1734642391/austin/sio3j71nccieiiqj1bhd/MerryChristmasfromFPP.jpg","width":2000}])
Thank you to all who made our first year possible and so successful!
![A woman holds her hand up while presenting to a group of seated listeners.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1732288757/austin/e2rwdli8eqkgc75s7ceo/FPP-112024-23-min.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1732288757/austin/e2rwdli8eqkgc75s7ceo/FPP-112024-23-min.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1732288757/austin/e2rwdli8eqkgc75s7ceo/FPP-112024-23-min.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1732288757/austin/e2rwdli8eqkgc75s7ceo/FPP-112024-23-min.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1732288757/austin/e2rwdli8eqkgc75s7ceo/FPP-112024-23-min.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1732288757/austin/e2rwdli8eqkgc75s7ceo/FPP-112024-23-min.jpg","width":2200}])
Rev. Dr. Jaclyn Williams led the first Faithful Preaching Project workshop on November 2, 2024. In-person and online participants enjoyed an interactive, thought-provoking presentation about embodied preaching.
![Adults sitting and standing outside]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1730484156/austin/ggrl2c60xjurbxxurlxh/IMG_4835.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1730484156/austin/ggrl2c60xjurbxxurlxh/IMG_4835.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1730484156/austin/ggrl2c60xjurbxxurlxh/IMG_4835.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1730484156/austin/ggrl2c60xjurbxxurlxh/IMG_4835.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1730484156/austin/ggrl2c60xjurbxxurlxh/IMG_4835.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1730484156/austin/ggrl2c60xjurbxxurlxh/IMG_4835.jpg","width":2200}])
The Faithful Preaching Project aims to help preachers instill faith in their listeners through their sermons. We are building up the skills and faith of these preachers through retreats and workshops.
![A bar graph with bars in two colors, each representing the responses of clergy or laity.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1727702050/austin/ylihqomexoeppsvi0zfg/BarGraph-ThemeAnalysis.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1727702050/austin/ylihqomexoeppsvi0zfg/BarGraph-ThemeAnalysis.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1727702050/austin/ylihqomexoeppsvi0zfg/BarGraph-ThemeAnalysis.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1727702050/austin/ylihqomexoeppsvi0zfg/BarGraph-ThemeAnalysis.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1727702050/austin/ylihqomexoeppsvi0zfg/BarGraph-ThemeAnalysis.png","width":1600}])
Further analysis of responses is giving us further insight and new ideas. The themes that have emerged are guiding Faithful Preaching Project's cohort discussions and workshop topics.
The team behind the Faithful Preaching Project:
Rev. Dr. Carolyn Helsel, Project Director
Dr. Carolyn Helsel, Associate Professor in the Blair Monie Distinguished Chair in Homiletics at Austin Seminary, is in charge of designing and implementing the Faithful Preaching Project.
Kelley DeCleene,
Program Coordinator
Kelley DeCleene is in charge of operations and communications for the Faithful Preaching Project, ensuring the successful execution of the program’s many offerings. To connect with FPP, please fill out this Contact Us Form.
The goal of the Faithful Preaching Project is to identify what makes sermons faith-full and faith-inspiring, then to coach preachers on how they can infuse their own preaching with those qualities. When I taught lay preachers in our Certificate in Ministry program last spring, I was struck by how the students' sermons so powerfully demonstrated and communicated a deep faith. My hope is to help more preachers cultivate a preaching life that fosters faith in listeners. - Rev. Dr. Carolyn Helsel