Preaching Institute 2.0 – The NeXt Generation
Since 1999 more than 175 persons have taken part in the basic Preaching Institute. Its primary goals are to: enable preachers to become more confident and effective, and to make congregations a place for genuine learning and growth.
Learning Activities | Staff | Application | Credit, Cost and Registration | Contact Info
Locations and Starting Dates
-
Harrisonburg, VA, September 16, 1-5 p.m.
The focus this year in Harrisonburg will be on emerging trends in preaching: narrative, media, dialogue, features and collaboration. This preaching remains rooted in the soil of the Bible, the grandest story of all.
- Meridian, MS, Friday & Saturday, January 16-17
The focus in Meridian will be on basic step by step sermon preparation and delivery.
Learning Activities
Classroom interaction plays an important role in The Preaching Institute.
What does the training require? Over nine months…
- Prepare, deliver and videotape four sermons in you “home” setting for feedback.
- Read two textbooks, several articles and other resources.
- Meet four times with your own Listener Feedback group.
- Meet three times with a Mentor to reflect on your experience.
Workshops — Four half-day workshops are led by the instructor in your location. Students help to choose the date and meeting place of all but the first workshop.
Lay Listener Training — The Institute provides training for a group of five to eight persons contacted by the student in his or her home congregation. This group provides constructive feedback to the student’s preaching.
Expert Review — The instructor gives specific written feedback and analysis – along with suggestions – for four videotaped sermons by each student.
Reading, watching, and shop talk — Meeting together with others in ministry is stimulating and encouraging.
Who is eligible?
Participants will need to be able to preaching at least four times during the training period. This should be blessed by the congregation or pastoral supervisor.
You do not need to have a college degree to participate. However, you will be expected to work at an advanced level.
Staff
Instructor; Associate Director: Mark Wenger, Ph.D.,
completed a pastorate at Springdale Mennonite Church, Waynesboro, Va.
in summer 2005, and moved to become director of pastoral studies for
EMU at Lancaster. He has completed Ph.D. studies in Practical Theology:
Preaching and Worship at Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Va. (Read more about Mark ...)
Director: Ervin Stutzman, Ph.D., founded the Preaching Institute in 1999. He currently serves as dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary,
Harrisonburg, Va., and is director of the Preaching Institute. Ervin
has many years of experience preaching and teaching. "I have a restored excitement about the potential effectiveness of preaching..."
"I have found the past nine months in this course to be an incredible journey of learning, struggle, discovery and new growth." Arnold Derstine, associate pastor, Franconia (Pa.) Mennonite Church.
Advisory Council:
Members of the advisory council serve as resource persons
for workshops and provide feedback for videotaped sermons.
The council includes:
- Nancy Heisey, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biblical Studies & Church History, EMU - Michael King, Ph.D.
Pastor, Spring Mount (Pa.) Mennonite Church; Publisher, Cascadia Publishing House; Telford, Pa. - Rigoberto Negron, M.Div.
Pastor, Iglesia Menonita del Cordero; Brownsville, Tx. - Lynn W. Shertzer, M.Div.
Pastor, Slate Hill Mennonite Church; Mechanicsburg, Pa. - June Alliman Yoder, D.Min.
Professor of Preaching, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary; Elkhart, In. - Jeffrey High
Associate Pastor, Ephrata Mennonite Church, Ephrata, Pa. - Jeffrey Butcher, M.Div.
Pastor, Otterbein United Methodist Church, Harrisonburg, Va.
Application
In order to qualify for admission, potential Institute participants must be recommended by a pastor, bishop or pastoral overseer. Participants will need to be in a role that gives them opportunity to preach at least four times during the training period.
Participating Mennonite Conferences:
- Atlantic Coast Conference
- Eastern District Mennonite Conference
- Franconia Mennonite Conference
- Lancaster Mennonite Conference
- Ohio Mennonite Conference
- Virginia Mennonite Conference
Download an application form here (pdf)
Credit, cost and registration
The whole package worked for me... preparing a sermon while reading about sermon preparation, then preaching in a 'real' setting, and capping it off with Mark's professional, concise and insightful written comments." Dorcas Lehman, campus pastor, Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite High School .
Students can select whether to take the Preaching Institute for non-credit, under-graduate credit or seminary graduate credit.
The Institute encourages participants to seek financial assistance from their local congregations. Participants who have special needs or whose congregations cannot assist are encouraged to apply to the Institute for a need-based scholarship.
- $495 for non-credit which includes written instructor feedback on sermons.
- $1035 for three hours of seminary credit.
- Books are extra.
Upon completion of an agreed-upon course of study, Institute participants are granted a Certificate of Achievement that confers four Continuing Education Credits (CEUs). Academic credit may be earned for undergraduate study and for seminary study by special arrangement with Eastern Mennonite Seminary.
Contact Information
For the Lancaster, Pa. region, contact Mark Wenger (717) 397-5190,
For the Harrisonburg, Va. region, contact Owen Burkholder, (540) 434-9227,
For Meridian, Mi. region, contact Art Smoker, (828) 680-9695,
