Helpfile: Teaching a beginning preaching class with From Pew to Pulpit ©Clifton Guthrie 2006

Summary: This is a modified version of a 5 session class that I teach for my seminary using the book. The course, divided into 5 sessions of 3 hours each, is designed to help new preachers and worship leaders preach their first well-prepared sermon and develop an order of service. It tends to assume that students follow the lectionary but this is not necessary for the course. Feel free to adapt it to your circumstances.

Required Texts:

• Cliff Guthrie, From Pew to Pulpit: A Guide for Newcomers to Preaching. 
• Your denomination’s Book of Worship (i.e., the UCC BOW; the UM BOW).  If your denomination does not have a book of worship, buy a copy of Hoyt L. Hickman, et. al., The New Handbook of the Christian Year (Nashville: Abingdon, 1992).
• Your denomination's (and/or congregation's) hymnal(s)

Final Written Assignment:

1. Prepare an order of worship for your congregation for a specific Sunday (for example, 1st Lent in Year A of the lectionary), using the liturgical resources of your own tradition, including your Book of Worship and hymnal. You may also use other resources that we will discuss in class. Indicate the source(s) of any prayers or other resources you select. Append a description of about 500 words about why you ordered the service the way you did and chose they hymns and other prayer elements.
2. Prepare a typescript of a sermon, using the lectionary texts for that day. Include a page indicating the focus and function statements for your sermon and the form you have chosen (deductive, inductive, narrative, textual/expository, topical, and so on). Your exegetical notes should be included with the final text as well.

Class Outlines:

Session I.

            Preparation:

• Read: Introduction and Chapters 1-4 in Pew to Pulpit
• Do exercise on p. xv: What is your first hand news?
• Read: All the prefaces and introductions in your Book of Worship and hymnal, and the main Sunday worship services printed there.
• Bring your books to class, being prepared to share the standard liturgy for the Sunday worship in your tradition (Consult your denomination’s book of worship or hymnal)
• Bring the lectionary used in your tradition, if any.
• Be prepared to discuss how you spiritually prepare yourself for worship.

            Agenda:

1. Class introduction
2. Introduction to book and website
3. Discussion: The church’s work of worship, your experience in worship attendance and leadership
4. Presentation: The parts of worship: what are they and why? Time in the church year.  The lectionary: What is it and why use it?
5. Discuss: Early stages in sermon preparation as outlined in Chapters 1-4.
6. Teacher: hand out preaching text assignments at end of class

Optional ideas: Read or listen to sermon together and discuss why it is effective and how it could be more effective.

    Session II.

Preparation:

• Read Pew to Pulpit, 5 and 6
• Prepare and bring to class the notes for your text(s), using chapter 4 as your guide. Most important: bring in the list of questions you generated out of your close reading of the text.
• Bring a bulletin from your local church or a local church from your tradition, compare it to the services in the hymnal or book of worship.

Agenda:

1. Recap from previous session
2. Discussion of reading for today.
3. Sharing sermon notes (break into pairs or small groups if desired)
4. Presentation: Introduction of resources for exegetical work in preaching (see resource list on this site for ideas)
5. Discussion: Local worship vs. official worship.  Comparing a local church bulletin with official resources. How do they differ? Why? Putting the bulletin together and choosing elements. Practical questions about leading worship in the local church (What should I wear? How do I deal with microphones? How do I work with the musicians? and so on.)

        Optional: Have a practice session and discussion for reading scripture effectively.

    Session III.

Preparation

• Read Pew to Pulpit 9-10
• Exegete your text following the process described in chapter 5 and using suggested resources from the website.
• Bring to class your exegetical work in progress
• Choose hymns for your worship service.

Agenda:

1. Recap previous session
2. Discussion of reading
3. Sharing your sermon exegesis findings (optional: do this in small groups)
4. Presentation: Types of sermons; Sermon beginnings and endings; Using sermon illustrations
5. Sharing your hymn choices (optional: do this in small groups)

Optional: Have a practice session on leading prayers in church

Session IV.

Preparation

• Read Pew to Pulpit, 7-9
• Finish your exegetical work
• Prepare a Main idea, purpose, and metaphor for your sermon, paying attention to chapter 11
• Write the introduction to your sermon
• Write an outline for your sermon, paying attention to chapter 12 about patterns and forms
• Prepare and fill in the prayers for your worship service.

Agenda:

1. Recap previous session
2. Sharing: your sermon idea, purpose, and outline
3. Presentation: How to coordinate the service so that it works as a whole
4. Discussion: Preparing to preach a sermon

Optional: Have a practice session in which everyone preaches their sermon introductions

Session V.

Preparation

• Read Pew to Pulpit, 10-12.
• Write and prepare orally your 15 minute sermon on the selected texts.
  Be prepared to explain the choice of sermon form and to practice delivering the sermon.
• Bring your sermon manuscript or outline to class.

Agenda:

1. Recap from previous session
2. Presentation: How to listen to sermons and give helpful feedback (see methods on this site). Set ground rules for discussions.
3. Sharing: Everyone preaches their sermon and receives feedback from the class.
4. Discussion: Putting final touches on the worship service.
5. Class evaluation session

Optional: Get students to preach their sermons in local churches and have them submit a report to you or the whole group about how their sermon and service went and what they learned from it.

 

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