Welcome to a Proclamation Trust Preaching Conference

This short briefing sheet is to help you prepare and get the most out of your small group. If you have never
been to a conference before, these small groups can be a little unnerving. They shouldn’t be — as it is in the
small groups that much of the really useful work is done. There are lots of things you can pick up about
preaching from all kinds of conferences, but the uniqueness of these workshops is that you’re working on
your own work and we’ve found that this is where progress really happens. You should also go away excited
about the book or set of passages you’ve been working on together — perhaps that will be your next
preaching series?

What to expect in the workshops

Your group will have between 5 and 8 people in it. You will have three sessions together working with an
experienced leader and you may also be joined by an apprentice leader who will chair one of the sessions.
We ask every participant to prepare a particular passage and give a 7-10 minute presentation. It can be
helpful - though it is not necessary - to produce a printed handout to give to others as this can sharpen the
discussion process. In your preparation you should be thinking of some key questions:
1. What is this passage about? This is likely to be shaped by context and content. The content itself will
depend on the genre, but it will be useful to think what the shape and focus is.
2. How does this passage teach us about Christ?
Christ? The preacher is to proclaim Christ (Col. 1.28). How does
your text do this?
3. Who/what is this passage for? It may be useful here to start with the original hearers. That will help give
a steer to appropriate applications and connections today.
4. How might I preach it? Finally, you might want to consider how you might actually shape a sermon. How
would you introduce it? How might you shape it? How would you conclude?
The discussion will not be able to pick up on all these themes, but will focus on those the leader thinks are
most useful. In your presentation, it may be useful to “preach” the beginning and the end.

How to make the most of the workshops

Here are some straightforward guidelines to make the most out of these key times together:
1. Expect God to speak. The workshops are classroom exercises. Nevertheless, as we delve deeply into God’s
word we should expect to feel our hearts burning within us.
2. Don’t be nervous. However experienced you are as a preacher it can feel slightly unnerving putting your
own work on the line in front of others. But remember, this isn’t a competition. The aim of the groups is
that everybody progresses; the groups are a safe environment in which to make mistakes.
3. Do the work beforehand. You will generally get out of a group what you put into it. Make sure you have
spent some time on your passage and also looked over the other text you have been asked to give
feedback on.
4. Keep your presentation short. We don’t want your whole sermon — though it is useful to have a fairly
good idea where your sermon is going. Most of the constructive work is done in the discussion post your
presentation. Your aim is to get us going.
5. Be honest about struggles. If there are areas which you are uncertain about and would like input, then
say so. We will attempt to work through issues together.
6. Aim to encourage others. These groups are not just about you getting the most out. They are about
helping others get the most out. So make sure your contributions are insightful but gracious.
Above all, enjoy these precious times around God’s word together and may our preaching develop as a result.

Adrian Reynolds, April 2015