Sustaining the Preaching Life

December 1, 2017

Overview

Now nearing its conclusion, Sustaining the Preaching Life is led by Professor Nancy Lammers Gross. It aims to support and resource the continuing development of preachers in a peer-learning environment. Roundtables of six to eight working pastors, meeting at regular intervals, were formed in a variety of U.S. geographic areas. The result was an initiative that fostered the imagination of each group as they sought to develop learning and formation plans for their continued growth and development as preachers. The values celebrated have been peer learning, self-guided study, and flexibility in the use of grant-provided resources. The project has included a one-credit course taught by Professor Sally Brown.

Given the inability to assemble groups of any size during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project has focused on building preacher resourcing into the Seminary’s Continuing Education program, enhancing the outreach to alumni, improving preaching instruction for full-time Princeton Seminary students, and creating a digital Sermon Library.

Involvement has included 14 roundtables, launched at a rate of two to three per year, located in California, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas, and Washington. Also involved have been 98 participating pastors and 88 MDiv students enrolled in Professor Brown’s one-credit course.