Summary

During this workshop, participants discover how diverse congregations have established and maintained pre-sermon dialogue groups.

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Details

A vast majority of listeners attending U.S. churches have never talked with a pastor about a sermon. And, unfortunately, those listeners report by the thousands that though they expect spiritual growth as they listen to their preachers, it usually does not occur. Preachers who listen to their listeners as a regular part of sermon preparation can expect to change these patterns, increasing the spiritual impact of preaching for individuals, congregations, communities—and culture.

Recent Media Resources

Jared Ortiz on the Dramatic Nature of the Nicene Creed

Jared Ortiz, professor at Hope College, Holland, Michigan, describes the Nicene Creed as a dramatic and powerful statement where every word is like a declaration of war, saying yes to the truth and no to many falsehoods. 

May 21, 2025 | 38 min listen
Jane Williams on the Nicene Creed as a Creative and Exciting Description of Who God Is

Jane Williams, professor of theology at St. Mellitus College in London, England, sees the Nicene Creed, crafted 1700 years ago, as an extraordinary creative and exciting description of who God is and therefore what we trust in as Christians in God's world. 

May 21, 2025 | 26 min listen
Maria Eugenia Cornou and Mikie Roberts on the Doxological and Historical Significance of the Nicene Creed

Maria Eugenia Cornou and Mikie Roberts serve on a planning team for an October worship event in Egypt to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the ecumenical creed that emerged in the year 325 and remains firmly embedded in the worship practices of the church today. 

May 21, 2025 | 36 min listen