Summer 2009 | Volume 67, No. 4

Polish Your Preaching In Only Three Days

by Keith Collier

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Pastors often lament that outside of reading popular books on the subject, their methods for honing their preaching skills are left wanting. Southwestern’s Expository Preaching Workshops provide pastors with training in the exposition of Scripture as well as the opportunity to dialogue with the authors of those preaching books.

For the past five years, Southwestern has annually hosted the two-day Expository Preaching Workshop in the spring and the one-day Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop in the fall.

Southwestern preaching professor Steven Smith notes the reason for calling it a workshop rather than a conference, saying, “We use the word ‘workshop’ because, building on our theology, we want to tinker with skills.”

“The purpose is to provide hands-on, practical workshop training for pastors to enable them to develop their skills continually in the area of preaching,” says David Allen, dean of Southwestern’s School of Theology and director of the Southwestern Center for Expository Preaching. “It also serves as a time of fellowship and encouragement for pastors.”

The two-day spring workshop covers a variety of preaching-related topics, including sermon preparation, preaching genres of Scripture and difficult passages, use of media and illustrations, evangelistic preaching, and improving creativity.

In addition to Southwestern’s preaching faculty, pastors and preaching professors from across the nation have been invited to speak at the workshops, including Jerry Vines, Sidney Greidanus, Jim Shaddix, and David Platt.

In at least one session of each workshop, a speaker preaches a sermon and then walks participants through the preparation and delivery process of the sermon. This all-access pass to sermon-making is a highlight for most participants.

The Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop features an intensive study for pastors who know the basics of expository preaching and wish to go deeper, utilizing the original languages. Presenters include Southwestern preaching faculty as well as professors from the School of Theology.

“In the fall workshop, we focus on a specific book of the Bible with the goal of learning how to preach a series of expositional sermons from that book,” says Allen. Past conferences have focused on such books as Amos, James, and the parables of Luke.”

While the primary audience includes pastors and seminary students, Allen notes that all church staff and laymen who teach the Bible in any capacity will benefit from the workshops. He considers the workshops one example, among many, of how Southwestern serves local churches.

“If the seminary can provide practical help to the pastors in the area of their preaching, this will touch every member of the local churches,” Allen says.

He also notes the positive feedback the seminary has received from participants about how the workshops are a significant contribution to their preaching ministries.

“Many tell us they now know how to do exposition, and others tell us they now know how to do it better than before,” says Allen.
Allen acknowledges that he, too, has profited from the workshops.

“I have benefited from interaction with preachers out there on the front lines in the local churches. Observing their own commitment and desire to better their preaching skills is such an encouragement to me,” Allen says.

Year after year, alumni and students return to grow in their preaching abilities.

“It has created its own culture of men returning every year trying to improve their skills,” says Smith, adding, “It forces us to have variety every year in what we’re doing—to balance between theology and practice.”

Clint Ellis, a 2006 M.Div. graduate and pastor of Unity Baptist Church in Fayette, Ala., has attended every workshop since its inception. He first heard about the workshops as a student but has traveled back each year to attend because he has seen the impact it has on his ministry.

“The Expository Preaching Workshops give me an opportunity to sit and learn under those men who have excelled at preaching for years,” says Ellis.

“It challenges me to be faithful, as well as to go above and beyond to try to become the best expositor that I can possibly be. I keep coming back because each year I am refreshed, challenged anew, and learn something different each time.”

In addition to the worksheets, bibliographies, and dialogue at the workshops, Ellis says hearing the experiences of the keynote speakers feeds his desire to grow as a preacher.

“What I appreciate most about these conferences is the availability of the conference speakers between sessions,” says Ellis.

“It helps participants to realize that these men are going through or have been through all of the things that we as young ministers are going through. These individuals can identify with the chaotic nature of the ministry and offer encouragement to keep striving, even when facing great difficulties and obstacles.”

As to whether or not he will return next year, Ellis says, “Both the Expository Preaching Workshop and the Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop will continue to be an essential part of my professional and pastoral development for as long as I am able to attend.”

This year’s fall workshop will be held Friday, Oct. 2, and is titled  “Poetry in Action: Proclaiming the Psalms.” The 2010 spring workshop will be held March 8-9.

As an added resource to preachers, audio for past fall and spring workshops can be downloaded in mp3 format for free at www.swbts.edu/mediaresources. Additionally, a two-disc CD set containing all five years of the spring Expository Preaching Workshops as well as two spring sermon series by Dr. Patterson can be obtained for free by contacting the seminary.

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