William Willimon – Bio
Preaching About Grace Amazing

In this workshop, Will Willimon, author of Preachers Dare: Speaking for God in the Sermon, will talk about the unique challenge of preaching graciously about Jesus Christ and at the same time, amazingly. How does a preacher keep preaching amazing grace over the long haul? Biblical texts will be engaged as we celebrate the joy of preaching about a God who is not only loving and sovereign but also amazingly gracious.

Ken Shigametsu – Bio
Meditation: How Silence Makes Our Mind and Soul Whole

Preaching is thought of primarily as an act of the spoken word, but it is a word that grows out of a silence.  In this session, we will explore how meditation and silence awakens us to a fresh encounter with God’s presence and helps us experience more inner peace and joy, better mental recall, and less anxiety and depression and strengthens our preaching.

Susan Sparks – Bio
The Universe is Singing: Leveraging the Grace of Natural Creation for Preaching

All aspects of the universe — from quarks, to rivers, to wildlife, to black holes — are literally singing. And that song is the thing that connects us to God’s grace. Join Rev. Susan Sparks for a fun and engaging look at creative ways to bring the music of nature into your sermons and highlight the “Amazing Grace” all around us.

R.H. Thomson – Bio
Searching for our Authentic Voice

Public speaking is in many ways a private experience―the speaker must experience and live into what is said. R. H. Thomson will attempt to describe the actor’s tools for speaking, not loudly but authentically. The pursuit to find moments when mind, emotion, spirit and body are united through the words we speak, is lifelong. Poems will provide the gymnasium for the workshop’s word work.

Andrew Stirling – Bio
What People Want to Hear? or What People Need to Hear?

In this workshop, preachers will explore the relationship between Law and Grace with a special emphasis on the Letters of Paul. Arising from this analysis, we will examine the current cultural context where legalism has taken on new forms. We will ask: Are preachers just ‘Influencers’ alongside many other voices? Is preaching Law, as opposed to Grace, any easy option in our very judgmental world?  The assumption here is that Grace is ultimately God’s initiative, and it has apocalyptic, theological, and ethical ramifications, all of which arise from the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This workshop aims to inspire all preachers to advocate for Grace.