Designed for United Methodist Certified Lay Ministers (CLM). This course is designed to help CLM students learn how to prepare a sermon that delivers the good news. This course also assumes a basic biblical knowledge and ability to exegete the biblical text. It would be helpful to have had at least the Old Testament or the New Testament class.

At the culmination of the class the student will deliver a sermon to the class, the instructor, and some well-established preachers. The student will then receive helpful feedback for their preaching.

The class is limited to a maximum of 10 students to allow plenty of time for student presentations. The goal of this class is to have preachers who can proclaim the Good News to a congregation.

Course dates: October 2 - November 5, 2023

5 weeks with daily discussion forums and a one-day face-to-face or online meeting for preaching final course sermons.

Date of meeting: TBA. This meeting will need to be a priority on your calendar and will be half of your grade.

Location of meeting: Salina First UMC (or via Zoom if needed due to COVID restrictions).

Required Texts

Stanley, Andy and Lane Jones. Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1590525142, 1590525140.

A New Revised Standard Version Study Bible (i.e. The Disciple Study Bible, HarperCollins Study Bible, New Oxford Annotated Bible, The Wesley Study Bible, or online at Oremus Bible Browser.

Access to good commentaries (your church library may help with this, or your congregation's pastor): Harper's One Volume, Interpretation, Interpreter's, or online "Working Preacher" and Bible Hub have excellent commentaries.

Teacher: Richard Fitzgerald