Preaching as Community Learning

Interactive insights

Whenever I am training preachers, one of the things I talk about is the need for every preacher not only to provide inspiration for the people in their charge, but also to draw it from them. I have been doing just that this morning as I review the ‘homework’ sent to me by a group of young preachers whom I was training in the Philippines (via Skype) at the weekend. Consider this, for instance, from Angel as a picture of preaching : the preacher is like the fist ant…passing the truth onto one, who passes it to another and another. Who would ever have though of seeing it that way?

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Over the past twelve months or so I have been experimenting with interactive learning in the (smaller) evening services at my own church. We have done everything from round table discussion to interactive games. However, having not done it for a few weeks over the Easter period, there was a degree of scepticism from people when they arrived and saw the tables out last night. This was to be the launch of a new preaching series on ‘problems with prayer’ – and each table had a number of the aplphabet cards displayed below on it.

After an initial talk about the reasons why we maybe don’t pray, each table completed five or six letter cards with insights on prayer. The results are below. As you can see, it was a rich ‘seam’ which brought far more depth and color to the service than I could have done on my own. Cards were then returned to the tables later so that people could use them as prompts to pray for each other’s prayer life.

Adoration Bless Believing Christ Celebration Confession Closeness to God Communion Comforting Challenging

Diligent Devotion Deliverer Daily Extol Easy Emotional Exhausted Excited not Exhibitionist Exasperated Faith(ful) Frequently (God as) Friend Friends (praying for)

Grateful Greatness Help – for me, for others Intercession

Joyful Jesus not Judgemental Justification Justified Kneel Know (who you’re praying to) Laud Love Longing Learning Life Light Longsuffering Long

Majesty Mercy Mystery Nearness Not yet? Obedience

Please (very British) Praise Perseverance Patient Private Pounding the door Pleading Quiet Question … why? Repent Regular be Real

Supplication Short and to the point Sacrifice Salvation Self-judgemental Silence Shouting at God  Trust Thanks Time Understanding Unique Useless

Victory Virtue Worship Watchful (for answers) Will (act of) Whenever Wherever (you are) X … love ( “kiss”) EXalt

Yourself Yearning Zealous