Finish your sermon with our proven framework before the weekend begins!
Backstory Preaching’s
1-Week FREE
Sermon
Prep
Challenge
Experience the rhythm, prayer, and community behind compelling preaching with this taste of The Collectives.
Here’s what you can expect:
Runs Friday, September 18, to Friday, September 25 with 1-hour live sessions each weekday. Attend one or all!
Challenge hosted inside private space on Mighty Networks alongside our Collectives community members.
Select sermon prep resources shared during the week.
“At every level, Backstory Preaching connects you to colleagues who are praying the scriptures together in community so our preaching is enlivened with a direct experience of God.”
the Week’s Details
All times are Central. Sessions recorded and shared within the Challenge space.
Friday, 9/18 (12:00 pm): Intro to Sermon 52 Framework & the Week’s Rhythm
Joyful preaching begins with prayer, is sustained by rhythms you can rely on, and made more efficient when you always know what to do next. This session provides an overview of Backstory Preaching’s application of Lectio Divina to sermon prep + details about the challenge so you’re ready for the week ahead.
Monday, 9/21 (9:30 am): Plan Your Week & Engage the Text
Sermon prep takes time. And if you don’t prioritize that time during your work week, those hours land in your personal time. “Weekly Calendar Prep” helps you tackle your calendar with intention. Sometime today, you’ll also prayerfully read or listen to the scripture you plan to preach on. Optional: Join Lisa live on Facebook for Live Lectio at noon Central.
Tuesday, 9/22 (12:00 pm): Conduct Exegesis with Limits
Define and pursue the most compelling questions you have for this week's sermon. “Meditatio: Practicing Formative Exegesis” helps you streamline your study, avoid time-consuming rabbit holes, and move closer to defining your message. See just how much you can accomplish in an hour.
Wednesday, 9/23 (2:45 pm): Define and Organize Your Sermon Message
What is your one, clear message of Good News? Why does it matter to your listeners? In this one-hour “Oratio” session, you’ll begin to define and workshop your sermon message. By the end, you’ll have a clear path forward to composing your sermon.
Thursday, 9/24 (12:00 pm): Revise Your Message & Ready Yourself for Preaching
Offering practical suggestions for editing your message, access to our brand new Sermon Studio for feedback, and strategies to ready yourself for preaching Sunday, this “Revise & Be Ready” event will help you clearly appraise and improve your sermon draft.
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LIVE Q&A Session!
Friday, September 25th (12 pm)
Join us for a live Q&A session with Founding Steward, Lisa Cressman, and our Collectives leadership to address any preaching questions you might have after our week together.
The Collectives is our online community where preachers prep sermons with a reliable rhythm, practical tools, and mentored support so they reclaim their life, deepen their connection to God, and strengthen the foundations of their craft. Bonus! The joy, wisdom, and solidarity of a preaching life shared in community versus gritted through alone.
“Backstory Preaching is changing my life to make sermon prep more energizing and not take over my whole week.”
“Backstory Preaching has been the best thing I’ve done for my preaching. Ever.”
