Backstory Preaching’s Free
Summer Reset Summit
Realign your process. Renew your spirit. Revitalize your craft.
Beat the summer doldrums and refresh your summer preaching with
3 bite-sized talks a day from Backstory Preaching’s mentors.
July 22-24, 2025
Talks drop each day in a private, pop-up Facebook group so you can watch on your schedule.
Register now to gain access to the group.
Day 1 (July 22): Realign Your Process
The Power of Approaching Scripture with a Beginner’s Mind
Lisa Cressman, Founding Steward of Backstory Preaching (BsP)
Beginning our sermon prep with vulnerability— letting go of what we know and adopting a beginner's mindset—aids our personal growth as followers of Christ and as preachers. Admitting gaps, asking questions, and being open to new perspectives allows us to see the world and its challenges through God's eyes in new, innovative ways so we can bring fresh insights to our listeners in preaching.
Lisa Cressman is an Episcopal priest and Founding Steward of Backstory Preaching. She is the author of two books, a guest preacher, preaching instructor, and keynote speaker.
Dampen the NOise to speak a word of hope
MOnique Ellison, BsP Mentor
There is so much chaos in the world (nothing new really, but. . .) that is just so loud. Adding to the burden are all of the voices in the news, social media, pulpits, the coffee shop, and our congregations. Some of these voices are ginning up the chaos. Some are offering calm and hope. Sometimes, it is difficult to separate the noise from the one true message of Good News you have to offer. Here, you will hear tips on dampening the noise and speaking a word of hope that is an invitation to staying grounded in God.
Monique Ellison is Canon Vicar at Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is a Backstory Preaching Mentor and a College for Congregational Development Trainer. In over twenty years of ordained ministry, Monique has developed a deep love for congregations and the leaders who serve in them. Her belief is that God has wholeness and love in mind for all people.
Eyes on them: How to Preach Confidently Without a Manuscript
JJ Simpson-Keelan, BsP Mentor
How do you prepare your heart to preach a sermon without written words? I’ll share three techniques you can “try on” to prepare a sermon without a manuscript. By the end, you’ll feel equipped and encouraged to follow your curiosity to try lifting your eyes from the page to preach from your heart.
JJ is a second career pastor who has brought tools and techniques acquired from her nearly thirty years in corporate America to preaching. As she has stepped into the life a full time ministry, she has continued to adapt the tool of Spirit mapping for the preparation of her sermons.
Day 2 (July 23): Renew Your SPirit
What Recovery Has Taught Me about the importance of Rhythms
Eric Miller, BsP Mentor
12-step recovery principles help me stay grounded in the moment, as well as move with the rhythms of life as a preacher and beloved child of God. In particular, Steps 1-3 help us embrace the importance of surrendering to the things we can't change, inviting an active/dynamic relationship with God in our everyday lives, turning our will and lives over to the care of God as we understand God, and allowing others to be themselves while still offering our authentic selves through preaching.
Husband, dad, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, WV, Backstory Preaching Mentor, and lover of 12-step daily living.
Rest & Play to Spark Preaching Joy
Meredith Crigler, BsP’s Steward for Formation & Education
Preachers, we are invited to rest not because it makes us more productive, efficient, or effective, but because we are created in the image and likeness of a God who rests. Because we are designed for rest, we function well when we rest, and in the long term, we are better when we rest. And yes, our sermon preparation and preaching are better when we rest. This session will explore the spiritual foundation of rest, play as a subversive act of resistance in a world where destructive forces feed off fear and despair, and how cultivating play and rest sparks joy.
Meredith is an Episcopal priest serving as the Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Baytown, TX, and as Steward for Formation & Education for Backstory Preaching. She is a Certified Daring Way®️ Facilitator and co-author of the Preacher’s Planner. She has a doctorate in homiletics with a research focus on preaching Holy Saturday. Her core values are wholeness, wonder, authenticity, and grace. She's fond of traveling, art, laughing, sunshine, camping, DIY projects, stained glass, and conspiring with God.
Sacred Listening: Praying Your Sermon Into Being
Rhonda Rogers, BsP Mentor
One of the challenges preachers have is viewing our sermon preparation time as part of our spiritual practice. Sacred Listening is a time between. It is the time between study and crafting our message when we listen. I’ll share ways you can intentionally let go of the objective to write a sermon and let the Holy Spirit prompt you—as well as strategies to make space in your schedule for this time so you find respite in sermon prep.
Ordained in 2019, Rhonda is the rector at St. Francis of Assisi Prairie View, TX and a BsP Mentor. She facilitates classes for pastoral and self-care at Iona School for Ministry and The Iona Collaborative Continuing Education. She is an Associate with the Order of St. Helena, a monastic community of women in the Episcopal Church.
Day 3 (July 24): Revitalize Your Craft
Employ Your Authentic Voice
Yejide PETERS PIETERSEN, BsP Mentor
How do you craft an authentic sermon? Finding and using your voice begins with your own relationship with God. We’ll explore weekly practices for centered preaching so you’re grounded in what’s true to you. We’ll also discuss sermon illustrations that connect and "keep it real."
Yejide is an Episcopal priest and Backstory Preaching mentor. She loves Jesus, preaching, churching, her family, and time with friends.
Sermons as Conversation: Inspiring Your Congregation to Proclaim Good News
Kevin Caruso, BsP Mentor
What would it mean if we could inspire people of faith to recognize that they, too, are called to proclaim the Good News in word and deed? I’ll share how to think about sermons through the framework of a conversation. By the end, you’ll know ways to make your sermons more conversational—before, during and after the moment of preaching
Kevin is the Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Wheaton, IL. In addition to his ministry as a parish priest, he is a part of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago’s Consulting Network and serves on the board for Invite Welcome Connect. He was awarded by Yale Divinity School the John A. Wade Prize for great originality in expository preaching… although if you ask him, he will tell you he is not entirely sure what that means!
Crafting for the Ear, Not the Eye
Meredith Crigler, BsP’s Steward for Formation & Education
A sermon is not words on a page read aloud to listeners. A sermon is offered out loud to a community by a fully embodied preacher. For preachers who use a manuscript or notes, how we craft what we write for a sermon must be different from how we craft what we write for a newsletter, email, or academic paper. This session will explore tips for crafting sermons for the ear and not the eye.
Meredith is an Episcopal priest serving as the Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Baytown, TX, and as Steward for Formation & Education for Backstory Preaching. She is a Certified Daring Way®️ Facilitator and co-author of the Preacher’s Planner. She has a doctorate in homiletics with a research focus on preaching Holy Saturday. Her core values are wholeness, wonder, authenticity, and grace. She's fond of traveling, art, laughing, sunshine, camping, DIY projects, stained glass, and conspiring with God.
Register Today!
As soon as you sign up, you’ll be invited into the private Facebook group where talks will be posted during the summit.