Dear Friend,

It seems that an invitation to a conference or seminar arrives every day. We have limited time, and most of us feel like we’ve gone to every conference going.

A couple of years ago I received an invitation like this one. I was skeptical, and the timing was not great, but I decided to attend. It was simply the most biblical and helpful workshop I had ever attended.

I’m not alone. Last year, others attended the 2009 Simeon Trust Preaching workshop. They commented on how helpful it had been, and how they wished they had known about it sooner. I heard from one attendee who said it has changed his ministry.

Ian Hugh Clary writes:

I know that I often speak in exaggeration, but I can honestly say that this was one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended. Practical, soul searching, biblical, affective, encouraging. I was very blessed to have been there and I learned a lot...

I highly, highly recommend that if a Simeon Trust workshop comes within a five hour radius of you that you attend one. You will not be disappointed! Your preaching will improve and your congregation will love you for it. Even if you’ve been at the game for thirty years, you will still benefit from a gathering such as this!

Charles Price, pastor of The Peoples Church Toronto, states:

The preacher must ask three progressive questions of a Biblical text: What? So What? Now What? ‘What?’ is exposition. ‘So What?’ is implication. ‘Now What?’ is exhortation. The most fundamental of these is the ‘What?’ question. What does the text actually say and mean? If the foundation of our preaching is faulty, the implications and exhortations will be distorted – guaranteed! This seminar addresses the disciplines of good exegesis, which is the skill of first importance to the preacher.

We are pleased that another workshop will take place next March 3-5 at Bayview Glen Church. Once again, David Helm, Lead Pastor of the Hyde Park congregation of Holy Trinity Church in Chicago and chairman of Simeon Trust, will be instructing us. The topic this year is preaching apocalyptic literature.

The Workshop will be divided into three sections. We will receive instruction on preaching, we will prepare two sermon outlines which will be evaluated by our peers and we will hear modeled for us clear and inspiring preaching of God's Word.

Let me encourage you to set these two and a half days aside to hone your preaching skills and be encouraged and motivated in the work of preaching to which the Lord has called us.

For more information or to discuss the details of the workshop please feel free to contact Pastor Doug Kelley at 905-873-0249 or doug@togetheratgac.com.

To register go to the Charles Simeon Trust website (http://www.simeontrust.org/).

We have made arrangements for discount rates in a nearby hotel, so please be sure you check your registration confirmation for this important information.

I hope you can attend.

Sincerely,

Darryl Dash

Pastor

First Steps for Beginning Preachers

Colin Adams of Unashamed Workman gives the following very helpful advice:

1. Preach, preach, preach

2. Take on a variety of texts (psalms, prophecy, narrative, epistles), but don’t be too brave too early (eg. consecutive studies through Revelation!)

3. Continue to read formal instruction on expository preaching

4. Listen to a variety of good preachers, and learn things from each of them

5. Get feedback

6. Learn something every time, and work on that area next time

7. Pray for conversions

8. Read theology, especially biblical theology

9. Begin with the tried and tested styles of preaching, then begin to adapt to your own style

10. Guard yourself against pride and despondency, the two most common pitfalls

Dear Brothers in Ministry,

I’d like to tell you about a Preaching Workshop being held in the GTA from March 25^th to 27^th. This workshop is sponsored by the Charles Simeon Trust and has been designed to help men fulfill their calling to accurately and effectively preach the Word of God.

This year’s workshop is being held at Richview Baptist Church in Etobicoke. Our instructors, David Helm and David Short will focus on preaching the book of Luke. The Workshop will be divided into three sections. We will receive instruction on preaching, we will prepare two sermon outlines which will be evaluated by our peers and we will hear modeled for us clear and inspiring preaching of God's Word.

Let me encourage you to set these two and a half days aside to hone your preaching skills and be encouraged and motivated in the work of preaching to which the Lord has called us. For more information or to discuss the details of the workshop please feel free to call Pastor Doug Kelley at 905-873-0249. To register you can go to the Charles Simeon Trust website. We will be making arrangements for discount rates in nearby hotels so please be sure you check your registration confirmation for this important information.

I hope you will be able to take advantage of this opportunity for fellowship and instruction. Please forward this post to those whom you think would benefit.

God bless!

How John Stott Prepares a Sermon

Check here for good practical help on the preparation of Biblical messages that will feed your own soul and will feed the souls the people you serve.

Update: I fixed the link.