We’ve been busy across the Synod this past few months. In many ways we are only just now coming down from the Spirit-filled mountaintop that was our inaugural CPGI preaching conference, held at Alma Conference this past June. The joy and excitement of this new thing God is doing to provide for the proclamation of the Word across the synod remains vibrant as I check-in with participants and mentors and meet with synod staff.
Our cohort groups have completed their first two online meetings. In July, they focused on exegesis (a big theological word for the art of interpretation) not only of the biblical text but also of the congregation – they wrestled with the question of how preachers might prayerfully discern what God is speaking through a particular biblical text to a particular congregation at a particular time.
They continued this conversation in August, taking up the theme of the role of imagination and creativity in preaching, considering how good preaching makes connections between the world of the Bible and our present world and experiences. This September, they will focus on the ins and outs of preparing a sermon each week.
In the CGPI office, we have been busy supporting our participants and mentors as they work together to cultivate bible reading and preaching skills. We’ve had grant paperwork to complete and submit, budgets to manage, and surveys to compile and submit. We’ve also been working on next year’s conference, from securing housing for (hopefully!) twice as many attendees, inviting speakers and workshop leaders, and finding mentors for five new cohorts. And we have a whole new class of new preachers to recruit! We have a long list of recommended participants from the 11 presbyteries of our Synod, and the application process for the 2025-2026 “class” of CGPI will go live in late September / early October.
I ask that the faithful across pray that God will continue to bless CGPI participants, mentors, and staff as God continues to work this new thing in our midst. And as always, if you know anyone that is discerning a call to preach or an experienced pastor who might be called to mentor new preachers, send them my way.
Grace and peace,
Matthew J. Aragon Bruce
Director, Cultivating the Gift of Preaching Initiative.
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