Presently, the bulk of our attention is focused on recruiting new participants and planning the 2nd Annual Alma College Preaching Conference. We are excited both to once again gather all of our current participants in person and in one place, but also to welcome a new group of participants into the CGPI family. Last year we had 21 participants (with one person dropping out, in order to attend seminary) – this year we are hoping to add up to 35 new emerging preachers. We currently have 22 accepted applicants – so there is still room for more and plenty of time to apply! If we meet our goals, we will have 56+ emerging preacher and 9 preacher-mentors. And when you add our speakers, workshop leaders, and staff into the mix, Alma College will struggle to host us all – some of us will be sleeping in dorm rooms!
We have a soft deadline of April 15th but are able to receive applications and admit new participants on a rolling basis until we reach our limit of 35. So please don’t let the soft deadline stop you from applying or recommending the program. You can read about CGPI and apply for the program here. And if you’d like to ask questions or discuss the program, please contact the Program Director, Matt Aragon Bruce.
As I (Matt) have been talking with potential participants this winter and spring (we’ve had 94 recommended participants from across the Synod), I’ve heard the same questions and concerns multiple times; so much so that we plan to soon add a FAQ to our webpage. But I thought now would be a good time to share just a few.
Q: I work full time (or are very busy in some other way) and don’t think I have the time for this.
A: CGPI is intentionally designed to fit various schedules. This is one reason why it is an 18-month program, typically requiring only 8-12 hours per month. Apart from two 5-day conferences held in June, and two 2-day in person cohort meetings, the program consists of one 2-hour zoom meeting and around 50-75 pages of reading per month. Moreover, the zoom meeting times are scheduled with your cohort and typically occur in the evenings or on the weekends. In addition, after the first six months participants will begin preaching in a congregational setting (2-3 times over the final 12 months of the program.
Q: After completing the CGPI program, will I be certified to preach anywhere in my presbytery or across the Synod?
A: CGPI is not a certification program, but a training program. Decisions on who preaches, where, and when, are ultimately made by local leadership in presbyteries and congregations. This is why we work closely with and through presbytery leadership and ask that our participants be recommended by their pastors and/or presbytery leadership. Our goal is to form and equip emergent preachers, but how they serve is determined by presbyteries and sessions.
Q: If I commit to the CGPI program, am I also committing to preach nearly every Sunday?
A: Of course not! We in the Synod and the leaders in the Synod’s 11 presbyteries, envision multiple ways that CPGI trained preachers might serve. Some might make themselves available on their presbyteries stated supply lists, some might become the regular preacher in a church that is currently without a pastor, some might only preach in their own church when the pastor is on vacation or study leave, and some might sense a call to become a CRE/CP or maybe even to attend seminary and become an ordained Teaching Elder. The range of options of how you might serve are numerous.
Q: I am retired and don’t think it is a good use of denominational funds to train someone like me, I’d rather the monies be used on someone younger.
A: While we welcome participants of all ages (our current age range is 21 to 82!), the majority of our current participants are in the about-to-be or recently retired age range. Moreover, “lay” preachers (either on supply lists or preaching in their own congregations) across the Synod are typically from this age range. Even if you do not preach that often, the entire church benefits from well-trained members who understand what goes into preparing a sermon; our “regular” pastors/preachers benefit from educated congregations.