REIGNITE YOUR PASSION FOR PREACHING
ONLINE SERMON CAMP FOR PREACHERS
6 WEEKS. 11 SESSIONS. 8/17/25 START.
Discover practical strategies that engage your own spirituality and backstory to craft a compelling sermon with more joy and less stress.
“This is the class I wish I had received in seminary.”
Has Preaching become a source of stress & Self-Doubt Rather than joy?
You wonder if there's a better way to prepare your sermons. You’re tired of worrying whether you have anything meaningful to say, scrambling to finish your message at the last minute, or wondering if your listeners are even engaged. But it's hard to know where to start and how to make change that matters—and lasts.
Do you Ever wonder how to prioritize sermon prep when Other ministry demands pull you in different directions?
For many ordained and lay preachers alike, balancing preaching with ministry duties and a personal life seems impossible.
Sermon prep spills into evenings and weekends, stressing relationships and leading to burnout.
Even when you find a block of time to work on your sermon, it’s hard to be efficient.
Without a reliable process, you may spend hours on needless research without making useful progress toward your message.
In time, what should be an inspiring journey becomes a burdensome chore—yet another task on the to-do list.
How would it feel if you could:
Develop a consistent and reliable sermon preparation process to reduce wasted time
Experience sermon prep as a life-giving time of connection with God rather than a source of stress
Find a sermon prep rhythm that works with your life and ministry—leaving time for rest and play with loved ones
Access practical tools that streamline the sermon prep process and enhance delivery
Rediscover the joy that drew you to preaching in the first place.
Craft sermons that are both spiritually nourishing and engaging for the congregation
Build confidence in the resonance of your sermons with listeners—because you truly believe God has given you this message for these people.
In just 6 weeks, Sermon Camp transforms your approach to sermon prep so that this vision becomes your reality.
No longer will you waste precious hours wondering what to do next or getting lost in endless research.
Instead, you'll have a reliable process that guides you step-by-step, ensuring every moment spent on your sermon is productive and focused.
This newfound efficiency means you can dedicate more time to the aspects of ministry that matter most to you, without sacrificing the quality of your sermons—and have more time for yourself and with loved ones..
By the end of Sermon Camp, your sermons will be more than just well-prepared; they’ll be infused with passion and authenticity that captivate and inspire.
Join us in this transformative journey and see how fulfilling sermon preparation can truly be.
What is Sermon Camp?
A 6-week, live, online course with video content, live instruction, and workshopping with colleagues—
designed for anyone who wishes to improve their sermon preparation or preaching.
“The process taught by sermon camp not only helped me organize my time differently for sermon preparation, but has made it much more meaningful for me, and impacted my congregation by invigorating my preaching.”
Sermon Camp provides the roadmap and structure you need to:
Experience sermon prep as a time of respite and connection with God
Finish your sermon on your timeline, giving you more time to enjoy time with friends and loved ones
Enter the pulpit confident in and excited about the message you preach
Rooted in prayer and best practices, the tools you receive in Sermon Camp
will re-ignite your spirituality and bring you closer to being the preacher you long to be.
“The best homiletic training I’ve had in a long time...perhaps even ever.”
Is Sermon Camp for You?
Sermon Camp is for anyone who wishes to proclaim the Good News with more confidence and joy—and connect with God in the process. We welcome:
experienced preachers
brand new preachers
ordained preachers
lay preachers
bivocational preachers
weekly preachers
a-few-weeks-a-year preachers
What you’ll GAIN:
By the end of the course, you'll have established a new process, schedule, and approach to preaching that will make sermon prep a time you look forward to each week. You’ll discover:
tools to discover new insights about the Scripture that will multiply your sermon ideas
preaching strategies you'll be able to apply this week and every week to craft a compelling message in less time
ways to experience your sermon prep as respite rather than another task on your to-do list
practices to finish your sermon by Friday—or on your ideal timeline—so you can enjoy a personal life!
“This course has been great. I’ve been feeling “fed” more in prayer and Scripture...My weeks feel more peaceful...I am getting more spontaneous feedback on preaching from listeners, all of it good.”
Course Content:
Week 1: Learn and apply BsP’s foundational, 5-step sermon prep process, developing a sermon over 5 days
Week 2: Design the process that works for you: prayer, environment, and your sermon prep schedule
Week 3: Heal the preacher’s “curse of knowledge”: cultivate a beginner’s mind + formative exegesis
Week 4: How to make meaning from the text: 5 essential components of every sermon
Week 5: Holding the listener’s attention: introductions, conclusions, and storytelling
Week 6: From idea to sermon: exploring sermon forms, revision as a gift to your listener, & questions/wrap-up
After (optional): Peer sermon appraisals conducted independently
Sermon Camp Schedule
AUGUST 18 - September 24, 2024
Camp Rhythm
ORIENTATION: Before first day of kickoff week (varies by cohort)
KICKOFF WEEK: Meets daily for one hour, 8/19-23
WEEKS 2-6: Meets one hour weekly on Tuesdays for 5 weeks
OPTIONAL: Participate in peer sermon appraisals the week after the last live session
Session Dates and Times
Choose from the two session times available:
10-11 a.m. Central
6-7 p.m. Central
All sessions recorded in case you can't make it.
How does it work?
Based on our popular eCourse Craft an Effective Sermon by Friday, Sermon Camp provides an ideal combination of live online sessions, independent practice, and interactive support. Receive expert guidance from your preaching mentor, and enjoy the camaraderie of colleagues in your online learning space.
The Logistics:
At registration, choose your session time and enter the private course on Mighty Networks with immediate access to Craft an Effective Sermon by Friday.
During Kickoff Week (week of August 19), you'll meet online daily for one hour/day for an accelerated introduction to the process (includes BsP's 5-day video roadmap, The Sermon 52 Framework) to learn the process to craft a meaningful sermon on your own schedule.
For the next five weeks, we'll meet live online one hour each week for Q&A, office hours, and additional teaching. We’ll support you as you work through the chapters of the eCourse and begin implementing the principles you're learning.
Optional: Give and receive sermon feedback with a peer appraisal partner (assigned in class) the week after the last live session.
“My experience was salve for my soul.”
Invest in your preaching ministry
6-week live, online course with video content
Live instruction and workshopping with colleagues in a private course space
Learn a reliable sermon prep process in just one week
Become more efficient and effective at sermon preparation to reclaim personal time
Discover practical tools to make preaching easier
Deepen your connection to God while preparing sermons
Valued at over $7500
$399
Notify Me When Registration opens
“I enjoy preaching again and am gaining a lot more confidence.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this course for?
We’ve had lay and ordained preachers, new preachers and those near retirement, preachers who deliver sermons weekly and those who preach only occasionally participate in Sermon Camp. All have found value in the process.
Newer preachers appreciate the way Sermon Camp helps them establish a foundation for sustainable, life-giving ministry. Seasoned preachers find these new methods and techniques invigorate their preaching, remind them of their call, and help them experience joy in preaching once again.
What if I can’t attend a live session?
All sessions will be recorded to watch at your convenience.
What is the time commitment?
There are eleven hours of live sessions over the course of six weeks. Between sessions, there will be reading and video instruction to complete as you have time. The first week is most intense because you’ll be meeting daily and applying the process to prep a sermon in real time over the course of the week. We suggest two hours of prep/independent learning for each hour of live instruction.
What makes Sermon Camp different from other preaching workshops or courses?
Everything Backstory Preaching teaches is rooted in prayer and deep value for the preacher’s backstory and call. We believe God called you to preach the sermons only you can preach. We believe your belovedness by God is sacred and cannot be changed by a good or bad sermon. We believe sermon prep is an opportunity to connect with God amidst the business of ministry so preaching feeds you first—and then your listeners. Our vision is for every preacher to experience the Good News for themselves—and to preach confidently out of that encounter with God.
What is the optional peer sermon appraisal?
We believe that feedback is essential to growth as a preacher. At the end of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to be paired with another preacher to appraise each other’s sermons. Instruction is given for how to appraise constructively and generously. Preachers have the opportunity to specify what they’d like feedback on and how gentle they’d prefer the feedback be.
How do I send a group?
Contact Lisa Cressman, Founder & Steward of Backstory Preaching.