IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FAITH + LEAD
SERMON CAMP FOR PREACHERS
6 WEEKS. 11 SESSIONS. 5/19/24 START.
Learn practical strategies that engage your own spirituality and backstory to craft an effective sermon without the stress.
“This is the class I wish I had received in seminary.”
Reboot your preaching life & Rediscover the joy of Preaching.
You wonder if there's a better way to prepare your sermons. You’re tired of scrambling for a message at the last minute and then wondering if your message even connected with your listeners. But it's hard to know where to start and how to make change that matters—and lasts.
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 so you can 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-invigorate your spirituality and bring you closer to being the preacher you long to be.
“I enjoy preaching again and am gaining a lot more confidence.”
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 learn:
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!
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: Healing the preacher’s “curse of knowledge”: cultivating a beginner’s mind and 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
“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.”
Sermon Camp Schedule
May 19 - June 25, 2024
Camp Rhythm
ORIENTATION: Sunday, May 19 (5–6:15 p.m. Central)
Kickoff WEEK: Monday–Friday, May 20-24. Meets daily for one hour over 5 days
Weeks 2-6: Meets one hour weekly for 5 weeks
OPTIONAL: Participate in peer sermon appraisals the week after the last live session (week of July 1)
Session Dates and Times
Two cohort times available. Choose your session time at checkout:
Tuesdays: 10 a.m. (Central)
Thursdays: 1 p.m. (Central)
All sessions recorded in case you can't make it.
All live sessions held at cohort time except Orientation, which is held Sunday evening, 5/19, for all.
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 May 2oth), 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 (week of July 1).
“My experience was salve for my soul.”
Valued at over $1400
Get your Preaching reboot for $399
What's included?
11+ hours of live instruction and support with a Backstory Preaching Mentor.
BsP's eCourse Craft an Effective Sermon by Friday (PDF format)
BsP's 5-day video roadmap for busy preachers, The Sermon 52 Framework, where you’ll discover our foundational sermon prep process—plus weekly video guides to accompany Craft an Effective Sermon by Friday (accessed via the private group with course materials)
Access to a private online learning space during camp to ask questions, brainstorm ideas, share challenges and successes, and build community with like-minded preaching professionals
“The best homiletic training I’ve had in a long time...perhaps even ever.”
SECURE YOUR SPOT!
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.