John 20:18 tells us that “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.” In this, Mary is the first evangelist, the first to proclaim the resurrected Christ. In other words, she was the first preacher. Preaching doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be grounded by Scripture, set in the context of both the time it was written and the context of those hearing it. It needs to be proclaimed while paying prayerful attention to the movement of the Holy Spirit’s promptings. This three-week workshop is intended for lay people and others who preach periodically and are seeking to learn more. The workshop will look at examples of effective preaching, explore what a sermon is, and what a sermon isn’t, and provide participants with practical tools to expand their ministry of preaching.
Instructor: The Ven. Kristen Aikman is the Archdeacon of Life-Long Learning and Vocational Development for the Diocese of Huron, and the rector of St. Paul’s in Point Edward, Ontario. She is a graduate of Trinity College, Toronto and is completing a Doctor of Ministry degree in Homiletics at the University of the South in Tennessee. She has roots in the Baptist tradition but found her home amidst the sacraments, chant, and rhythm of the Anglican tradition. She is drawing to preaching as formation and not simply as a persuasive moral lesson.