Despite snowy conditions, exhorters from four classes (regional groups of churches) met on February 25 for a preaching seminar at Community Christian Reformed Church in Kitchener, Ontario.
John Rottman leads a preaching workshop.
The workshop was sponsored by Calvin Theological Seminary’s Center for Excellence in Preaching and was led by Scott Hoezee and John Rottman. It was organized by Classis Huron’s administrative committee.
The full-day event was specifically for those who hold a license to exhort (preach) within their classis, though it was also open to pastors and others interested in preaching.
Committee vice chair Rita Klein-Geltink, pastor of Lucknow (Ontario) Community CRC, noted that while pastors have an expectation and opportunity for continuing education, “we examine [our exhorters] at classis and review them periodically, but other than that, they are on their own. Rather than simply encourage them to further equip themselves, we decided to offer them a vehicle by which to do so.”
Hoezee and Rottman focused on Paul Scott Wilson’s “four page” model, and participants received a copy of Wilson’s book The Four Pages of the Sermon: A Guide to Biblical Preaching as well as Stan Mast’s Someday You’ll Be a Good Preacher. Other topics included sermon structure, introductions, conclusions, sermon illustrations, and some “do”s and “don’t”s of preaching.
While some registrants were unable to make it because of inclement weather, 20 people from across the province attended.
Participants were very appreciative; more than one remarked that “nothing like this had ever been done” in their twenty or thirty years of preaching. Organizers hope to offer more events like this and encouraged others who might want to plan similar workshops as “a gift of thanks and encouragement to our exhorters.”
