We want to hear from preachers serving in congregational settings about what preaching is like for you these days. We’re looking for first-person, true stories and reflections about the preaching life. Some submissions may be published on the Disciples website and/or in For the Messengers, our monthly email for preachers. Writers whose submissions are chosen for publication will receive a $75 honorarium.
Some examples of what we’re looking for:
- Tell us about a time when you were really stumped by the text but the Holy Spirit showed up anyway.
- Tell us about a conversation with a parishioner that was inspired by a sermon you preached.
- Tell us something funny/scary/heart-warming that happened during one of your sermons.
- Tell us how you fell in love with preaching. Or tell us why you fell out of love with preaching.
- Tell us a lesson you learned through a sermon that didn’t go the way you planned.
- Tell us how your preaching has changed over the years.
Some things to consider as you write:
- If you are telling stories about parishioners, colleagues, or family members, be sure you have their permission to share.
- Slightly irreverent is fine; mean-spirited or disrespectful is not.
- Don’t be the hero of your story. In other words, we don’t want to hear about the best sermon you ever preached. We want to hear how God showed up and how the good news was proclaimed.
- Pieces should be original work, not published elsewhere. Brief quotations from other sources are fine with proper attribution.
Submissions should be 400-600 words, written in first-person.
Send your submission as a Microsoft Word document with your name in the file name. Video submissions and stories in languages other than English are also welcome.
Please include:
A headshot.
A two-sentence biography.
Your social media handles, if you’d like to share.
By submitting your writing, you give us permission to use your piece. Send to [email protected].
For examples of stories, see the following past issues of For the Messengers:
June 2023
July 2023
August 2023
September 2023
October 2023
November 2023
December 2023
January 2024
February 2024
March 2024
April 2024
May 2024
June 2024
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