A few more spots left in the upcoming Lay Preacher Cohort!
Apply to join a Lay Preacher cohort
Are you a lay preacher interested in connecting with other lay preachers? Join a one-year cohort to learn more about faith-full preaching with your peers! We have received a number of applications but still have additional spots available for the second iteration of this community, so our deadline has been extended. Through discussion and sermon-sharing twice a month over Zoom, lay preachers in this group gain a community of peer-coaches who can encourage and support one another, all with the goal of cultivating more faith-full preaching.
Eligibility Requirements for Lay Preacher Cohort:
Commissioned and/or licensed by a church or denominational governing body to preach
Currently serving a small congregation (< 100 in attendance)
Ability to connect to online through Zoom
Applications will close on July 1, 2025. The cohort will be announced by July 31, 2025. Meetings will run from September 2025 - May 2026.
We look forward to welcoming another set of lay preachers to a FPP Cohort!
The first iteration of the Lay Preacher Cohort of the Faithful Preaching Project has come to a close, and at our last meeting, we asked members to share how the experience had impacted their preaching and how the program has helped them.
“It has enriched my preaching a great deal. We all struggle to do this, we all question ourselves about whether we’re capable or if the people are bothering to listen to us and this [cohort] is where we can reassure each other that that we’re doing God’s work and we are following a calling that is valid and worthwhile.”
“Just the cohort alone has given me more confidence and strength. I’m just so grateful that you did this for us, because in my mind, it’s like continuing education. I think it certainly has made me better behind the pulpit.”
“I have really benefitted quite a bit. I didn’t realize how many others were on my level that we’re dealing with the same issues I was having.”
“I look forward to when we have our time together: to learn from each other, to lift each other up. It’s made me bolder in the pulpit than I have been before. I feel more comfortable with what I’m doing now.”
Want to boost your skills and reinvigorate your preaching? Join Dr. Alyce McKenzie for an engaging workshop here on the Austin Seminary campus.
On Saturday, August 30, we are delighted to welcome Rev. Dr. Alyce McKenzie, Professor of Preaching & Worship at the Perkins School of Theology at SMU, for the next FPP preaching workshop!
Title: “Show, Don’t (Just) Tell! Fiction Writing Strategies for Sermons.”
Date:Saturday, August 30, 2025
Place: Wright Hall on Austin Seminary Campus
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
People want profound biblical and theological teaching, but they don’t want lectures. This 4-hour workshop will equip participants to use metaphor, scene, and story to gain and maintain listener attention, so they retain the memory of Sunday’s sermon on Monday and beyond! The workshop is free and open to all preachers - new and seasoned, lay and ordained.
The workshop will be based on insights from Dr. McKenzie’s book Making a Scene in the Pulpit: Vivid Preaching for Visual Listeners and Novel Preaching: Tips from Top Writers on Crafting Creative Sermons. Participants will need to read the book to be prepared for the workshop. Lunch is also included as part of the workshop.
Click here to register for the workshop with Dr. Alyce McKenzie
Please note, this workshop is in-person only. Online-only preaching workshops from the Faithful Preaching Project will be offered separately.
More opportunities for growth and learning from Austin Seminary:
The Austin Story Project
The Austin Story Project is a new program from Austin Seminary. The project is seeking interested congregations, Christian organizations, independent practitioners and young adults drawn to explore storytelling as a formative, healing, and enlivening practice.
When you join the Austin Story Project, you'll unlock powerful storytelling skills through immersive, in-person trainings and personalized coaching, all designed to deepen spiritual connections and build stronger communities. Discover transformative ways to share and facilitate meaningful stories that heal, inspire, and awaken hearts to God's presence. Equipped with practical resources, you'll confidently lead storytelling circles, gatherings, and creative public events that enrich congregations and foster authentic relationships.
Learn more and join the project at www.austinstoryproject.org