Preacher to Preacher

From Dan Copp
Clergy Development Director

Welcome to this Advent/Christmas issue of Preacher's Magazine . . . What a privilege to be preaching in this wonderful season of anticipation and celebration!

This is a time of year when it seems the local church and surrounding community are both, at least to some extent, engaged in the same story. We can sing a song in church on Sunday, and later that week hear the same song echoing through the expanse of the local shopping mall or sung by strangers caroling at our front door. We can enjoy our church children’s program reenacting the story of the nativity in full costume, and then see the story retold over and over again in nativity displays throughout the community. In our worship service we light candles declaring the hope, love, joy, and peace in Jesus Christ, and in our community the neighborhoods are illumined with the “Christmas lights.” What a tremendous opportunity for the preacher to help all engaged in the story to truly avail themselves to Jesus and the transforming message of the season! Our hope and prayer is that the Preacher’s Magazine and online resources (www.preachersmagazine.org) will help inspire and equip you to proclaim the message.

Our preaching resources for Advent/Christmas 2009-2010 come from the former editors of Preacher’s Magazine, David Busic and Jeren Rowell. Rev. Jennifer Couchman, an associate pastor at The ROC in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma provided a sermon for the season of Epiph-any. The final sermons for Epiphany and Transfiguration Sunday were written by Rev. Sheryl Tedder, pastor at Salt Lake City First Church. A Enjoy the privilege of preaching during this Advent/Christmas Season!

I want to close by inviting all of our clergy (ordained & district licensed) to plan to participate in PALCON 2010. Register at www.nazarenepastor.org. I look forward to seeing you on one of the following campuses!

May 11-13 TNU, Nashville, TN
May 17-19 ONU, Bourbonnais, IL
June 1-3 MNU, Olathe, KS
June 8-10 ENC, Quincy, MA
June 28-30 SNU, Bethany, OK
June 6-8 MVNU, Mount Vernon, OH
July 19-21 PLNU, San Diego, CA
July 27-29 NNU, Nampa, ID
August 23-25 AMBROSE, Calgary, AB, CANADA