Preaching tips, advice and inspiration, as featured in the Church Times.

See also Cally Hammond’s Sunday Readings column for thoughts on each week’s Lectionary readings.

Developing preaching

What makes a good sermon?

Preaching tips from Paula Gooder, Mark Oakley, Kate Bruce, Doug Gay, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Stephen Cottrell, Timothy Radcliffe OP and Sandra Millar

 

Preaching and the Parables

WATCH: Paula Gooder on Jesus’ parables and what we can learn from them for our own preaching

 

Come on now, preacher!

The study of Black Churches’ style of preaching could benefit the C of E, says Carol Tomlin

 

Language of the heart

In the run-up to the Church Times Festival of Preaching, Nadim Nassar identifies a few prerequisites for the preacher

 

The sermon I want to preach but never quite can

WATCH: Mark Oakley’s lecture from the 2019 Festival of Preaching: Danger in the Pulpit

 

Good to Great: Turning a Decent Sermon into a Wonderful One

WATCH: Sam Wells on setting objectives for your sermon, structuring your argument, and making the most of your delivery

 

Preaching the Jesus you've met

Good preaching requires preachers to nourish themselves as well as their listeners, writes Frances Ward

 

Preaching in context

All-age preaching — what makes it work well? 

On the Church Times Podcast: Ally Barrett on why all-age preaching should be taken as seriously as the traditional sermon

 

A rural church needs a special kind of preacher

Sermons in country churches present particular challenges and require attention and skill, says Lorraine Cavanagh

 

Poetic politics

WATCH: Lucy Winkett on preaching to the state we’re in

 

Seasonal preaching

The Christmas sermon: what to say, how to say it

Kate Bruce advises preachers how they can avoid schmaltz and irrelevancy, and engage all-comers

 

How to avoid Holy Week blundering

Christianity’s Jewish roots are most obvious at this time. Patrick Moriarty offers advice for those leading services

 

Preaching the Word in a World Cup season

The story of England’s national football team has lessons for England’s national Church, says Philip Lockley

 

Thanksgiving in the midst of the climate crisis

We must pray urgently for a better relationship between humanity and the world, says Jessica Martin, in a Harvest sermon

 

Preaching on key theological topics

Originally published as part of the Church Times Theology Now series.

Preaching on the nature of God

In my heart and in my head: the nature of God is a gift to preachers, suggests John Inge

 

Preaching on creation

The wonder of his work: preachers can draw on creation as a way in to belief, suggests John Inge

 

Preaching on the nature of Christ

The risen Jesus is the realest thing of all: Melanie Marshall on preaching the way, the truth, and the life

 

Preaching on salvation

Choosing heaven over hell: Melanie Marshall explores the theme of salvation in preaching

 

Preaching on the Holy Spirit

Where the Spirit leads: The Holy Spirit is most concrete Person of the Trinity, suggests Melanie Marshall

 

Preaching on last things

Looking back to the future: eschatology is an incentive to make sure we are on the right road, says Sam Wells

 

Preaching on the Resurrection

God has the last word: Sam Wells explores the significance of the Resurrection for the preacher

 

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Festival of Preaching

Run by Church Times and Canterbury Press, the biennial Festival of Preaching offers a varied programme of worship, lectures and workshops.

Watch again: Preaching in Perilous Times

Listen again to talks from the 2019 Festival of Preaching: Recorded talks on USB stick

Resources available from Church House Bookshop

For further inspiration head to Church House Bookshop: Top 10 Books About Preaching