Most Cumberland Presbyterian ministers serve as "solo" pastors. The preaching and pastoring load is all yours. Blessed are the solo pastors who have a strong Session to lend a hand.
Many of you have a second job (or a third one!)--and some of you serve more than one church.
Your days are quickly filled by administrative work, pastoral concerns, hospital and nursing home visits, discipleship plans, outreach goals, budget issues, mission support, committee obligations, family time, that other job (or jobs)...and hey preacher: the toilet's leaking!
Before you know it, it's Saturday; and in less than 24 hours, you'll be doing the ONE THING on your to-do list that is yours alone: preaching a sermon to a congregation eager to hear a Word from the Lord.
It takes time and effort to preach a compelling sermon; and for busy (and often bi-vocational) pastors, "time" and "effort" are sometimes in short supply.
I get it.
Your brothers and sisters in ministry get it.
But your congregation might not. We've all heard the old jokes about how "the preacher" just works one hour on Sunday...and we all know better!
That "disconnect" is why the Louisa Woosley Preaching Initiative's first two goals--equipping pastors to [1] preach compelling sermons and [2] reach diverse audiences--require a third: