This resource, which contains material for preparing for weddings and funerals, was commissioned by the Proclamation Project with the support of NAPAD and was written by a small group of Korean-speaking Disciples preachers and then translated into English. Find the original (Korean) resource here.

Preaching at weddings and funerals is among the most intimate and high-stakes work a pastor does. These are the moments when families are most vulnerable, most attentive, and most in need of a word that is both theologically grounded and genuinely pastoral. This resource was developed to help Disciples preachers navigate those moments with care and confidence. It provides practical guidance — from scripture selection and sermon structure to tone and liturgical flow — that is sensitive to the cultural and spiritual contexts that Korean-speaking and Korean-heritage Disciples congregations bring to these occasions.

Because this resource was originally written in Korean by a team of Disciples preachers deeply familiar with those pastoral realities, the English translation carries that same cultural specificity. Preachers from a wide range of backgrounds will find it a useful model for thinking through how their own communities’ traditions and expectations shape what is said — and how it is said — at life’s most significant transitions.

You might also find helpful:

• Preaching for Weddings and Funerals (Korean) — The original Korean-language version of this resource.
• The Sound of the Genuine — Dr. Frank Thomas’s keynote on honesty and vulnerability as the foundation of authentic preaching.
• Preaching in the Small Church — Resources for preachers serving smaller congregations where pastoral presence is especially close.