After reading Thriving Church: What We Can Learn from Faithful Congregations, Lee Hull Moses, Executive Director of the Proclamation Project, invited authors Erin Cash and Kory Wilcoxson to reflect on the role of preaching in helping congregations thrive.

Lee Hull Moses: In your book, you tell the stories of several churches that exhibit traits you identify as key characteristics of thriving congregations. As you studied these congregations and their pastors, what did you notice about preaching? Are there particular patterns of preaching that are characteristic of thriving churches?

Kory Wilcoxson: While we didn’t look specifically at preaching, I can say that each pastor was attuned to a particular trait in their congregation, such as generosity or being willing to take risks, and that was reflected in their preaching. It’s not that they preached on the specific trait, but that it was woven throughout their sermons.

Erin Cash: I would add that thriving churches tend to preach honestly about the world around them. They address the topics of the day without hesitation. Because the pastor and laity usually share a balance of power, pastors can do this because they already know the red flags in their own congregation, thus allowing them to address difficult topics sensitive to their context.

LHM: One of the characteristics of thriving churches you identify is being rooted in scripture. You give several examples of what that looks like, across many aspects of church life. In what ways does preaching help a congregation plant roots in the Bible?

KW: I think it’s the starting point. If the pastor models what it looks like to use scripture as a guide and inspiration, the congregation is more likely to follow suit. Since so many folks are not familiar with the Bible, the sermon is the primary way they hear how God’s word is directly applicable to their lives.

EC: I agree! I think Disciples churches are often populated with people who are less familiar with the biblical text than those in other denominations. When pastors root their preaching in scripture (as opposed to using scripture to preach a topic), the congregation begins to observe good exegesis and biblical study in practice.

LHM: You tell the story of South Elkhorn Christian Church’s journey to articulate their mission and vision. How important was preaching in that journey?

EC: One thing Michael (the pastor) does really well at South Elkhorn is keeping the topics the church is dealing with, such as their mission and vision, as connecting ties in his sermons and worship preparation.

KW: Throughout the process, he continually lifted up the mission and values of the church, finding ways to incorporate them on a regular basis into his sermons.

EC: Allowing the congregation to hear from the pulpit about the journey the church is on keeps them engaged in the work of the church.

LHM: One of the most powerful stories in your book was about Nueva Comunidad, a congregation that asks itself, “What would we do if we weren’t afraid?” How can preachers help their congregations reject the fear mentality that plagues so many churches?

KW: They can start by finding biblical examples of people who rejected this mentality (like Joseph) and those who didn’t (Peter walking on water). The Bible gives us so many great examples of how God is with us in the midst of our fears. The preacher’s challenge is to translate those stories to their congregational context.

EC: Furthermore, the attitude of Nueva Comunidad is one of “let’s at least talk about it.” When pastors help their congregations name the things they fear, it opens the way for further vulnerability. Pastors who preach with open dialogue in mind help churches name their concerns, which is the first step toward rejecting fear.

LHM: Flexibility, collaboration, and forward-thinking are some of the other characteristics you identify. Can you give some examples of how preachers can embody these traits?

KW and EC: Preachers are flexible when they allow space in their sermons for the Spirit to move, even being willing to change sermons the day before to incorporate whatever is going on in their congregation. They can be collaborative by inviting congregation members to help craft sermons and offer feedback. And they can be forward thinking by springboarding from the Bible to a particular vision or direction for a congregation.

LHM: Do you have any practical advice for preachers who want to help their congregations thrive?

KW and EC: It starts by celebrating what your church is doing well. It’s so easy for a church to focus on what’s going wrong or on fears of the future. Name and lift up the ways the church is thriving, help them see that their faith is making a difference. Then, identify ways to build upon what the church is doing to thrive in other areas. Preachers who can celebrate the future of the church as much as they can the past are taking the first step toward leading a congregation toward thriving. And then build situations where folks can talk about it. We love to ask congregations “What do you think God dreams of for you?”

LHM: What else do you want preachers to know about the role of preaching in helping their congregations thrive?

KW and EC: One thing we heard consistently was the importance of honoring your past without being shackled to it. The preacher who can celebrate how the church got to where it is will get a lot of relational capital that can be used to help the church look forward. As people who tend to preach prophetically, our sermons can become a rhythm of “here’s what you need to do to be better people in the world,” and sometimes the church needs to hear about the things they’re doing really well. Preaching the good news of the local church can be a key component of congregational thriving.

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Rev. Dr. Erin Cash is the Project Director for the Thriving Congregations Project at Lexington Theological Seminary. She has served as Moderator for the Christian Church In Kentucky, as co-chair of the Local Arrangements team for Regional Assembly, and as co-chair for the Local Arrangements Team of the General Assembly. She also serves as Kentucky’s representative to the General Board, chairing the General Assembly Planning Committee there. Erin is deeply passionate about the work of the local and the Regional church.

Rev. Dr. Kory Wilcoxson has served as the Senior Pastor of Crestwood Christian Church in Lexington, Ky., since 2009. Prior to moving to Lexington, he served for twelve years as a pastor in the Chicago and Indianapolis areas. Wilcoxson is married to Amy Treneff and has two adult daughters: Sydney and Molly. He enjoys reading, running, and rooting on his beloved Cincinnati Reds.

You might also find helpful:

• What Do We Preach? — a reflection on the content and purpose at the heart of Disciples proclamation
• What Makes Preaching Biblical? — explores the relationship between scripture and Disciples preaching practice
• Preaching God’s Grand Drama — a Preacher Book Club selection on preaching as participation in the story of God