Deep Faith Meets High Tech here in The Renewal of Preaching in the Twenty-first Century. A communications revolution is sweeping through the churches leaving some on fire and others burned out. This work shows what makes the difference for church leaders and communities who are using new media to advance Christian preaching. Join them by recovering the great tradition and expanding it through creative use encouraged by artists and filmmakers as well as preachers and professors. This work explores ways to maximize the promise of preaching and confront the perils leading to the renewal of church and society. Beginning with review of the situation today, we proceed step by step through the preparation and presentation of the sermon leading to transformation. The sermon in the local parish is seen as the microcosm of the macrocosm that is the communication of God's good news. "Rooted in a knowledge of and respect for traditional worship, David Randolph accurately assesses the difficulty facing mainline traditions in speaking to today's visual culture. But he doesn't stop there. He eloquently outlines a course of action that gives emphasis to the visual and, in particular, to the use of what he terms `new media.' Renewal of Preaching is a must read, not only as a text for those preparing for ministry, but also for long-time pastors seeking new ways of speaking to today's generation."---Joan Brix Carter Dean of College of Art and Design, Olivet University

The Southern Baptist Convention is currently facing issues that challenge its identity, heritage, and future. In The SBC and the 21st Century, key leaders—including Jason Allen, Frank Page, Ronnie Floyd, Thom Rainer, Albert Mohler, Paige Patterson, David Platt, and Danny Akin—address critical issues such as: · Will the SBC grow more unified around shared convictions and mission or will it fragment over secondary concerns and tertiary doctrinal differences? · Will the SBC be able to maintain a distinct Baptist identity while engaging and partnering with the broader evangelical community? · Will the SBC be willing to reimagine its structures, programs, and efforts to effectively reach the world for Christ or will it risk being a past-tense denomination? This volume not only promotes meaningful dialogue, it calls leaders throughout the SBC into action. Extensive thought, research, assessment, and wisdom from some of the SBC’s brightest minds have been poured into this volume with the intent of rendering a helpful contribution to SBC life that will propel forward the collective work of Southern Baptists well into the 21st century.

This book is a preaching study guide for those interested in learning about the ways in which some of the mechanics of preaching have changed. Although the book admittedly has leanings toward the African American Protestant faith community (because so few books on the mechanics of preaching have been written with it in mind), the mechanics of preaching discussed in this book apply to all preachers, regardless of ethnicity. It is simply a matter of applying them to fit one's context. This study guide is offered for use in the classroom, by pastors to train their preachers, and for all who desire to strengthen their preaching skills. If you want to use the mechanics of preaching effectively in the 21st century, this book is your road map.

"Why do so many preachers make the most exciting news in the world sound so boring?" That is the question driving this unusual book. In a series of honest, personal, and humorous letters the author also answers the question. "What will it take to inspire great preaching for the 21st century?" Ronald Boyd-MacMillan rejects the modern fixation with form in current homiletics and advocates a return to the practice of eight fundamentals for great preaching. The insights from 2,000 years of preaching history and twenty years of personal preaching experience across three continents are applied to the needs of the 21st century. This is a humorous yet hard-hitting guide to explosive modern preaching.

The Preacher's Edge puts to work the basic principles of oratory and persuasive speaking with creative pulpit techniques. It is written to be used by preachers for a revival and renewal of their preaching. From this book one can learn how to reach and hold the attention of this "channel surfing" generation of congregational members. This book is a celebration and affirmation of the role of preaching as the church moves into the 21st century. Reading it will modify the way in which the preacher delivers his message. And it will improve the attention span of those who hear the Good News in new and exciting ways. In tune with the communication patterns of the "baby boomer and buster generations," Dr. Schmalenberger advocates preaching in an imagistic, earthy, and rhetorically musical style, and urges us to meet head-on the demand that the church respond to the difficult questions of our society. Both chapters and sample sermons present examples of the techniques he describes, and the book concludes with a clear, step-by-step program for improving one's preaching that could profitably be followed by preachers at any stage in their ministry. The Rev. Linda L. Clader, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Homiletics The Church Divinity School of the Pacific Berkeley, California Years in demanding pulpits and classrooms have given Jerry Schmalenberger an "edge" that he shares with candor and power. If you are looking for suggestions and possibilities, even a ten-week strategy for improving your preaching, this book is for you. Richard L. Thulin, Th.D. Dean and Professor of the Art of Preaching Lutheran Theological Seminary Gettysburg, Pennsylvania This volume is a plea and a plan for preaching "close to the ground," using the very best speech techniques that have been discovered over the years. Schmalenberger strongly believes that paying attention to listeners' reactions is a keystone to effective preaching. Building on the extended narrative metaphor, he shows how local history can be a source of gospel parable and how it will more effectively lead to reaching the Baby Boomer and Baby Buster generations. Jerry Schmalenberger is president and professor of parish ministry at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. He teaches introductory and advanced preaching courses in addition to practical theology. Professor Schmalenberger has been senior pastor in some of the largest Lutheran congregations in the United States and has appeared regularly on television and radio programs. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University and Hamma School of Theology in Springfield, Ohio. He has received Doctor of Ministry and Doctor of Divinity degrees from Wittenberg and Hamma. Schmalenberger has taught speech and communication at Wittenberg University and Urbana College in Ohio and was a parish pastor for 29 years.