The North/West Lower Michigan Synod has applied for a grant from the Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative. The grant will support the Synod’s “It’s about Jesus!” Program, which aims to make preaching in our congregations more “compelling” by making preaching more Christ-centered and increase our proclamation of Christ beyond our congregations by motivating and empowering our people to witness to Jesus for no other reason than Jesus is life-changing, world-shaping, good news.
“It’s about Jesus!” consists of annual preaching retreats focused on pastors and deacons and witnessing retreats focused on laypeople. The retreats are supplemented by goalsetting for both the pastor’s preaching and the congregation’s sharing the good news, coaching, bishop’s visits to congregations to discuss their experience of preaching and witnessing, and a designated colleague/partner with whom to collaborate.
Read full narrative of the program.
The Lilly Endowment expects to make funding decisions in fall 2023. In the meantime, the North/West Lower Michigan Synod is excited to announce the first of these retreats:
My Burden is Light Preaching Retreat: October 16-18, 2023
You Are Witnesses of These Things Retreat: September 17-18, 2023