We don't do "preaching" although we will have a key leader prepare and facilitate a discussion or lead a meditation or whatever.

I think there is a difference between proclamation and preaching. In my experience in the EC I think proclamation occurs but little preaching.

We're not planning to have any preaching as such. Right now, we're hanging out with a small church in our tradition that isn't really emergent, but could easily be if they wanted to. They do things the way most churches do - someone leads singing, someone takes care of communion, someone has a sermon prepared, etc. It's much more casual than in bigger churches, but the same basic content.

We're planning to avoid the sermon format. We've found that it's even more boring for one person to talk in a small group than it is in a large group. There is a wealth of alternative formats to use - from ancient practices to modern education workshop formats. No reason for one person to A) Spend an inordinate amount of time thinking of things to say to his peers B) Ignore the contributions others are ready to make.

I think the survey was a bit off if it expected an EC church to have normal preaching. But, in all the hip, young semi-emergent churches we've seen, they're very traditional in format - music, preaching, communion, closing prayer, etc. I suppose most people aren't innovating in that way, though more people need to, like you guys at LR are doing. I'd be interested to hear how/what you do instead of preaching. I like the idea of everyone coming ready to share. Very biblical (1 Cor 14:26ff).

ta for the comment Justin,

Our sharing times (preaching/proclaimation) at present revolve around a great little course we're doing called Ignition which is a walk through the book of Acts. Each person has to read 2-3 chapters of it each week and do a little homework, thinking about their own missional context and things happening in their own lives. When we come together we bring together our experiences of the week with the Scriptures we've been reading - its amazing to see what God is teaching us. I can't believe that I've been in church for 30 years and never been forced to bring real life together with Scripture before in such a practical way!

I'm a preacher. I love preaching. I enjoy preaching. Preaching will most likely be a part of any faith group I lead. The format, style, structure, and method of that preaching may vary widely, though.

I do think preaching, even the 20-minute monologue, has a place in emergent church if that's the way you are wired & choose to do it. I don't think a "sermon" is a requirement to be called "church", though.

My preaching, since I allowed myself to become an emerging pastor, has changed significantly. The 3-point expository sermon has been replaced with an intimate time of storytelling.

we have hardly had any preaching at grace for the last 3 years - haven't missed it!

if you are not preaching the word, like Jesus, like Peter, like Paul - you are not a minister of the gospel or even a real church.

Interesting that you bring that up, Greg. Seems to me Jesus did a good chunk of his preaching by asking questions of other people and getting them to find the answers, themselves. There were even a few times he seemed to get quite upset that people expected him to just deliver a monologue instead.

ah, dear old Greg - steadily stereotyping himself into a corner :-)

Our little community doesn't preach, as preaching just doesn't make sense as the best approach when you can have a mutual discussion and share ideas, rather than just expound them..

From cursory surveys of church friends, most people seem to remember little of most sermons, but remember much from meaningful conversations with likeminded and opposite-minded individuals.

And storytelling. I remember reading a couple of Jesus' stories. Seemed to me that a lot of them were told without explanation, simply letting the story itself work on people.

The congregation I serve is definitely *not* emerging (more like... hmmm... submerging)... but they get alot more out of the Word being explored by storytelling than they ever have from it being "preached". (And that's *their* opinion.)

there are one or two differences between Darren and Jesus. Jesus being God means he can break the rules. Scripture is very clear that the word must be Preached.

I don't think anyone here will disagree that the Word should be preached (proclaimed). But, I don't see where in the bible it says the contemporary method of sermon is the only proper way to preach (proclaim) the Word of God.

Assume you have an EC of 200 plus people. How do you proclaim/preach with out it being monologue. (Which seems un-expectable in the EC from the about discussion).

We are early days but I reckon I will miss 'preaching' as I know it.

I have really appreciated the fact that it is not only my wisdom that we learn from and in that I think others have learnt to value their own opinions.

I kinda stumbled across this site and think all of the respondents need to read Martyn Lloyd Jones "Preaching and Preachers."

That's a good question, Jeremy. I don't see myself as "having" an EC of over 200 people, though. It will be time to split off and start new shoots well before that. My plan is to keep the individual congregations small enough to keep the information, family atmosphere & only gather as the full group occasionally for big group worship nights, at which time I don't know we will have any sort of "sermon".

Preaching is something that needs definition. Preaching in the Bible was never done in the sermon format (even the sermon on the mount doesn't look like a modern sermon), but was done amongst the people in an environment hostile to the message of the Cross. Do the EC's preach the way the Bible describes preaching? Is the message of forgiveness being spread to those who actually need to hear it rather than those who already live by grace?

Teaching and Preaching are two different things. Sermons are nice for teaching, but so is "when you get up and when you lay down, when you go out and when you come back in" day to day living life teaching. Try not to confuse the two. Preaching involves teaching, but its not identical.