The Free Pulpit: Beginning Preaching for Lay People

We Unitarian Universalists have a long tradition of championing the “freedom of the pulpit”—the notion that our ministers are free to speak the truth as they see it from the pulpits of our congregation. We also understand and are committed to the idea that revelation is not sealed and that all of us have perspective, experience, and understanding that can lead to deeper love, more powerful action, and broader understanding.

Here at UUCOD, we regularly welcome non-ministers into our pulpit: community leaders, local activists, non-UU clergy, and our lay members with stories to tell and perspectives to share.

Often, when we invite someone to share in the pulpit, they respond with “But I don’t know what I’d say” or “I just don’t know how to do a sermon rather than a lecture.” This class is designed to help with those concerns and to help people understand better what it is we do when we speak from the pulpit of our congregation, build some beginning skills in choosing topics and crafting sermons, and understand who we are speaking to and why. 

Join Rev. Ian and fellow congregants as we focus on helping members who are interested in preaching a sermon or learning more about how sermons are created.

Facilitator: Rev. Ian

When: Saturdays, November 7, 21, and 28—9:30am to 12:00pm

Where: UUCOD Community Room

For more information, contact Rev. Ian at minister@uucod.org

Please register ahead of time so that Rev. Ian can prepare.