A recommended training possibility!
By John Young

In July 2003 I realised that over the previous 20 years of preaching in Sheffield South Circuit I had preached out of the circuit only six times. I felt I was being led to develop by preaching in other circuits and imagined South Circuit would value some respite!

I was supported to spend 12 months, from May 2004 to April 2005,preaching in Sheffield Brunswick Circuit, attending their Local Preachers’ Meeting and taking no appointments in South Circuit. Iundertook 17 preaching appointments and was planned in all but 1 of the 12 Brunswick churches.

Many of these churches have developed worship in very distinct ways and this served to broaden my thinking about different possibilities for worship. Examples include:

• an urban church with two well-attended morning services, 9.30 am youth service, 10.45 am traditional service with the congregations joining for refreshments between the services;
• a joint Methodist-Anglican church, alternating between Methodist- and Anglican- led worship, where they fully own their worship, have a music group and require only the lessons and address from the preacher, and
• evening congregations responsive to worshipping in informal and flexible ways even if they are not strong in numbers.

Over this period, my preaching style moved substantially towards congregation-centred worship from a more traditional delivery. Towards the end, I was arriving to lead worship with only opening prayers, the theme, one related hymn, the lessons and an address. The congregations were choosing their own hymns at the beginning of the service, requesting intercessary prayers, reading the lessons and engaging inquestions / discussion after a brief address. This approach was well received, engagement was excellent, and discussion could amount to two or three questions or to debates having to be stopped after 20 or so minutes. It is now some time since I stood in a pulpit, preferring a chair closer to the congregation. The feeling is one of worshipping more fully with the congregation.

In summary, the 12-month secondment proved excellent in achieving the preacher development sought and I encourage local preachers to explore such possibilities. The one drawback was the failure to achieve a local preacher exchange.

Thank you to the congregations of Brunswick Circuit for their warm welcome, to the LP meetings of Brunswick and South Circuits for their support and to Ian Bell and Peter Edwards, the superintendent ministers of these two Circuits, for making it all happen. I am now preaching again in Sheffield South Circuit and will take every opportunity to visit other circuits whenever possible.

John Young is a Local Preacher in the Sheffield South Circuit