I so very much love this work - so important and needed. I'm just west of you, in Oakville, and I've started a summer experiment - inviting young adults in my church into a summer preaching community. We talk about preaching and ministry, they learn some of the craft of preaching, have a community around them to encourage their gifts and critique their work, and then they preach a sermon in our church. All in the shared hopes of them growing in their love for the church and perhaps one day to give their lives in service to it.
Phil, thank you — your words are genuinely kind, and I receive them with gratitude.
What you are doing in Oakville is beautiful. A summer preaching community for young adults — the intentionality of it, the investment of time and trust, the gift of an actual pulpit at the end — this is exactly the kind of formative work the church needs more of. You are not just teaching craft; you are tending to a sense of call, and that is no small thing. Please do keep me in the loop on how it unfolds. I would love to hear what surprises you, what moves you, what the young people discover about themselves in the process.
And know this: if there is ever a moment where a conversation would be useful — about preaching, ministry, the formation of young Christians — I am genuinely here for it. These are the things I love to think and talk about most. Keep up the wonderful work, Phil. The church is richer for people like you.
I so very much love this work - so important and needed. I'm just west of you, in Oakville, and I've started a summer experiment - inviting young adults in my church into a summer preaching community. We talk about preaching and ministry, they learn some of the craft of preaching, have a community around them to encourage their gifts and critique their work, and then they preach a sermon in our church. All in the shared hopes of them growing in their love for the church and perhaps one day to give their lives in service to it.
Phil, thank you — your words are genuinely kind, and I receive them with gratitude.
What you are doing in Oakville is beautiful. A summer preaching community for young adults — the intentionality of it, the investment of time and trust, the gift of an actual pulpit at the end — this is exactly the kind of formative work the church needs more of. You are not just teaching craft; you are tending to a sense of call, and that is no small thing. Please do keep me in the loop on how it unfolds. I would love to hear what surprises you, what moves you, what the young people discover about themselves in the process.
And know this: if there is ever a moment where a conversation would be useful — about preaching, ministry, the formation of young Christians — I am genuinely here for it. These are the things I love to think and talk about most. Keep up the wonderful work, Phil. The church is richer for people like you.