2026 Quarter 1 BW Conference Lay Servant Academy

From Your Heart to Theirs: Delivering Effective Sermons - Advanced Course - Preaching

Moving beyond the basics of public speaking and the foundations necessary for preparing an engaging sermon, this course also includes types of sermons—from exegetical to topical to children’s sermons—as well as how to find a story, how to use the hymnal, and how to move from communication on paper to beyond the paper.

Meeting: Class will be held in-person at Mount Zion UMC, 3592 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel, MD 20724. Participants must attend both days.

Dates and Time: Fri, Feb 27, 6:30-8:30 pm and Sat, Feb 28, 8:30 am - 5 pm

Instructor: Rev. Jerry Colbert

Required Text: From Your Heart to Theirs: Delivering an Effective Sermon by Tony Franks and David Carroll, Participant’s Book • DR536 • 978-0-88177-536-5.  Text can be purchased from Amazon, Cokesbury, Upper Room and other vendors.

Class Assignments: Please read the book before class. To pass the class, participants must attend each session and complete all required assignments in the requested timeframe.

Online Registration Only: $40

 Registration Deadline: February 20, 2026

Questions may be directed to Kim Walker at kwalker@bwcumc.org

(The Conference reserves the right to cancel a class due to low enrollment or other circumstances. The Conference will give as much notice of cancelation as possible, students will receive a refund.

All other Refunds must be requested before the first scheduled class date.)