Ask.
What's the focus of the project?
Simply offering an off-the-shelf package of techniques isn't a strong enough antidote to the massive change both church and culture are undergoing. But grounding preachers in the same reliable theological themes that made the church's flourishing over the centuries a possibility is strong medicine indeed.
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Theology will be the focus of our conversations, but we'll be diligent about showing how it all plays out in actual preaching — no matter the medium, the style, or the church tradition. That's because all that theology is built on the one thing that we can count on: the fact of Christ's death and resurrection for the sake of God's human creatures.
What's the time commitment?
We'll gather the cohort together face-to-face three times for two full days during the program year. In between those gatherings, you can expect to do one-hour-long Zoom meetings twice each month. You'll be given a set of readings monthly, but the spirit of the Project is to be a gift rather than a burden. That means you can do as much or as little reading as you're able or interested. Finally, you'll have an opportunity to receive sermon feedback each month from experienced pulpiteers and pew-sitters who know their stuff.
Who'll be in the cohort?
The vocation of deciding who the gospel's public Word and Sacrament proclaimers are belongs to the various church bodies, and the Project's job isn't to serve as a gatekeeper for those offices. Those who are selected as preaching fellows will find themselves connecting with others with differing pieties and polities. But our common cause is proclaiming Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. We believe the Holy Spirit will bind us together with that strong tie. As in the Parable of the Mustard Seed, all kinds of birds will find a nest here.
How will I know if I'm in the cohort?
The first cohort of preaching fellows will consist of only ten people. We anticipate that many more than that will apply. Notifications will be emailed by June 30 in the summer before the cohort meets. (The terms of the grant limit participation only to preachers within the U.S.)
You will also receive a packet of information, including a covenant of participation, travel reimbursement forms, and your first set of readings. Applicants who aren't accepted into the Project will also be notified. We encourage you to apply for the following year's cohort, which will be larger.
What'll it cost me?
The Iowa Preachers Project is totally cost-free for its preaching fellows. The grant from the Compelling Preaching Initiative from Lilly Endowment Inc. will graciously cover all your expenses: travel, books, food, and lodging. Our staff will even make the travel arrangements for you. You, of course, will be responsible for buying your own souvenir t-shirts, tchotchkes, and potent potables. (And there's also the whole thing about losing your life for Christ's sake and the gospel, if you want to be biblical and theological.)
Why the period/full-stop?
​In his 16th century argument against Martin Luther's teaching, the great Renaissance Humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam took Luther to task for making so many assertions. Luther responded (in Bondage of the Will) that assertions are what Christianity is entirely made of. The periods in the heading on the website are a reminder that the Gospel proclaims something definite, no ifs, ands, or buts, and a quid without any quo: On account of Jesus Christ, your existence and destiny are graciously linked to the almighty and sovereign God of all that exists. Period.