Festival of Homiletics

11/03/2025

After more than three decades of bringing together the finest preaching and cutting-edge thinking about homiletics, worship, church, and culture, the Festival of Homiletics is taking a step back in 2026. There will be no conference next year as we reimagine support for preaching in a changing world.

06/10/2025

We loved having the WorkingPreacher.org crew live and in person at this year's Festival! Take a listen as Karoline, Matt, and Rolf discuss the lectionary texts for Trinity Sunday, June 15.

What if the Trinity isn’t a doctrine to explain—but a God who longs to be known?

In this special Festival of Homiletics 2025 edition of Sermon Brainwave, join Karoline Lewis, Matt Skinner, and Rolf Jacobson as they explore the lectionary texts for Holy Trinity Sunday (June 15)—from Proverbs to Psalm 8 to Romans and John.

🎙️ Recorded live in Atlanta, this episode invites you to see the Trinity not as a puzzle, but as a divine presence made visible in wisdom, creation, and love.

Video: https://youtu.be/FonUCOudo94
Audio: https://www.workingpreacher.org/podcasts/1028-holy-trinity-june-15-2025
Commentary: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/the-holy-trinity-3/commentary-on-john-1612-15-6

👉 Tune in now and let your preaching be shaped by a God who shows up—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

05/23/2025

"Jesus is not so quick to give answers as he is to show a demonstration of what it looks like when the promise of God's peace is present in your zip code."

Joy J. Moore
Lecture: Recovering Truth Amid Doctrinal Divergence


📸 Keith Andrew Spencer

05/23/2025

"Pauli believed preaching was part of a conspiracy of love, and that God was drawing all of humankind and all of creation into an invisible web of hope, healing, and belonging."

Donyelle McCray
Lecture: The Apostle Pauli - Bridging the Divide

05/22/2025

"That's what we preachers do...glorious re-enactments of the promises of God. Public re-enactments. And, it matters!"

Anna Carter Florence
Sermon: Jeremiah 31 and 32, selected verses

05/22/2025

"In baptism, we are made for each other by grace. We come to desire one another as we share in God's desire for each and all of us. And, we suffer these wounds together. Wrongs are done to individuals, but wounds, they run through all of us."

Ted Smith
Lecture: Preaching the Wounds

05/21/2025

"Every time we come to the table, we are making a statement that we are gluing the family of God together with 'Sunday Dinners.'"

Valerie Bridgeman
Making Room at the Table,
Proverbs 9:1-6

05/21/2025

"There is power when you choose to speak. And in this moment in America, the Church must choose to speak...Use your voice, and however that voice has been given to you by God to speak now, or forever hold your peace!"

Otis Moss III
Speak Now, or Forever Hold Your Peace,
Isaiah 58:3-12

05/19/2025

We are so grateful to our friends at Good Faith Media for providing such outstanding coverage of this year’s event!

Starlette Thomas: Moss boldly declared, “And in this moment in America, the church must choose to speak! You don’t have to speak like anyone else. … Just use your voice! However that voice has been given to you by God to speak now or forever hold your peace.”

His words were met with rousing applause and afterwards, attendees organically gathered to unpack his charge.

Read more: https://ow.ly/O2Ty50VUVrC

05/15/2025

“We are never freed from the obligation to love all our neighbors.”

Bishop Gregory Palmer
Come Closer,
Genesis 45:1-15


📸Keith Andrew Spencer

05/15/2025

Not in the dark of buildings confining
Not in some heaven, light years away
Here in this place, the new light is shining
Now is the kingdom, and now is the day.

Gather us in and hold us forever
Gather us in and make us your own
Gather us in, all peoples together
Fire of love in our flesh and our bone.

-Here in This Place (Gather Us In)


📸Keith Andrew Spencer

05/15/2025

We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors and exhibitors for this year's Festival of Homiletics. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!