PREACHER TRAINING PROGRAM 2008

PREACHER TRAINING PROGRAM 2008 - 2009

Dear Brethren,

The eldership at Trenton is very excited about a new program we have initiated this year. Beginning May 1, 2008 we are beginning a “preacher training program” where young men will come and work with the Trenton church for a period of one year. During this year of study, young men will examine every aspect of preaching, from sermon preparation, use of visual aids, examination of scriptures, studies in various topics involved in the preaching work and focus time to prepare young men to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. These young men will work under a program developed by our evangelist and implemented under his care and our oversight. You will find the outline of the program included below to explain our goals and plans.

With so many congregations in the area, it is our hope to allow the young man to enjoy meeting other brethren and to experience talking with others in the format of preaching. The young man will be scheduled to preach at Trenton every other Sunday night and the Sunday morning of the fifth Sunday. During the intervening weeks we hope to give the young man an opportunity to preach in a neighboring congregation.

As the program develops over the coming years, these appointments will be carefully monitored. We would ask your prayers for the efforts being put forth to mold young minds to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are also excited about our first candidate for the Preacher Training Program: Kevin Heaton. Kevin is no stranger to this area as he is the son of our preacher, Kent Heaton. Kevin enjoyed a brief training program in 2007 with Paul Blake in Georgetown, PA. He will be with us for a period of one year after which another candidate will be selected. It is possible that more than one individual will be in the program in the coming years.

We would also ask that if you have young men in your congregation that have an interest to preach, please ask them to contact us. It would be a wonderful work to find young men in this area that can be helped to preach the gospel of Christ. If there is any time that the brethren would be able to include Kevin in an opportunity to preach, please contact the church (463-3793) or write to Kent at the above address for more information. We would like to let Kevin gain as much experience as possible in preaching with other congregations. With nearly 20 congregations in the area, it would be tremendous to have him preach about twice within the year (if not more) in each congregation.

Thank you for consideration in this matter. Our prayers are with your work and continued growth of the Kingdom.

In Christ,

Forrest Beach, Kent Heaton, Ricky Hudson, Louis Overstreet, Freddie Summers

ELDERS FOR THE TRENTON CHURCH OF CHRIST

PREACHER TRAINING SCHEDULE 2008-2009

Admonition to young preachers:

“Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Till I come, attend to the public reading of scripture, to preaching, to teaching. Do not

neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands upon you. Practice these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your

progress. Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).

Structure of program for the Trenton Church of Christ

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9:00am	Class Bowman	Office	Class Topical	Office	Class Forum
10:00am	Class Bowman	Home Study	Class Topical	Office	Class Forum
11:00am	Class Bowman	Home Study	Class Topical	Office	Class Forum
12:00pm	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
1:00pm	Office	Visiting	Office	Visiting
2:00pm	Office	Visiting	Office	Visiting
3:00pm	Office	Visiting	Office	Visiting
4:00pm			Office
5:00pm			Office
6:00pm
7:00pm		Visiting	Church	Home Study
8:00pm			Church	Home Study

Monday Class – “Common Sense Preaching” by Dee Bowman

Wednesday Class – Topical studies as listed below

Friday Class – Forum: open discussion of preaching

Office time will be spent in preparation of assignments.
Visiting time will consists of needs of congregation re: elderly, shut-in, sick, personal work contacts, members, etc.
Home studies will involve first principles classes and open Bible studies.

Topical studies: (not in order of examination)

1. Bulletin work and writing

2. Business meetings

3. Challenging books of Bible

4. Church history

5. Denominationalism

6. Elderships

7. Evidences

8. Financial concerns

9. Geography and Bible lands

10. Hermeneutics

11. Issues facing the church

12. Marriage and family

13. Morality

14. New Testament church

15. New Testament overview

16. Old Testament overview

17. Preachers families

18. Research

19. Sermon preparation

20. Study of church divisions

21. Teaching programs

22. Use of visual aids in preaching

23. Weddings and funerals

24. World history

25. World religions

26. Young people

The purpose and design of the preaching training program is to assist and train young men to “preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). In this spirit, each man will assist the preacher in his work and the work of the church as directed by the elders.

Through the means of teaching, instruction and example, each man who is a part of the preacher-training program will be equipped to engage in a full time work with a congregation on a basic level. The level of experience will increase with the passing of time as the individual applies the principles outlined in this course to the local congregation he is a part of.

It is our prayer that through these efforts Paul’s admonition to Timothy will find itself in the Trenton Church of Christ and the individual(s) who are a part of this preacher-training program: “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

The training program will involve an organized study and work of teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.