Bible Teachers: Advanced

2012 European Bible Teachers and Preachers Network: Advanced Track

All over the world there is a growing movement of pastors and lay preachers who are committed to faithful biblical teaching and preaching. It is a grass-roots movement with networks of support and new training initiatives emerging in many countries. And it is happening in Europe too. Langham Preaching (a branch of Langham Partnership International) and Proclamation Trust are committed to doing all they can to play a part in supporting local and national works – hence our commitment to coordinating the Bible Teachers and Preachers Network at the European Leadership Forum.

John Stott, formerly Rector of All Souls Langham Place and the founder of Langham Partnership, outlined this vision in what he called the Langham Logic:

• God wants the church to grow up to maturity and committed discipleship
• God’s church grows through God’s Word
• God’s Word impacts our congregations and communities through preaching and teaching

In fulfilling this vision, the major development this year is to split the Network into two levels. At the heart of both levels will be a commitment to understanding the dynamics of biblical teaching and preaching, deliberately focussing on practical tools to help in the task of understanding Bible passages and expounding them relevantly in our European context.

We hope that we can then play our part in developing momentum for the support and encouragement for biblical teaching in Europe – not just a Network track, but a growing network of preachers and teachers across the continent and around the world. To this end, we are also encouraging participants on the various Langham Preaching conferences in Europe to join us each year at the Forum.

ALL those who teach the Bible, (whether in a local church setting, university campuses or elsewhere, whether from the pulpit or not), are welcome to join us (although a primary applicatory focus will be on pulpit preaching). Prior preparation will be set for all applicants.

For all who have attended:
• EITHER a previous European Bible Teachers and Preachers Network
• OR a Langham Preaching seminar in Europe

Day 1

Approaching Parables, Part 1
Mark Meynell

Of all Jesus’ teaching in our possession, parables must surely rank as the most loved and enjoyed. And yet their apparent simplicity is deceptive. They have hidden depths and subtlety, which preachers too often trample over. In this first session of a series, the group will embark upon the task to plumb some of those depths (with a particular focus on the parables of Luke’s gospel) to see how to preach and communicate the parables' rich treasures with greater confidence and faithfulness.

Approaching Parables, Part 2
Mark Meynell

Of all Jesus’ teaching in our possession, parables must surely rank as the most loved and enjoyed. And yet their apparent simplicity is deceptive. They have hidden depths and subtlety, which preachers too often trample over. In the second session of the series, the group will continue to plumb some of those depths (with a particular focus on the parables of Luke’s gospel) to see how to preach and communicate the parables' rich treasures with greater confidence and faithfulness.

Day 2

Preaching and Passions
Peter Mead

Whenever people travel to a foreign culture, they are inevitably confronted with a wide variety of different temperaments and cultures – and this is especially true of the churches and styles of preaching. This session will explore the role of emotions in preaching, looking at healthy and unhealthy approaches to "passionate preaching" from the perspective of the preacher, as well as considering the role of engaging the listeners beyond an education focus. 

Approaching Parables, Part 3
Mark Meynell

Of all Jesus’ teaching in our possession, parables must surely rank as the most loved and enjoyed. And yet their apparent simplicity is deceptive. They have hidden depths and subtlety, which preachers too often trample over. In the concluding session of this series, the group will finish our work in plumbing some of those depths (with a particular focus on the parables of Luke’s gospel) to see how to preach and communicate the parables' rich treasures with greater confidence and faithfulness.

Day 3

A Holy Union: Biblical Preaching and Biblical Counselling (Combined with Foundational Level)
Gavin McGrath

It was once said of Jonathan Edwards, "His theology was all application, and his application was all theology." How does today's pastor achieve this? In two inseparable ways: teach the Bible accurately in order to apply the Bible suitably. Too often preaching is reduced to just teaching. Too often application is reduced to just advice. But when the riches of biblical preaching are combined with the fruit of biblical counselling then our counselling is accurate teaching and our teaching is suitable counselling. This session will draw upon the works of Vanhoozer, Ward, Powlison, Tripp, and Keller.

Working on the ‘Lost’ Parables of Luke 15, Part 1
Mark Meynell

Luke has ordered his gospel with great skill and artistry. Too often, readers of the Bible assume that the parables can be read as stand-alone narratives, isolated from their context. In group discussions, participants will work together on the 3 parables of Luke 15 and assessing how they fit in context – and the impact this should have upon preaching about them.

Day 4

Working on the ‘Lost’ Parables of Luke 15, Part 2
Mark Meynell

Luke has ordered his gospel with great skill and artistry. Too often, readers of the Bible assume that the parables can be read as stand-alone narratives, isolated from their context. In group discussions, participants will continue working together on the 3 parables of Luke 15 and assessing how they fit in context – and the impact this should have upon preaching about them.

Developing a European Preaching Movement  (Combined with Foundational Level)
Mark Meynell

Christian ministry should never be a solitary business and even if participants are working in isolated and scattered situations, it is vital to work together in partnership with others. This session will begin the process for enabling European Bible teachers to encourage one another around the continent, to ensure that there is a growing commitment to biblical exposition in our churches. Prepare to brainstorm and dream dreams!