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The Cultivating the Gift of Preaching Initiative (CGPI) is now recruiting participants to be part of our third year of training emerging lay preachers! The application can be found on the Synod of the Covenant’s webpage.
CGPI is a ministry in the Synod focused on training lay preachers. It is funded by a $1.25m Lilly Compelling Preaching Grant. The goal of CGPI is to strengthen the witness of the Church to the good news of Jesus Christ, by identifying, training, and providing ongoing support to emerging preachers.
We welcome applications from any member of a PC(USA) congregation withing the bounds of the Synod off the Covenant who has a call to preach. We also welcome applications from CREs who desire more formation in preaching.
CGPI is an 18-month, cohort model program. Participants are placed in a cohort of 5-8 participants and are led by a preaching mentor (an experienced Teaching Elder from the Synod with extensive experience regularly preaching in a congregational setting). Participants meet monthly online. In addition, there are four in person meetings, twice with everyone in CGPI at the Alma Conference each June, and twice with just your cohort.
This year, the program begins with a 5-day conference at Alma College in Alma, MI. This year that conference is June 4-8 (Thursday evening – Monday morning).
The cost of the program is $1,250; $250 to be paid by the individual and $1000 by your home church and/or presbytery. Scholarships are available as well as payment plans for the churches. The actual total cost is $11,000 per participant, the grant pays for the remainder. All travel and housing expenses, books, etc. are paid for by the grant.
Applications are due by April 15th, but we will continue to process applications on a rolling basis as long as there are open slots
If you have any questions, please contact the CGPI program director, Matt Aragon Bruce at
matt@synodofthecovenant.org / 609-712-4258.
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