This fall we will be offering a six-week Zoom seminar for new or relatively new lay preachers. The sessions will be offered on Sunday afternoons from October 18 to November 22, from 1 pm to 2 pm. There is a limit of twelve participants, so signing up early is encouraged. 

The facilitators of these gatherings will be Canon Rich Simpson who is on the Bishop's Staff, The Rev. Megan McDermott, Priest Associate at Grace Church in Amherst, Mr. Craig Hammond, a member of St. John's, Northampton and our diocesan lay evangelist, and Ms. Rachel "Jac" Essing, a postulant for the vocational diaconate. We do not consider ourselves "expert" preachers but each of us speak with our own voice, shaped by our own experience. We anticipate this seminar to be more conversational and not a series of lectures. We hope those who participate will come willing to learn and take some risks for the sake of the gospel. 

Please email Canon Rich Simpson for more details and to apply, at rsimpson@diocesewma.org. We ask that all applicants have a conversation with their clergy and/or senior wardens before that. If we have more than twelve sign up we'll start a waiting list for next time.