Though I have never been a huge sports fan, I have always enjoyed supporting my high school sports teams, even since I have graduated.  During spring break, my high school’s boys’ basketball team played in the sectional championship game against a local rival team.  Unfortunately, our team lost, but one thing sticks out greater than the loss itself… the cheer section.  Whether it was the wave, roller coaster, or a rendition of the Harlem Shake, the cheer section had so much energy and was there to encourage the team even when they weren’t doing so well.

As preachers, we may wish that a cheer section would randomly appear as we are preparing for our next sermon so that we feel encouraged to write down what we feel the Holy Spirit has led us to preach.  During delivery of that same sermon, we often rely on those in the congregation to give us nonverbal or verbal cues during the sermon so that we can be encouraged and know that everyone is paying attention.  Many times we also frequently rely on the encouragement and advice of our advisor as we head into a different season of our lives.

One great source of encouragement for me as a young preacher has been the network of fellow young preachers that I have connected with through both National Festivals I have attended in the past two years. This network of people provides an instant connection with people who have gone through similar experiences that I may be going through.  It also allows one the opportunity to encourage preachers that they would have never met if it weren’t for the National Festival of Young Preachers.

How have these networks been established?  Beyond intentional conversation, a great source of networking in my experience was the preaching circles.  Preaching circles are one of the most unique features of the National Festival of Young Preachers. Young preachers who have never met people their age with the same call to preach are astounded by stories they hear and the encouragement they receive from this group.  My most recent preaching circle experience is one that I can vividly remember.  It still encourages me today and gives me hope for my future in ministry.  Molly Shoulta, Alejandra Herreras, Corey Holmes, Dane Jones, Mitchell Monroe, Robert Woods, and Kathryn Garelli, along with our leader, Charmaine Webster, made up one of the most inspiring groups of people I have met thus far.   We lifted each other up in prayer, we were a presence during each other’s preaching sessions, we encouraged each other after each of us preached, and we took the time to become acquainted.

This group reminded me of all the people that the Holy Spirit has used to encourage me in my call to Gospel preaching – my family, close friends, church family at Pfrimmer’s Chapel and the United Methodist Church, and the staff and faculty at University of Evansville.  Without this “cheer section” of encouragers, I may have honestly jumped off the preaching boat long ago.  I can now add the Academy of Preachers to this list of inspiring encouragers in my life.  God has used the National Festival of Young Preachers to rejuvenate me and realign my focus to what I am called to do through all the incredible people that attend the event.

I challenge you to find young preachers that have potential and give them the encouragement they need to become confident in what God has called them to do.  Begin encouraging others that have not experienced a flood of encouragement to attend the National Festival of Young Preachers in Indianapolis!  Connect them with a “cheer section” of people they can relate to and an event that is sure to give them encouragement for their future in ministry.  Allow God to use you in this way!

Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NRSV)