About this handbook

In January 2015, David Saunders started running a preaching course at Hillsborough Baptist Church. The course was aimed at those who have little experience of preaching and more experienced preachers who feel their ministry could be more effective. It is also helpful for those who give other types of talk in which Bible passages are core elements. This handbook was developed as a result of this course.

The handbook can be viewed by clicking on this link:   Preaching God’s Message

The aims of the course were to:

1. Help students think what the sermon should be trying to achieve

2. provide some examples and illustrations which should help participants improve their bible study

3. introduce participants to some practical approaches to sermon preparation

On completion students should be able to:

1. explain the difference between a sermon and a speech or essay

2. prepare some interesting and useful sermon outlines

3. overcome many of the common difficulties and problems facing novice preachers

4. prepare and deliver a sermon

The handbook can be viewed by clicking on this link:

Preaching God’s Message

‘The one concern of the devil is to keep saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayer-less studies, prayer-less work, prayer-less religion. He laughs at our toil. He mocks at our wisdom. But he trembles when we pray.’  Samuel Chadwick, Principal Cliff College 1912-1932

Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932) was a Wesleyan Methodist minister. He was born in Burnley, Lancashire in the industrialised north of England into a   devout Methodist family. At the age of 21, he became a lay pastor at nearby Stacksteads.

After a major awakening and deepening of his faith in his late twenties, he moved on to larger congregations and greater popularity. After a few years preaching in Edinburgh and at a new chapel in Glasgow he was ordained in 1890 and returned to England as Superintendent of the Leeds Mission.

In 1904 Chadwick began lecturing weekly at Cliff College. He was doing mission work in the South Yorkshire Coalfield when the Principal of Cliff died in 1912, he immediately returned to the school and was appointed  principal, remaining in that post for the rest of his career.