A featured section article of "Growing in Grace: Formation Perspectives" for The Hawaiian Church Chronicle:

BEYOND WORDS: EXPANDING THE IDEA OF THE SERMON
By Kathy Webb and The Rev. Jennifer Masada

[May 14, 2026] As we gather each Sunday, how do we share our spiritual thoughts in words spoken aloud? Do we carry those words into the world? In turn, do we allow the world to transform us as we seek to offer our thoughts, words, and deeds as true expressions of divine love? Especially in these times, what does it mean to be a church community that fully embodies Christ’s message? ​

Several congregations in our diocese were invited to explore such questions by participating in a pilot of the Preaching Congregations Initiative (PCi), a yearlong program created by Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS). The PCi program is designed to provide sermon feedback to preachers and to encourage lay members to gain confidence in listening to and providing feedback on sermons, and then in crafting and preaching their own.

St. Augustine's cohort members, Kathy Webb (lay facilitator for the group), Kirk Corey, Maurine Gomes, Laura La Gassa, Kim Lambrecht, John Sakai, and the Rev. Jennifer Masada studied with VTS faculty the Rev. Dr. Ruthanna Hooke, the Rev. Dr. Kevin Vandiver, and the Rev. Rich Nelson. The project, funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc., was piloted in the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai’i and coordinated by Kim Arakawa. The advisory group was made up of clergy and lay: the Rev. Cn. Andrew Arakawa, the Rev. Jazzy Bostock, the Rev. Dcn. Steve Costa, the Rev. Jenn Latham, Mary Carpenter, Manny Dayao, and Roth Puahala. ​

The Preaching Congregations Initiative - Embodying the Word

​Over the course of the year, we met monthly using the PCi curriculum as a guide. The curriculum materials were a rich combination of personal reflection questions, thought-provoking articles, and VTS faculty-produced videos.  Our 90-minute meetings were broken into two parts: discussions on the curriculum topics and individual responses to the Sunday sermon. Our PCi faculty developed a listening process for us to use, encouraging us to remember that just as we co-create our lives with God, so we also co-create sermons with sermon writers.  ​

St. Augustine's Cohort - Front row: John Sakai, the Rev. Dr. Ruthanna Hooke (VTS); second row: Kim Lambrecht, Kirk Corey, Maurine Gomes; top row: Lindy Marzo (Holy Apostles), the Rev. Jennifer Masada, Kathy Webb. Not pictured: Laura La Gassa.​

On the curriculum side, we examined:

• The role of sermons in our faith. We also explored how ancient texts meet modern lives, practicing exegesis as a way of bridging “then” and “now.”
  
  
• Sermon writing in our cultural context, which opened the way to explore our lived experiences of sermons and reflect on how we could create more relevant and contextually appropriate sermons for our community.
  
  
• The damaging effects of colonialism and the church’s role in feeding colonial power. We reflected on how, through sermons, we can embrace our personal and corporate responsibilities to speak truth to power, pursue social justice, and make meaningful progress toward right relationship with oppressed people.
  
  
• How good sermons incorporate elements beyond the written word, such as vocal inflections, changes in pace and volume, movement through the sanctuary, and use of props or artwork. Sermons that captivate listeners encourage curiosity and creative reflection.​

On the sermon-response side, we learned that sermons are not a one-way street. Even the best sermons fall flat without the active involvement of listeners. The VTS listening process provided a consistent structure for offering meaningful sermon feedback to Vicar Jennifer. The resulting conversations were filled with curiosity, respect, and mutual growth for each member of the group, preacher and listeners alike.

​As the year progressed, we began to listen to sermons differently. We began hearing scripture readings and associated sermons as invitations to enter into conversation. As we opened into deeper awareness, sermons became less about prescriptions for action (“What am I being told to do?”) and more about possibilities of being (“What am I discerning? How is Spirit stirring in me?”).

​When we emerged from our yearlong program, we found ourselves better equipped to listen and engage in conversation about spiritual matters that deeply impact us and the world. The sermon experience shifted from a solitary experience (for both writer and listener) to a collaborative exploration that leveled the playing field between clergy and lay members, creating a shared ministry of sermon co-creation. 

We put this shared ministry into practice in our capstone project—writing and delivering a lay sermon! Lay members collaborated to write and deliver a sermon and received feedback from Vicar Jennifer using the well-practiced listening process we learned from our VTS mentors.

Pictured from left are St. Augustine's members Maurine Gomes, Laura La Gassa, Kim Lambrecht, John Sakai, and Kirk Corey, who delivered a collaborative sermon during a service in December 2025. The sermon was their capstone project for PCi. Not pictured: Kathy Webb who completed the last two months of PCi by participating remotely from Pennsylvania.​ (From the St. Augustine e-newsletter)

Key Discoveries from the Yearlong PCi Process
​
Preaching is an important shared ministry. Through PCi, we explored the richness of the shared ministry of preaching. At the heart of what we do in shared ministry lies a simple but transformative idea: every person carries a spiritual story worth telling, and when those stories are shared, the whole community is strengthened.

Learning and listening form the foundation for writing and preaching, activities that give voice to all. Who writes sermons? Whose voices do we hear on Sunday mornings? How do we equip our church members to speak about their spiritual journeys? For members of our group, writing a sermon revealed just how many layers are involved: engaging scripture, connecting it to personal experience, discerning what the community needs, and holding all of that within the broader context of the world. This learning process humanized preaching and opened the possibility of preaching to our lay members. It fostered a deep appreciation for the care and preparation that goes into sharing the Word.

Engaging in sermon discussion, writing, and delivery deepens our relationships. We found ourselves connecting in new ways, even those of us who have known each other for years. We share questions about faith, speak honestly about doubt, and have discovered a deeper sense of trust. As one participant noted, “It’s rare that we have time to connect like this outside of moments of crisis.” This program intentionally, consistently, and with care created that space.

The yearlong structure felt supportive. A shorter program might have felt rushed or unsustainable. Instead, the extended timeline allowed space for life to unfold as members of the group experienced geographic moves, big family changes, and the shifting realities of the wider world. Through it all, our group remained anchored in faith, choosing to build something life-giving even as the world around us felt uncertain.

The impact of PCi is already beginning to ripple outward. Throughout the year, we shared our learning progress with the congregation. One outcome of this was our deacon's recommendation to place a printout of the listening questions in the pews so that all members can benefit.

As lay members stepping into a preaching role, we recognize an opportunity to offer our PCi experience to others in our congregation during our monthly Spirit School sessions (our adult formation group). We are now better prepared to model listening, honest sharing, and speaking from our own experience. This can send a powerful, unspoken invitation to the wider congregation: your voice matters. Your story belongs here. You are part of this shared work.

This is how community is built—not only through what is said, but through what is embodied. 

​Looking ahead, we see this work as part of a larger vision for congregational health. PCi does far more than support clergy; it also develops lay preachers. It nurtures the spiritual lives of the entire community. PCi offers a framework for building connections with folks inside and outside the church, grounded in the shared ministry of thoughtful study and the vulnerability of personal sharing. Programs like this help us ask a deeper question: who is the church? Is it simply those who gather on Sundays? Or does it include all: those who share in ministry AND those outside the church who receive those ministry gifts?

As one answer to these questions, here’s what one of our group members said: “PCi was a valuable tool for building my confidence. I understand better now how to listen and preach in my daily life, to really hear with my heart what my family and friends say and respond to them the way I think Jesus might do. Being in such a loving, committed group, I grew in the Spirit. I'm thankful to Rev. Ruthanna, Rev. Kevin, and Rev. Rich for being our directors through our year with Preaching Congregations.”

St. Augustine’s cohort is one of four across the diocese to have completed the PCi program. The other three congregations are Hālau Wa‘a in Kapolei, O‘ahu; St. John’s in Kula, Maui; and Holy Apostles in Hilo, Hawai‘i. Their studies incorporated deep listening, spiritual practices, cultural context, scripture study, and creative arts into sermon writing and delivery.

​Pictured at a session at Holy Apostles in Hilo are (from left): The Rev. Mark Haworth (Hālau Wa‘a), Kimberly Arakawa (VTS Coordinator), the Rev. Deacon Alberta Buller (Holy Apostles), the Rev. Dr. Ruthanna Hooke (VTS), the Rev. George Wong (St. John's, Kula), the Rev. Jennifer Masada (St. Augustine's).​

​If you're curious, the PCi listening questions are shown below.  Members of St. Augustine’s have found the questions engaging and helpful not only for sermons but also to build better listening skills in general. In a world where many have stopped listening, genuine human connections and the flow of compassion are at risk. The PCi program reminds us of the power of true listening and offers a wonderful template for renewing our listening practices and working toward healing divisions.

SERMON LISTENING – Questions to help you explore what you’re hearing
You are invited to consider the following questions as you listen to today’s sermon.
 
What are you still hearing?
What’s your main takeaway? What message sticks with you?
 
Where might this sermon be leading?
How might you apply this to your daily life? How does the sermon invite and strengthen you
to take the next step in your faith adventure?
 
What writing, speaking, or visual techniques helped get the point across?
(Examples: scriptures used, historical explanations, personal stories, artwork,
repeating phrases, pausing, changes in pace or volume)
 
How might this sermon grow?
What would improve the message for you? What would you like to hear more about? What would you leave out? How could the writing or delivery be better or more effective?

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This article was co-written by the Rev. Jennifer Masada and Lay Facilitator Kathy Webb, St. Augustine’s Kapaʻau.
(Contributed photos)