Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, will host its 5th annual Day of Homiletical Reflection on Wednesday, May 2, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the Seminary’s Clara and Spencer Werner Auditorium. The event is designed for pastors, students involved in homiletical education and others interested in the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world. Registration for the Day of Homiletical Reflection is $20 and does not include meals.

Dr. Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew Theological School, Madison, N.J., and Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University, Portland, Ore., will speak on “Can the Church Survive the Perfect Storm?”

Sweet is the author of more than 100 articles, 600 published sermons and 30 books, most recently The Gospel According to Starbucks(2007). His web-based preaching resource Wikiletics.com is the first open-source preaching resource on the web. Founder and president of SpiritVenture Ministries, he is a frequent speaker and conversation partner at conferences both in the United States and around the world. In 2006, he was voted “One of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America.” His current projects include a preaching text titled “Giving Blood: The Art and Craft of Abductive Preaching,” as well as writing projects with Joe Myers and Eddie Hammett. Upcoming books include The Venti Gospel: Double-Shot Living with a Starbucks Passion, Pay Attention: Every Bush is Burning,Weathering The Perfect Storm (with Stephan Joubert), The MRI Church, and Life’s 9 Withnesses.

Sectional presentations include “Weathering the Church’s Perfect Storm” by Dr. Leonard Sweet; “Resurrection Realities: Sermon Series on 1 Peter” by Dr. R. Reed Lessing, associate professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Seminary; and “I See What You are Saying: The Use of Visuals in Preaching” by Rev. Tony Cook, director of educational technology at Concordia Seminary.

An interview of Sweet by Dr. Dale Meyer, president and professor of practical theology at Concordia Seminary, will conclude the program.

The Day of Homiletical Reflection combines the annual Wenchel Lecture that promotes critical thought about preaching and practical enhancement in this art with the Ernie and Elsie Schneider Endowment for Excellence in Preaching that fosters support for innovative 21st century proclamation.

For more information, contact the Office of Continuing Education and Parish Services at (314) 505-7123, ce@csl.edu; or visit the Seminary’s Web site at www.csl.edu.