The Write Stuff: Crafting Sermons That Capture and Convince

by Sondra B. Willobee

With clarity and wit, preacher and writer Sondra Willobee explores the joyful process of crafting effective sermons. Gathering the strategies of good writers, Willobee shows how to capture and keep listeners' attention, how to generate suspense through structure, and how to increase impact with vivid language. In addition, Willobee offers examples, exercises, and reflections that help turn each chapter into a preaching workshop. The result is a book that will rekindle the creativity of experienced preachers and help new preachers develop their own compelling voices.

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2009

Reviews

[Heidi]

Read for class. A great quick and accessible guide to preaching. I'll definitely be referring to it in the future.

[Lori Schwilling]

This book is practical,accessible and enjoyable. Willobee reminds us of those standard "good writing practices" that we learned in undergraduate school and provides short,fun exercises to help us sharpen our skills.

[Ethan Linder]

Like a masterclass in preaching. Beautifully written—both summarizes AND contributes to theories of homiletics. Wonderfully done!

[Kate Davis]

A concise reference for major components and problems of sermon writing. Best used as an intro before reading more in-depth works on sermons, or as a refresher to keep on your desk after having done deeper learning on sermons. I guess what I'm saying is: this is the abridged version of a shelf-full of books on sermon-writing, but you should also read the shelf if you're going to be a responsible homilist.