“Never in my life as a follower of Jesus, as a congregant, have I ever been asked what I’m hearing or how that affects me as a believer. Never.”Â
This powerful reflection from Dr. Dee Stokes captures a critical gap in how we approach preaching in most churches today—and points toward an exciting path forward for preachers seeking to share God’s Word more effectively.
In a recent Pivot Podcast episode, hosts Dwight Zscheile and Katie Langston spoke with Dr. Stokes and the Rev. Dr. Adam White about their work leading “And How Will They Hear?”—a Lilly Endowment-funded initiative at Luther Seminary that’s helping preachers understand what their congregants are actually hearing and how to become better listeners.
Instead of trying to find quick fixes for declining church attendance or using one-size-fits-all approaches to preaching, they’re helping preachers listen deeply to their communities and understand how what they’re hearing affects their spiritual lives. Through cohorts, retreats, and meaningful conversations, preachers are discovering fresh ways to listen and share the gospel.
The Power of Authentic Listening
When preachers create spaces for real feedback, something transformative happens—both for the preacher and the congregation. “Think about the transformation in my mind as a congregant that takes place and how my relationship with that person now changes because they actually want my feedback,” Dee explains.
The project’s research has consistently shown that two factors rise to the top when people describe compelling preaching: the authenticity of the preacher and biblical rootedness. This suggests that congregations are hungry for preachers who both genuinely believe what they’re saying and ground it deeply in scripture.
From Evaluation to Understanding
One of the key shifts the project encourages is moving from evaluative feedback (“was this a good sermon?”) to understanding what people are actually hearing. Adam shares how this subtle but important change helps reduce anxiety around feedback and opens up new possibilities: “The questions aren’t, is this good or bad? Did I like it or not? It’s, Was I compelled? And if I was compelled, why?”
This shift has led to creative approaches to gathering feedback. One pastor always carries a notebook, and when someone says, “Good sermon,” she asks, “Why?” and writes down their response. Another has a feedback box where congregants can share what resonated with them. These simple practices help create a culture of deeper engagement with preaching.
God’s Agency in Preaching
Perhaps most importantly, the project is helping preachers reconnect with a foundational truth: God is the primary actor in preaching. “We actually believe that God is the one who’s doing the compelling,” Adam explains. “That God is the one that actually makes the Word do what the Word does.”
This recognition can be liberating for preachers who feel the weight of trying to make everything happen themselves. Instead of trying to control every aspect of the sermon’s impact, preachers can focus on creating space for God to work through scripture and through the relationships in the community.
Building Communities of Listening
The project demonstrates that this work can’t be done alone. Through diverse cohorts of preachers from different denominations and traditions, participants are discovering the value of learning from different styles and approaches. They’re also finding that when congregations become partners in the preaching journey rather than just passive recipients, everyone’s understanding deepens.
“The reality is that all preaching happens in a context,” Adam notes. “Preaching happens because people are in relationship with one another and those relationships always support preaching.”
For church leaders looking to strengthen their preaching ministry, the message is clear: start by creating spaces to listen—to God, to your congregation, and to other preachers. The future of compelling preaching isn’t about perfecting our performance but about deepening our capacity to hear and respond to what God is already doing in our midst.
