Last month, 200 pastors and leaders gathered for training, worship and celebration to mark 25 years of Preaching Clubs, known as ‘escuelitas’, in Medellín, Colombia.
Paul Windsor, Director of Langham Preaching, says that ‘escuelitas’ provide “the primary setting for the transformation of preachers in the Langham Preaching ministry worldwide”, and were born in Colombia under the leadership of Jorge and Gail Atiencia. Jorge and Gail spoke to Mark Meynell for an episode of The Stott Legacy podcast in 2021).
The concept of Preaching Clubs, groups of 7-10 preachers who meet regularly for fellowship, and to help each other prepare sermons, have indeed become a central feature of the global Langham Preaching programme.
According to data from the last financial year, there are now over 1,300 ‘Preaching Clubs’ around the world.
Interactive teaching sessions
During the event in Colombia last month, Paul preached and taught four sessions, including a group exercise to build a theology of preaching, and an interactive way to understand the Biblical story using four chairs.
In a blog post about his visit, Paul explained that the Colombia preaching movement is still pioneering: “They are investing in mentoring gifted preachers and trainers in the next generation… imagine if, like the escuelita, this became another export from Colombia?”
He also said: “During the conference [the Colombia team] met over lunch each day for an hour to debrief, reflect, and ‘add value’. The joy. The unity. The openness. The dedication. It was humbling to observe.”
There are 116 other Langham Preaching movements, like the movement in Colombia, in 100 countries around the world. Last financial year, 439 in-person and virtual seminars were held.
‘Escuelitas’ or Preaching Clubs
Dionisio Orjuela, based in Colombia, is Langham’s Global Coordinator for Preaching Clubs. He says that escuelitas or preaching clubs “energise the preaching movement of a nation, facilitating the healthy growth of the church with a view to transforming the world”.
Preaching Clubs typically comprise preachers who have attended Langham Preaching workshops and want to put into practice what they have learnt.
Explaining the usual format of a Preaching Club meeting, Dionisio said: “The essential aspects of these meetings are praying the Word; preaching the Word by one of the participants, with feedback, or ‘adding value’ to the message and its messenger; and teaching from one of the books given at the workshop… There is also time to pray for one another and share a good cup of coffee.
“The escuelitas provide the necessary context to nurture through meaningful learning, the growth of the preacher, in likeness to Christ and in a faithful, relevant and clear preaching of His Word.”
360-degree video of ‘Praying the Word’
Esteban Améstegui, PA to the Director for Langham Preaching Latin America, has created a 360-degree video showing an example of ‘praying the word’ from his home in Bolivia. He appears in the video with his sister and his wife. You can swipe the video around to view the scene in 360 degrees and immerse yourself in the meeting!