Sermon of the Year Finalists Include 16 and 17-Year-Old Contestants
- Updated May 10, 2016
The Sermon of the Year competition, organized by the London School of Theology and Preach Magazine, has been narrowed down to just four competitors.
According to ChristianToday.com, the four finalists are split up into two groups: under 21 and 21 and over.
The two competitors in the under 21 category are Phil Hutch, the Youth Mayor of Derby, a 17-year-old who initiated a week of evangelistic outreach to Derby schools and Jess Mackin, a 16-year-old student studying physics, math, and computing.
The two competitors in the over 21 category are Siku, a musician and artist, and Natalie Collins, a gender justice specialist who is involved in organizations that help aid women who face domestic abuse.
The winner of the contest will be announced next week.
The contest seeks to inspire people, young and old, to preach God’s Word. The contest’s theme is “a reason for hope.”
Research done in conjunction with the contest found that, perhaps contrary to popular belief, the majority of people still value listening to sermons, and even would rather hear biblical exposition than personal anecdotes.
The survey of 1,800 churchgoers conducted by Christian Research found that nearly nine in 10 people disagree that sermons are outdated.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Publication date: May 10, 2016
