This thesis explores preaching to an educated congregation with limited knowledge of the Bible. It asks if there is a way of preaching on an unknown text that enables the congregation to learn that Bible passage and take it with them when they leave. From the preaching of eight sermons in a medium-sized Reformed Church (RCA) in central New Jersey, this project identified elements of preaching that help the congregation not only learn texts heretofore unknown, but to hear the proclamation of the gospel. These elements were identified with the help of committed group of people working closely with the minister in developing, then evaluating the sermons themselves and through discussions with church members and questionnaires. Among the elements that help achieve the goal are the rootedness of the preacher in the text, the correspondence of the sermon style to the genre of the passage, recontextualization of the text in ways the resonate with the hearers, functional equivalence and a passion in preaching that shows the text is alive for the preacher. The thesis offers help for preachers genuinely concerned about aiding their church to grow in knowledge of and love for God's Word in scripture.
