Preaching can help worshipers to connect their faith, their theological convictions, and their biblical values, with the issues of their daily lives -- such as parenting, maintaining healthy relationships, and juggling work and family. Preaching, and other programming within the congregation which directly addresses these concerns of everyday life, can help the mainline Protestant church to grow and thrive. It is challenging to preach sermons which are relevant and helpful while at the same time theologically deep and open-ended, but that challenge is crucial to the survival of the mainline Protestant tradition. This thesis draws from the work of George Hunter who describes the missionary approach of Patrick in Ireland as he both spoke the language of the people, and found ways for them to ritualize their common life patterns. The work being done by the Lilly-funded Valparaiso Institute on reclaiming the Christian practices, and many writings by Dorothy Bass, and others is alluded to often in this thesis. My PPG read Bass' Practicing Our Faith as preparation for the second year sermons. We held extensive conversations with parishioners who shared their reactions to sermons and suggested future topics. Our conclusion is that mainline Protestant congregations can experience new vitality through preaching and programming which pays attention to the everyday life concerns of worshipers.
