Beginning in 2008, our nation experienced the onset of economic difficulty, and many pastors and the members of their congregations experienced personal and professional struggle far beyond anything they had ever known. Added to these challenges were also many pastors and parishioners who were challenged with the aftermath of the death of a loved one, a divorce, a health crisis, the care of a difficult child, unemployment, underemployment, lack of resources, and the like. As a result, many pastors and church members found themselves in life crisis, and subsequent faith crisis, because in times of difficulty and uncertainty, trust and faith in God are also affected. Can the pastor preach his or her way through a personal or congregational faith crisis? Can members of the congregation experience healing and ultimate wholeness because of the preached word? This study sought to answer these questions and to synthesize the research gathered from Fowler's Stages of Faith, the preaching model of Dr. Frank Thomas and the role of celebration in preaching, the research by Dr. Luke Powery on celebration and lament, and the research by Dr. Joseph Jeter on Crisis Preaching, to address these questions and inform a method of preaching that ultimately moves persons through faith crisis to wholeness. Additionally, a series of sermons were preached and feedback was gathered from members of the congregation and the Parish Project Group as well as reflections by the preacher on each sermon. Based upon these results and the research that was gathered, I found that if the preacher adopts a good preaching model to assist with content and structure; if the preacher begins and ends the preaching moment with the biblical text; and if the preacher has an openness for the inclusion of different expressions of the Spirit including celebration and lament, then I conclude that the preacher can preach his or her way through faith crisis and that, through the preaching moment, congregations can be healed.
