Ask almost any pastor what they want for their congregation, and one thing they will say is they want their congregation to thrive, to experience the thrill of following Christ, to live with enthusiasm, risking their all for the sake of the gospel, or something like that. For most congregations to thrive, renewal or transformation is required. Programs abound, resources multiply, consultants teach, and pastors look about for the next great product that promises to set their congregation on fire. I believe that breathing life into a congregation in need of transformation is not the result of the latest program or product or scheme, but the result of attentive listening to God's Spirit through the Word begins with God's Word as it touches the hearts and minds of God's people. One approach that bears great promise is Celebrative Preaching, from the African American tradition, as described by Rev. Dr. Frank A. Thomas. Placed within the larger narrative preaching tradition, and with more narrative emphasis added, Narrative Celebrative Preaching offers a means by which congregations may live from memory to hope as they embark on their journey of congregational transformation. Narrative Celebrative Preaching embraces members stories and brings them to light within the community. One method involves the use of communal interviews recorded on a whiteboard. Such corporate recording of common stories and significant events helps to shape the common history of a congregation. Narrative Celebrative Preaching in this context is preaching that encourages people to grow based upon their remembrance of God's grace and activity in their past so they are more aware ofGod's presence and activity in their present.
