By Dr. Tom LaBonte, Senior Pastor, Transitional

First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury will welcome Dr. Richard Ward for the Tenth Annual Lewis Preaching Series. This series was established to honor the service of Dr. Robert Lewis at First Presbyterian Church. The purpose of the series is to welcome treasures of the church to the community of faith and also to invite church professionals to hear and learn from these treasures.

He is particularly interested in the arts of storytelling and oral interpretation of scripture as they inform and enrich the ministry of preaching. Dr. Ward’s theme is “I Love to Tell the Story.”   He will explore telling our stories is a gift of God as a means to offer grace. The values and skills of storytelling teach wisdom, even as they build communities. We will look at ways to make the telling of stories more effective while tuning up our ears for story listening.

Dr. Ward will lead a group session on Saturday morning, Feb. 25 from 9-11 a.m. in Lewis Hall on the topic: “I love to Tell the Story: Helping Stories of Our Faith Come to Life.” A light breakfast will be available. Registration is required. Join us for worship at the 8:30, 8:50 and 11 a.m. services on Feb. 26 when Dr. Ward will preach on: “Praying Through Clenched Teeth.” You are invited to a Dinner Program at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 26 in Lewis Hall with Dr. Ward on the topic of: “I Love to Tell the Story, But Why Isn’t Anyone Listening.” Dinner is complimentary and registration is required.

Dr. Ward is Professor of Homiletics and Worship at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Okla. He brings to the study of preaching a rich background in performance studies and practices. He is ordained in the United Church of Christ and previously served on the faculties of Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colo. as Associate Professor of Preaching and Performance Studies, Yale Divinity School where he held the Clement Muehl Chair in Communication Arts as Associate Professor, and the Chandler School of Theology at Emory University as Assistant Professor of Speech Communication. He is a published author of books and articles on preaching and communication. Dr. Richard Ward is truly a treasure in the church today.

We invite you to join with us for this very special weekend of learning, fellowship and inspiration. For more information or to register for the two special meetings go to www.saliburyfirstpres.org