Shaping the Claim helps the preacher discover the core of the message to be preached - the sermonic "claim." In order to be effective, says McMickle, a sermon needs to address the hearers at three distinct levels; the head or the intellect, the heart or passion and conviction, and the hand or an expected and desired response. In order to discover the biblical "claim" that a sermon should make upon a particular congregation at a particular time, McMickle presents a helpful three-step process: (1) What? (2) So What? and (3) Now What? The book is keyed to online sermon samples and other...

What does it mean to be a deacon in the black Baptist church today? What personal qualities should a candidate for deacon possess? What does the ministry entail? What relationship should exist between the pastor and deacons? What does Scripture say about the origins of the office of the deacon? How has the historical context of being black and Baptist in American influenced the evolution of that office? How do we fulfill the scriptural purposes of a deacon ministry in our local black Baptist churches today? Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle explores these issues and more in this practical resource for...