JT Holderman

I had the wonderful privilege of taking Jim Singleton’s Pastoral Ministry course this semester at Gordon-Conwell. As a Th.M. student in Homiletics I wasn’t supposed to take anything outside my field, but I convinced my advisor that this class was a good idea for me in preparation for pastoral ministry. It was a true gem of a course. As a Th.M. student I had some extra requirements to fulfill to elevate the M.Div. level course to Th.M. caliber. One of these requirements was to

One of my favorite books of the Bible is James. In particular I love the practicality of his letter and the exhortations to live into our calling as Christians. I was struck reading James 3:1-12 about the power of words, particularly those of teachers and preachers, people of influence. As a preacher I decided it would be a good idea to preach to myself on this matter, to weigh the power of my words and train the tongue. This sermon is for a class here at Gordon-Conwell Theol

Here are two sermons that were recorded in class at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. There are some things I believe I did well and many more things that I’m sure were done poorly. The class gave helpful feedback to continue to sharpen my skills as a preacher. If you would like both sermons from PR 602 (Preaching to Modern Listeners) and PR 722 (Preaching, Persuasion and Leadership) are below. Relationships of Grace: The Remedy for Worry: #Love #Homiletics #Anxiety #Gordo

This is a sermon from a class here at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary that I preached this past week. The course is PR 901 (Research Methods in Preaching) and we just so happened to have the opportunity to each give a sermon for critique and encouragement. This sermon is a short Gospel presentation from Romans 3:21-26 looking at the difference between the World’s Economy and God’s Economy (or the world’s way of doing things versus God’s way of doing things). The World’s E

Should I Stay or Go? Panel on the Problems Facing Mainline Denominations Today Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary September 27th, 2012 Five prominent leaders at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary gathered to discuss the problems facing mainline denominations in America today. In particular they joined together to share a bit of their own journey and their decision to either stay or go in their mainline denomination. The room was filled wall to wall with people eager to hear

1) My biggest hope for the year is for my relationship with God. The seminary has been very clear that this is also a hope for them as well. President Hollinger spoke at Convocation about this very topic. It is his wish that Seminary would be a place for personal growth in relationship with God. I agree. If my relationship with God has not grown or matured within my year here, it will have been a failure. This is my deepest hope for the year, that I would come to love God mor

Gordon-Conwell does it right. Let’s be honest, I have never had such such a blessed orientation week. Usually orientation is not something I look forward to. It conjures memories of figuring out loads of administrative hubbub that needs to be done to matriculate. Maybe I was on top of things this year, but the actual administrative tasks needed to matriculate were few and simple. Orientation week began with a wonderful morning of worship with the incoming student class. The P

Day two of Gordon Conwell’s National Preaching Conference did not disappoint. Few Fridays can live up to the expectations that this day set for all other Fridays. I am still relishing in Gordon Conwell’s orientation week genius. There is in my mind no better way to start off a  semester studying Homiletics than to sit for two days under the instruction and preaching of some of the greatest preachers in the field. I was blessed. Session Four began the day with a powerful sermo

We miss the many miles of mountain bike trails that we knew like the back of our hands. We miss the fireflies. We miss our daycation escapes to Pennsylvania and New York (because sometimes you just have to get out of Jersey). We miss quick trips into New York City on the train. We miss downtown Princeton, most especially Small World Coffee and the inspiring architecture of the University. We miss the Delaware River Valley. We miss a great church. We miss hunkering down during