Sermonsmith

The Sermonsmith podcast is no longer in active production, but these helpful conversations are still available for you.

You may enjoy my follow up podcast — Consortio Dei — where I interview spiritual leaders about their rhythms for self care and formation.

Alice Shirey

Staff photoAlice Shirey joins us from Iowa while sitting near her actively maintained files of illustrations and outlines. Alice describes her unexpected journey to being a teaching pastor, why she keeps every draft of her sermons, and how she keeps her sermons fresh even as she preaches them multiple weeks in a row


Resources and links mentioned:
Orchard Hill Church
Live the Way (Alice’s soon to launch blog)
Bible Gateway
Bible Study Tools
Rachel Held Evans
Sarah Bessey
Rob Bell

About Alice

For the last 14 years, Alice Shirey has been one of the primary Sunday morning teachers on staff at Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Orchard is a multi-site church with about 1700-1800 folks worshipping on any given Sunday. As a gift-based church, Orchard calls and empowers teachers in whom the teaching gift has been recognized and affirmed, regardless of education or gender. Alice has a degree in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University near Chicago, and an MA in Counseling Psychology from Trinity Divinity School. Along with carrying the teaching load at a large, multi-site church, Alice regularly facilitates leadership classes, as well as provides counseling, mentoring and coaching to her congregation. Alice and her husband, Chuck, who has his M. Div. from Fuller, but is a financial advisor (long story!) have been married for 28 years, have 3 grown children, a chocolate lab named Stella, and live in an old, historic home filled with books!