Robert Leroe

Church/Ministry Name

Cliftondale Congregational Church

www.cliftondalecc.blogspot.com

Church/Ministry Description

Located 9 miles north of Boston Part of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference We’re an evangelical community fellowship Our worship is not too formal, not too informal Sunday School and Nursery are provided Where Jesus is Lord and people are loved

Experience

26 years of active military service as a US Army Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel), to include service in Germany, Korea, Hungary (NATO Operation Joint Endeavor), and Saudi Arabia (Desert Storm).

Education

B.A., B.D., M.A., D.Min, graduate of the US Army Command & General Staff College, C.P.E.

Family

Wife--Laura

Hobbies

Guitar, Kayaking

Best advice given to me about preaching

Be substantive but avoid professional, theological terms (unless you explain/define them). A sermon is to both inform and inspire, and must include exposition and application, in the same fashion as Paul’s epistles. The worst style of preaching is the one you use the most.

Sermon or series that made a difference

I’ve always conducted sermon series, which I think give my congregation a structure and focus.

Books that have had an impact

Reversed Thunder & Answering God by Eugene Peterson Today’s Gospel by Walter Chantry The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis How Should We Then Live by Francis Schaeffer From Fear to Faith by D.Martyn Lloyd-Jones The Search for Compassion by Andrew Purves Evangelicals on the Cantebury Trail by Robert Webber Our Father Abraham by Marvin Wilson The God Who Loves You, by Peter Kreeft Gilead by Marilyn Robinson

If I could Preach one more time, I would say...

God is in control of everything--we can rest in the safety of His hand and trust His sovereign purpose. We may not know what tomorrow may hold, but we can know the One who holds tomorrow.

What I want on my tombstone

pro deo et patria

Comment to those looking at my sermons

The discipline of preparing a manuscript (rather than an outline) is important because our message is important. The act of preaching is too important to speak extemporaneously. We can and do add things that "come to us" while preaching, but we come fully prepared. My final copy is that which I prepare after having preached, adding thoughts that I added in the pulpit. I then email my sermons to my mailing list, even to those who were present Sunday (for reinforcement), extending my ministry.