voice of the congregation – a significant voice to listen to

Abstract

The voice of the congregation is one of the four constituting elements of preaching. Preaching is directed at the congregation but also originates from the congregational context and reflects on the theological framework of the congregation. The lived religion and theologica l understanding of the congregation is an important marker in this regard. The attender survey of the National Church Life Survey (NCLS) was done in 2014 in the Dutch Reformed Church and provides, from an empirical perspective, useful and relevant information to the preaching event. The NCLS identifies vital and nurturing worship as an important core quality in congregation life, and this is used to listen in a reliable way to the voice of the congregation.