Communication Technique: The Surprise

The more predictable you become as a communicator, the harder it is to grab and keep people’s attention.

By varying your delivery, style, and rhythms, you can better keep people engaged with God’s word.

Here are a few things we’ve done:

• Started a message from another part of the auditorium.
• Pretended to forget the topic and scripture appearing very scattered.
• Left the building during the sermon and gone to video (Letterman style).
• Officiated a fake wedding (with a big surprise at the end).
• Grabbed people from the crowd to use in an illustration.
• Rappelled onto stage to make a point.
• Started a message from a coffin.

The communicator must be careful not to become “gimmicky” in the use of surprises. But a well-timed moment can leave a memorable spiritual impression.

What have you done or seen that was effective?

Tags: communication, preaching, Teaching

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Communication Techniques: The Visual

Most studies show people forget most of what they hear within 72 hours. Their retention rate jumps dramatically when other senses are engaged.

When preparing a message, ask how I can show instead of just tell.

In this past year, I hear more comments about two moments in church:

• One involved two boxes. One box had “me” written on it. One had “God” written on it. I simply showed how we often give things to God… then take them back. At the end of the illustration, I suggested that real faith is when we don’t just hand things to God, but give our lives totally to Him. Then I put the “me” box into the “God” box. This very simply visual was life changing for many people. (Click here to see the message.)
• The second was a simple graph I borrowed from Seth Godin’s book The Dip. I used the picture to show how Habakkuk didn’t understand what God was doing, but continued to “embrace” him through the long dip. This visual gave people permission to struggle with God and yet believe. (Click here to see the message.)

Don’t let the simplicity of a visual illustration keep you from using it. Often, the simpler—the better.

Show… don’t just tell.

What have you seen that you’ll never forget? What visual illustration has worked well for you?

Tags: communication, preaching, Teaching

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Communication Techniques: The Question

Great teachers and communicators know the power of a well-timed question.

Asking a direct question and giving your audience time to answer can open the door for a life changing moment.

You might invite the crowd to answer the question in their mind, write their answer on paper, or better yet, discuss their answer with three people around them.

• When preaching on “Doubting Thomas, you might ask, “In your most honest moment, what is your biggest spiritual doubt? Be specific.”
• When preaching on worry, you might ask, “What is the #1 thing you are still unwilling to trust to God?”
• When you are preaching on evangelism, you might ask, “Who are the three people you’d most like to see meet Christ?”
• When teaching on faith, you might ask, “In what area of your life do you live as if God doesn’t exist?”

By helping people acknowledge a specific response to a question, you might open them to hear a specific word on the subject from God.

Tags: communication, preaching, Teaching

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Communication Techniques: The Pause

This week, we’ll talk about several underused communication techniques. We’ll start with:

The Pause

When preaching, occasionally you’ll realize you just delivered a very impactful thought. Most communicators continue with their message.

I suggest when you realize a bullet just hit the target… Pause… Be quiet… Be still… Wait… Wait some more… And give the Holy Spirit time to seal the thought in the minds of the listeners.

The more powerful the moment, the longer the pause.

Don’t be afraid of an awkwardly long pause. Let it linger. Allow people to become somewhat restless.

Stop speaking long enough to allow God to finish what you started.

Pause.

Tags: communication, preaching, Teaching

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My Preparation for One Prayer

Amy and I are fasting sweets for 40 days in preparation for the series. (Sounds easy… Man, do I miss chocolate!)

The week before One Prayer starts, we will do a total media fast to spend more time praying.

During One Prayer, we will be devoting several days of total food fasts, drinking water only.

We are:

• Asking God to build bridges between churches in local communities.
• Praying by name for every senior pastor and church involved in One Prayer. (We have about 640 churches participating from 17 countries as of today.)
• Writing notes to pastors in our community to let them know that we love them and that we’re praying for them.
• Continuing to only speak well of other ministries.
• Sending offerings to churches other than LifeChurch.tv.
• Initiating strategic ministry friendships.
• Exposing our church to other great spiritual leaders.
• Teaching a pre-One Prayer message to prepare our church to think about THE Church… instead of “our” church.
• Encouraging pastors around the world to do the same and more.

Please tell me about anything you or your church is doing in preparation for the series!

For those of you preaching, what is your one prayer? Please tell us your church and where you live.

Tags: one prayer, preaching, Unity

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Make Us One

For my One Prayer message, I will be teaching and praying for the Church, “Lord, make us one.”

Here is Jesus’ prayer from John 17:20-24

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

• We pray daily to Jesus asking Him to answer our prayers.
• What if we became the answer to His?

Pause for a moment… Think about Christ’s Church. (By Christ’s church, I mean every living believer.) Think about the resources God has made available to us. Consider the money we control. Consider the talent, gifts, and passion of perhaps 2 billion people. Now consider the needs around the world.

What do you think God could accomplish through a unified church? What if we stopped talking about Jesus and instead displayed His love through a unified and global biblical community?

I’d sincerely love to hear what you think would be possible!

Tags: Churches, one prayer, preaching

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Try Not to Step Across the Line

When bringing “you,” authenticity is crucial.

Everything you say must be true. But everything that is true doesn’t need to be said.

• If you or your spouse is uncomfortable about sharing something too personal—don’t.
• If you might make someone look bad, don’t share it.
• If your challenge is “too fresh,” you might allow some time to pass before sharing it.
• If you’re going to tell a story about someone in the church, get their permission first.
• If you’re telling a story about someone else that would be upset if they find out, don’t tell the story. (Even if you don’t use their names, it’s amazing how small the world is and what people hear.)

Have you ever said “too much?”

In today’s world, everything you say tends to live forever.

Tags: Boundaries, church, preaching

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Take Some Risks

Most people will see you as a pastor first. I want people to see me as a follower of Jesus who happens to be a pastor. (In my mind, the difference is big!)

Accomplishing this goal takes some work. Many church members see pastors as a “step above” the normal person. (Some pastors even believe this to be true.)

To me, the pastor who is viewed as a normal person has an extreme advantage over the one who is viewed as the “perfect spiritual leader.”

To demystify your pastoral role, you’ll have to take some self-revealing risks. Here are a few suggestions when revealing personal flaws:

• If you’re courageous enough to expose selected spiritual doubts, people may relate to you as a real person.
• If you carefully reveal a marital struggle (with permission from your spouse), people may be more likely to listen.
• When you talk about certain personal failures, many people will feel an increased bond with you.
• If you are hurting and you express your need, your church family can be aware to pray for and minister to you.

It’s not uncommon for someone to say to me, “Craig, when you shared about your struggle with ____________ (fill in the blank), I knew you were someone I could relate to.”

A few people might reject you for your authentic confessions, but the vast majority will accept, embrace, and trust you as a genuine believer wrestling to grow closer to Christ.

Tags: church, preaching, Risk

18 comments