I have been, for most of my 17 years of preaching, a manuscript preacher. I have chosen this route in the past for a multitude of reasons. First, I am not good at "ad-libbing". When I speak off the cuff I feel I am unclear. I feel that I do not speak well when I don't have my manuscript. I use fillers like "umm" or "rrr" a lot when I do not have a script to refer to. Also, I like to be precise in what I am saying. Off and on for years, people have asked me what I said. When I have a manuscript I can refer back to it. If there is controversy, there is a clear source to return to. Also, most great speeches were done by manuscript. Our current president is well-spoken, and he almost always has a teleprompter with a script uploaded to it.
This year I set a few goals to stretch my preaching skills, and to move me out of my comfort zone. One was choosing to do a set number of sermons with a one page outline. Two of the Sundays I have used this outline have been this Sunday and the Sunday before.
Here are a few things that I noticed:
1. The sermon takes less time to prepare.
2. The one-page part of the format pushes me to focus my thinking more. This allows me greater clarity in what I am saying. The sermons are easier to digest for the most part.
3. I am more free to move, interact, gesture, and make better eye contact.
4. My sermons take about the same amount of time
ON THE DOWN SIDE
1. I feel less confident and more vulnerable
2. I think I use less "illustrative" content with this style of preaching
3. I do use more "fillers"--and I repeat key points over and over--maybe too much
Some have commented favorably on my recent sermons. Most have no comment. My wife likes the outline sermons better because they are more conversational. I think I will, most likely, blend styles in the future.
Which form of speaking notes do you use most often. Which do you prefer? Why?
This year I set a few goals to stretch my preaching skills, and to move me out of my comfort zone. One was choosing to do a set number of sermons with a one page outline. Two of the Sundays I have used this outline have been this Sunday and the Sunday before.
Here are a few things that I noticed:
1. The sermon takes less time to prepare.
2. The one-page part of the format pushes me to focus my thinking more. This allows me greater clarity in what I am saying. The sermons are easier to digest for the most part.
3. I am more free to move, interact, gesture, and make better eye contact.
4. My sermons take about the same amount of time
ON THE DOWN SIDE
1. I feel less confident and more vulnerable
2. I think I use less "illustrative" content with this style of preaching
3. I do use more "fillers"--and I repeat key points over and over--maybe too much
Some have commented favorably on my recent sermons. Most have no comment. My wife likes the outline sermons better because they are more conversational. I think I will, most likely, blend styles in the future.
Which form of speaking notes do you use most often. Which do you prefer? Why?
No comments:
Post a Comment