Posts Tagged ‘Effective Communication’
Three Powerful Ways to Start Your Sermon
Most communicators understand that their message introduction must capture the attention of the congregation, or half of them will be asleep by first point on the outline. However, the best openers not only get attention, they get people thinking differently— opening the path to transformed living. Powerful communicators don’t wait for the conclusion to issue…
Read MoreSix Ways to Make Your Sermon Stick
One of my favorite books is Made to Stick, by Chip and Dan Heath. It’s all about how some ideas stick, while other ideas fade away. As preachers, helping our messages stick is important. In the book, the Heath Brothers (typing that makes me hungry for a candy bar), give six ways to make a…
Read MoreThree Powerful Ways to Start Your Sermon
Euripides said a bad beginning makes a bad ending. That’s definitely true in sermons. Like a front porch of a house, your introduction should welcome people to the message. Your first five minutes are really important. They often determine if people will listen to the rest of the minutes. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “I felt that…
Read MoreHow to Effectively Communicate to Students
Andy Stanley spoke during a main session at the Orange Conference. Here are some highlights of his message on how to to effectively communicate to students. Your approach determines people’s response. We must adapt our approaches to connect with our target audiences. How do you win as many people as possible? You change your approach.…
Read MoreWhat Preachers Can Learn from the Best Business Communicators
I remember three things about the iPhone launch: 1. I was at home sick with the flu. 2. It was the first time I had ever watched Steve Jobs give a presentation. 3. After he was done, I really wanted an iPhone. I’ll be the first to admit that a sermon is different than a…
Read MoreFinding Your Unique Voice as a Communicator
I grew up in a great church in Florida and was blessed to hear incredible messages as a teenager from Dr. Jerry Vines. Maybe you don’t know Dr. Vines, but he was my ministry hero. When I was an 18-year-old college freshman at Florida State University, I got my first job working at a church.…
Read MoreThe Link Between Communication and Leadership
Three days after September 11, President George W. Bush stood on a pile of rubble and addressed a group of emergency and construction workers. The President had already shared prepared remarks with the American people, but on this day, his comments here were unscripted. Surrounded by New York Citiy’s finest, he took a bullhorn and…
Read MoreFive Assumptions You Make that Render Your Sermon Ineffective
An assumption is taking something for granted. It’s an assumed truth that is not questioned. We do it in our relationships, our jobs and our lives all the time. And preachers make assumptions about their audience every sunday. Unfortunately, those assumptions can render a sermon ineffective. Here are five common assumptions pastors make. 1. Your…
Read MoreWhat To Do When You’re A Guest Speaker
The invitation to be a guest speaker is an incredible honor. Whether it’s a conference or another church, you’re filling a vital role. So here are five tips on how to be a good guest speaker. 1. Honor the host, but not at first. You should absolutely take time during your message to thank the…
Read MoreCommunicating to a Varied Audience
Every Sunday, you stand before a congregation from different places in life, wrestling with different problems and approaching the Bible with various degrees of believability. You have one message, but how can it apply to multiple audiences? One audience isn’t one perspective…it’s many. So how can you make your message apply to the Christian and the…
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