(Notes from my Masterclass at Preacher’s Workshop, 29 July 2019)
My first week of University, I marched straight out of my History of Civilization 101 lecture and to the registrar’s office and changed my major from History Education to Primary Education.
I was so intimidated by the lecturer’s knowledge and charisma and skill in communicating with passion and inspiration. With my limited amount of knowledge and experience there was NO way that I could fool a high school student into believing that I knew what I was talking about. But I MIGHT be able to hoodwink a 10 year old …
As I progressed in my study, I began to grow in confidence, my love for history and the skill of communicating and I did return to the registrar’s office and eventually graduated with a teaching degree in History and Art.
This level of confidence to share my knowledge and communicate well was largely due to the speech classes we were required to take. All disciplines were required to learn how to effectively communicate giving a 30 second elevator pitch, 3 minute impromptu speech, monologues and a 10 minute prepared speech. I loved it all.
And just for fun I took STORYTELLING because History is really just one long story.
In this class I performed the Acts narrative of the stoning of Stephen. I recited a fairy tale poem backwards and really learned to move around the room and make eye contact, moving beyond mere reciting of a script, a story, a sermon. And into performance to convey meaning and connection with my audience.
The Bible is the best story on earth. It’s a sweeping narrative full of emotion and consequences.
This evening I’m going to help you move beyond your sermon Script so you can
connect with your audience authentically.
engage them with every sentence you speak
peak their curiosity
grow their understanding
help them empathise
excite them
convict them
and spur your audience on to action
Let’s discuss the biggest concerns people have when it comes to public speaking and performance:
Preparation: Do I read or memorise my sermon?
Voice: I don’t like the sound of my voice.
Movement: What do I do with my body?
Dress: What should I wear?
Answering these concerns, I will help you communicate the meaning and passion behind the words of your sermon.
PREPARATION
Should you or shouldn’t you read from a manuscript of your sermon?
There’s a real difference between a parent picking up a picture book for the first time and reading it to the child and the AUTHOR of that book coming to a classroom and reading the story.
Both are enjoyable but the latter is a memorable experience! They are both reading from the same manuscript but the latter knows the material inside and out and can bring so much more meaning to the story by HOW she reads it.
Do you listen to podcasts?
I have two that I really enjoy.
One has a panel of 3 ministers who bounce ideas off each other back and forth and engage in delicious banter. I feel like I’m sitting at the table with them.
The other is another podcast where I love the ideas presented. But they are read. I know that the women reading their script are passionate about their ideas AND SO AM I! But I stick around for those treasured off-script moments when you can hear them shove the script away and they get real. “Do you know what I mean? Just last week someone said to me…” At this point, my distractions scatter and I lean in eager to hear more.
One podcast I feel like I’m part of a conversation. The other I feel like I’m being WRITTEN to.
Choose your words wisely, too. Sermons are spoken communication. You’re not writing AT your audience. We tend to use different language for speaking. It’s more simple and forthright. Whereas our eyes can easily dance across the page of a long Anne of Green Gables description of a sunset but our tongue would stumble across her descriptive words.
Reading a sermons is a bit like David Attenborough doing the voice over of what’s meant to be a LIVE sporting event full of emotion and passion and excitement. A bit underwhelming.
On the other hand, you don’t really want to recite a sermon, do you?
Remember when you had to memorise poems in school? I had to recite Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”:
“…Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Tick. Assignment complete. I said the words. No idea what it meant. But that didn’t matter.
Recite. Sermon delivered. But message received?
Sermon delivery is so much more than mere recitation of words. So no. We can’t just memorise.
Instead of merely reading or reciting, let’s choose connection.
Disconnection is head down, reading word for word with no emotion.
Disconnection is recitation. Disconnection is reading your child’s favourite story to them one more time. But this time you’ve memorised it all.
As the words come out of your mouth, your eyes glaze over, and your mind is thinking of that email you need to send.
As a parenting coach, here’s some free advice. Maybe it’s not one more story she’s asking for. Maybe she’s hoping that this time you will stop thinking about something else you’d rather be doing and just connect with her for a few minutes before she falls asleep.
So how can we can connect with our audience?
I recommend of combination of reading and reciting.
Memorise your introduction and your conclusion, the two very important book ends of your sermon. And then no the remainder of your content well enough that you only occasionally need to refer to your “script”.
Practice Practice Practice. I find that 6 times is the sweet spot. You’ve got your script. I want you to get up from your desk and stand and read it as you would to your audience, noting how you project with your voice and move your body.
Chris Anderson of TED Talks reminds us: “Practice doesn’t make perfect but it does make imperfection liveable.”
Know your content so well that you can live it. Remembering your words then becomes effortless. You’re then free to use your energy while on stage to communicate the meaning and passion behind your words.
Let your voice and body convey those deeper meanings for you.
VOICE AND BODY
Recording one of your final rehearsals will lift your public speaking game exponentially. All the verbal and written feedback in the world will not change how you perform until you SEE it for yourself. Take note of how you use your voice and your body.
VOICE
Prepare your voice. Many people do not like the sound of their own voice. One reason this might be is because they have a lot of built up energy forcing their voice to run at a higher octave. This TED talk towards the end runs through some of my favourite vocal exercises to relax your vocal chords and loosen your lips and facial muscles so that your facial expressions aren’t frozen in panic ;)
As you watch your rehearsal video, notice the following about your voice and your vocal style:
Does your voice contain the emotion in your sermon?
It’s like the advice given to people who work on phones. Smile. The person on the other end may not be able to see you but they will HEAR the smile on the other end of the line. A smile lifts the voice to a level that is desirable on the human ear.
Is your style conversational?
Does it sound like you’re meeting up with a friend?
Are you real, natural, unafraid to let rip
Is your pace and volume varied?
Unless you’re speaking in a cross-cultural context, don’t be afraid to speak rapidly if the words and meaning call for it. The human brain can keep up with a high speed of speech.
It’s the speaking too slowly that you need to be mindful of. That’s where you lose people.
BODY
Posture. Posture will not only help with your confidence and voice projection but it will also not distract from the meaning and passion of your message. Let me describe how you can find your natural posture.
Begin finding a few strands of hair at the very top of your head.
Pull them straight up and allow that to gently pull your spine straight.
Now rock back and forth on your feet and settle in the middle.
Rock your pelvis back and forth and settle in the middle.
Push your shoulders down and rock them back and forth and settle in the middle.
Now you are in your neutral, relaxed posture.
If you are feeling particularly nervous, do what I tell parents to do with their toddler who is on the verge of a nervous tantrum. Release all that nervous tention by doing a tremendous jumping up and down or monstrous stamping of the feet a good 5 times. TRY IT. You feel wonderfully loose afterwards. Even better, follow this up with 3 amazing deep breaths letting them out in a long loud sigh. This invigorates your brain with oxygen that will help calm your amygdala (fight/flight/freeze) portion of your brain.
Now what to do with your body DURING the sermon delivery. Now that you are in the relaxed, neutral posture, keep your arms loose and by your side. Do not lean on the podium and avoid movements from your wrist (I call them fish-fins). Instead as you become very familiar with your talk and rehearse the delivery, the more relaxed you can be with your arm and body movements. You won’t be putting your energy towards remembering what word comes next but can instead genuinely make eye contact with your audience, noticing when they are engaged, moving to an area of the stage to a side of the room where you notice someone has zoned out and is now scrolling through their phone.
In fact, I want you to be so comfortable with your conclusion that you can bunch it up and throw it away, moving forward on the stage away from the podium, leaning in and nailing your final points.
WHAT TO WEAR
Wear what you feel most comfortable in that matches the occasion. Do not pull out that suit that fit you 10 years ago. Your movements will be restricted and your focus at readjusting your clothing when it gets uncomfortable will detract from your message.
Women be mindful of your choice of accessories. Avoid those fantastic tassled earrings that swing around and get stuck in the corner of your mouth. Your audience will forever remember your earrings and nothing about your talk.
(At this point, I pulled it all together and read from Mem Fox’s Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild! demonstrating presenting from a script, communicating emotion and holding the attention of my audience through eye contact, body movement and voice variations)
CONCLUSION
Connect with your audience. Prepare and communicate with passion and conviction and your audience will get the meaning of your message loud and clear.