Have you heard the old joke about the preacher who only works one hour a week? If you’re serving in ministry or heavily involved in the life of the church, you know how much of a joke that is.
Even so, that Sunday hour may be your best shot for teaching, reaching and building up your people. It’s all the more reason to continue to craft your message to be the best possible.
No matter the size of your congregation or worship style, you can overcome these important, easily fixable, pitfalls. This list of common mistakes focuses more on presentation than on content, and will help you remove barriers to presenting a clear and compelling message.
- Mispronunciation – Double-check words to make sure you are saying them correctly.
- Not being heard – Speak up, loud and clear.
- Equipment malfunction – Double-check technical things before you preach.
- Non-fluency – Avoid filler words like “uh,” “umm,” “you know,” “right,” “ok,” “so,” and the like. Watch a recent video and nitpick yourself.
- Conflicting messages – Don’t say, “I’m happy to be here”‘ when your posture indicates otherwise. Body language is critical.
- Ineffective gesturing – Be conscious of hand movement, hands in pockets, gripping the podium, and pacing.
- Uninteresting voice – Use an energetic voice.
- Inappropriate dress – Dress in a way that matches the style of the majority of your people.
- Poor eye contact – Make eye contact with your audience. Avoid reading your presentation or looking down.
- Weak introduction – Your introduction should set the stage, ask the question, open the wound, and set the pace for your message.
- Weak conclusion – Know where you will land. Don’t take your listeners on an endless journey. Call them to action or response.
- Inappropriate humor – Humor can backfire quickly when it’s too edgy, misplaced, or used solely for entertainment.
Some of this list was inspired after reading, Speaking With A Purpose by Arthur Koch.
