The Church Workers Handbook is filled with practical information that you may not have learned in Bible college or seminary. If you haven't already learned this information in the school of hard knocks, you need this series of blogs. This will be information for anyone who serves in any capacity in a church (from senior pastor up to janitor).
G.
Edwin Lint, BS, ThB, MA
Bachelor
of Science in Bible, Bachelor of Theology, Master of Education Administration
and Supervision.
Much of the Drawbridge content is political in general and anti-Obama in particular.
I am still convinced that Obama is America's worst president, bar none. However, I have decided to give Obama a rest on the Sundays of 2012 and concentrate on spiritual and/or educational content, only.
Today, I am continuing a series of blogs based on my book Church Workers Handbook.
Last Sunday, I presented Part 1 of Chapter 1. Speaking and Praying in Public. Today, I'll continuing with Part 2.
This book is available at the DiskBooks Electronic Publishing Free Downloads in pdf format.
If you wish to download the entire pdf file of 205 pages, click this link: Church Workers Handbook
The individual chapters are shown in the Table of Contents: [html format]
Today, we will focus on Part Two of Chapter 1. Speaking and Praying in Public
These guidelines may seem simplistic at first. However, if you follow them carefully, they can greatly amplify the effectiveness of your teaching, preaching and oral prayer.
Avoid frequent references to the time of day.
This afternoon, this evening, and tonight are often abused in this way. Only the mentally impaired need constant reminders of the time of day. Frequent references to the time of day is verbal garbage, even if it is done by professional announcers on TV, such as Ann Curry on NBC's Today Show.
September 11, 2001
This black date in American history now appears often in print and speeches. The correct pronunciation of this date is nine-eleven, and not 9-1-1.
If you are having an emergency, dial 9-1-1, and when you talk or write about September 11, it's 9/11 or nine-eleven.
Avoid I could care less, when you mean to say, "I couldn't care less."
If you doubt that you use some of these poor speech habits, tape yourself in a real life public speaking situation, and then go ahead and listen to yourself, okay? See what you think.
Here's a couple more frequent errors to avoid:
It's Daylight Saving Time, not Daylight Savings Time.
It's Safe Deposit Box, not Safety Deposit Box.
Get the Names of People and Places Right
The greatest challenge in public speaking is the proper pronunciation of people and places. The only fixed rule is to ask if you're not sure.
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is less than an hour from where I am sitting.
If you're talking about a movie star with the first name of Burt, Lancaster is pronounced LAN-cas-tur. The World War II English bomber is pronounced the same way.
However, if you're talking about the town and county located in south-central Pennsylvania in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, it is pronounced
LANK-us-tur.
I can't tell you how many professional announcers I have heard mispronounce Lancaster, in commercials.
If you ever have the occasion to work the phones from a list of names and numbers, make sure you know how the names are pronounced.
Before you dial the number, rehearse how you will pronounce the name.
Rehearse it, but don't read it
Be well prepared and even well rehearsed. However, only those skilled in reading off a TelePrompTer should ever try to read a speech, lesson, sermon, or even prayer.
When presenting a story to young students:
(a) read the story during your preparation time and absorb the gist of what it says;
(b) if you can't remember the details of the story, write some cues on 3x5 cards; if you have pictures to hold up, tape your cue cards to the back of the pictures;
(c) when presenting the story, look the students straight in the eyes and "tell" them the story;
(d) if the story is from a book with pictures, hold the book facing the group and turn the pages as you TELL the story. This technique makes your presentation more effective and helps you keep better control of the group.
For students who are "too old" for stories, limit your in-class reading to scripture and passages of lasting literary value. Always read scripture from a Bible and not the quarterly. The students must see God's authority for what you teach as the Bible and not something from a publishing house. Don't read anything else from the quarterly, either. The material in the teacher's edition should be read during your preparation time and then woven into your classroom presentation.
Simple Steps for Preparing an Oral Presentation
1. The first step in preparing for a verbal presentation is to make an outline of all the major points you want to cover. Think through this outline and memorize the major points.
2. The second step is to mentally rehearse the presentation while working from your outline. If you have trouble keeping on target during a mental rehearsal, talk out loud. Even make a tape recording.
If you still have trouble making your rehearsal flow along your outline, memorize small segments such as important paragraphs, illustrations, and anecdotes.
3. The third step is to learn your outlined presentation so well that when you look down at your notes, a bullet or key word will trigger an entire segment of your presentation in your mind.
4. The fourth step is to continue mentally rehearsing your presentation so it will flow in your mind from point to point. I often do this mental rehearsal while I am lying in bed, waiting to go to sleep.
A Sample Prayer Outline
Although your oral prayers will sound better if not read from a script, there is nothing wrong with praying from a simple basic outline.
[Your prayers during private devotion may stay more focused if you pray them orally, also.]
Here's an example
Salutation:
Heavenly Father, we greet you as the Great God of all the universe.
Thanksgiving:
Thank you for your love, thank you for your Plan of Salvation, thank you for being willing to send your Son to die on the cross, thank you for your Holy Spirit who's in the world today, to guide, direct, guard and protect from harm and evil, seen and unseen.
Thank you, Jesus, for being willing to come and die for me so I don't have to die for my sins.
We salute you Jesus Christ as our Lamb of God and Coming King.
Intercession:
The topic and type of prayer will control who and what you pray for.
An offertory prayer will mention "the gifts and the givers".
An invocation will mention the worshippers who have gathered, and all those who pray, sing, and preach.
A benediction will ask for protection for those who travel to their homes, etc.
This chapter is really nothing but a collection of commonsense rules, suggestions, and guidelines.