The New Face of Preaching

• Make sure your sermon has three points
• If you're nervous, scan the wall above their heads
• Reference scripture at least once
• Spend one hour of preparation for every minute you'll speak
• Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them
   

Any of these sound familiar? All of thm have been taught at one point or another to ordained and lay preachers alike. Many of them have served well. But we are facing a time with different communication challenges. Every generation has a different way in which it "hears." Right now, those traits change about every 8 years. So how do you keep up? There are new approaches that are worth considering because of their powerful impact:
 

• Let the biblical story carry the message
• Center the entire sermon around the text
• Think out loud without going in a linear fashion
• Move the congregation to the key question but don't answer it
• Fill in the background on the biblical text in more detail
• Give homework or a chance for them to commit to acting on the message

There are many other approaches, including uses of the Lectionary, that refresh our preaching and help us speak a language that is understood today. Take a chance on expanding your repertoire of approaches for the sake of the Gospel.
 
Taken from "Preaching and Teaching for Change"