Articles
Missed Connections
Missed Connections
You must know your audience. It is one of the imperatives in all public speaking, particularly in preaching, teaching and evangelizing. That truth is not only crucial for the preacher, but also the elders and all the members. Ironically, one of the demographics we often neglect the most is our guests. We want, invite, and pray for them. And then when they come into our assembly, we often do not do enough to make them feel "at home" with the family of God. We must give thought to this, especially since many today are "unchurched." Otherwise, the result is only missed connections.
First, preach, teach and evangelize with simplicity. Pick a passage, find the main point of it and teach that. Sometimes, as we turn from one passage to the next, visitors have trouble keeping up. Eventually, they may give up, close their Bibles and check out. I am not saying we should not teach with depth. However, we can camp out in one text and mine the depth found there. By doing so, we teach both the passage and how to study their Bible for themselves.
Second, preach, teach and evangelize with understanding. When we reference a verse or an account in scripture, far too often, we preface it with, "We all know..." When we say something such as that, we make people feel inept or incapable of fitting in our congregation. We make them feel as if they are too far behind to catch up, and many will not return.
Third, preach, teach and evangelize with enthusiasm. We are not in the pulpit to entertain; however, we must not be "dry as dust." It matters not how insightful the lesson might be if I am putting them to sleep.
Fourth, preach, teach and evangelize with explanation. We sometimes use "jargon" - the "insider language." In various fields, we have terms that individuals in that field understand, but outsiders do not. When we use terms like salvation, propitiation, redemption, and the like, how many know what these words mean? Take the time to explain them.
The truth is that if we treat outsiders like outsiders, they will never become insiders. We are missing connections we could make with these dear souls. We need to put forth the effort to gear our lessons and worship services to bring people in, not push them away. Let's focus on our guests so that they might become part of our family: God's family!
