Michael Hyatt, president and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, tells us what software he uses to do presentations. See his post
My Current Presentation Tools
I have not seen anyone recently give such a comprehensive and clear introduction recently to presentation technology and software.
See also other communication tips at my post:
Superb practical tips about preaching: Communications professor Lori Carrell in Rev.
I wanted to draw your attention to an outstanding series of articles by Lori Carrell, a professor of communication at the University of Wisconsin, who has done research in cooperation with the Center for Excellence in Congregational Leadership, which is owned and operated by Green Lake Conference Center/American Baptist Assembly in Wisconsin and has received funding from the Lilly Endowment. Each article is three pages long from Rev. magazine and contains some of the best practical advice about preaching you can find anywhere. Carrell has her Ph.D. in communication, is very familiar with how pastors think, is a Christian herself, and is a highly awarded professor. I am impressed. We need more of this kind of research on topics related to pastoring.
Check out these PDFs online.
Lori Carrell, "Sermons Most Likely to Succeed: Do sermons actually change beliefs and behavior? An ongoing study reveals hard facts," Rev. Magazine (May/June 2007), 71-73.
This is the most dense article--sharing findings from an extensive survey of what is most effective in preaching.
Lori Carrell, “The Perils of PowerPoint Preaching: Research reveals that the use of PowerPoint slides during preaching is often more of a distraction than a transformative tool,” Rev. Magazine (Mar/Apr 2008): 91-93.
This article argues finds that much PowerPoint use is distracting.
Lori Carrell,"Are You Wasting Your Sermon Prep Time?" Rev. Magazine (May/June 2008), 91-93.
This article explains what pastors do in sermon prep time and follows pastors who have tried to improve their effectiveness in preparation.
Lori Carrell,"Reaching the Choir: Are you transforming your listeners or simply telling them what they already know?," Rev. Magazine (July/August 2008), 95-97.
This article suggests a method for moving people from what they already know to specific challenges.
Lori Carrell,"Why Your Preaching Matters More Than You Think," Rev. Magazine (September/October 2008), 158-159.
This article explains how greatly congregation members value preaching.
See also her book:
Lori Carrell, The Great American Sermon Survey (Mainstay Church Resources, 1999).
I give Rev. magazine credit for having regular columns from:
Both move beyond the numbers to offer their take on what church leaders should do but they also both deal responsibly with statistics.
Last Sunday I visited Willow Creek DuPage, one of Willow Creek's Regional Campuses, which meets at Wheaton Academy. I actually just made it for the end of the service because I went to another church service first.
The Willow Creek DuPage room seemed quite full. All of the rows were 70% full. 400 people perhaps? After the service, they had lemonade and cookies set out at different tables labeled with different high school names in the area. The idea is that people can more easily find people who live near them.
But I had one question. At the end of the video message by Mike Breaux, the worship leader came up and led three songs. He invited people to stand and later to clap their hands. It didn't seem to me like many people were singing. Then again, I was in the back. Perhaps many of the people visiting are "seekers" and thus feel uncomfortable singing.
For this reason I thought that Willow Creek did not invite people to sing very much in their weekend services. I thought the focus was on performed music as opposed to congregational singing. Is this still the line of thinking? Or are Willow Creek and other seeker-driven churches incorporating more congregational singing? Just curious.
P.S. I'm sorry for not asking the regional pastor this question but I felt bad because I hadn't been at the whole service and he had invited people who were hurting to talk with him. I threw away my brochure but I have sent an email to the general DuPage regional church email address to see if someone wants to comment.
I'm also sorry for not carrying my camera and taking a photo. The law of copyrights with photos is that you usually don't get in trouble if you post your own photos. So I'll have to do that more often. This photo is free to use because I found it on stock.xchnge
See my recent post about video venues for more discussion about this concept.
A fellow professor e
mailed me this question:
I'm looking for a book that can help explain the communicational importance of using electronic support during worship. Any ideas you have for me to peruse would be appreciated.
Here is what I said:
Check out these in this order. You can see my notes below.
High-Tech Worship?: Using Presentational Technologies Wisely (Paperback) by Quentin J. Schultze
Publisher: Baker Books (January 2004)
Schultze was in my class this year because he has been a visiting scholar at Taylor. This book is short and wise and would fit your purpose I think.
Communicating for a Change : Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication (Hardcover) by Andy Stanley, Lane Jones
Publisher: Multnomah (June 1, 2006)
Andy is one of the leading communicators in the nation. (He is speaking at Willow Creek's Leadership Conference this year). This is his new book.
The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture : How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church (Emergentys) (Paperback) by Shane Hipps
Publisher: Zondervan/Youth Specialties (February 1, 2006)
Taylor communication professor and my friend Kathy Bruner is reading this book. She says it is good. He has been on Leadership Journal's Out of Ur recently. See my blog post responding to his article about Video Venues here.
-- The rest of these books I don't know much about. Abingdon (of United Methodist roots) has published all of them.
· The Wired Church: Making Media Ministry (Paperback) by Len Wilson
Publisher: Abingdon Press; Bk&CD Rom edition (March 1999)
· Digital Storytellers: The Art of Communicating the Gospel in Worship (Paperback) by Len Wilson, Jason Moore
Publisher: Abingdon Press; Bk & DVD edition (April 2002)
· Media Ministry Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Visual Communication (Paperback) by Tim Eason
Publisher: Abingdon Press; Bk & DVD edition (April 2003)
· The Spectacle of Worship in a Wired World: Electronic Culture and the Gathered People of God (Paperback) by Tex Sample
Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 1998)
---I have a few other books about how to use movies in teaching here.
On Leadership Journal's Out of Ur blog, they are having a discussion about video venues based on the post by Shane Hipps entitled "Video Venues and the Papacy of Celebrity: Why changing the methods always changes the message." What is a video venue?
The best way to describe a video venue is to give you an example.
Willow Creek McHenry County is located more than 30 minutes from Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL. McHenry County campus pastor, Wayne Alguire, attends the Saturday night service at the main campus. Afterward, he is given a DVD of the sermon. On Sunday morning, he plays that DVD during the preaching portion of the service in McHenry country. "What," you ask, "they do not have live person preaching?" No, they don't. They have "live" worship and announcements but not preaching. On occasion, there may be an exception but in general this is the basic idea. Wayne Alguire does not have to prepare a sermon each week and is thus freed to care for people. The congregation does not have to drive all the way to the main campus in South Barrington. They can get amazing preaching in their own backyard. That is the basic idea of video venues.
Here are a few of my thoughts (pro and con) about this approach.
PRO:
I like the idea that megachurches are in some ways getting smaller and homier through this approach. In other words, rather than driving from McHenry Country to Willow Creek and not seeing anyone you recognize, you can hear Bill Hybels on video at the Wheaton campus with a smaller group who you will begin to get to know.
I also dislike bad preaching. Bill Hybels says in his preaching/teaching workshop something like, “If you’re not good at teaching/preaching, save your listeners, and go do something else.” I’d choose a good sermon on video over terrible sermons in person any day.
It is worth noting that the microphone changed church culture more than video. Before that, we were limited by the strength of the preacher's voice, the acoustics of the room, and the youth of the audience's ears. No wonder there weren't many megachurches.
CON:
Due to overemphasis on the Eucharist/communion in the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformers put more emphasis on the sermon. I think we have swung the other direction and put too much emphasis on the sermon to the detriment of congregational life. The logical extension of the crucial nature of “good preaching” is to get it "efficiently" by playing sermons on video.
The logical end of the VV "efficiency" argument is to pick two preachers and just have everyone listen to them. How about my favorites Rob Bell and John Ortberg as the two?
I think there is already too much borrowing and imitating in evangelicalism. It is remarkable how much of what thousands of churches do is rooted in the actions and programs of five influential churches. (Later note August 1, 2007: These rankings by The Church Report are probably not legitimate).
What is really scary about that exaggerated scenario is that few of us would be studying our Bibles as studiously if we didn't have to preach! That is human nature, right? There is something about the local pastor studying and applying the Scripture to a specific context.
The Future of the Video Venue:
I don't think we need to worry about everyone going to the video venue approach. Some people will appreciate it and the approach will continue to grow through the megachurches. Others though will want a live preacher that they can interact with.
Interestingly, this approach may be the sign of the waning of the megachurch movement. People don't want to drive 40 minutes to go to a church. They want to get to know people who live in their community. I bet that Willow Creek will never build a bigger auditorium than the one it opened two years ago. Church planters, and other advocates of the power of the small church, should feel vindicated that even the megachurch is noticing that bigger is not necessarily better. There is power in local churches who contextualize themselves to a community.
Calvin College professor, Quentin J. Schultze, reflects well on these issues in: High-Tech Worship?: Using Presentational Technologies Wisely. Baker, 2004.
If you are interested in this topic, you might be interested in listening to an audio presentation on this topic from Leadership Network at
http://www.leadnet.org/Resources_AV.asp
Here is the description:
Seacoast Church (www.seacoast.org) currently has 9 different campuses, and it continues to pray and plan toward the launch of more campuses. The primary teaching comes from our Mt. Pleasant campus by videocast. This model prompts questions about whether a teaching pastor in one city can effectively pastor people hundreds of miles away. The answer is no, and in the accompanying podcast lead pastor Greg Surratt explains Seacoast's approach and rationale.
Some photos of Saddleback's Video Venues are here.
There is a video venue starter kit from North Coast Church in San Diego here.
Barsotti, Catherine M. and Robert K. Johnston. Finding God in the Movies: 33 Films of Reel Faith. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004.
Belknap, Bryan. Group's Blockbuster Movie Illustrations: Over 160 Clips for Your Ministry! Loveland: Group Publishing, 2001.
Belknap, Bryan. Group's Blockbuster Movie Illustrations: The Sequel. Loveland: Group Publishing, 2003.
Belknap, Bryan. Group's Blockbuster Movie Events: Relevant Retreats and Movie Nights for Youth Ministry. Loveland: Group Publishing, 2005.
Fornof, John. Movie Nights for Kids: 25 Fun Flicks to Inspire, Entertain and Teach Your Children (Heritage Builders/Focus on the Family). Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004.
Higgins, Gareth. How Movies Helped Save My Soul: Finding Spiritual Fingerprints in Culturally Significant Films. Relevant Books, 2003.
Larson, Craig Brian and Andrew Zahn. Movie-Based Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching - Volume 1. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.
Larson, Craig Brian and Lori Quicke, More Movie-Based Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching: 101 Clips to Show or Tell (MOVIE BASED ILLUSTRATION GUIDES). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004.
Mraz, Barbara. Finding Faith at the Movies. Morehouse Publishing, 2004.
Schultze, Quentin J. High-Tech Worship? Using Presentational Technologies Wisely. Baker Books, 2004.
Schultze, Quentin J. Communicating for Life: Christian Stewardship in Community and Media. Baker Academic, 2000.
Smithouser, Bob. Movie Nights: 25 Movies to Spark Spiritual Discussions With Your Teen. Updated edition. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 2005.
