preaching with powerpoint

For those that do not like slides, or even worse get upset when the equipment fails, in modern America using Power Point and waiting for failed equipment are both part of our lives.

Learn to tolerate Power Points.

And definitely learn how to compensate for equipment failures.

Being able to preach without notes or power point slides is a good standby for all occasions.

IMHO.

 

Tim

While most people can be guessed at, it does help to actually know what they are.



Isn't it amazing how much people can retain once we decide to get serious about getting them the information in a manner that they can use?

I am all three. I have preferences for different types of data - but that is a small issue.

One underused and overused concept is instead of just repeating points, utilize one of the other methods for the repitition. The real power of power point is just that - it allows natural repitition.

 

go to View-->master-->slide master. There you can set up your default background, title font, color and size, and text font, color and size. Changes there become the default slide style for that particular show. You can, of course, change individual slides as you choose.

 

The best guide to using powerpoint in any kind of setting I've come accross is by a guy called Patrick Crispen, he has a free powerpoint presentation (what else!) available for download on his website.

http://www.netsquirrel.com/powerpoint/complete.html

The description reads as follows... (need to go a fair way down the page to get to it)

Now That I Know PowerPoint, How Can I Use It to Teach?

Topic(s): Pedagogy
Last Updated: February 2004
Download: PowerPoint presentation (0.99 MB) | Flash presentation (570 KB)
At least thirty million PowerPoint presentations are made each day, and there are over 800 PowerPoint books currently in print. PowerPoint is the defacto standard for on-screen presentations in practically every school and training center in the world. Unfortunately, while millions of educators and trainers know how to use PowerPoint, few know how to use PowerPoint to teach well. This one hour workshop combines current learning theory and research, usability studies, and practical experience to show you how to effectively use PowerPoint to teach in any environment—the K-16 classroom, a corporate training center, a community meeting ... anywhere.

 

People typically do not read as much, listen as well, and takes notes like they did before the wide use of the computer. I believe that is one of the reasons why they like PPT better.

Many public schools teach students how to use MS Office. If one does not know how to use current technology it shows him to be outdated in a real sense from young people.

 

RE:visual vs audio

A few years ago my wife and I decided to remove tv veiwing from our home save for a movie once in awhile. What I noticed after the first year was that I could remember our pastors sermon outlines a week or so after he preached them. I deduced that TV had led me to be more visual in learning and less audio but after removing the reinforced visual learning center (tv) I began to hear what was being said again. I found this to be true in general conversation as well, that people who watch a lot of television require more words in order to receive instruction.

Since so many today watch so much TV PPT becomes a wise choice in the teaching realm but IMO would be hinderance in the area of preaching because it would of neccessity cause the flow of the message to be broken and not recieved as a whole. This would be particularly destructive in an evangelistic message where the message needs to received in its completeness.

 

I think this depends on how the presentation is prepared. I don't advocate pastors changing their preaching style to seem like a board meeting (eg. "and if we look at this next slide, we'll see...") but having it run as a support is a great way of connecting with an increasingly more visual and mult-tasking population.

 

We live in a media rich society and it does not hurt to cater to that to some degree. Not dumbing down the Scriptures, but using tools at our disposal.

People learn by three major ways, apparently: Some learn by reading, some by hearing and some by doing.

If a message can be more effectively communicated by having something visual, then I think that is worthwhile.

They hear it said by the pastor, they have it re-enforced visually and finally they go out and do it in their lives.

It all has to be in balance, steering away from formality (board room etc) and entertainment. But used properly it can be a great tool.

 

I love when a preacher uses PP... as long as what is on the screen matches what is being said.

No, not like the Lord changes the message, but when it is poorly written.

I really enjoy when the words to praise songs are up on the screen... it makes it so much easier to actually praise without worrying about dropping a book. Of course, I prefer my hymns from the hymnal.

I haven't had the opportunity to use PP while preaching. But I think I would use it if I had the chance. My outlines are pretty spartan, and I put down small notes to jog my memory... just leave out my notes and there I go!

 

I think we all have. I remember a guy once got stuck on which came first, chicken or egg. Then there was the guy who repeated, "if it had not been for the lord on my side" for 20 minutes. And my famous disaster, fool on the mule and somehow ended with Jesus on palm sunday...

Then there was the pentacostal guy recently who kept turning to me and saying, "doesn't it say that?"

 

Next time wear your rain coat and bring an umbrella...