preaching with powerpoint

I for one find it horribly distracting. Even if there is only text on the screen, everybody stares at the text, the turn into mindless zombies. However, usually it goes well beyond just text and there are pictures and videos and animated slides... it drives me nuts. Many times I will purposely bury my nose in a bible and purposely not look up because it is so distracting and silly looking. My favorite is when the computer starts having problems and right in the middle of a sermon there are huge PC error messages going crazy on the wall. Sometimes we just need a break from technology, "less is more" in this scenario. Truly effective speakers have no need for powerpoint, it's just a fun toy to some. For your use, index cards work just fine. If you really need the help of a computer, print it out and take it to the pulpit. If other people really need an outline, print out a mini-outline on the hand-outs. I just don't think its needed whatsoever and it does more harm than good due to distraction problems.

 

Glad you have the learning style that doesn't need visual help. Good for you. But you're a minority in the population.

But I disagree with your statement. I will agree--effective speakers are effective whether or not powerpoint is available. But it, like other tools used wisely, can make a good speaker better.

 

If it works, that's great, but pay attention to people next time you use it. At least in usage that I have witnessed, people over-focus on the computer display on the wall, even if it is an extremely simple outline, and I tend to be one of them. That's all I'm saying. I just think it's distracting. They pay too much attention to it. I don't think people use it as a tool... it actually becomes the main attraction, and that's what I don't like. The guy behind the pulpit should be the main attraction.

I'm a programmer and stare at a computer screen all week long, so it's not like I'm just against change or have a phobia against technology. I simply don't want to stare at a computer screen while at church, it's like I can't escape it. If you use it, at least consider trying to keep it as simple as possible, which it sounds like you are doing. I think this is a big problem of what I've seen, people get too fancy.

I've been to alot of programming training seminars and have heard hundreds of good speakers, and yes it is very true that highly technical presentations are very effective while using powerpoint. In fact, it's near impossible to go to a session without them using it, and often people still can't absorb it all, so the ask the presenter how to get the powerpoint slides on the web. I have just yet to hear a sermon that is anywhere near this kind of technical level, and it's a totally different atmosphere anyway... usually people don't even take notes.

 

I've also noticed that it gets on my nerves when the content that is projected is not in outline form. For example, I want to see a broad outline, and want to see how one subject is connected to the next, and know what to expect, things like that. I don't like it when the content ends up being a single point per slide and slides are being ran through quickly. If this is taken to the extremes, it's almost like the sentence on the wall is exactly what is being said. If slides are used, I like them to be a broad overview with extremely important points showing up on the screen, I don't like it when the powerpoint presentation ends up being an overanalyzed animation of exactly what is being said. Plus, if you go into too far with detail, the sermon can seem too prepared and not as sincere. If used properly, I think it's a great tool, but some of these things I've mentioned can contribute to the slides just being a distraction as I mentioned above. I think people need just enough to stay on track and to be able to tie the entire sermon together and to really remember very important points, and that's it... just don't turn it into a video game and you'll be alright. :thumbs:

 

If I had a ppt projector, I think I would use it most often for things that I use overheads for now. Things such as maps, or a photo of the Judean wilderness, or a picture of Caesarea Philippi that paints a visual image of the text.

If someone wants to donate a projector, I'll test this out and let you know how it works.

 

truly effective speakers probably don't NEED ppt... but not every preacher has great strengths in this area and some ineffective listeners do need it.

The thing I appreciate about it is that if I use a large number of verses in a message, I don't lose people who can't find the passage and I don't waste time waiting for people to turn to it.

There are some weaknesses, and anything can be abused. But I'm glad I have and use it. We may not like that it's true but we live in a visual age.

 

I will say that I do really like verses on the screen. Why? Yes I might have my bible, but my favorite bible is a student's edition of the New International Version, because first of all, each chapter has a half page explanation telling you what to pay attention to plus it has inline side comments explaining complex things, and secondly, I would rather that a bunch of bible scholars who know alot more than me actually translate the text in real english so that I can understand it. So basically, I get tons more out of this bible than others. If somebody who doesn't really analyze what they are reading reads a plain King James version, it is my opinion that they will not understand many things and just blow right over some things. However, most preachers obviously like to use the King James edition. But, if we follow along in our bibles and the preacher is reading a verse word for word, the language is often completely different, I spend alot of time just trying to keep up with the exact point that he was reading from due to the different translations. HOWEVER, if the King James version he is reading from is plastered on the wall, it is tons easier for me to look up and follow along on the wall, then when he's finished, I can look back down and continue reading the version that actually makes sense to me. :laugh:

 

Please pardon my intrusion here. I'm not a pastor. I don't play one on TV.

What I am is a teacher who uses PPT and has my own website.

Recently, an email for software that will covert PPTs to flash for websites came across my cyber desk. It was pricey enough that I wasn't interested.

I started doing some digging and this can be done manually too.

This site has a set of fairly simple instructions on how to do it. The flash will not be as large a file for a website. http://www.tc.umn.edu/~kurtis/flash/ppt_fla/
I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know exactly how easy (or not) it is. I do plan to try it though.

If you are interested in software, I did my search using the terms "powerpoint flash conversion."

Thanks for all the hardwork each of you puts into each week -- teaching, training, visiting, calling . . .

 

I use verse lists in such a situation currently. I don't like using them, as I would prefer people to see it in the Bible with their own eyes, but sometimes there are so many verses that becomes distracting. For example, a while back, I did a two part sermon on the doctrine of correction. When printed out, there were 4 pages of verses. In some places, the sermon simply quoted 2 or 3 verses in a row. So, the verse list worked well.

I think that it would work well with ppt, also, but I would probably limit it to the times that there are a ton of verses or maps or photos of places.

 

I could have used a ppt projector last night. We were studying doctines of demons, and I was trying to make a point about demons are not necessarily what Hollywood has presented. I had photos of demons ranging from hideous monsters to cartoon characters and from those who abhorred them to those who embraced them. Because of the limit of an overhead projector, I had to make the pictures small and put them on one sheet. With ppt, I could have scrolled through each individual picture. It was effective the way it was presented, but I think it would have been more effective the other way.

 

I have ppt, and I want to use it, but I don't have a projector, and our TV has no S-Video hookup, which seems to be the only way I can export from my computer. We do have a screen in the front of the auditorium, but funds are a problem to get either a projector or a new TV for the church.

Edited to add: I don't mind the initials. I've been called much worse. I do like the little "o", though!