Preaching and teaching for 24-7 Prayer
From 24-7Wiki
As part of the 24-7 Prayer team you may be given opportunities to share about the work of the charity and to speak on topics like prayer. This document provides a few guidelines, ideas and resources to help speak as a representative of 24-7 Prayer.
Contents |
Content:
- Preparing and developing yourself
- Building relationships
- Knowing your audience
- Seeking God
- Guidelines and resources
- Multi-media presentations
- Latest testimonies
- Example talks and seminars
- After your talk
Preparing and Developing Yourself
“The public nature of preaching exposes you to a wide spectrum of feedback—from the really good compliments to really venomous criticism. Both can be dangerous because they lead to either pride or pain. We need to work at becoming the kind of person who is so deeply grounded in who we are, the work we are called to do, and the words we are called to speak, that the ambient hype that surrounds the preaching event doesn't get the best of us.” Rob Bell
Before you get up to speak on behalf of 24-7 Prayer we encourage you to be pursuing a closer relationship with God. Are you studying the word on a regular basis? How are you making time each day for prayer? Who have you invited to speak into your personal life and growth? In everything we do we want to be drawing on a deep well of relationship with Jesus. Consider how you can take a step forward in your daily prayer and study life.
If public speaking is a large part of your role then we recommend that you seek a mentor. Someone who already speaks regularly, who communicates effectively and you are able to travel with and learn from. This person should be willing to consult with you on your study and development, share their study and prayer life and talk about preparation and delivery with you. When they observe you, ask them for feedback not only on your content and structure but on aspects of delivery like your voice (speed of speech, tone, language), body language and eye contact. For suggestions on how this could work contact Alana Wiens (alana.wiens@24-7prayer.com).
Building relationships
24-7 Prayer is a relational network, and we're always looking for opportunities to make new friends, deepen existing friendships, and to introduce our friends to one another. Any excuse for a party.
Before you speak on behalf of 24-7 Prayer, always get in touch with the national team or with Carla Harding (carla.harding@24-7prayer.com) to check if any other 24-7-ers have previously had contact with the church or event where you're speaking, or if they have any other background information that may help you. It might be good to publicise the fact that you're speaking at that church or event via our 24-7 websites, so that others can come and connect with you, so make sure that the national team or Carla have all of the relevant details.
Also, unless there are good reasons why not, always take a friend or someone that you are mentoring/discipling along with you. It is never good to do these things alone.
Know your audience
One of the great opportunities of the 24-7 Prayer movement is that it spans generations, nationalities and denominations. It is critical if you are speaking to a new group to get as much information as possible from the leaders on the nature of the group and the venue you’ll be using. It can make the difference between an effective talk and one where everyone is staring at you with questioning looks.
When giving a talk make sure you consider the following variables in your preparation:
- What age group am I speaking to?
- Do they come from a particular stream or denomination of the Body of Christ?
- What language/dialect do they speak? (Not just national language but do they use religious, formal or slang vernacular?)
- What is the context within which you are speaking? Is there an aim or message to the gathering?
- Where are you in the program and what are your time constraints.
The answers to these questions allow you tailor your stories, examples, visual or media aids and style/approach to your audience. I.e. a talk centred around a video won’t work around a campfire and a film with an 18 certificate can’t be used as an illustration to 12 year olds. Considering these questions may also affect decisions such as the use of humour and how you dress. We always want to aim to bless and respect those we are speaking to.
Seeking God
This is the shortest paragraph but the most important step. Find out – what does God want you to say? This is the most vital question to ask when approaching any talk. Dedicate time to seeking God in prayer for the people you’re speaking to. Feel confident enough to be able to summarise in one sentence what you want people to walk away with. Build everything you do and say around communicating that.
Guidelines and resources
There are many great resources available on the topic of teaching and speaking. Below we’ve recommended just a few for you to explore.
- An interview with Rob Bell on speaking and teaching: http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/preachingworship/preaching/tyingcloudstogether.html
- A teaching series also by Rob Bell (Poets, Prophets and Preachers).
- “Communicating for a Change”, a book by Andy Stanley & Lane Jones
- A helpful blog post with further suggestions and book recommendations: http://krishk.com/2011/02/10-ideas-for-developing-preachers/
Multi-media presentations
Wherever possible, use images, video and audio within talks and presentations. We recommend this book on how we can effectively communicate: "The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church" by Shane Hipps. 24-7 Prayer has films developed for use in talks that can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/247pray. Always allow adequate time to test out the technology before the start of your talk.
If you are making a PowerPoint or similar presentation, please ensure that use the most up to date and correct 24-7 Prayer logos, typefaces and fonts. Information about these can be requested from Scot Bower (scot.bower@24-7prayer.com). If you are using clips from film or music please be aware of copyright guidelines in your nation. If your talk is being recorded or paid for in any way the clip will have to be removed unless you gain permission to use it. If you are being filmed whilst talking please consider your appearance. Fine stripes or intricate patterns do not appear well on camera. Block colours work best.
Latest Testimonies & Photos
A small selection of photos and testimonies can be found here: http://www.24-7prayer.com/prayer/testimonies http://www.24-7prayer.com/prayer/photosfromprayerrooms For more examples and up to date testimonies check your nation's 24-7 Prayer website or contact the national team, or look through the features and blog posts on www.24-7prayer.com or contact Carla Harding (carla.harding@24-7prayer.com). Wherever possible, aim to tell recent, relevant and personal testimonies.
Example talks and seminars
www.24-7prayer.com/shop has a selection of talks about 24-7 Prayer to download.
After Your Talk
It is easy to feel discouraged after giving a talk. In fact it’s very normal. Feeling nervous before a talk is a good reminder that you are just the messenger and it’s God’s message that’s going out there. He shines through our weakness. Speakers commonly feel very negative after giving a talk – particularly if it’s emotional or personal. It’s good to have a friend with you for those moments. Please feel free to check in with someone on your nation's 24-7 Prayer team, or with Carla or Alana after a talk if you’re needing a bit of encouragement.
Feedback is really valuable as a learning tool. However, as recommended in “Communicating for Change”, we would suggest waiting 48 hours before delving into feedback. Rest, pray, be with people you feel comfortable being around.
