Luke, one of the other pastors at Malvern Hill, and I argue often. We do not have the kind of arguments that lead to anger (usually), but the kind of healthy arguments that make us better and we hope help us to serve our church more faithfully. Recently we were discussing an upcoming round of small group studies (we call them equipping studies) at our church and I had some suggestions for things we could teach. He didn’t disagree with my ideas, but he was not on board with my methods. Ultimately he needed to remind me that everyone does not learn the way I learn and there are other ways for us to teach than the way that feels most comfortable to me.
I really do not like this. If we are going to teach theology, I want to sit down with Grudem and work through it systematically. Evangelism? Let’s work through Packer as we share the gospel with others. Apologetics? Well, you probably get the idea by now. I also like lectures and blackboards, but the reality is that many people learn in other ways. The world is increasingly mobile-video driven and as a result we are looking at ways to train our folks through apps and web-based modules.
The same principles that apply to our teaching must also apply to our preaching. Certainly we do not jettison preaching for an online gathering or an iPad app, but we must consider our audience when we preach. With what kind of illustration will our audience most readily connect? What are the particular applications that would be most beneficial? How might the way I dress help or hinder my communication (several years ago my wife pointed out that I was the only person in the building wearing a suit)? All of these things matter, and once we have been certain to be faithful to God’s word, the preferences of our hearers must come next, not the preferences of the preacher.
Effective communication requires more than talking. Click To TweetIt’s not easy for me to preach and teach so that my audience will hear rather than in the ways that I like best, but communication is more than talking. If we do not connect with our audience and meet them where they are, we have failed to effectively preach God’s Word.
