Communicating Well During Advent
Next level communicators utilize checklists to get the most out of their speaking, and this is especially true during seasons like Advent.
Award winning author, Atul Gawande, argues in his book, The Checklist Manifesto, the more complex something becomes, the more it needs to be simplified, and the way to do this is through checklists. Industries like aviation and the medical profession (to name a few) have utilized checklists, saving countless lives and hundreds of millions of dollars annually. As communicators we are well aware of the complexities involved in our field. Likewise, to be effective we need to have a checklist we employ in preparing our talks which will set us up for success. Nowhere is this more true than this time of year when many communicators will speak at religious services, around the theme of Advent.
Now I more than understand not all of you who subscribe to this weekly newsletter are pastors or will be asked to speak at a religious service; but I do want to take a few moments to address those of us who will, and offer a nine point checklist that will help to set the stage for a meaningful holiday presentation:
Speak like I believe it. One of the challenges with seasonal messages like the Christmas story, is we communicators have heard and given it so many times it can feel stale. Unless we fight this sense of redundancy, our presentation will come off the exact way we feel it- old hat. So speak like you really believe what you are saying is true and fresh.
Have I been creative, not innovative. I’m all for coming up with fresh ways to tell the old familiar story. Having the right prop, or finding the perfect illustration to accent the timeless principle is something we should all be on the lookout for. But…if in your quest for newness, you actually tell something about the story that no one has heard before, there’s a strong likelihood you are wrong.
Don’t be shy. Many churches are so uber aware of unchurched people attending, they overcompensate by attempting to do all they can so it doesn’t feel like church. I’ve got a newsflash for you: When an unchurched person comes to, well, church, they expect it to feel like, well, church. So don’t be shy about who you are and what you believe.
Be mindful. One of the things I always appreciate when I walk into a retail store is when the sales associate who welcomes me, asks if they can help (To which I almost always say no.) and then stays out of the way giving me space to sort through things. This is what I mean by mindful communication during high guest seasons like Advent. When you say things during your talk like, “Many of you are here today for the first time, or the first time in a long time, and I want you to know how happy we are you’re here. At the end of our service some of our leaders will be down front to talk or pray with you,” this is mindful communication that acknowledges the presence of the guest, and gives them space to process.
Remember the hurting. Christmas time can be tough, as this festive season is a reminder of loved one’s who have died, or people walking the road of divorce and having to sort through the family complexities which comes with that, along with a host of other reasons. People will inevitably be in the audience who are grieving. It’s always good to point this out in your talk, and to thank them for simply summoning up the courage to come to church.
Does the feel of my message reflect the feel of this season? Christmas time is not Good Friday. If you are speaking at a Good Friday service where the focus is on the death of Christ, you should be somber and reflective. Good Friday feels like a funeral, and that’s more than appropriate. Christmas is not that. It’s a time of joy, and hope and your message must strike these chords. Give people hope, because that’s what Advent is all about.
Befriend Clarity. When you stand to speak, chances are there will be plenty of people who did not grow up in church, along with others who haven’t been to church in forever. And mixed in among them may be plenty of kids. What this means is you will need to work especially hard to be clear with your language, getting rid of insider language (“you know the story”) and “Christianese.” Keep your communication as simple as possible.
Watch your time. Remember there will be a substantial amount of people in the audience who aren’t used to listening to a weekly sermon, so their listening threshold doesn’t match what regular attendees of your church have developed over time. Add to this some extra programming elements like extended music, and maybe even some dramatic pieces, means you will need to aim for a lesser amount of time than normal when you speak.
Be intentional with what you wear. I don’t know what it is, but in the various churches I have led over the years, long time attenders, along with most first time guests dressed up for our Advent services, and not once did we say to do so. While not a hard and fast rule, there’s wisdom in at least matching what the audience will wear, without overdoing things. I more than understand there are plenty of communities and churches where this is not the case, but the larger point is to be intentional and careful about what you wear.
What I’m reading:
The Challenge of Acts, by NT Wright
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