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At a pastor’s conference recently, I was assigned Orality in Preaching. What I didn’t know is that I would be following a preaching professor. Okay, he was the keynote and I led a breakout, but I still had 15 eager pastors attending my session. The interesting thing to me was that the preaching professor didn’t … Continue reading
Imagine yourself seated at a wonderful restaurant. The kind with tablecloths. Behind you is a door leading outside, but you put that out of sight while the food keeps coming and coming. It is wonderful, healthy, and just what you need! Oh, you wish others could enjoy it, too. Meanwhile, outside the door right behind … Continue reading
The email said, “Mark, we’d like you to address this topic: ‘Are We Training Our Pastors Wrong?’” Now, there’s a good way to alienate yourself from godly men you have served alongside for several decades! At least I was able to add, “Or How Can We Train Pastors More Effectively?” (The link goes to the … Continue reading
A science fiction story once described an astronaut-type volunteer who was able to step into an alternate universe. As a reminder of home, his wife at the last moment handed him their baby’s rattle. In this world, the sound it made was cute and harmless. However, when the rattle was shaken in that other world, … Continue reading
Last summer, I was invited to be the “storyteller” at an evangelistic block party in a rural Missouri town. I had four sessions. In the first one, I cut out a golden calf from gold foil wrapping paper and was good to go. Well, I asked what an idol was and explained that God didn’t like … Continue reading
Your testimony is a powerful story. But it is so often neglected. In evangelism training that I lead, I often hear well-intentioned men and women give their testimony. But if you put on what you know about orality, there are vivid clues on how to improve how a follower of Jesus communicates their personal conversion experience. We live … Continue reading
Does what you do matter to others? Are you relevant? While I was attending a Purpose Driven Church workshop in 2005, I heard Rick Warren tell attendees to place greeters at their church doors that represented the kind of person that they wanted their church to attract. If that’s 90 year-old men, then that’s okay. … Continue reading
Half of all Americans struggle with reading skills. Yet, our churches remain geared to the highest literacy levels. No wonder unchurched Americans tune out approaches from Christians! We relate information in the ways we prefer to deliver it, rather than in the ways those who need it most want to receive it. Yet there are … Continue reading
What would a map of those you’ve led to faith in Jesus look like? A believer in Texas shared this hand drawn “map” of those he had shared Christ with and who had passed it along. Those he witnessed to were in red and the second “generation” was in blue and so on. This all … Continue reading
Many church leaders wonder how they could be more effective as witnesses and in making disciples. Consider these five issues for using an oral approach to evangelism and discipleship. Reading Ability: At least 50% of the adults in the U.S. must be considered oral learners because they have no literacy or limited literacy skills. If … Continue reading
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