6 Ways to Connect With Your Audience

on October 22nd, 2008

There are many elements of healthy communication during the weekend service. These are not exclusive, in my mind each of these weaves together to cast a compelling message. These are not about personal style, but rather tools in your toolbelt to connect the audience to the message. Here’s 6 ways to connect with your audience:

Humor
One of the universal languages of humanity is laughter. Laughter breaks down barriers and disarms people to accept truth. The highs of laughter make the serious points that much more compelling. I love listening to people who can make me laugh but cram truth down my throat at the same time. Use humor in some form every week – you don’t have to be funny to have fun.

Call to Action
A great way to connect with your audience is to call them to something much bigger than they dreamed possible. Show them what could be, take them places they didn’t know they should care about. Dare to challenge students to live a different life with a practical action step connected to the weekend.

Authenticity
Find ways to inject yourself into your talk to demonstrate the journey of following Christ. Unpack your life with your learnings, struggles and flaws. Show that you are human and not always the hero.

Object Lessons
Several of my favorite moments of the “talk” recently hasn’t been the talk at all. Illustrations or object lessons can help connect your students to a particular concept more easily. A few weeks ago we talked about the debt we owe Christ by dropping $100 in nickels on the floor - a compelling image of forgiveness of our debt through Jesus. A few weeks before that we had a little water dropper to show the world’s love, and a pitcher to show God’s overflowing love for us and a challenge to settle for nothing less. Use images like this to memorably connect.

Using Multiple Senses
Don’t let students just hear you for a half an hour - engage more than the ears. If you’re talking about an upcoming mission trip, have sample food from the country you’ll be heading to this summer. If the story is of Jesus in the desert, turn up the heat in the room. OK, don’t be lame, but think about ways to connect more than the ears to the message.

Testimony
Students will never pay better attention then when a student is speaking on stage. Just this weekend we had a super powerful testimony of an 18-year old atheist turned Christ-follower. Use a testimony to show a next step and/or the benefit of choosing the way God asks us to live – I bet it will connect.

JG


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Comments (3)

Steve at 9:39am October 23

That’s a keeper blog, Josh, thanks; I’ve saved it as a reminder. I don’t think it’s limited to youth work, either – whether it’s 4 or 6 ways!!!

@swggy

dave miers dot com » Jesus Life Culture Design #20 at 10:18pm October 24

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