Three Principles to Crafting Dynamic Sermon Introductions
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By Nichelle L. Early, Executive Editor
Crafting a great introduction to your sermon is one of the best opportunities to captivate and maintain your audience's attention. However, often times, preachers forfeit this instance by giving way to general remarks or announcements that have no relevancy to the sermon they are about to bring. Therefore, it is very imperative to create introductions that are well thought out and clearly articulated in order to lead the listener seamlessly into the message you are about to bring.
Three Principles to Crafting Dynamic Sermon Introductions
Crafting a great introduction to your sermon is one of the best opportunities to captivate and maintain your audience's attention. However, often times, preachers forfeit this instance by giving way to general remarks or announcements that have no relevancy to the sermon they are about to bring. Therefore, it is very imperative to create introductions that are well thought out and clearly articulated in order to lead the listener seamlessly into the message you are about to bring.
So for starters, what is an introduction? The introduction is the method in which a messenger uses to prepare the minds and ensure the interest of the listeners. It is a very fundamental to the accomplishment of the message, so much so, that the onus is on the messenger to gain the support of the listeners right from the very beginning.
Therefore, here are three principles to help you establish a great introduction to your message and win the support of your audience right from the start!
1.) Be sure to keep your introduction brief
As it is appropriate to give greetings and, at times, break the ice with a testimony or anecdote, none of these activities should be lengthy. Please keep in mind that the purpose of preaching is to share the Word that God has given you with the people.
Avoid any inclination to prolong the introduction, and do away with any information that is non-essential.
Get into the main part of the sermon as soon as possible as not to lose the excitement and gained interest of the people.
2.) Your introduction should be interesting
Scientifically, it has been said that the average attention span is seven minutes before making the decision to continue or discontinue interest. Therefore, the first few minutes of your message are crucial.
Avoid monotonous, inane, or irrelevant remarks, as you may lose the attention your audience may have already committed to you.
Stimulate interest by using different introductory styles, i.e.: peak curiosity by using variety, voice inflections, short testimonies, real-life situationals, breaking news stories, etc.
3.) Be certain that your introduction leads to the main idea or common theme of your message
Your introduction should point directly to the subject of what God has given you to speak to the people.
It should be made up of a series of gradual thoughts summarizing the main aim of the message.
Repetition and cumbersome expressions should be avoided.
Make certain that your introduction uncomplicated, and that it does not give the impression of pretentiousness, abruptness or hurriedness.
So, as you can see, creating dynamic introductions is not hard, but does require careful thought. As and additional point, it is sometimes better to create your introduction after the body of your sermon and conclusion are complete. This will ensure a well-rounded introduction. Therefore, keep these principles in mind the next time you have to deliver a message. Although non-exhaustive, these principles are sure to put you on the right track to crafting a dynamic introduction.
http://preachingwoman.com/Sermon-Helps?blogid=7646&url=10&view=post&articleid=41600&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
Sometimes, choosing the right sermon title can be one of the most challenging endeavors of message preparation. Balancing the need for relevancy, peaking curiosity, and provoking the appropriate response, can sometimes become muddled by the perpetual desire to arouse attention. Therefore, proper titling of sermons, or messages as some may call them, requires careful thought and effort on the behalf of the minister.
http://preachingwoman.com/Sermon-Helps?blogid=7646&url=10&view=post&articleid=41601&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
In the world of preaching there are many concepts of interpretation of scripture. To interpret means to convey the true meaning of something that is either written or spoken by restating it in different words. Language has been continuously evolving since the Bible was written over 1500 years ago. Thus, we are challenged with linguistic barriers as we attempt to interpret what the Bible is saying to us.
