A good way to get people’s attention is to show them something you’ve brought with you to the pulpit.
“This is a small replica of one of the lions that guards the entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. If you have been to China and seen these lions I’m talking about, please raise your hand. I know this is small, but here’s a big picture up on the screen,” etc…
“I had never seen one of these little games before. The idea, of course, is to swing the ball into the cup. I’m obviously no good at this, but the children in the plaza down in Oaxaca, Mexico were amazingly skilled,” etc…
“This is an ostrich egg. The reason I’m showing it to you is…”
“I purchased this piece of pottery some 30 years ago. I was in Venezuela, where I saw it in the market. I paid more for it than I probably should have. But bartering was not something I was all that skilled at doing. Anyway, I’m showing it to you because…”
Well, you get the idea. If you are having trouble figuring out how to quickly grab the attention of your congregation, consider what kind of a visual might help. And it doesn’t have to be at the start of your sermon. Just about any time you introduce a “show-and-tell” you’ll have people’s attention.
One caution—the reason for the visual needs to fit nicely into where the sermon is going. Otherwise, it’s little more than a gimmick.
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Please click here to visit David Mains’ Sermon-Coach.com website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Please click here.
