Preaching Without Notes

A few weeks ago, I posted about the book Preaching on Your Feet and mentioned that through reading the book I was going to change the way that I preach.

I’ve gotten a bunch of e-mails and calls from people asking how it is going, so I thought I would share some thoughts.

When I first started preaching (about 12 years ago) I would write my entire talk out. It was sometimes over 20 pages in length. While I didn’t read it, I was very attached to my notes. It was very difficult to engage with my audience and did not lend itself to spontaneous thoughts. I was always worried about losing my place and making sure I said everything that I wrote down. If it was important enough to write down, then it was important enough to say.

About 18 months ago, I read the book Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley and decided I felt comfortable enough to adopt his outline form: ME – WE – GOD – YOU – WE. This book, along with Dave Ferguson’s The Big Idea helped me to think through the lens of having one point. This was probably the biggest jump I have made in my preaching. Sometimes it makes a series longer (especially since I preach through books of the Bible) because you have to break passages down into smaller pieces.

By preaching with just one point and using this outline, I started to feel more comfortable with interaction with my audience and thinking of new things on my feet, as well as not feeling like I had to say everything I wrote down. At this point, my outlines tended to be 5 – 7 pages.

After reading through Lybrand’s book I felt like it was time to make the leap to preaching without notes. It actually has not changed the way I prepare, I think the misconception is preaching without notes means you are lazy (I think you have to prepare more to preach this way then preaching with some kind of notes). I still read just as much, I spend the same amount of time meditating on the passage and writing out ideas. I still write my outline, which I give to the guys in the booth, but don’t take up front.

When I got up to preach, the only thing I take is my Bible.

I still have one point.

This has helped me to just share from my heart what I have been soaking in for several weeks. Because we plan out about 6 months in advance what we’re preaching, I am able to spend a long time working through a passage and a book of the Bible. Right now, I’m starting to work though many of the passages we will be going through this fall. So I am able to soak in a passage for several months. It creates the idea that I have to preach because I have something to say, instead of I have to preach because it is Saturday.

Big difference.

It has also created a more fluid atmosphere where I can say things I didn’t plan on saying, as well as share things because something comes to mind because I see a person in church. It is more spontaneous. I’ve also had times where I will be reading through the passage while I am preaching and something jumps out that did not jump out in my study time. It is an immediate thing, which is great.

It is also a little nerve wracking. What if I forget stuff? What if I say something stupid? What if I had a great point written down that I don’t say? That’s the way it goes.

I pray, prepare, study up, pray some more and then throw down.