How to be a church MC
11 April 2007
- Your attitude – and approach set the tone for the meeting so make sure you aren’t flippant or silly. Running a meeting is a serious task. You should have prayed privately during the week and thought carefully about what to say.
- Speak loudly and clearly (not into a book or your chest). People at the back must be able to hear you clearly. Don’t speak to fast (easy to do if you are nervous). Get someone to help/check you are speaking at a correct volume before the meeting.
- Be prepared – If you are praying and reading the Bible make sure you have practiced it before hand. Don’t rock up and make up what to say on the spot. Arrive early and make sure you know what’s going on. Ask for any notices you need to read
- When reading the Bible - Have an idea of how the passage should be read. There are natural highs and lows in it make sure you pick them up.
- When praying – Write out what you are going to pray for, or at least have a list. This saves rambling or worse still using the same old clichés. Especially look to pray about things that might have been brought out by the passage being preached on.
- Having an angle – When introducing a meeting it’s often worth thinking of an angle or direction you want people to think. For example if the passage was about servanthood you could begin with a short blab or perhaps even a question about being a servant. You could then pray about serving… then the sermon would follow on servanthood. Note this strategy is best done in consultation with the preacher.
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tags christian, ministry tips
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Good tips, Mike.
You have so misused the dash as a punctuation marker, no more so than in that very first point. Back to the grammar books for you, Mike Jolly.
Seumas
Get each person who leads to first read some theologically accurate liturgy, even if they don't use it.
Anything you recommend or suggest?
try the Book of Common Order, that's the Pressie one. Should be able to find it online.
Even "An Australian Prayer Book" is good for your context. Its based on the theology of the 1662 Book of Common PRayer, but with modified language. The Anglican Church in Hobart will have copies lying around and that they'd give away! And as a bonus -- its MTC approved!
:)
Just read from Page 18 through to about 40 or something. Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer. Maybe Holy Communion as well. I can't remember where that is in the book. But theres an index.
Yeah, but then don't just cut and paste it into your services!!!! Think about what is said and why, then using those principles adapt that for your own culture. Or you could look up some of the structural liturgy from Martin Luther (I think it was him - Nick would know) which is more about the order of a service rather than being a script.
I don't know anything about other liturgy stuff. I just know that when I sit in anglican prayer book services at college, even if they're done thoughtfully and well I still feel totally alienated. It's like being in a drama exam without a script!
Actually, I guess that's a good point - a good MC should be able to put people at ease. I don't mean that they have to be funny, or set an 'easygoing' tone. I just mean that they should conduct them meeting in such a way that people feel welcome, like they're part of the meeting not like it's just going on around them.
I've not long ago read an interesting article by Timothy Keller called 'Reformed Worship in the Global City' (in Carson's 'Worship by the Book')
Whilst I have some pretty strong reserveratons about some of the stuff he says (particularly regarding the role of transcendency in the church meeting/service and how to achieve it), he really did get me thinking about how to lead services.
I found it particularly challenging with respect to the interaction between the leader and the congregation and the 'confessional' back and forth nature of what he claims church should be like. As someone who regularly leads contemporary church services has reminded me of the value of a reciprocal and interactive service. The article is worth a read if you can get your hands on it (though read it critically!)
Some other things that I find important:
* Be genuine.
* Smile
There's a time to mourn, sure. But most of the time, the church meeting is a celebration of our salvation. Be happy. Love the people you are speaking to.
* Know your audience
Whether or not you know the people there, you should try to gauge the atmosphere and adjust your style of presentation accordingly. Preachy mini-sermons might be inappropriate for a church that's just got back from a conference, for example.
* Know your venue
Know where you'll be facing, where you'll be standing, where the audio / video equipment is.
* Be prepared to change
Things will come up, accidents will happen. Be prepared to incorporate those into the meeting.
* Be confident (or pretend to be)
You are in control of the meeting, and you have friendly back up from the pastor and most of the congregation. Don't be afraid to defer questions or problems to the preacher.
* Question Assumptions
You should know why you are doing things. Giving a benediction at the end of the service? Why? Not giving a benediction? Why not?
* Be creative
You have to work really hard to repeat old truths in new ways. You'll have to know what you are talking about really well, and you'll have to talk with others about it. If you have a non-Christian friend, try explaining it to them and seek out their advice on how to present it -- this often really helps.
Cheers for those Jono :)
I like this post. it help me and my church members. thanks you