I spent both Monday and Wednesday afternoons in Ocean Grove, NJ with this group of student ministry interns.
In between their programming, counseling, and shepherding of the teenagers who are part of this Jersey Shore based camp meeting, they gave several hours of continuing education time to me, their continuing educator.
Most of the group is in preparation for parish or para-church ministry, so we devoted Monday to Scripture study and Wednesday to proclamation skills. On Monday, I guided them through The Gospel of Mark As Suspense Novel, The Real Romans Road, and The You In Ephesians 1 Is Not You.
Then on Wednesday, it was Talks & The Talking Talkers Who Give Them. Here is some of what I shared:
- You have to be interestED in Scripture to be interestING when you talk about it.
- Don’t walk people through a sermon outline; take them through a sermon journey.
- Messages begin with the concrete and move to the conceptual, not the reverse.
- Make sure you are not an “UM” Monster.
- If you desire transformation in your hearers, a one point message is the way to go.
- When you deliver a message, engage with people, not paper.