Task 1: Prepare the outline or manuscript that you will take to the pulpit
Essence of the task
This task consists of preparing the version of the outline or manuscript that you will take with you to the pulpit. Depending on when you will deliver the presentation and how you will deliver it, your version of the document may have some distinctive features that also require preparation.
Detailed description
As I mentioned in the introductory article, since preaching encompasses both the task of author and that of artist/interpreter, the sermon you wrote as author may still need some tweaking to make it ready for the artist’s use. This will depend a lot on how you work and what your particular preferences and skills are. But in any case, the important thing to realize is that the format of the document as it comes out of your word processor by default is not always going to be the one that will work best for you.
Whether you are working with an outline or a manuscript, you may need to make some minor modifications for pulpit use. Here are some ideas…
To Do
- Large fonts. For example, it helps a lot to print the document with a font size that can be easily seen on the pulpit. In my particular case, I usually compose the final manuscript in MS-Word with the text at 11 or 12 point. This is useful to me when writing, because it allows me to see several paragraphs of text at a time which allows me to better situate myself in the logical development of what I am writing. However, in the pulpit, reading text at 11 or 12 points is a pain and it is more difficult for me to maintain eye contact with the congregation. That is why, once the sermon is completely written, I increase the font size of the text to 16 or 17 points in order to see it better. I also usually reduce, the size of the margins by several millimeters so as not to have so many pages, once the size of the text has increased.
- Number the pages. If your word processor already numbers the pages at the bottom of each page, so much the better. If not, this is the time to do it, so that you do not find yourself in the pulpit stressing over whether each page correctly follows the previous one.
- Highlighting. I find it very helpful, both in terms of knowing what to emphasize, and in terms of locating myself more quickly in the manuscript, to highlight with a yellow highlighter (or your favorite color) certain phrases and sentences. If I happen to be doing my final revisions with the manuscript still on screen, I can also highlight directly in Word.
- Sections to sacrifice if I find myself short on time. In some churches, it is very important to stick to the time designated for the sermon. Without going into whether this is desirable or not, the point is that an audience that expects the service to end at a certain time may stop paying attention or may get a little annoyed if the preacher goes over the allotted time. It is best to end on time. For that reason, if I have the sense that my sermon may run over time, sometimes in my final reviews I mark sentences, paragraphs or whole sections that I could cut out if necessary. In fact, on many occasions, this has made me realize that those portions may not be as necessary as I thought. And that, in fact, by removing them, the sermon has even gained some vitality.
- Emphasis marks, pauses, etc. Also when I review, I often underline certain words and put exclamation marks next to others. In some cases I write myself prompts on how I think I should say something in particular: “Pause,” “Whisper,” “With intensity,” “ Number out loud,” etc. All this, so that at the actual moment of preaching, I don’t end up treating as normal a point that needs particular emphasis.
- Optional comments. In some cases an idea comes to my mind that I did not have time to include in the manuscript itself, but if there is time it could be worthwhile to include. I make a note in the margin. In other cases, I realize that there is possibly someone in the congregation that morning who has gone through something very similar to a point I will be making and, if I don’t mention that in passing, the rest of the congregation will find it strange. I note that in the margin, too.
- Additional copies. There may be good reasons to print more than one copy of your outline or manuscript. I often find myself taking extra copies for some of the following reasons:
- Backup copy, just in case. Maybe I’m skittish, but I wouldn’t want something to happen to my manuscript and not have a second copy that I could use if I needed to.
- Copy for whoever follows you with the PowerPoint. If someone is helping me by passing PowerPoint slides, I usually print out a copy of my manuscript with the precise transition points indicated on that copy so they know exactly when to change slides. It can be a major distraction for people if the preacher is saying one thing, but the text on the wall says something else.
- Copy for the deaf, perhaps. On occasion I have also brought a copy for deaf people in my church. It’s worth asking them, but if they are interested in having a copy of the outline or manuscript, it might make them feel more integrated into the congregation.
To Keep in Mind
Every preacher will have his own preferred modifications. The main thing is to know which are the ones that will help you the most and leave the necessary time on Saturday or early Sunday to make them without being rushed.
And if you are not yet in the habit of making some of these modifications to the final document, I encourage you to try some of them out. You may find that it will help you in your presentation, because it will increase your fluency and the accuracy of your expression.