Lost After 6 Minutes

By Thom Schultz

The evidence mounts. We’re learning why so much preaching and teaching produces thin results in the lives of the recipients. It’s not due to the speaker’s lack of charisma, or failure to prepare, or theological imprecision. It’s not due to the irrelevance of the message itself. It’s as relevant as ever.

Rather, it’s due to how our brains are wired. Much of the the typical 20- to 40-minute lecture-style monologue never makes it to the brain–or the heart. So, much of the finely prepared and delivered teaching falls, quite literally, on deaf ears.

Educators have been studying this phenomenon for some time now. Some of the latest research comes from the University of Rochester. Research scientist Philip Guo recently studied the efficacy of online education, specifically the use of teaching videos.

He found that the average engagement time with any teaching video maxes out at 6 minutes, regardless of the video’s total length. And engagement times actually decrease the longer the video.

For example, students typically spend only 3 minutes on videos that are 12 minutes or longer. The research on teaching videos may also be applicable to live in-person teaching as well. British researchers recently found that the average adult attention span has dropped from 12 minutes a decade ago to just 5 minutes now. That means if a preacher or teacher speaks for 30 minutes, the audience will tune out 84 percent of the message.

Personal spoiler alert. I find this data backed up–in my own personal attention span experience. I’m afraid it’s true for me. After 5 or 6 minutes of a sermon, lecture or speech, my mind wanders. I’m thinking about other stuff. (The time is not totally wasted.

I often do some of my best thinking while someone talks into a microphone in the background.)

Everybody knows children have short attention spans. They telegraph their disconnection with the teacher. They squirm, rustle, vocalize and act up when their minds wander. Adults disconnect too. They’re simply better at concealing their mind-wandering. They may look directly at the speaker, and even nod, but after a few minutes, their minds have left the building.

They’re not being impudent or uncaring. They’re simply following their brains’ limited ability to lock on to a speaker for a length of time.

How can teachers and preachers adapt to this reality of the short attention span? Researcher Guo said, “The take-home message for instructors is that, to maximize student engagement, they should break up their lectures into small, bite-sized pieces.”

So, effective teachers and preachers will set up a thought for a few minutes, then switch to different points of attention. These may include another person–a different speaker or an interviewee. Or, perhaps a video clip, or a simple experience, or a prompted discussion or conversation. Every few minutes they change the mode, renew everyone’s attention, return to another short bit of lecture, and so on.

We see evidence that Jesus understood the limits of the human brain. Most of his recorded teachings are short, succinct–and powerful. And he even acknowledged the limited capacity of his listeners when he said, “I have many more things to say to you, but they are too much for you now.” (John 16:12

How to Preach 3 Hour Sermons

By David Murrow

It’s been said that a good sermon is like a good skirt: long enough to cover the essentials, but short enough to keep you interested. Most pastors see preaching as their primary function. You can tell by how they describe their calling. “I’m called to preach,” they say. You rarely hear a minister say, “I’m called to conduct funerals,” or “I’m called to run committee meetings,” or “I’m called to deal with cranky members.”

Since most pastors see themselves as preachers first, they naturally want to maximize their pulpit time. Indeed, sermon length is increasing worldwide. Yet there’s very little evidence to suggest that longer sermons produce more mature Christians. And long, rambling sermons are one of the main reasons men say they don’t like to go to church.

Of all the advice I dispense to ministers and teachers, none is more controversial than this: preach shorter sermons. Even a mediocre preacher can be good if he shortens and focuses his message.

I define the ideal sermon for men as:

1) approximately ten to fifteen minutes in length,

2) built around an object lesson, and

3) concluding with a clear call to action.

Needless to say, this position has not endeared me to a lot of pastors.I recently started a discussion around this issue on Facebook. My readers mostly disagreed with the idea of shorter sermons. Among their comments: Maybe the men are just not saved. If you don’t love the Word, you probably are not born of the Word. I think most men could sit and listen attentively for hours when the message resonates

Weren’t the Lincoln/Douglas debates like 6 hours long? And that was before women could vote, so the audience was men. If a pastor treats his congregations, and I think especially men, like idiots that’s the quickest way to lose them.

As David Platt would say, 15-minute sermons yield 15-minute Christians.

Likely a heart problem for men who don’t love the wordI have been with guys that can be involved for hours on sports, hunting, etc...without breaking focus. When we treat men like children and cater to shorter times with them, we, regrettably condition them to expect that is all there is.

Of all the arguments supporting long sermons, this is the one I hear the most: Men can sit through a 3-hour football game or a 3-hour epic movie without being bored – so why can’t they sit through a 3-hour sermon? Or a 1-hour sermon? Or even a 30-minute sermon? Good question.

Are men just lazy when it comes to God? Or is there something different about sport and film that allows them to focus intently for a longer period of time? I think it’s the latter. Here are four reasons it’s easier for men to focus on a lengthy game or a film than a lengthy sermon.

If you’re a pastor who wants to lengthen his sermons, consider these touch points of male engagement:

1.    Sports and movies are built upon surprises.

We go to a movie hoping to be surprised. We don’t want to know the ending. Uncertainty produces the thrill. This is why, when we talk about a movie we’ve seen, we say, “Spoiler alert!” We don’t want to ruin the fun for our friends. Once they know how a movie is going to turn out, the less likely they are to enjoy it. Same with sports. The best games are those that could go either way. But the stinker games are the blowouts – when a superior team man handles a weaker team.

Case in point: when the undefeated Denver Broncos played the winless Jacksonville Jaguars in October, the game barely attracted notice. But when the 8-1 Broncos faced the 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs November 17, the game was moved into prime time on Sunday Night’s national broadcast. My point? The Jags game was ignored because everyone knew who would win. But the Chiefs game drew huge ratings because the outcome was uncertain. Men love to be surprised.

2.    Sports and movies are built around conflict.

Think of your favorite movie. I guarantee it’s built around a conflict. There’s an injustice being done. A bad guy wreaking havoc on society. Just when everything seems bleak, a hero (or heroes) step forward to set things right. Even comedies with thin plots are built around conflict. Same with sports.

All modern sports are built around defense of a goal area (the end zone, the net, home plate, etc.) Each team is trying to conquer the other team’s goal, while defending its own goal. The only major professional sport that doesn’t follow this model is golf, a gentleman’s game that appeals more to older men. Men love conflict.

3.    Sports and movies are visually stimulating.

In the case of both sports and film, there’s a lot to see. Sports features balls and bodies flying through the air. There are uniforms, cheerleaders and crazily-dressed fans. Video screens feature instant replay and entertaining video clips.

In the case of film there are lots of objects moving through space, explosions, and attractive actors doing heroic things. The special effects revolution has only increased the visual impact of films. Men love visual stimulation.

4.    Sports and movies create audience buy-in.

My wife and I saw the space survival movie Gravity last weekend. It’s a very good movie because it draws you into the narrative and forces you to encounter the big questions men grapple with: What would I do if I were marooned in space? Would I be able to survive? Could I pilot an unfamiliar space craft and land safely on Earth? Men care most deeply about football games when one of “their teams” is playing. For example, my 10-1 Baylor Bears are taking on the University of Texas Longhorns this Saturday. I’m taking 4 hours out of my weekend to watch that game. Why? Because I graduated from Baylor. I would not invest 4 hours of my life to watch UCF vs. SMU or even Auburn vs. Missouri. Why? Because I’m not bought into those teams. I have no connection to them so their game does not interest me. Men love buy-in.

FootballFansBefore we get into specifics, let me blow up a myth: men don’t really sit through threehour football games. They end up moving around a lot. They visit the concession stand for overpriced beer and nachos. They cheer when their team does something unexpected. Or if they’re watching at home they get up and make a sandwich during halftime and TV timeouts.

Sermons are different. They don’t have a pause button. There’s no intermission or halftime. You can’t really even go to the bathroom unless it’s urgent. Men are stuck – and they know it.

What can preachers and teachers borrow from sports and movies to make their sermons more engaging to men? Here are four observations, based on my previous post:

1.    Sports and movies are built upon surprise, but sermons are utterly predictable.

If I may be brutally honest: most sermons are mind-numbingly predictable. Not in content, but in format. The pastor stands up and speaks. He reads from the Bible. Then he speaks some more. As hen concludes, he might ask us to commit our lives to God.

Then we sing. It’s more than just the sermon. I worship in churches all over the world, and most church services are utterly predictable. Nothing unexpected ever happens.

They all follow the same basic script: opening song, announcements, more singing, then a sermon, then another song or two, then an offering, then we socialize for about 3 minutes and go home.

The elements are always the same – the only thing that changes from one congregation to the next is the order in which they’re scheduled. Where’s the adventure in that?

An effective preacher or teacher works hard to surprise his audience. You can too. It’s easy. Set something on fire. Splash water on the congregation. Take questions from the audience. Too wild? OK, try this. Next Sunday, come out from behind the pulpit. If that goes well, then walk down the center aisle while you’re preaching. Whoa!  Big chance you’re taking! For God’s sake DO SOMETHING CREATIVE AND UNEXPECTED!

The one constant in the Bible is that when God shows up, people were surprised. The unexpected happened. The Bible says that the crowds were astonished at Jesus’ teaching. When is the last time you left church feeling astonished by something that happened? When were you the least bit surprised?

2.    Sports and movies are built around conflict. But our churches avoid conflict.

Have you noticed that everything is always great at church? We stand in front of the congregation and lie about our lives. How blessed we are. How perfect everything is. Yet men are drawn to a story of conflict. This is why a raw, scary testimony is one of the keys to reaching men. Why raw truth and honest confession pierces men’s defenses.

Preachers and teachers should be honest about conflict. And they should tell stories that revolve around conflict to illustrate their teaching.

3.    Sports and movies are visually stimulationg. But most sermons are visually boring.

In 90% of sermons there’s absolutely no visual content at all. Nothing. The only thing to see is the preacher. The only thing that moves is the Bible, waving in the air, its gold leaf pages shimmering like a lure in search of a trout.

Thankfully, some preachers have begun using PowerPoint slides to accompany their sermons. But unfortunately most of these are just text. Death by bullet point.

However, a few wise communicators have begun incorporating images and video into their sermons. They build their talks around a strong visual metaphor.

Are you media illiterate preacher? Fine. Simply bring an object lesson into the pulpit every week. EVERY WEEK. Relate the object to your sermon. If you do this, within three years you’ll have a church full of men.

4.    Sports and movies create audience buy-in. But sermons often create buy-out.

What do I mean? A dull preacher just gets up and gives Bible facts. But a skilled preacher or teacher tells a compelling story. He draws you into the narrative.

He skillfully uses parables and illustrations to make you forget your listening to a sermon.I’ve only scratched the surface of this important topic. If you do these things you can preach a lot longer without boring your men

David Murrow is the director of Church for Men, an organization that helps congregations reach more men and boys. In his day job, David works as a television producer and writer. He’s the author of three books. He lives in Alaska with his wife, three children, two grandchildren and a dachshund named Pepper

Three Communication Problems with Preaching Sermons That Aren’t Your Own

Yvon Prehn - yvon@effectivechurchcom.com

 

It is a constant struggle in church and ministry communications to find

the right balance between using technology to aid in ministry and

using technology to diminish ministry effectiveness. Few areas are

more close to the heart of church communication than the preparation

of the sermon and this is an area where technology can either provide

incredible help or dangers to you and your spiritual health with the abil

-

ity of pastors to preach sermons copied all or in part from the web. Let’s

look at some of the communication problems in this practice.

 

 

First a caveat and good alternative to using someone else’s sermons

From the start, a caveat: I am totally, completely, and unequivocally opposed to the practice of using sermons created by someone else and even more so, using them without crediting the source. I have taken a long time to share this because I know many people will vehemently disagree with me, but as I see the church lose more and more spiritual authority and power, not only in the world at large, but also among its own members, it’s time for self-examination. Examining the proclamation of God’s Word is a good place to start.

 

It is especially frustrating for this to be happening today when we have the extraordinary tools for

sermon study and preparation that technology provides us. From the earliest days of CCMag, (and I’ve been around for all 25 years of it) I remember the excitement of the sponsors who created Bible Study Software. Some of the companies back then are no longer with us, but others such as Logos, just keep getting better and better. Much more could be said, but this isn’t an article on how to use the web to create sermons, and one of the best on this topic is Kevin Purcell’s article:

Study, Write and Preach a Sermon from a Tablet. 

 

With all these tools available, it is possible to use technology to create sermons, but it is even easier to

simply download and use them. Please bear with me while I share some communication problems if you

download and preach without citation.

 

Problem #1: You don’t communicate your heart We all build upon another’s work, but it is very different to say, “so and so inspired me on this” and to add your own comments, than to preach the entire content of

another person’s message including his or her illustrations and to leave your audience with the impression that it was your message. Your people won’t learn anything about your walk with the Lord, your struggles, and solutions.

They might learn lots about the spiritual life of a pastor you admire, but they won’t learn much about you.

 

 

In the many years I’ve read and listened to Christian writers and preachers, over time, even without the citation, I can tell if something is from Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, or Dallas Willard; C.S. Lewis, Augustine, or Wesley. Today, we’d call it their brand—it is what sets them apart in the body of Christ as we all work to build it up. I like to think of it as each person’s part in a great conversation that we share with our world about the seeking, sacrificial, reconciling love of God. No one writer or preacher can tell the whole story. 

 

Each voice is needed. God put you with your congregation for a reason—don’t rob your people of the spiritual lessons God is teaching you. Your voice will never become part of the great story if you only preach another’s words. Because your story takes years to develop—don’t waste them telling tales not

your own. 

 

Problem #2: You communicate that it is acceptable for there to be a disconnect between your words and your life. Years ago I was a ghost-writer for a number of Christian leaders, but I quit because as I got to know some of them, I realized that sometimes my work went far beyond correcting awkward expressions grammatical mistakes.

 

For some, I was presenting to the world a completely different person in print than the one in real life. My writing, though it was intended to be helpful, created a false face that kept readers from seeing what the real leader was like and I decided not to do that anymore.

 

If you only use sermons written by someone else, you are doing the same thing to yourself and your people will never get to know you. Your personal walk, your growing life with Jesus is far more important than the polish of your sermon. If you would rather preach a professional sermon than share the messy struggles of your life, sermon creation, and your understanding of the Word, you model the idea that how we look and sound is more important than what we truly are.

 

Problem #3: You communicates spiritual laziness We are to grow in grace and self-control and every action, no matter how small, carves a path in the direction of your life. If you get in the habit of using the material someone else prayed over, struggled with, and listened to the Lord to create, you won’t learn to do those things for yourself. It is spiritually lazy and you are communicating when you preach someone else’s sermons that shortcuts to spiritual growth are acceptable.

 

There are no valid excuses for this. Because you are starting a church and have so much to do, or going

through a particularly tough time, or “really busy” in other areas of life (even good ministry areas) none of

these reasons matter. Life in ministry will never give you enough time to do all the study preparation you

would like. You have to make time for it and that time will never come easily. You may have to give up TV

or me time or a hobby. You may lose sleep. It may not be fun.

 

In addition to personal spiritual laziness, one of the saddest things I’ve seen as a consequence of this habit is for a senior pastor to use an entire series and to require associate pastors to do the same thing when they preach part of the series. If the senior pastor does not acknowledge the source of the message, the associate probably won’t either.

 

This is wrong for many reasons: it is leading another to be false and causing a brother to sin is a very serious offense; it is a lost opportunity to share spiritual skills of listening to the Lord with a young and growing preacher; it models sloth in study.

 

In conclusion it is time consuming to develop a close walk with the Lord. It is a spiritual discipline to learn to listen to His voice, but once again, the Lord called you to a particular group of people because He wanted you to be their pastor or teacher. In addition, your people may not have the same needs as the group the message was first created for, they may not be in the same place spiritually or culturally and if you don’t spend time with the Lord praying over your people and crafting your message for them you are failing as their shepherd.

 

Use technology as to aid you in your growth as a disciple and teacher for Jesus, not as a crutch to cover

spiritual laziness. For moderate amounts of ranting and raving and lots of how-tos on church communications, go to my Effective Church Communications website:

http://www.effectivechurchcom.com