Listening to the Listeners
"What does the board really think of my preaching?" Robert Olson is one pastor who decided to do more than worry about that question; he found out.
After 14 years of ministry at Memorial Park Baptist Church in Vestal, New York, Olson gave each board member a questionnaire to fill out anonymously. A list of more than 20 questions asked for feedback on such areas as sermon length, content, delivery, timeliness, impact of illustrations, biblical usage, recent themes, even humor.
"I wanted to know what they were thinking but not saying," he explains. "When the forms came in, I got more support and confirmation than I had expected. I was willing to receive constructive criticisms, but actually, there were only one or two. And they were helpful.
"As a result, I felt a greater sense of confidence in my preaching."
Olson expects to do this kind of survey about every five years, just to stay in touch with a strategic group of listeners.
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 20,628 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
