Word vs Text vs Visual

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Jobam

Well-Known Member
Last Sunday it was mentioned how important the "word" and "the text" are.

Does your church/ministry style discriminate against those who do not learn audibility? What I mean is, those who don't completely rely on listening and speaking as their main way of learning. For example, I am a good listener. I play by ear so I am very aware of sound - music. What I have found over the years is that I learn/absorb more by visual text and/or video than by speaking. 15 mins of a sermon can be torture. Prayers etc that go on and on . . . For those churches that incorporate their services on tv's/projection screens, it helps to see the words for everything. We print out our sermons for those who can not hear and I find that even a quick glance at the sermon helps my old brain to absorb what is being said. We now incorporate many different elements into services, from videos, pictures, and songs (not necessarily hymns) to other ways to communicate God's word.

Speaking as someone who works with kids - keeping youth's attention span can be challenging. What is the norm for you?

Google Bard states this better than I.

  • Visual Aids: As you mentioned, using videos, pictures, and text on screens during sermons is a fantastic approach. It provides a visual anchor for the spoken word and caters to learners like yourself.
  • Printed Materials: Offering printed sermons is a thoughtful service for those who are hard of hearing and visual learners alike.
  • Interactive Elements: While long prayers can be challenging, some churches incorporate moments of reflection or guided meditation. This allows for personal connection with the message.
  • Variety in Delivery: Perhaps explore incorporating testimonies, short skits, or even discussions to break up the traditional sermon format. This can make the service more engaging for diverse learners.
 
There is an old declaration that communication, or the word is God ... but that this statement cannot be expanded so that individuals might get the image (picture) of what power does ... to a national arrangement!

Thus the command: "don't say it!" As con sequence powers declare ordinary people should observe silence in the halls ... so the halls of justice will not be distraught? Therein a stretch of virtue and gospel presentations ... that's daht Ruth ... we are blinded by authoritarian advantage ...

Yet people will believe anything they can ...
 
I like the idea of visual anchors during the sermon, which, generally, makes me drift off a bit. Not that the Rev is a terrible preacher, but she's generally lectionary based, I generally attend a Wednesday Bible Study which is lectionary based, so sometimes, the conclusions sound like the text, my own voice, plus Walter Brueggeman.
 
I like the idea of visual anchors during the sermon, which, generally, makes me drift off a bit. Not that the Rev is a terrible preacher, but she's generally lectionary based, I generally attend a Wednesday Bible Study which is lectionary based, so sometimes, the conclusions sound like the text, my own voice, plus Walter Brueggeman.

Such are images formed .. where else, in psyche? Said to be untouchable ... out there eh!
 
  • Visual Aids: As you mentioned, using videos, pictures, and text on screens during sermons is a fantastic approach. It provides a visual anchor for the spoken word and caters to learners like yourself.
  • Printed Materials: Offering printed sermons is a thoughtful service for those who are hard of hearing and visual learners alike.
  • Interactive Elements: While long prayers can be challenging, some churches incorporate moments of reflection or guided meditation. This allows for personal connection with the message.
  • Variety in Delivery: Perhaps explore incorporating testimonies, short skits, or even discussions to break up the traditional sermon format. This can make the service more engaging for diverse learners.
Visual aids: I left the UU fellowship just as they were getting heavily into using their projector and screen in services. Did use them in the last service I did, though. It would make for more work, I think, but adds a dimension and if I ever get back to leading worship, my sermons will likely be accompanied by a slide deck.

Printed Materials: I don't write out my sermons in full, just talking points to keep me on track, but that could easily be done in a nice, readable outline format

Interactive: UU's are generally good at this, with our history of discussion periods after the sermons, sharing joys and concerns, and doing guided meditations and similar rather than just "prayers"

Variety: This was something I was working on during my time leading worship. Yes, I did sermons. But I also had services that were poetry readings by members with them adding their reflections on the poems, participatory services (our summer "Evensong" services were quite participatory) of various sorts where I just set the ball rolling, and that sort of thing.
 
Works well for technical presentations also ... as those that are not well versed n the topic soon drop off ... present them with a story or mystery abut what they don't know for AH WOKE in experience!

How many get it is questionable ... OHL ord they don't know ...
 
Last Sunday it was mentioned how important the "word" and "the text" are.

Does your church/ministry style discriminate against those who do not learn audibility? What I mean is, those who don't completely rely on listening and speaking as their main way of learning. For example, I am a good listener. I play by ear so I am very aware of sound - music. What I have found over the years is that I learn/absorb more by visual text and/or video than by speaking. 15 mins of a sermon can be torture. Prayers etc that go on and on . . . For those churches that incorporate their services on tv's/projection screens, it helps to see the words for everything. We print out our sermons for those who can not hear and I find that even a quick glance at the sermon helps my old brain to absorb what is being said. We now incorporate many different elements into services, from videos, pictures, and songs (not necessarily hymns) to other ways to communicate God's word.

Speaking as someone who works with kids - keeping youth's attention span can be challenging. What is the norm for you?

Google Bard states this better than I.

  • Visual Aids: As you mentioned, using videos, pictures, and text on screens during sermons is a fantastic approach. It provides a visual anchor for the spoken word and caters to learners like yourself.
  • Printed Materials: Offering printed sermons is a thoughtful service for those who are hard of hearing and visual learners alike.
  • Interactive Elements: While long prayers can be challenging, some churches incorporate moments of reflection or guided meditation. This allows for personal connection with the message.
  • Variety in Delivery: Perhaps explore incorporating testimonies, short skits, or even discussions to break up the traditional sermon format. This can make the service more engaging for diverse learners.
A screen with relevant picture and words CAN be helpful. For those who are vision impaired though the letters need to be huge, in an easy to read font, and with lots of contrast. Same for printed handouts. More useful for some would be access on phones/tablets etc.
 
I attended a church that took lyrics on a big screen to the next level..
For example, when the hymn lyrics praised God for the beauty of creation, the background was a movie of a spectacular waterfall in the forest, complete with birdsongs chirping in the the background. It was wonderful.
 
I attended a church that took lyrics on a big screen to the next level..
For example, when the hymn lyrics praised God for the beauty of creation, the background was a movie of a spectacular waterfall in the forest, complete with birdsongs chirping in the the background. It was wonderful.
As long as you have someone who is good at that stuff, it can be great. Poorly done, though, it can also be kind of ugly and distracting.
 
Pastors with such skilled media diirectors often incorporate dramatic scenes from great Hollywood movies for a more powerful illlustration of a sermon poiknt.
 
I attended a church that took lyrics on a big screen to the next level..
For example, when the hymn lyrics praised God for the beauty of creation, the background was a movie of a spectacular waterfall in the forest, complete with birdsongs chirping in the the background. It was wonderful.
I have seen that done too. It really involved the senses. It takes a lot of skill to post the actual lyrics with adequate contrast for those with poor vision. The font also needs to be very plain to make it simple to read.
 
I have seen that done too. It really involved the senses. It takes a lot of skill to post the actual lyrics with adequate contrast for those with poor vision. The font also needs to be very plain to make it simple to read.
Which is where the real fun comes in. Anyone can put pretty pictures behind the words but doing it in a way that ALL people can then read the words is what takes real skill.
 
To flourish, the UCCan denomination should pay for the creation of video collections that key their themes to the humnal.
and should provide collections of dramatic movie clips thematically keyed to the lectionary texts.
 
Our church is pretty traditional. We don’t use screens and we still hand out paper bulletins (my job to create but the printer is my enemy). I’m sure we aren’t meeting every learning style but somehow it works for most. Our minister is beloved so people want to listen to her.
 
Imagine the copy written stuff that finds a new way to be marketed ... and the restrictions of folks expressing things differently ... as the eternal exposes itself ... all controlled by an elite group? What a temptation ... thus much is declared incognito ... virtue unknown?

We've gotten so enraptured with avarice we cannot see our way through it ... it becomes a spectacular while the celibate is buried and hidden in thy 's crypt!

Cloe's tous des crypt ... gone ... spoke and went with the vast spin ... dark wheel? Ares and difficult grasp except in mine ... R.I.P. Eire ... quick on the bounce ...
 
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