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Fact Checking

It seems harmless… and sometimes righteous.

That post or meme you see on your social media feed declaring some statistic or “fact” that often points blame at someone for something. They show up in my news feed daily; statistics about politicians, the environment, food, science, faith. The list goes on and on. We see it, we like what it says and we click the “like” or “share” button.

Seems fine, right? There’s just one problem. Very often it’s wrong. Completely wrong. Far too often, we see something that we want to be true and so our desire to want it to be true causes us to accept it as fact. And by sharing that information, we’ve just propagated bad information. Or as it’s more commonly known… a lie.

That becomes an ethical and credibility hazard when it’s God’s people doing the sharing.

Here’s some advice. Get into a practice of fact checking everything before you share it. There are lots of good resources out there. Google and Snopes are good places to start, but sometimes you need to go to official sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics for economic stats. But mainly, go to sources that don’t have anything to gain from placing blame on one party or another.

The important thing to consider here is that nobody wins when we spread bad information, and in an age when it’s hard to tell truth from propaganda, we of all people need to be on the side of truth.

You Are an Expert

I have news for you. You’re a media expert. Even if you don’t know the first thing about video editing or PhotoShop, you have a keen understanding and appreciation of the detailed craft of media production.

Some of you are nodding your heads right now and others are chuckling at my statement, believing nothing could be further from the truth.

But, this is how I know. I have yet to meet a person who can go to a movie or look at a magazine and not notice if the quality was terrible. Any one of you can watch a video and tell me if a professional or an amateur produced it. Sure, you may not use the same terminology of an editor, but I hear things like: “I didn’t understand what they were talking about.” Or “That story was hard to read with all that multi-colored text.”

While you may not understand why you know, or put the differences into words, the fact remains that you can tell the difference. Everyone can tell the difference.

And this is why quality matters. Far too often, we get hung up in the idea that if it’s something done by the church, it doesn’t have to be that good. While nobody is expecting a Spielberg production with a sermon video, they do expect the audio to be clear. The same goes for print materials. We’re not expecting Life Magazine photo quality, but printing something that’s blurry and has a big watermark X over the top of it, probably isn’t your best attempt.

Let’s be honest, the quality of the messages we put out make a difference in the way people see us. From sermon structure to pixels, people know the difference between good quality and bad. We’re telling the greatest story ever told, so let’s do a good job.

Be a Better Speaker: Hand Gestures

Take a moment and think about your favorite speakers -- whether they are a preacher or a comedian or have some other role. Outside of content, ask yourself why you like them. If you have access to the web, look up some videos of them and turn the sound down. Watch what they do with their bodies. Our ability to communicate goes way beyond the words we choose. Research has shown that up to 70% percent of what we communicate is actually through tone of voice and body language. There are many aspects of nonverbal communication which go into a presentation. Great speakers know how to use non-verbal communication to their advantage. Today we look at one part of non-verbal communication: the hand gesture. We'll look at when to use it and when you shouldn't.

Don't look at me... I'm nervous.

Many people are nervous about speaking. Perhaps you are. When people get nervous, they have habits they resort to. For some, there is wringing their hands, others it may be popping their knuckles, even pacing erratically; there are many forms it may take. It’s key to realize these are distractions for the audience. There are ways to reduce these though. While keeping your hands at your side are advised, if need be, place them on a podium or clasp them behind your back. These are conscious efforts one can make to reduce the nervous gestures.

Watch my hands...I want you to understand.

The only time when hand gestures are important is during explanations. Make sure these gestures are planned and well rehearsed to help enhance the story. When using gestures to explain a story, make sure they are almost overexaggerated so that people will understand them. However, they should not be exaggerated so much as to be silly.

Gestures can work to your advantage. The key is to make sure they are used to create a memorable experience for the audience and not a distraction. The good news is once you get it down, your non-verbals become effortless and just a part of your speaking style. Think about your favorite speakers. How do they use their hands?

Be a Better Speaker: Vocally

Let's finish up our series on speaking tips with one that should be the closest to all of us. The voice. We don't speak by magic. The voice is controlled by all sorts of bits and pieces from our vocal cords, our sinus cavity, our lungs and obviously our mouths. To be a good speaker, we need to have a total control over all of these parts. And, we need to learn how to take care of them.

Warm-up

Our voices are ultimately controlled by muscle movement, and muscles need to be warmed up. Projecting your voice out over a large room requires more air and force than quietly chatting with the person next to you. In order to keep from blowing your vocal cords, you have to warm up. Musicians do it all the time. There are several different ways a speaker can do this. Repeating vowels can help. Speaking while stretching provides both vocal and physical warm up. Also saying tongue twisters such as “Sandy Sells Sea Shells by the Sea Shore” is great ways to get prepared.

These will help reduce nervousness and vocal habits such as stuttering and tongue-ties. It will also place the speaker's voice in its peak performance mode before speech even begins.

Speak Clearly and Audibly

The warm-up will help reduce most of the problems associated with speaker nervousness; however, it is suggested a speaker focus on these vocal aspects also. Nervous speakers have a tendency to not project loud enough for the audience to hear, or they begin to mumble to the point that the audience can't understand what is being said. Aside from warming up, we have a few other tips to decrease anxiety and allow for your best speaking performance. Speak how you are most comfortable. Don't focus on what makes you nervous, focus on what calms you. If it’s someone in the room who comforts you, then focus on them. Act as if you are speaking only to them in a conversational way. Make sure you are speaking from your diaphragm. Though this may take more practice speaking from the “bottom of your stomach,” it will allow a deeper projection so more people can hear. Remember to always act like you are speaking to the person on the back row (without shouting at them).

If we're going to speak, we want to be heard. And if we want to be heard, then we need to do what it takes to keep our voices in top condition so that we're not hoarse 10 minutes into a sermon. So take a little time. Practice, warm up, and then go be awesome.

Do you have some speaking tips? We'd love to hear them!

Love

1^st Corinthians 13:4-7

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the famous love chapter during weddings and the probability is high that you’ll see it quoted at some point on someone’s Facebook or Twitter today. But, I find the fact that Valentine’s Day is the day after Ash Wednesday a little too tempting to resist. While today will be flooded with roses, chocolate and Valentines, Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of a somber and introspective time in the Church. And while both may seem completely different, at the heart of each finds their basis in love.

While Valentine’s Day is all about romance, the 40 days of Lent are a period of time that we reflect on the love of Jesus and prepare for the greatest day of love, Easter. So today, I offer no tech tip. No communication strategy, just a reflection on the love God has for us. The Bible tells us that God is love and regardless of the day, this should make our hearts shout with joy.

My prayer is that you reflect on the attributes of love and see the places they still have room to grow within you. Have faith and spread love today. Give people hope. Find joy in everything you do and learn to see God in everyone. Because it is faith, hope and love that remain, but the greatest will always be love.

Speaking Tips for Ministries: Attire

Today many people don't give a second thought to what they are wearing. They simply put on clothing they like and go about their day. However, when speaking in many capacities, we must step back and consider two main things: how comfortable will I as the speaker be and how comfortable will those listening be? The comfort level of both of these groups will greatly affect how the message is portrayed and received.

Speaker Comfort Level

As the speaker your comfort level is key. If you are uncomfortable, the audience will be nervous as well. Ensuring that the proper attire is worn will help reduce speaker nervousness thus bringing the speaker’s comfort level to the maximum potential as far as dress goes. The first thing to consider is general tightness or looseness of clothing. Clothing which is too tight fitting (though for some may be considered fashionable) could hinder how comfortable the speaker feels not only physically but emotionally also. Loose fitting clothing can be cumbersome and a tripping hazard. The next thing to consider after an overall comfort level is emotionally what will make you as the speaker most comfortable speaking. Generally this is considered to be one tier above what the audience is wearing. Example: If the audience is wearing business casual (slacks and polos etc.), then the speaker wears business formal. This way the speaker isn’t particularly over dressed but commands authority in the room as someone who is dressed above the majority of listeners. These are some general tips the speaker can consider from their standpoint before taking the audience into consideration.

Audience Comfort Level

If the audience is uncomfortable, speaker will end up uncomfortable also. This is why audience comfort level should be considered when dressing for a speaking engagement. If one is grossly underdressed or greatly overdressed, it will be hard for them as the speaker to engage the audience. Once again tightly fitting or loose fitting clothes can be a distraction to the audience, focusing rather on what the speaker is wearing than what he/she is saying. The same goes for overly flashy clothing. This can also be the case, as mentioned before, if a person is off the guide of dressing one notch above the audience. If a person in formal wear is speaking to an audience of casual dressed people, the audience will be left wondering why they are not dressed nicely and vice versa should the speaker be underdressed. These are a few things to consider from the audience stand-point of dress when speaking.

In conclusion the best thing to do as a speaker is to make sure and dress one step ahead of the audience. If the audience is dressed casual, then the speaker should be business casual, if business casual then business professional, if business professional then formal. Below we will provide some verbal definitions to each of these as a guide. We hope these articles will assist you in your speaking endeavors as communications directors. If you have any comments or suggestions, we would love to hear them in the comments!

Casual Wear: This includes jeans, t-shirts, hoodies, etc.

Business Casual: khakis, dress skirts, blouses, patterned button-up shirts or polos

Business Professional: dress shirt, tie, slacks, dresses, and professional suits for women.

Formal: suit, formal dresses

Speaking Tips for Ministries: Presentations

Most of the time when we think of speeches, we think of the presentation. Whether it’s how effective the message is communicated or the manner in which it is conveyed, we look to the presentation to determine the quality of the speech. Over the next few weeks we will look at different aspects of presentation including: gestures, dress, and vocal qualities. This week we will look at what people refer to as presentations. This is typically a speech with accompanying visual aids. We will cover the dos and don’ts and hopefully prepare you as the reader for a more effective presentation.

Keep Speech and Presentation Separate

The largest mistake a person can make is to assume they can simply read from their presentation or remember the information they need to convey from the presentation. Speech preparation and presentation mechanics should be two separate organisms. The two should complement each other but not look exactly the same. This will keep the audience engaged and allow the presentation to fulfill its purpose aside from the speech.

Visual Aids

A presentation is such because it has visual aids. The purpose of the visual aid is to assist the audience in understanding what is being presented. Many times people simply place the speech word for word in the presentation. This honestly does nothing for the presentation. If anything, it encourages the audience not to listen to the speech because they can read everything on the screen. Visual aids should be eye-catching and relevant. They should encourage and lead the audience to listen intently to the speech being made. Effective visual aids will need few words and can be presented more through photos, diagrams, and bullet points.

Technology

We have moved beyond the era of the felt board, for the most part. Presentations today typically take place through PowerPoint or another visual presentation tool on a computer. When presenting, be prepared for the reality that technology does not always work correctly. As stated before, the speech should be able to stand on its own. This is just in case the presentation does not come together as planned. Allow time before the presentation to get set up and even run through part of it to be comfortable with the presentation area. These things are keys for a smooth-flowing presentation.

These points are stepping stones for effective presentations. Presentations happen many times for ministries. Understanding and putting these tips into practice will help a presentation be more polished and professional. Do you have any presentation tips or stories? We would love to hear them in the comments below!

Staying Relevant in a Tech World without Going Crazy

Right now you can get an app for your phone that can do just about anything. New gadgets seem to come out daily that seem like the answer to our technological prayers. But after a couple decades of dealing with the tech world, I’ve come to realize that it’s pretty easy to overload if you’re not careful. For example, friends sent me links to two separate resources.

Resource A – A sweet little lavaliere microphone that plugs into your iPhone and comes with an app that allows you to get professional audio recordings. All for around 60 bucks.

Resource B – A fantastic stock footage website that allows for unlimited downloads of royalty-free, stock video for a monthly fee. Though the roughly 80 bucks a month seems high, you get an option for a seven-day free trial period, and on closer inspection you can get six months of unlimited downloads for a one-time fee that’s just a few more dollars.

So just in one day it would have been easy for me to spend some fairly substantial money on these two resources. Since I’m doing a lot of video production right now, I opted in the stock footage site for the six-month period, and I passed on the microphone.

The key to remember is what your overall communication vision is and whether or not this new piece of technology is going to help you achieve it or is it just something shiny and new that really doesn’t move the plan forward. If you keep your purchases in check with your vision, you’ll build a useful toolbox full of resources. If you’re trigger happy with impulse buys, you’re going to end up with a drawer full of junk you never use.

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