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HOME » FOR TEACHERS AND YOUTH WORKERS » HOW TO USE YOUR SPEAKER Working as a Youth Director, Youth Pastor and Christian Education Director for over thirty five years, I have used my share of speakers and platform personalities. On the other side of the coin, I have spent almost as many years as a communicator here and abroad. In these years, I have used and sometimes abused speakers, and as a speaker, I have been used and on occasion been abused myself. In most cases, "abuse" simply develops from ignorance or thoughtlessness. Thinking the whole thing over this far down the line gives me a realistic perspective. May I share some tips on how to better use your speaker and speaking experience. Carefully look these tips over. Your next speaker will be glad you did. YOUR SPEAKER In this day and age when we are more apt to be impressed with the vessel than its contents, it might be good to discuss who and what a speaker is. A speaker, like anyone else in the Body of Christ, is normal person, a common person and a gifted person. We are all gifted (I Cor. 12:4 & 7) and to employ our gifts for the common good of the Body. A speaker is gifted in the area of communication. Like all of us, he or she has strengths and weaknesses. There are speakers that are competent, learned, humorous and dynamic. There are those who are anointed of God, and there are those who are not. Some are humble and some proud ... Some expensive and others "inexpensive." To some, speaking is a responsible ministry, to some it is a profession, and to others it is simply a "gig." It is up to you to carefully select your "man." Too often we select a speaker rather carelessly, much as we do a devotional... A short spiritual tag on our program. A brief endorsement by God. A theme ... a thought ... a different face. A short brief punch and we are off! The results are predictably shallow with little or no lasting impact. Most of us fit Jesus into a convenient slot when we consider the spiritual "message." We give Him a theme, tell Him our needs. Call a speaker, tell him what to say ... and hope for the best! So it has been and so it will ever be! In choosing a speaker, you must (1) Know your group; (2) Know your needs as a group; (3) Know your speaker ... and (4) Know your speaker's strength. l. KNOW YOUR GROUP: It is hard to take a spiritual direction without first knowing your group ... your people. Their interests, weaknesses, maturity and response to spiritual emphases in the past and the present commitment level. To know where you are going, you must know who you have and where you are. You must know your people as a group. 2. KNOW YOUR NEEDS: First,, what does your group need, and second, what individual needs do you have within your group? There are many areas to consider. Evangelism, discipleship, practical application of the Word, commitment, etc. Sometimes it is difficult to place a priority. As a leader, it is a necessity to take an objective look at your group in order to make a sound decision as to what your people really need. Never share with your speaker a "list" of your group's total needs and expect him to deliver a 20-minute message covering all of your needs. 3. KNOW YOUR SPEAKER: We get speakers for a variety of reasons and from a variety of places. Some drive in, some fly in. Each one is called to do the job of communicating. Often as not, we don't really know the speaker. We have "heard" he is good ... or "the kids like him" ... He is funny. He did a good job at a retreat or conference we had, etc ... None of these tell you who the speaker is, what his strengths are ... or what his weaknesses are. Speakers are "gifted " specialists in the area of communication. This is what a good speaker is. He is a specialist! Find his specialty and check his speaking history. This will help you know what you're getting. Some speakers, it seems, can communicate on any subject to any group level ... with apparent success. Other speakers are more limited, preferring a certain maturity level and/or a subject with which they feel comfortable. It pays to know your speaker and what he can do. 4. KNOW YOUR SPEAKER'S "STRENGTH": Most speakers have a special area in which they excel. They feel comfortable with certain subjects, or have a certain quality or work well with a certain maturity level. Your speaker will have his preferences. Choose him on that basis. That way you will get the best he has. He will be working within his gift or strength. Don't simply call a speaker and tell him what you want to hear. Very few speakers appreciate this kind of approach. If you don't know a speaker ... be sure your recommendations come from a reliable source, Preferably a source that knows your group and who the communicator is ... and has heard the speaker in question. A hasty call, an invitation and a mismatch will set you back ... as well as handicap the next speaker you invite. KNOW YOUR SPEAKER! USING YOUR SPEAKER Hopefully a speaker comes to contribute a substantial part to your meeting, retreat, camp or whatever. Most speakers want and expect to be "used." Speakers can be overused and underused ... flying in to speak once every evening for four days. That's underuse! Other speakers are asked to speak three or four times a day, plus enter or direct the sports program and coordinate the skit program each day! That's overuse! Having your speaker drive over 150 miles to speak 20 minutes ... that's just plain ridiculous! Each speaker has a different pace and personality. When you make up your schedule, take your speaker into consideration. Back-to-back speaking is difficult. Meetings late at night, followed by early morning speaking responsibility, is difficult. A speaker needs to be free as possible from any handicaps. CONFERENCES: Often experienced speakers are wary of speaking invitations extended by Missionary or Denominational Conferences. We go with our fingers crossed. Most of these conferences are planned and organized by novices. Inexperienced people. Well meaning committees learning the ropes, gaining experience. If the conference doesn't click, the speaker takes his share of the blame and pressure. One problem? Every year there are new people running the show. Different people. New committees trying untried ideas. The people that ran the conference last year learned a lot. (so did the speaker!) Learned the hard way. Now we have a new conference, with new people who have to learn the same lessons the hard way. The speaker is stuck in the middle somewhere. That's why the crossed fingers. This phenomenon might explain why so many conferences are less than successful and so many speakers are frustrated! Happily, there is a solution! Go after quality committee people with a good track record. Compile your knowledge and experience. It adds up to success. Use your people with past experience to guide and oversee the planning and administrating of the new conference. You will be glad you did ... and so will your speaker! TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR SPEAKER: Carefully, prayerfully choose your man and let him minister in his strength. Plan ahead. Get him committed early. Communicate with him and seek his imput before you make up your schedule. If he is local or nearby, be sure you send him a simple, clear map. If he is flying in ... let him know what he will find as to weather. What kind of clothing to match your weather and culture. (Sunday morning worship/suit?) Inform your speaker! He needs to know certain things. Who he is to speak to. What he is to speak about ... direction. and about how long (The actual time he speaks, after introduction.) he has to speak! Be sure to reconfirm your date with your speaker. This should not be the speakers initiative. On occasion plans are changed. BE SURE TO LET YOUR SPEAKER KNOW. It's embarrassing and costly for the speaker to show up as a canceled event. How would your speaker know of a change or cancellation unless he was contacted? Before he speaks, have him settled, rested, fed ... and if possible, let him have at least 30 minutes alone before going on. In camps, retreats, speaking in the pulpit, etc ... give your speaker a quiet room, a room alone so he can concentrate on what he is called to do ... COMMUNICATE! (Putting him in a house with fighting teenagers, lulled to sleep with a heavy rock beat, taking his turn in line to get to the one bathroom in the house, or sleeping him in one of the bunk beds with Junior on top of him, while the baby twins cry themselves to sleep in the next room, is not going to get you the best from your bleary-eyed speaker!) GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SPEAKER! Often the difference between your speaker doing an excellent job, an adequate job or a poor job are the unseen handicaps under which he is working. HONORARIUM: How much do you pay your speaker? Speaking and traveling may seem exciting and exotic. It isn't! It gets old fast! It is WORK and creates a special type of fatigue. It is only right that a person called to speak gets his expenses paid and some honorarium (monetary gift). "How much" varies. It depends on the person, times he speaks, area in which he speaks, etc. Best way to find the "going" honorarium is to ask around. Check with large churches in the area and/or para-church organizations that bring in and use speakers. Check with the man himself. He will let you know what the "going" honorarium is. It's nice to give him a check when he leaves. Many men depend on this as part of their income. THE GLAMOUR MYTH Some see speaking as a "jet set" adventure ... wined, dined, entertained ... the speaker is seen as living an exotic lifestyle. Chances are that your speaker is not a national or international celebrity but, rather, a common person who is a little tired of the road. Living out of a suitcase, in and out of homes, motels and hotels isn't all it's cracked up to be. Spending hours in cars, airplanes, air terminals and hotel lobbies is more a tiresome monotony than exciting! Packing and unpacking, looking for a place to launder dirty clothes, trying to find the meal you missed, constantly looking for new places and at new faces. All these add up to a different type of tired. Chances are your speaker is living on a shoestring, traveling on a very limited budget ... called to speak in a small budget program ... experiencing a rather "Spartan" lifestyle. One thing for sure. Glamour it's not!! YOUR SPEAKER AS YOUR GUEST The part of hosting, the ministry of hospitality, have almost vanished in our fast paced culture ... Yet with a little love and common sense, you can make a real difference in your speaker's ministry. When you call your man to come and speak to you ... remember he becomes your guest for the night, day, weekend or week. This would fall into the "hospitality" department. Along this line, here are some things to consider as you become "host" to your speaker, especially if he is a first-timer with you. 1. HE IS MOVING FROM HIS WORLD INTO YOURS. You're used to it ... he isn't! This means a new environment with new faces and new names ... New priorities and a new schedule. For him everything is different and new. Take that into consideration. 2. HE IS FACING A LOT OF CHANGES. The "host" makes relatively few changes. It is your guest who has to "fit in." Help him adapt to change. It may not look to you like much of an adjustment, but to him it might be a different story. 3. YOUR GUEST IS THERE AT YOUR INVITATION. He had to arrange or rearrange his schedule to be with you. True, he is getting paid, but hospitality is still in order. 4. YOU, AS HOST, HAVE THE INITIATIVE. The guest (in our culture) takes no initiative. He is at the "mercy" of his host. If the host is not sensitive or thoughtful, your speaker is under a real handicap. Your guest isn't in the position of reminding his host that it's getting late, or he needs the bathroom, or he is getting hungry ... He has to sweat it out! In all probability your speaker has had to learn patience, flexibility, and the ability to "second guess" his host. 5. YOUR GUEST IS NO DOUBT ACCUSTOMED TO TRAVEL and change ... but every situation is different. Don't add to his handicap! He is the one adjusting. 6. SOME THINGS TO LET YOUR GUEST KNOW Discuss these points. 7. His time schedule. Speaking time, eating time, rest time, etc. Clothing! Cold or hot weather? Conservative group? (Washing clothing?) His local transportation arrangements. Housing arrangements. Motel/hotel (prepaid?). Home and location. Room alone/quiet. Family and pets. (Nice doggie or killer?). Breakfast time/meals? Bathroom. How many using it? When? Security ... keys, etc. Home peculiarities. People, pets, equipment ... whatever. If the shower handle says "hot" but means "cold" or the key only works in the lock a certain way, etc. Poor guy needs to know all the different things that are common knowledge in your world. Key person and telephone number he can call for help or information. Travel/transportation. To and from location. Air ticket reconfirmation. Who, when, where? Map? Speaking responsibilities ... Where, when, how long, who? Also any changes that he may not be aware of. Any speaker needs to know the following: The occasion. The general subject or direction. The date. The time I'm to be there. The length of time I'm to speak. The makeup (maturity) of my audience. If I'm driving to the destination: I'll need directions. Make a clear, simple map (not verbal directions). And send it in advance. What kind of clothing will be needed for your weather and your culture? If your speaker is spending overnight, please arrange for a quiet, warm room. A room alone. A room where he can study and pray and relax. Working as a Youth Director, Youth Pastor and Christian Education Director for over thirty five years, I have used my share of speakers and platform personalities. On the other side of the coin, I have spent almost as many years as a communicator here and abroad. In these years, I have used and sometimes abused speakers, and as a speaker, I have been used and on occasion been abused myself. In most cases, "abuse" simply develops from ignorance or thoughtlessness. Thinking the whole thing over this far down the line gives me a realistic perspective. May I share some tips on how to better use your speaker and speaking experience. Carefully look these tips over. Your next speaker will be glad you did. CONDITIONS THAT HANDICAP YOUR SPEAKER When you have spent considerable time and expense to bring your speaker, it seems foolish to allow conditions that will handicap the message or compete for it. So often this is the case, simply because we aren't aware of those things which can compete with the message and/or frustrate the speaker. Here are some common conditions which work against good communication. HANDICAP 1: A TIRED, FATIGUED COMMUNICATOR: A tired communicator is a poor communicator. Jet lag, poor sleeping conditions, overeating, a heavy program. Many things can make a man tired. Endeavor to keep your man fresh, alert and rested. HANDICAP 2: A TIRED, FATIGUED AUDIENCE: An audience that is tired is a real disappointment. No matter how gifted the communicator and how dynamic the message, if the audience is tired, it's a wasted hour. Here are some things that make an audience tired: Common sense! Sitting too long. Too many meetings. (Most retreats I've been to have been over-programmed). Speaking session too late at night. (9pm or later) An after-lunch speaking slot. The worst hours for communicating are after lunch until about 3 pm. Don't plan sessions then. Traveling several hours by bus or car and then sitting down to hear a message! HANDICAP 3: A "P.S." MESSAGE: A tag-on message that follows a big program, a concert or whatever. Sacrificing the speaker to add a touch of "Christianity", or "evangelism" or the "Lord's benediction" to the evening is a poor policy. No speaker likes to be placed in this position. (incidentally ... nor does God ! !) HANDICAP 4: PROMISING A SPEAKER HIS TIME ... BUT ... Giving a man an expected time to give his message and then having it slowly cut down by lengthy preliminaries is frustrating and cruel. More than one message has been ruined by poorly planned preliminaries. Give the speaker his time and stick with it. HANDICAP 5: AUDIENCE CONTROL: Young teens and sub-teens need control. Adult sponsors or counselors must be sprinkled throughout the audience to maintain control.

HOME » FOR TEACHERS AND YOUTH WORKERS » HOW TO USE YOUR SPEAKER

Working as a Youth Director, Youth Pastor and Christian Education Director for over thirty five years, I have used my share of speakers and platform personalities. On the other side of the coin, I have spent almost as many years as a communicator here and abroad. In these years, I have used and sometimes abused speakers, and as a speaker, I have been used and on occasion been abused myself. In most cases, "abuse" simply develops from ignorance or thoughtlessness. Thinking the whole thing over this far down the line gives me a realistic perspective. May I share some tips on how to better use your speaker and speaking experience. Carefully look these tips over. Your next speaker will be glad you did.

YOUR SPEAKER

In this day and age when we are more apt to be impressed with the vessel than its contents, it might be good to discuss who and what a speaker is. A speaker, like anyone else in the Body of Christ, is normal person, a common person and a gifted person. We are all gifted (I Cor. 12:4 & 7) and to employ our gifts for the common good of the Body. A speaker is gifted in the area of communication. Like all of us, he or she has strengths and weaknesses. There are speakers that are competent, learned, humorous and dynamic. There are those who are anointed of God, and there are those who are not. Some are humble and some proud ... Some expensive and others "inexpensive." To some, speaking is a responsible ministry, to some it is a profession, and to others it is simply a "gig." It is up to you to carefully select your "man."

Too often we select a speaker rather carelessly, much as we do a devotional... A short spiritual tag on our program. A brief endorsement by God. A theme ... a thought ... a different face. A short brief punch and we are off! The results are predictably shallow with little or no lasting impact. Most of us fit Jesus into a convenient slot when we consider the spiritual "message." We give Him a theme, tell Him our needs. Call a speaker, tell him what to say ... and hope for the best! So it has been and so it will ever be!

In choosing a speaker, you must (1) Know your group; (2) Know your needs as a group; (3) Know your speaker ... and (4) Know your speaker's strength.

l. KNOW YOUR GROUP: It is hard to take a spiritual direction without first knowing your group ... your people. Their interests, weaknesses, maturity and response to spiritual emphases in the past and the present commitment level. To know where you are going, you must know who you have and where you are. You must know your people as a group.

2. KNOW YOUR NEEDS: First,, what does your group need, and second, what individual needs do you have within your group? There are many areas to consider. Evangelism, discipleship, practical application of the Word, commitment, etc. Sometimes it is difficult to place a priority. As a leader, it is a necessity to take an objective look at your group in order to make a sound decision as to what your people really need. Never share with your speaker a "list" of your group's total needs and expect him to deliver a 20-minute message covering all of your needs.

3. KNOW YOUR SPEAKER: We get speakers for a variety of reasons and from a variety of places. Some drive in, some fly in. Each one is called to do the job of communicating. Often as not, we don't really know the speaker. We have "heard" he is good ... or "the kids like him" ... He is funny. He did a good job at a retreat or conference we had, etc ... None of these tell you who the speaker is, what his strengths are ... or what his weaknesses are. Speakers are "gifted " specialists in the area of communication. This is what a good speaker is. He is a specialist! Find his specialty and check his speaking history. This will help you know what you're getting.

Some speakers, it seems, can communicate on any subject to any group level ... with apparent success. Other speakers are more limited, preferring a certain maturity level and/or a subject with which they feel comfortable. It pays to know your speaker and what he can do.

4. KNOW YOUR SPEAKER'S "STRENGTH": Most speakers have a special area in which they excel. They feel comfortable with certain subjects, or have a certain quality or work well with a certain maturity level. Your speaker will have his preferences. Choose him on that basis. That way you will get the best he has. He will be working within his gift or strength. Don't simply call a speaker and tell him what you want to hear. Very few speakers appreciate this kind of approach.

If you don't know a speaker ... be sure your recommendations come from a reliable source, Preferably a source that knows your group and who the communicator is ... and has heard the speaker in question. A hasty call, an invitation and a mismatch will set you back ... as well as handicap the next speaker you invite. KNOW YOUR SPEAKER!

USING YOUR SPEAKER

Hopefully a speaker comes to contribute a substantial part to your meeting, retreat, camp or whatever. Most speakers want and expect to be "used." Speakers can be overused and underused ... flying in to speak once every evening for four days. That's underuse! Other speakers are asked to speak three or four times a day, plus enter or direct the sports program and coordinate the skit program each day! That's overuse! Having your speaker drive over 150 miles to speak 20 minutes ... that's just plain ridiculous! Each speaker has a different pace and personality. When you make up your schedule, take your speaker into consideration. Back-to-back speaking is difficult. Meetings late at night, followed by early morning speaking responsibility, is difficult. A speaker needs to be free as possible from any handicaps.

CONFERENCES: Often experienced speakers are wary of speaking invitations extended by Missionary or Denominational Conferences. We go with our fingers crossed. Most of these conferences are planned and organized by novices. Inexperienced people. Well meaning committees learning the ropes, gaining experience. If the conference doesn't click, the speaker takes his share of the blame and pressure. One problem? Every year there are new people running the show. Different people. New committees trying untried ideas. The people that ran the conference last year learned a lot. (so did the speaker!) Learned the hard way. Now we have a new conference, with new people who have to learn the same lessons the hard way. The speaker is stuck in the middle somewhere. That's why the crossed fingers. This phenomenon might explain why so many conferences are less than successful and so many speakers are frustrated!

Happily, there is a solution! Go after quality committee people with a good track record. Compile your knowledge and experience. It adds up to success. Use your people with past experience to guide and oversee the planning and administrating of the new conference. You will be glad you did ... and so will your speaker!

TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR SPEAKER:

Carefully, prayerfully choose your man and let him minister in his strength.
Plan ahead. Get him committed early.
Communicate with him and seek his imput before you make up your schedule.
If he is local or nearby, be sure you send him a simple, clear map.
If he is flying in ... let him know what he will find as to weather. What kind of clothing to match your weather and culture. (Sunday morning worship/suit?)
Inform your speaker! He needs to know certain things. Who he is to speak to. What he is to speak about ... direction. and about how long (The actual time he speaks, after introduction.) he has to speak!
Be sure to reconfirm your date with your speaker. This should not be the speakers initiative. On occasion plans are changed. BE SURE TO LET YOUR SPEAKER KNOW. It's embarrassing and costly for the speaker to show up as a canceled event. How would your speaker know of a change or cancellation unless he was contacted?
Before he speaks, have him settled, rested, fed ... and if possible, let him have at least 30 minutes alone before going on.
In camps, retreats, speaking in the pulpit, etc ... give your speaker a quiet room, a room alone so he can concentrate on what he is called to do ... COMMUNICATE! (Putting him in a house with fighting teenagers, lulled to sleep with a heavy rock beat, taking his turn in line to get to the one bathroom in the house, or sleeping him in one of the bunk beds with Junior on top of him, while the baby twins cry themselves to sleep in the next room, is not going to get you the best from your bleary-eyed speaker!)

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SPEAKER! Often the difference between your speaker doing an excellent job, an adequate job or a poor job are the unseen handicaps under which he is working.

HONORARIUM:

How much do you pay your speaker? Speaking and traveling may seem exciting and exotic. It isn't! It gets old fast! It is WORK and creates a special type of fatigue. It is only right that a person called to speak gets his expenses paid and some honorarium (monetary gift). "How much" varies. It depends on the person, times he speaks, area in which he speaks, etc. Best way to find the "going" honorarium is to ask around.

Check with large churches in the area and/or para-church organizations that bring in and use speakers. Check with the man himself. He will let you know what the "going" honorarium is. It's nice to give him a check when he leaves. Many men depend on this as part of their income.

THE GLAMOUR MYTH

Some see speaking as a "jet set" adventure ... wined, dined, entertained ... the speaker is seen as living an exotic lifestyle. Chances are that your speaker is not a national or international celebrity but, rather, a common person who is a little tired of the road. Living out of a suitcase, in and out of homes, motels and hotels isn't all it's cracked up to be. Spending hours in cars, airplanes, air terminals and hotel lobbies is more a tiresome monotony than exciting! Packing and unpacking, looking for a place to launder dirty clothes, trying to find the meal you missed, constantly looking for new places and at new faces. All these add up to a different type of tired. Chances are your speaker is living on a shoestring, traveling on a very limited budget ... called to speak in a small budget program ... experiencing a rather "Spartan" lifestyle. One thing for sure. Glamour it's not!!

YOUR SPEAKER AS YOUR GUEST

The part of hosting, the ministry of hospitality, have almost vanished in our fast paced culture ... Yet with a little love and common sense, you can make a real difference in your speaker's ministry. When you call your man to come and speak to you ... remember he becomes your guest for the night, day, weekend or week. This would fall into the "hospitality" department. Along this line, here are some things to consider as you become "host" to your speaker, especially if he is a first-timer with you.

1. HE IS MOVING FROM HIS WORLD INTO YOURS. You're used to it ... he isn't! This means a new environment with new faces and new names ... New priorities and a new schedule. For him everything is different and new. Take that into consideration.

2. HE IS FACING A LOT OF CHANGES. The "host" makes relatively few changes. It is your guest who has to "fit in." Help him adapt to change. It may not look to you like much of an adjustment, but to him it might be a different story.

3. YOUR GUEST IS THERE AT YOUR INVITATION. He had to arrange or rearrange his schedule to be with you. True, he is getting paid, but hospitality is still in order.

4. YOU, AS HOST, HAVE THE INITIATIVE. The guest (in our culture) takes no initiative. He is at the "mercy" of his host. If the host is not sensitive or thoughtful, your speaker is under a real handicap. Your guest isn't in the position of reminding his host that it's getting late, or he needs the bathroom, or he is getting hungry ... He has to sweat it out! In all probability your speaker has had to learn patience, flexibility, and the ability to "second guess" his host.

5. YOUR GUEST IS NO DOUBT ACCUSTOMED TO TRAVEL and change ... but every situation is different. Don't add to his handicap! He is the one adjusting.

6. SOME THINGS TO LET YOUR GUEST KNOW Discuss these points.

7. His time schedule. Speaking time, eating time, rest time, etc.

Clothing! Cold or hot weather? Conservative group? (Washing clothing?)
His local transportation arrangements.
Housing arrangements.
1. Motel/hotel (prepaid?).
2. Home and location.
3. Room alone/quiet.
4. Family and pets. (Nice doggie or killer?).
5. Breakfast time/meals?
6. Bathroom. How many using it? When?
7. Security ... keys, etc.
8. Home peculiarities. People, pets, equipment ... whatever. If the shower handle says "hot" but means "cold" or the key only works in the lock a certain way, etc. Poor guy needs to know all the different things that are common knowledge in your world.
9. Key person and telephone number he can call for help or information.
Travel/transportation. To and from location. Air ticket reconfirmation. Who, when, where? Map?
Speaking responsibilities ... Where, when, how long, who? Also any changes that he may not be aware of.

Any speaker needs to know the following:

The occasion.
The general subject or direction.
The date.
The time I'm to be there.
The length of time I'm to speak.
The makeup (maturity) of my audience.
If I'm driving to the destination:
I'll need directions. Make a clear, simple map (not verbal directions). And send it in advance.
What kind of clothing will be needed for your weather and your culture?

If your speaker is spending overnight, please arrange for a quiet, warm room. A room alone. A room where he can study and pray and relax.

CONDITIONS THAT HANDICAP YOUR SPEAKER

When you have spent considerable time and expense to bring your speaker, it seems foolish to allow conditions that will handicap the message or compete for it. So often this is the case, simply because we aren't aware of those things which can compete with the message and/or frustrate the speaker. Here are some common conditions which work against good communication.

HANDICAP 1: A TIRED, FATIGUED COMMUNICATOR: A tired communicator is a poor communicator. Jet lag, poor sleeping conditions, overeating, a heavy program. Many things can make a man tired. Endeavor to keep your man fresh, alert and rested.

HANDICAP 2: A TIRED, FATIGUED AUDIENCE: An audience that is tired is a real disappointment. No matter how gifted the communicator and how dynamic the message, if the audience is tired, it's a wasted hour.

Here are some things that make an audience tired: Common sense!

Sitting too long.
Too many meetings. (Most retreats I've been to have been over-programmed).
Speaking session too late at night. (9pm or later)
An after-lunch speaking slot. The worst hours for communicating are after lunch until about 3 pm. Don't plan sessions then.
Traveling several hours by bus or car and then sitting down to hear a message!

HANDICAP 3: A "P.S." MESSAGE: A tag-on message that follows a big program, a concert or whatever. Sacrificing the speaker to add a touch of "Christianity", or "evangelism" or the "Lord's benediction" to the evening is a poor policy. No speaker likes to be placed in this position. (incidentally ... nor does God ! !)

HANDICAP 4: PROMISING A SPEAKER HIS TIME ... BUT ... Giving a man an expected time to give his message and then having it slowly cut down by lengthy preliminaries is frustrating and cruel. More than one message has been ruined by poorly planned preliminaries. Give the speaker his time and stick with it.

HANDICAP 5: AUDIENCE CONTROL: Young teens and sub-teens need control. Adult sponsors or counselors must be sprinkled throughout the audience to maintain control.