I wonder how many times you’ve been caught out with too little time to prepare a talk.
You know you should spend time reading and studying the Bible, but there’s just too much to do in too little time. The group is meeting the next day and you haven’t even started on your talk. It seems to be a problem that affects both full-time youth workers and volunteers. I am the last person to pontificate about time management, but I have come to know that decent preparation affects the quality of what is said to the group. Of course, the Holy Spirit is the one who changes lives, but God does use his servants to ‘preach the word’.
Planning a term ahead
We sometimes get into a cycle — we never get ahead of ourselves and there always seems to be a talk pressing in on us. Clearly planning at least a term in advance means you stand a chance, because you have some idea of what lies ahead, but there are other things you can do.
1. Get to know the passage
This may sound incredibly basic but I have heard enough talks where the speaker clearly doesn’t know the passage. They may well know the commentary better than the passage in the Bible. So, before you start studying, read it as many times as you can. If you can carry a Bible with you (and most of us can) read the passage while you eat your sandwiches for lunch.
2. Prepare earlier
Again obvious, but if you can start reading the passage more than a week before it helps you get to know it. Carry something with you so you can write your initial thoughts down as you read the passage. What are the key points in it?
3. Study the context
About a month before you are due to speak (maybe earlier) look up the context of the passage. What was happening at the time and where do you see that affecting what is written. If you get the feel of the context by studying the detail, it will enlighten your understanding of the passage.
In your quieter moments (I hope you have some) think about the meaning of the passage you are about to teach. Ask yourself what God is saying in this passage and write those things down. By now you are getting some things down about your talk and the most important thing is that you have time to think and pray about it. The next bit is crucial.
4. Clear some time
At this point, you may say, I don’t have any. I know many people engaged in youth ministry are busy people. But too many of us prepare in bits and 15 minutes here and there will not work. You may need to diary in a good length of time to put all the things together that you have in your notes.
This way of working will mean that you finish a talk well before you are due to give it and you are working on another one already. Read it through quietly before you go to the group.
Key point
The key point of what may seem very obvious is the issue of time. Getting ahead means you give the talk time to settle in your heart and soul. You are not delivering a lecture, so it is not just a case of getting your facts straight, although that’s important. It is doing the best job you can of speaking for God — that is not something that is best done by last-minute Larrys. It may take you time to get started on this, but, once you are ahead of schedule, I think you will actually use your time more effectively. Give it a try.
