The Weatherman Principle: Teaching Your Congregation
Ministerial Meteorology
Some people skip the forecast and go straight to the radar
to check on meteorological fronts, on lows, and on highs, as if they can get
more out of the raw data than the expert’s interpretation of the data. They
haven’t actually studied meteorology, but they’ve taken a keen interest in
weather forecasting, and they’ve learned some basic meteorological principles.
Good meteorologists know how to tap into the interest of
these armchair forecasters, and are keen to give them the next layer of
information to help them grow in their meteorological forecasting.
Pastors and ministry leaders should follow this practice. While
they should avoid overloading the congregation with too many exegetical
technicals, their sermons and Bible studies should include enough facts and
insider information to invite some of their listeners to go deeper in their
independent study of scripture and theology.
The same is true for congregational singing. The song leader
should point out theological moments in the hymn, or give a tip or two on how
to bring out the best in the song. They might say, “Note how the words ‘Praise
the Lord’ are twice repeated. Let’s ratchet up our voices, and sing the
repeated words with greater enthusiasm.” Or, “On the chorus, let’s start softly
and crescendo through each of the next phrases until we get to the last
resounding cry of the line.”
The ministry leader should always allow the opportunity for the ambitious congregant to learn more.
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