Sermon Feedback
Here in Indiana, the NFL is big. To be sure, there is a fair share of Bears fans. And on any given Sunday you’ll see some Packers jerseys or Steelers hats dotting the worship gathering.
But, by far, the dominant colors are blue and white. This is Colts country. And our “favorite son” is still Peyton Manning. His legacy among Hoosiers is solid.
And rightly so. He’s eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021 due to some mind-numbing statistics. In his 17 seasons as a pro, Manning threw for over 71,000 yards and 539 touchdowns. He was also MVP five times.
What was his secret? No doubt he had immense talent. And his work ethic was legendary. Manning was always the first one in the weight room and the last one off the field.
But what he excelled at as perhaps no other was in getting feedback. He paid special attention to his interceptions, all 239 of them, analyzing the game film backward and forwards. As one article from ESPN Magazine put it, “Manning was willing to put himself under the microscope.”
Why was Manning so unique in this?
Why wouldn’t every quarterback engage in evaluation?
Probably for a number of reasons, including time and effort.
But other factors are also at play: pride, an unwillingness to be criticized, a refusal to be wrong, and a hesitancy to absorb the unvarnished truth of one’s performance.
Over the years I’ve discovered that preachers are very much the same.
Why don’t we engage in evaluation? A number of reasons, including time and effort. But other factors are at play: pride, an unwillingness to be criticized, a refusal to be wrong, and a hesitancy to absorb the unvarnished truth of one’s performance.
All too often, preachers are even less open to feedback.
There are a lot of reasons for that. Some are the same as those noted in the paragraphs above. But there’s even more at play here.
As preachers, we’ve poured blood, sweat, and tears into giving birth to a sermonic baby. And we don’t want someone to come up and say, “That baby’s ears were kind of ugly” or “Your baby’s nose was really big.”
Hearing that hurts. Especially right after the hour of delivery. And when there are enough well-meaning folks who say, “Nice sermon, Pastor” or, at the least, “Thanks for the talk, preacher” we’re content to let that suffice as our feedback.
Yet, the fact is when I’ve heard people say those lines to a preacher on the backside of a poor message, I wince. If that’s all he/she hears, they will never get any better. And the “interceptions” will pile up.
Some time back I came across the manuscript of a podcast offered by Matt Woodley on the subject of sermonic feedback. It was so helpful for me that I thought you who are in the pulpit might benefit as well.
Woodley offers three tips that I’d like to share with you and then briefly expand upon.
TIP #1 – Pre-sermon feedback is better than post-sermon feedback.
To be sure, there is some value when you get feedback after you preach, but it has limited value because chances are, you’re not going to preach that sermon again – at least not in that setting. So, to hear what you should have or could have done differently offers help that is too little and too late.
Post-sermon feedback is often “too little too late.” But pre-sermon feedback allows for input and collaboration that could greatly improve your message.
But what if you got some pre-sermon feedback? How might that be possible?
One way that I use is to send a 1.0 version of my talk to a trusted individual early in the week. In my case, I actually send them a preliminary script. If you aren’t in the practice of writing a manuscript of your sermon, make sure what is sent is in sufficient detail that they can offer all sorts of evaluation while you still have time to change things.
Another way would be to put your study on a three-week countdown. Begin by coming up with your text and “big idea.” Run that by a few trusted people to see if it’s “sticky” and “stirring.” (Incidentally, if you use a “preaching team” this is a great way to allow for collaboration as well as evaluation.)
Then a week later offer your outline and key illustrations for review. This will give you time to adjust as might be suggested.
Finally, early on in the last week, run your introduction and conclusion by your team. They will now be familiar with where you’re heading. Ask them if the introduction creatively gets you into your subject and if your conclusion pointedly applies to your subject.
To be sure, this will require advanced study. But can you imagine how your message might improve if you can make this happen?
TIP #2 – Solicited feedback tops unsolicited feedback.
You need to take the unsolicited comments of good-hearted (and also bad-hearted) people with a grain of salt. They are offering their words out of a limited context. Moreover, they will often be doing so immediately after a sermon when you are most vulnerable to criticism and unjustified praise.
Take the unsolicited comments of good-hearted (and also bad-hearted) people with a grain of salt; but do ask several people you trust to be honest, yet kind, to evaluate your sermon.
One alternative to this is to ask several people you trust to be honest and yet kind to evaluate your talk and offer some suggestions as to how it went via a 3x5 card. (Wait at least 24 hours to read the cards!)
Don’t simply ask, “Was it a good sermon or a poor sermon?” Ask them to press into it a bit. Questions like, “Tell me what was most effective or helpful about the message.” “Share with me one thing I could have done differently that would have made the message more effective for you.”
TIP #3 – Trained feedback is better than untrained feedback.
While the average congregant might offer some helpful insights, the best ones will come from those who have actually preached, either other pastors on staff or, minimally, those who have experienced making presentations to large crowds.
While the average congregant might offer some helpful insights, the best feedback will come from those who have actually preached.
If you’re fortunate to have a mentor or know a master preacher, don’t be afraid to sit down with him and discuss your messages. Better yet, watch a video of the sermon with him. It can be painful (the camera doesn’t lie), but it can be, oh, so helpful.
Commit to making progress
Paul wrote to Timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching…Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. (I Timothy 4:13, 15)
The Apostle expected his young protégé to make preaching a priority. He also anticipated that Timothy would make progress in his preaching.
As with Timothy, so with every preacher. Over time, we’re to get better. That will be a function of experience. But that experience can be maximized by getting feedback.
While you may never be an all-pro, at least you can improve. And that will not only keep you in the game but even give people cause to cheer.
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