Malcolm Cox

Introduction  Here is your 2-minute tip based on the book, “Plain speaking: How to preach and teach effectively" by David Bercot.  "Bloopers and memory lapses are no big deal...you can conquer the fear they've held over you."  Bercot offers the following advice.  Own Up If something minor goes wrong, don't draw attention to it. Otherwise the congregation will be unnecessarily distracted. Not so long ago I didn't have the page numbers printed on my sermon notes. I got the pages in a muddle. Rather than draw attention to the fact, I paused for a few moments to sort them out. I doubt anybody noticed. However, if it's obvious to everyone, acknowledge it. When you're having a conversation with a friend and your mind suddenly goes blank and you say, "I've completely forgotten what I was going to say next!", everyone laughs and no one thinks it's a big deal. If something like that happens when you are delivering a lesson, simply tell the congregation. Have a laugh together, and it will help your congregatio