Your Best Openers

Socrates taught that there are no empty vessels when it comes to teaching. By that he meant that everyone brings something to the table. There are two approaches to presenting. The most familiar is the one most of us grew up with in our school experiences. A teacher who knew the material would stand in […]

My latest book, The Great Eight, is built on an unspoken assumption. That those who regularly speak in public have a desire to get better at it over time. Perhaps it’s a flawed assumption, but in my experience those who excel at anything are constantly asking themselves, ‘How can I improve?’ This desire doesn’t come […]

The Great Eight is my latest book dedicated to the art of public speaking. This book has been released through Smashwords so it’s available to any ereader you have. Later today it will also be available on Amazon in the Kindle Store. This book gives practical tips on the core skills you need to become […]

Last weekend I had the chance to volunteer at one of the largest youth ministry conferences in the country. Serving as a room host was great as it gave me a chance to see professional presenters up close. It also gave me the chance to see one of the great frustrations of the modern presenting […]

This week’s free opener will challenge most everybody to think way outside the box on how to open a presentation. When was the last time you began a presentation for a team of professionals with a game of tag? Try this opener and follow the instructions to have the most engaging discussion on team dynamics […]

Perhaps the title of this post is a bit odd since this is about using a microphone properly. But when you think about it there are those who embrace the microphone and those who shun it. No matter which of these you are it’s important to keep the microphone close if you hope to excel […]

It’s been my distinct privilege for the past few days to be a room host at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Indianapolis. I say privilege because, as a room host, my assignment was to greet people and see that the presenters were taken care of. In addition I was asked to watch the presentations […]

Buffets are awesome. There’s nothing like an all you can eat buffet, especially when the food is top notch fare. This weekend I’m being treated to a buffet of excellent presenters at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference. This year the conference is at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Indianapolis. Group Publishing, where I once worked, […]

One way to announce to an audience that you’re not a professional speaker is to refuse the microphone. While there are certain small group settings where a microphone isn’t necessary, in most situations where you’re standing in front of an audience and a microphone is available you should use it. Microphones are not about being […]

This week’s FREE opener is designed specifically to open a sermon or Christian topic.  However, the drama itself lends itself to a variety of settings where you’ll discuss busy schedules and having too much on your plate. We all keep so busy that it’s hard to see when we might get a break. It starts […]