3. Go Shorter Than Usual.
So you think you can preach? I used to preach for 35 minutes, but now we are doing 20-25 minutes. I think this is important because what I’m hearing from pastors is that engagement goes down after an hour. Meaning, more people click off your service at the 60-minute mark.
4. Picture People.
One of the things I try to do when I preach to a camera is picture the people I am talking to, the stories I am aware of, the things I know people in my church are walking through. Even imagining what they are doing that moment helps me to speak to what they are doing and walking through. I know some pastors have put pictures of their church in the auditorium, so if that helps you picture them, do it.
5. Eye Contact Matters (a lot).
Even more, than being in a room, eye contact matters. Looking right into the camera matters, especially when you are saying your main point, something difficult or something pastoral. And pastors, the moment you think you are staring at the camera too much, you aren’t. You need to look right at them. This feels so weird, but it is incredibly crucial.
6. Body Movements Matter.
On a screen, you need to exaggerate in some ways. You are trying to live in a room you aren’t in. It isn’t that you are an actor, but I think it helps to feel this way. When you preach to a camera it helps to move in some ways that maybe you wouldn’t with people in the room.
7. Be You.
You might preach to a camera but you still pastor the people. They aren’t watching some national TV preachers when they watch you; they are watching you. So be you. If you stand behind a pulpit, do that. If you sit, do that. If you get all excited, do that. Simply be their pastor. What has been amazing to me is watching so many pastors in this season and seeing how differently everyone preaches. What a beautiful picture of the church that it takes all kinds, and God placed you at your church, so be you.
So you think you can preach? This article on tips for preaching on camera originally appeared here, and is used by permission.