by Terry Barone

ANAHEIM - A communication specialist and humorist believes it is important for pastors to continually improve their communication skills since they are presenting the best news - the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Bob Stromberg, a comedian and communicator from St. Paul, MN, told about 50 participants at a session preceding the 2008 On Target Evangelism Conference that even though he always wanted to be a performer engaging an audience, he has had to work on his communication skills. He added it has been a 30-year process.

To demonstrate the importance of what is communicated and how well it is received, Stromberg quoted statistics from a Dynamic Communicators Workshop survey of churchgoers and pastors. He noted the survey revealed that 15 minutes after a worship service, 75 percent of those attending "had no idea what the pastor said. They might have remembered an illustration or the (scriptural) text, but had no idea what he said."

Pastors also were surveyed and 50 percent said they "could remember what they talked about, but couldn't put in a concise way what they had been trying to communicate."

Stromberg presented three disciplines for pastors to "embrace" when preparing sermons, including actualizing the objective, personalizing illustrations and memorizing the text.

Actualize the objective
The most important element is to "decide upon your objective," Stromberg said. "Where do you want to go? What is the goal of your sermon? How do you want them to respond? What do you want them to know when you are finished?" He noted these questions must be answered in order for the pastor to reach his objective.

"By creating an objective statement you involve the listener. If you are just talking about stuff, people stop listening. People want to know why they should listen."

Personalize illustrations
Stromberg said he uses the "GIT" principle - "grab it, interrogate it and transform it."

He explained that he grabs (writes down) anything that moves him emotionally, noting personal experience "is where the real power is." But Stromberg said he also collects illustrations from movies, books, television, etc.

He also "interrogates" those illustrations he grabs, saying he constantly asks, "What does this mean? Why did this move me? How can this be used?

"Sometimes I know immediately how to use that illustration while at other times it may be years before I know and actually use it."

Memorize text
Not many people memorize the text they are using for their sermon, Stromberg said, but "I want to tell you this has been one of the most exciting things for me to do lately."

Memorizing text, he said, is no different than the oral tradition used before printed materials were available. He noted young Jewish boys had memorized the entire Torah by the time they were 13.

"We should be able to learn a few verses," Stromberg contended.

"This process is a discipline. It is hard work. But, if you take all your gifts and used this structure, the goal and objective will be met and it will work just fine."