Public Speaking: Lesson 4 Thinking and Speaking Under Pressure
It is the intention of this lesson to help us to more effectively preach the Truth in public, especially when there is a lot of discussion and opposition.
We must realize that this is not a new and novel experience but that it happens everyday at schools, at home, at work. There is always someone who will disagree with the plans and decisions we make. All too often people combat our ideas and suggestions with their own. What happens when someone disagrees with us at home or work? – we stand our ground if we believe we are right in our judgement. We back down only when we are not sure of ourselves.
The Normal Experience and Our Preaching
Occasionally when we are preaching, our opponents will question our remarks through interruptions and interjections . Our performance in the face of their objections will only prove one thing and that is whether our knowledge of the Truth is sufficient. If we stand our ground and answer correctly we can confidently say we have a knowledge of the Truth. If, however, we have to back down and if we have no answer to the questions of our friends, it means we have not prepared ourselves enough. These lessons in public speaking will not help to get us out of trouble in our preaching; only a thorough knowledge of the Truth will make us confident preachers with nothing to be afraid of.
Two Things We Must Remember
1. Strength out of weakness:
Search the Scriptures and prove to ourselves the truth of God’s statement ‘My strength is made perfect in weakness’. Our weakness should be our challenge. Our inhibitions should be the springboard to test the extent of God’s help, our weakness is the start of God’s help to us and not the finish of our own strength.
2. Help in time of need
Sometimes difficult situations will arise in our preaching and we must not forget the power of prayer. God will help us in time of need, He will help us to remember our arguments and Bible passages, so we must have the presence of mind to pray when we are faced with opposition.
3. Finally – Please remember
A chain will only break at the weakest link and when the pressure is on us by those who oppose our teachings, make sure that the chain will not break through the ‘weakness of a lack of knowledge’!
Chairmanship
The most difficult function at a meeting is the one performed by the Chairman. Speakers usually have time to prepare their talks but the Chairman must have the ability to cope with situations as they arise. We are now going to learn the methods to help us to be better Chairmen so that we can be of greater assistance at our meetings.
The Duties of a Chairman
1. Purpose
The chairman must appreciate the purpose of the meeting. In other words he must work to achieve the aim of the meeting. We have a variety of meetings to which a chairman has to adapt
The Sunday Memorial Meeting calls for solemn fatherly conduct. This meeting is usually uniform and as a result the chairman will not display powers of direction as the assembly is united in purpose.
The Public Lecture is different in many ways, which allows the chairman to be more out-going, more forceful, adopting a confident stand, as the audience in this case is more open to suggestion.
Other meetings such as Bible Class and general meetings give the chairman the opportunity to display his ability to handle interchange of ideas and free discussion. He should encourage the timid speaker and sometimes curb the over-enthusiastic speaker. The chairman should have the ability to help members form their ideas in clear terms.
2. To act as host
The chairman of our meetings is more than a figurehead and leader. He is the HOST at our meetings involving a high degree of fellowship. Our ability to be a good host will depend on our flexibility or how we cope with different situations.
If we, as the chairman, pray on behalf of the assembly, we should make our prayers personal and warm, reflecting the needs of the members of the ecclesia. This must never be forgotten. The chairman is a servant and must obey the wish of the meeting.
3. Impartiality
In meetings where there is to be open discussion, the chairman must learn to be even-handed or impartial. In other words, if the chairman has strong views on the topic under discussion he must not ventilate his opinion as this could disrupt a meeting. Also the chairman should not favour one side or the other but should be a neutral controller .
Sometimes it is permissible for the chairman to discuss his thoughts with questions. This can be helpful in two ways:
a) Discussion may have lapsed and the chairman’s thoughts would help stimulate further interest.
b) The chairman’s question could pose another alternative.
4. Keep your station
The chairman’s duty at a meeting is to control and direct – he must never take over by forcing himself on the meeting. Furthermore he must never outshine the speaker. It is the rule a chairman should help the speaker as much as possible. Short, crisp, positive remarks will help a speaker when he is introduced, but if the chairman launches into a long dissertation, this will normally detract from the speaker’s opening remarks.
The chairman should endeavour to lift the meeting to the highest possible level and his example would be a means of encouragement and inspiration to all other serving members.
5. The Agenda
A speaker may be able to do away with his notes, but the chairman must always be guided by the agenda . The agenda is the order in which things are to be done. It is written out before the meeting by the person responsible for the meeting.
Once the agenda has been prepared it is the duty of the chairman to stick to it, any departure or omission would have an adverse effect on the meeting. The chairman has to train himself to check the agenda before he moves on to the next item. The agenda will help a chairman to start and finish on time.
Bro. John Muyala (Bungoma, Kenya)
