I don’t know about you, but after I’ve slaved over a hot sermon all week, it feels like a bit of a let-down once it is preached and gone. “Plunk goes another one,” like a drop of water into the endless ocean of sermons. Is that all?
Luckily, there is now a way to get more service out of all your hard work.
You can use a simple modern technology called Conference Call Recording to get more out of your sermon by sharing it live, turning it into a Podcast, and creating a written record of the final, fiery, spoken version.
Conference call technology was initially brought in to the process of preaching for its obvious ability to keep a congregation in touch. What if part of your flock are on vacation, but want to stay connected?
Teleconferencing allows them to dial in to a special number, from anywhere on earth, and share your virtual sermon in real time. They will even hear live “audience” reactions to help them feel connected.
Sometimes, this can be crucial. Perhaps someone struggling with depression, who feels they just can’t make it in to church on Sunday, does have the strength to listen in, and takes some comfort there.
Setting up group calls is easy, just requiring a connection between your microphone, amplifier, and telephone system. FreeConference.com handles all the details, and every week “broadcasts” your sermon live over a telephone connection. What most people don’t realize is that while setting up the call, you can click on the Call Record feature, and automatically record your sermon.
Within two hours, you’ll get an email with a link to an MP3 file of your sermon and an access code. You can even download the file to mount in an archive on the church’s website, or place in a newsletter or email. Using Call Record to get more out of your sermon literally only takes a few mouse clicks to set up.
Your sermon is now a Podcast, ready and waiting for anyone to draw from when they have the time and space to listen deeply, whether it be while they go for a run, or sit still in a forest.
Another great option when using conference Call Record is to have your sermon automatically transcribed into writing, into a Word document.
You will likely have gone into Sunday with detailed notes, and some people actually read out their sermon word for word, but as everyone knows, it is important not just to Read a sermon, (Brothers and Sisters), but to Preach it.
Amen!
A sermon may look like a monologue, but actually, it is a conversation. It happens in real-time, in a room full of people, and it changes as you deliver it! Clichéd phrases get abandoned at the last minute (thankfully), irrelevant ideas get forgotten, and moments of inspiration add excitement.
As you preach, you can feel the room engaging with you, and this changes how you speak, for the better. At least, that’s the plan!
Using the transcription feature of conference Call Record captures the essence of your sermon at its very best, in the heat of the moment.
Once you’ve shared your sermon live, made it into a podcast, and had it transcribed, there is one more way of using conference call record to get the most out of your sermon. Use the permanent record of your sermon at its very best, as a learning tool.
Both listening to your own Podcast, and reviewing your written transcription have distinct benefits.
The audio record will help you learn what works, and what doesn’t. It will also offer you opportunities for humility, and forgiveness! Most people dread listening to their own voice, but as a community leader, you can’t afford to indulge in low self-esteem!
Embrace your voice, and the MP3 file of your sermon will show you where you really shine.
Carry those moments forward!
The written transcription of your sermon can be handy for pulling paragraphs out for use in newsletters, but it does it helps you the most by bringing you full circle back to where you started - staring at an empty page, waiting for the first word to come.
Studying how your spoken word looks on paper is the best way to learn how to write for effective speaking.
In all, there are four benefits to using conference Call Record to get more out of your sermon: sharing a virtual sermon, creating an audio or written record, and as a learning tool. Some benefits of Call Record will be of more value to your congregation, and some will be of more value to you as a community leader, but all of them offer service to spreading the Word.
Create your FreeConference.com account and get access to everything you need for your business or organization to hit the ground running, like video and Screen Sharing, Call Scheduling, Automated Email Invitations, Reminders, and more.
