How to improve your public speaking

We don't like having our presentation criticised by other people. I find the best way to improve my public speaking from the pulpit is to record the service with a small dictaphone and then criticise myself. I know the dictaphone is impartial so I have to believe what it tells me. For other tips on starting to preach look at this How to become a local preacher with the Methodist Church in the U.K.

Preaching lens

You might like to take a look at my Squidoo lens below. I have been charting my progress learning to be a local preacher. I try to be honest and put in the difficult bits, for instance getting a poor mark on an assignment and reacting badly to the fact. There are plenty of good moments too. Here it is How to become a local preacher with the Methodist Church in the U.K.

Oh dear!

I haven't been a very good blogger lately. First let me tell you about the weekend I mentioned in my last post. It was most enjoyable and I met lots of new people from our newly amalgamated circuit. We learnt about God's covenant with Moses and our covenant with God. One really important thing was that it was pointed out that the God of the Old Testament was a God of loving kindness and not the fierce God he is sometimes represented as being.One of our friends fell and cracked her arm. Fortunately I had travelled down in a car with friends and so was able to drive home the lady with the damaged arm.I've written a squidoo lens about Job. Here is the link if you are interested.Interesting Bible People:Job

Weekend coming

Tomorrow I'm off to Torquay for the weekend with other folks from my circuit.I'm sure we will have a good time. I'm looking forward to a break from the PC, much as I love it.I will tell you all about the week end when I get back. Before I forget my latest assignment for section B of Faith and Worship gained a mark of 65 from my tutor. That is much more encouraging. Now here is a link to see some of God's wonderful creation this Autumn. The Devon lane in early Autumn

Bible stories

On Squidoo I have written several Bible stories. If you want to get a quick idea of one of these interesting Bible people take a look at my lens. I give a link below. If you click on my photo you can then navigate to my other lenses. This one is about Rahab, there are others about Esther, Naaman, Ruth and Mary Magdalene. Feel free to use these Bible stories wherever you can.Interesting Bible People Rahab

I'm back

It's certainly time I posted here again. So what have I been doing? Well I've completed more than 50 lenses on Squidoo and become a Giant Squid. After that I went on holiday. Also I had a disagreement with my Faith and worship tutor because he gave me a low mark. Our problem is that he is a first time tutor so neither of us really knew if he was marking correctly or not. However an experienced tutor took a look at my work and backed up the tutor, so I had to humble myself and re-do it. My problem is more essay technique than lack of knowledge. the original mark was 42 now it is 54. I am quite content with that and hoping for better things in future as I pick up the essay technique of answering what the question asks.

I have taken an all-age service since my last post and enjoyed it very much and it has been a great help with Faith and worship as this was the topic of the unit 8 assignment.I am now beginning to prepare for a Remembrance Day service, first of all asking the steward what sort of service they like and if any members have links to people lost in wars, past and present.Whatever one thinks of war we need to think of the needs of those involved, those who have lost loved ones and those who have been disastrously injured in body and mind.

Supporting one another

We all have friends and from time to time they need our support. This is one of the most important things we can do, to bear one another's burdens. Of course our turn will come to need the support. Accepting help is not easy for some people, when they have spent their lives being the strong, resourceful one. Allowing others to help us is important as it brings a blessing to the helper. It is a form of humility to accept help. So when after spending a busy life helping others you come down to earth with a bump, be gracious and accept the help offered with gratitude.