Preaching Without Notes

Rating:
Summary: Get this book!
Review: I had been searching for all kinds of resources, and each one gave me just enough information; but no real umph. This book, though, is spot on. It really is true that by preaching without notes I connected with the congregation 100 times more than I had before; and by following the suggested week long study habits, the Word penetrated my heart in a way I haven't felt in a long time. It's a blessing of a book.

Rating:
Summary: A great approach to sermon preparation and delivery
Review: This book outlines how to prepare sermons with a very simple technique. There are no short cuts or tricks; it simply approaches sermon preparation from a different angle. The main thesis of the book is that you should never use written notes when delivering your sermon. Dr. Webb explains in full why this is necessary, but basically you communicate better with people when you are looking at them (which is impossible to do completely when you are referring to notes).

Since you wonÕt be using written notes in the pulpit, you need to deliver a different kind of sermon. There shouldnÕt be (cannot be) a complicated outline or a manuscript with finely crafted paragraphs. Instead you will simply talk with your congregation, relating a series of stories, events, ideas. Preparing a sermon that you can remember is a wonderfully liberating experience.

I took a class from Dr. Webb at the Northwest House of Theological Studies in Salem, Oregon while he was a faculty member at Claremont School of Theology. That has forever changed the way I preach, and the people in my church react well to the new kind of sermon. There is still a lot of preparation, but now you can be more effective.

A wonderful little book that is a must for any preacher. Give it a try.

Rating:
Summary: A helpful text
Review: This book was recommended to me by a seminary professor in homiletics. It provides a feasible and helpful proposal for how to prepare a sermon without notes OR an outline. Preaching without notes is a fear of mine. This book has changed my attitude and has empowered me to begin preparing my sermons without a manuscript. Webb not only informs about how to prepare, but he also provides mind-boggling facts about memory retention that everyone should know. It's worth reading and is a quick read (130 pgs.)