Teaching Notes
That’s a picture of what Jeff Kapusta has in front of him as he’s teaching the people of Lifepoint Church. I asked a few of my friends what they took on stage with them to teach. Here’s what they do:
- Tadd Grandstaff recently mixed things up and uses mind-mapping, though it’s usually memorized and the notes are just for emergency.
- Josh Roberts pastes notes in his Moleskin…usually scripture on half and notes on the other half.
- J.R. Lee says his notes might not make sense to anyone but him.
- Jeff Henderson tries to memorize this, which is also what he gives to the production team.
- Perry Noble usually doesn’t teach with notes, but uses this to study and prepare. When he’s got a lot of various Scripture references, he uses notes to cut down on page-turning.
- Tony McCollum usually has his stuff memorized, but puts this into a little leather 3-ring binder in case his mind goes blank.
- Jeff Kapusta prints his notes on double sided card stock and puts them in a leather binder. Bold phrases are main points or something for the screen. Scripture is in red and also on the screen. Blue and green is an illustration or story. He got his notebook from right here.
- Devin Hudson gathers all his content into a couple of pages and then takes an outline to the stage.
- Jeff Murphy uses these notes.
I usually make hand-written notes as I study and prepare and then create a 2-page document that serves as an outline that’s done on Monday morning. On Saturday afternoon, I copy those notes into a notebook and teach from that. The copying process is a final review.
If you’re a preacher or teacher, how do you prepare? What do you have in front of you as you teach?
i have all my writing done by thursday night. friday morning i go to our prayer closet and record myself preaching through the sermon. i throw it onto a CD and while i drive i can listen through it twice before i preach saturday night. unless i feel nervous about remembering an important piece or phrase, i’ll go without notes.
p.s. your links seem to be non-functioning.
unless it’s my network.
I couldn’t get the links to work either…
also, i use my Kindle rather than notes…just take a thinline Bible (which I may or may not read from because the text is on my Kindle as well), and my Kindle
I make notes up until the week before (while I go over it again and again in my head) and then write it all out. My writing is almost verbatim of my thoughts so I know when I have 5 pages plus an illustration or 2 it equals 30-35 minutes.
I prep the week before going over it about 5 times so by the time I preach I don’t really need the notes but I keep them up there for easy scripture referencing.
sorry guys…the links should be working now.
I use what i call a “ghetto outline”. It’s a cross between an outline and a manuscript. Usually 3-4 pages. Always thought that my notes wouldn’t make much sense to others. Guess I’m not the only one.
I use the Bible for my main Scriptures, and print other scriptures in my notes. I like to open the book and encourage them to do the same even though we have them on the screen.
I just grip my Bible for dear life.
I shoot for a two page outline that looks an awful lot like Jeff’s…I stick it in my Bible and that’s it.
Hey Michael…any chance you could do a post on Leadership Team/Board structure?
I typically teach through books of the bible, so Monday I dig into the text for the next sermon and start collecting questions. I usually let that marinade until Thursday, which is a study day for me. Here I pull out some commentaries and expand what God has been speaking to me. Saturday, I make my Keynote presentation and add my notes into the “presenter view.”
I teach with my laptop on stage, and no podium or paper notes. I change the slides as I go, and all my notes are in front of me. Geeky I know, but a holdover from my History professor days:)
Thanks for sharing