Opening Remarks

[Hesetmefree238]

I thought that our district officials did the best job ever this year at
campmeeting. The service started at 7pm. The evangelist was on the
floor by 8pm. I applaud our district officials (TN district) for this.

[RevDWW]

Get to it!. Get the feed down where the sheep and goats can get at it!!!!!

[tamor]

Originally Posted by Hesetmefree238

I thought that our district officials did the best job ever this year at
campmeeting. The service started at 7pm. The evangelist was on the
floor by 8pm. I applaud our district officials (TN district) for this.

I agree. I went Friday night and I didn't think it was bad at all.

[deacon blues]

Originally Posted by Hesetmefree238

I thought that our district officials did the best job ever this year at
campmeeting. The service started at 7pm. The evangelist was on the
floor by 8pm. I applaud our district officials (TN district) for this.

You are correct my TN brother! Camp meeting was excellent this year with large crowds and a streamlined service with plenty of worship and preaching. I thought of this thread listening to the CD of another camp meeting from 2006 in another district. The speaker spent 15 minutes rambling about the officials, his books he was selling, trying to be humorous, etc. Finally I shouted at the CD player, "Just preach would ya?"

It made me think about other times in my church experience where the opening remarks just wore me out. I try to keep my remarks to a minimum at home and out of town.

In addition, I heard recently that a well known camp speaker, pastor and great communicator in our movement told a friend of mine, "If I was young and had it to do all over again, I'd preach shorter sermons."

[Sandra]

What about giving honor to God and moving on. And a sermon shouldn't be longer than 30 min. We can only retain so much, some preachers just like to hear themselves talk. JMO

["GL"]

Originally Posted by Sandra

...a sermon shouldn't be longer than 30 min. We can only retain so much, some preachers just like to hear themselves talk. JMO

Yes, we should sing for one hour and limit a sermon to 30 minutes...

How long are your concerts, btw?

[NLYP]

Originally Posted by "GL"

Yes, we should sing for one hour and limit a sermon to 30 minutes...

How long are your concerts, btw?

[chseeads]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

I've got to tell you, I cannot hardly take anymore of these long drawn out opening remarks to sermons especially at special meetings like camp meetings, conferences, etc. I am all for giving honor to whom honor is due, but these long diatribes honoring EVERY SINGLE OFFICIAL and friend of the preacher that goes on for 10 minutes drives me up a wall!!!!!

Protocal is important. Thank the pastor, the Dist. Supt., the Dist. Board, sincerely and genuinely. But these long drawn out ego stroking volumes of flattery are just plain stupid! If an official is going to get their feelings hurt that they weren't mentioned, if the pastor is so shallow he needs to be praised in front of his people, if you have to feed everyone's fragile sense of self worth with a few tokens of praise or you won't get invited back, then its probably not worth it anyway.

Again, if you are truly expressing sincere gratitude and appreciation for the pastor and the leaders, that's one thing. Its easy to listen to those kinds of words. But to the listener who wants to hear the Word, to the hard working saint who is running on six hours of sleep the night previous because of overtime, to the family who has to drive 45 minutes to get to church, GIVE 'EM WHAT THEY CAME FOR---------THE PURE, UNADULTERATED WORD OF GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep the puffery and the bootlicking to a minimum---keep the focus on the LIVING WORD!

I agree with your sentiments....and not just at conferences or camps.... It can be done anytime and anyplace....

A lot of stuff that preachers get up and say is just a bunch of hot air they feel compelled to do to act like.....uh...whatever they think they're acting like.

I tire of listening to people blow smoke up everybody's behinds.

Originally Posted by chseeads

I agree with your sentiments....and not just at conferences or camps.... It can be done anytime and anyplace....

A lot of stuff that preachers get up and say is just a bunch of hot air they feel compelled to do to act like.....uh...whatever they think they're acting like.

I tire of listening to people blow smoke up everybody's behinds.

Spoken like a true preacher.