Financial Partnership Development (eBook)

CHAPTER 2: PRESENTATIONS - FIVE-MINUTE WINDOW

THE FIVE-MINUTE WINDOW

As a full-time ministry worker raising support, you are often given time at your home church, other churches, or small groups to share a short presentation. This is sometimes referred to as a “five-minute window.” The five-minute window should be a natural extension of your vision statement and tagline (from Chapter 1).

Below is a guideline/outline developed by Bill Steele, a professional presentation coach. Use his well-crafted outline to develop your five-minute window.

Some video samples of church windows are also provided. The first is a three-minute window from an Assemblies of God Pre-Field Orientation. The second is prepared by Curtis Cole of Chi Alpha Ministries.

https://vimeo.com/127765460

http://youtu.be/CuZ_ruRxexY

FIVE-MINUTE WINDOW OUTLINE

FUNDAMENTALS

As you develop your window, emphasize these three persuasive fundamentals throughout your presentation:

Always balance your story and calling as you move through these three fundamentals.

THE MOTIVATED SEQUENCE

Following a short introduction on who you are and thanking your host, you will move through the following sequence:

Attention → Need and Calling → Satisfaction → Visualization → Call to Action

This outline is scalable! You can use it to develop a 30-second or 30-minute presentation.

Introduction

“Thank you so much, Pastor Smith, for inviting me to First Assembly of God. We are so excited to be with all of you and share what God is doing in India. My name is Jack, and this is my wife Katie and our two children: Sammy, who is 9, and Jane, who is 12. We are going to India for a two-year assignment as Assemblies of God World MAs and are out of the Southern Missouri District.”

When you introduce yourself, include the following:

After a short pause, proceed with your attention-grabber.

Attention

Use one of the following to begin your presentation:

Need and callings

Establish the need with logos and pathos. Subtly operate on these two levels. Endeavor to share your need with an opportunity for participation so they want to help and do something about the problem. Stir up their hearts! Telling a story of a specific individual (or your own story of how you were called) to establish need is the best way to do this. You can then develop that person’s story throughout your presentation.

From the beginning, communicate why you feel called to go to your field. The audience wants to know why you radically follow Jesus and how the Holy Spirit directed you to your field.

If you are limited in time, focus on sharing the need through a story and explain why you are going to the field.

Satisfaction

How will people’s needs be met through your ministry?

Share the details (think who, what, when, where, why) of what you and your team will do on the field.

Imagine the audience saying, “So what?” You must show how your work will meet a need. Use language involving your partnership team: “My family and our partners will be doing ____.”

Visualization

Finish with a vision statement of 10–15 seconds that leaves them wanting more. What good will happen because of the need being met? “What if God moved at …” or “Just imagine what could happen if …”

Call to Action

Finish by asking them to do specific actions in response, such as:

Tie in your personal story, the story you shared of a life changed, or an attention grabber as you conclude to give congruency to your call to action.

Always know the end goal for the conclusion of your presentation (offering, church support, individual partnership). Make sure you finish by reaching the end goal!

YOUR DELIVERY

Use visual, vocal, and verbal communication whether you are across the desk from a pastor, with a missions board, or addressing a congregation. Here are a few tips:

1. Monotone communicates a lack of excitement. Use tonal inflections that let people know you are excited about your ministry.
2. Tentative or unsure words communicate a tentative calling. Choose confident words.
3. Practice aloud. Audible practice allows you to notice parts that don’t work well, notice tentative wording, and practice tonal inflections. If you just practice in your mind, it will show unmistakably during the presentation.
4. Videos or other visual media can be compelling. If you use a video, ensure it doesn’t take up your allotted time.
5. Divide your delivery into three components:

1. Visual starts before you speak. It refers to any observable reflections of your attitude. (Remember ethos.)

1. Dress and appearance matter.
2. Be aware of your posture.
3. Movement adds a particular dynamic, so move around the stage.
4. Eye contact is critical and shows confidence. Don’t watch your notes too much.
5. Smile!
6. If you’re prone to hand gestures, ground yourself sometimes by grabbing the podium. Don’t play with things in your hands.

1. Vocal is how you communicate in your voice. Do you care? Can they tell you care?

1. Rate. Don’t talk too fast.
2. Pitch. Don’t be monotone.
3. Pause. Don’t be afraid to pause; it adds effect and gives people a chance to think.
4. Volume.

1. Verbal means to use conversational and confident language without the following:

1. Tag questions. Know what I mean?
2. Fillers like uh and um.
3. Repetitive words and phrases such as like, you know, etc.
4. Your new favorite slang words.

ADDITIONAL QUICK TIPS

1. Explain unfamiliar terms. If you are explaining unreached people groups (UPGs) or other particulars that may be unfamiliar to your audience, choose a thoughtful and creative way of explaining. Don’t assume that everyone knows what a UPG is!
2. Have stories with statistics. If you use statistics, complement them with personal stories to help relate the realities. Use statistics or historical facts sparingly, as they can be overwhelming to a listener and quickly forgotten.
3. Think about your desired outcome before creating your window. What is the main idea I want people here to leave with?
4. Use appropriate body language. Make sure your body language does not detract from your words. If you have conviction about your calling, your actions should reflect this.
5. Dress respectfully. If the pastor says you...