Introducing a pastor visiting from another parish or with a special message to spread can seem daunting if you’ve never done it. Still, you can take a few basic steps to ensure everything goes smoothly and your audience and speaker get the most out of the event.
For example, “Today we are blessed to have Pastor Jones here to share a message with us. When I was in seminary, Pastor Jones was a huge encouragement to me personally, as he and his wife invited me over to supper every month and showed a real personal interest in my life.”
Take the time to surf through our catalog right here on Churchgists for prompt information on how to introduce a speaker in church sample, how to introduce a pastor before he preaches, scriptures to introduce a pastor, and so much more.
Format of a Sample Pastor’s Biography:
- Name: Pastor John Smith
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Theology from XYZ University
- Ordination: Ordained in 2005
- Ministry Experience: 15 years of experience in pastoral ministry
- Church Affiliation: Member of ABC denomination
- Family: Married with two children
Items in a Sample Pastor’s Welcome Message:Greetings:Welcome to XYZ Church! We are delighted to have you join us on this journey of faith.
Introduction:
I am Pastor John Smith, and I feel blessed to serve as the shepherd of this congregation.
Mission:Our mission at XYZ Church is to spread the love of God, grow in faith, and serve our community.
Values:
Services:
| Sunday Worship: | 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM |
|---|---|
| Midweek Service: | Wednesday at 7:00 PM |
Contact Information:
If you have any questions or need support, feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call (555) 123-4567.
Sample Introduction Of A Pastor
Keep It Short; Do Some Homework
Tempting as it is to make each event a teaching moment, if you’re introducing a guest speaker or a pastor, the best service you can do for them and your audience is to allow them as much time to speak as possible. Visiting pastors are with you and your congregation for a reason, and you want to get the most out of their visit. As such, briefly introduce the speaker by name, state why they are here and state their qualifications for speaking at this event, then let your guest have the stand.
Out of respect, don’t summarize the speaker’s points before or after the speech. That’s why the speaker is visiting, after all, and belaboring on the topics will only make your audience bored and inattentive.
Additional Tips for Introducing a Guest Preacher
Talk to your speaker before introducing her, and make sure you pronounce her name and the names of her relevant institutions correctly. In advance, ask if there’s a specific qualification or topic she would prefer you stress or avoid, for whatever reason.
Keep anecdotes minimal, if any, and make them relevant to the speaker’s topic or qualifications. Just as you wouldn’t want to be introduced in a professional setting as someone who “once ate five bagels at brunch in front of me,” your audience doesn’t need to know that the speaker spilled your drink at the conference where you met, even if that is how you first encountered each other.
Sample Introduction Of A Guest Pastor
Following the above guidelines should help you introduce any guest speaker smoothly, but a general outline can help get you started. A sample introduction from guest preachers can go a long way toward making you feel comfortable in front of an audience, since you won’t have to think about what to say.
“As you know, (TOPIC) is a major issue in the world today. We see it in our communities, discuss it with our friends and neighbors, and struggle with it personally. (TITLE) (NAME) is here with us from (HOME or INSTITUTION) to talk about (TOPIC). He has spent (X AMOUNT OF TIME) counseling (GROUP), organizing (CHARITY) and has spoken across (NUMBER OF LOCATIONS) dealing with this, and we’ve invited him here to talk to us today. Some of you may have read his book (TITLE) or seen videos of him speaking at (EVENT). (TITLE & NAME) will be visiting with us for (HOWEVER LONG), and (WILL/WON’T) be available after the service to answer any of your questions. Let’s all welcome him to our community.”
It is important to look at the audience while speaking, except when inviting the speaker to the podium. Remain at the platform until the speaker arrives, perhaps starting the welcoming applause, and shake her hand warmly before stepping back to allow her the attention of your audience. After your guest’s speech, thank her again for her time and guidance before either continuing the service or wrapping up early to allow mingling and discussion.
How to Introduce a Pastor to the Congregation
When a visiting pastor is preaching at your church, there are several good ways to make the pastor feel welcome. It is important to make the pastor comfortable, but also, in the process of introducing him, convince people to open their minds and listen to the message he is bringing.
Speak briefly to the impact the pastor has had on your own life. If he was ever a mentor, encourager, friend or inspiration to you, let the congregation know that. For example, “Today we are blessed to have Pastor Jones here to share a message with us. When I was in seminary, Pastor Jones was a huge encouragement to me personally, as he and his wife invited me over to supper every month and showed a real personal interest in my life.”
…
Give a quick background on the pastor and her regular ministry. If she pastors a church, is a traveling evangelist, or has done overseas missions, this is the time to share it. The congregation will feel more connected and ready to listen when they know something about her life and ministry.
…
Invite the pastor to come to the front. A simple gesture of the hand, a smile, and a “Pastor Jones!” is all that is needed. If appropriate, wait at the front for the pastor to come to the podium; this is much more personal than returning to your seat while he is walking to the front. A hearty handshake or a warm hug is also appropriate, as it not only makes the pastor feel welcome but also assures the congregation that you endorse this person and the message he is about to share with them.
Ways To Introduce Your New Pastor To Your Church & Community
You’ve gotten through the potentially stressful Pastor search process, found a candidate who is a great fit, extended an offer, and successfully hired a new Senior Pastor. Congratulations! All of your work is over, right?
Well, not quite. Once the offer is accepted, part of “landing the plane” is introducing your new Lead Pastor to your church staff, congregation, and community. This is an exciting time for both your new Pastor and your church body, and it’s also a pretty important one. How a Senior pastor—and the entire family—is introduced and welcomed to your church sets the tone for their time there.
How To Introduce A Pastor To The Pulpit
Here are 5 tips for how to introduce your new Senior Pastor to your church team, congregation, and surrounding community.
1. Assign a point person.
It’s easy for any introduction events to be overlooked if there isn’t someone specifically responsible for making sure they happen. Be sure to appoint one person to oversee all of the introduction activities. One of the most obvious choices for this person is your Pastor Search Committee Chairperson or the person on your church staff in charge of communications and/or events.
2. Get the big announcement out there!
Ideally, you have communicated well with the church staff and the congregation throughout the Pastor search process. The introduction announcement is your final piece of communication. If, throughout the process, your primary means of communicating has been through church-wide email, then your first step is to email the church body to announce to them that the new leader has been hired. If your primary means of communication has been through announcements, slides, or a church bulletin, then use those.
If you haven’t already done so during the final interview process, include pictures and information about the new Pastor and his family so that your congregation can begin to get to know him. Where are they from? Where did they go to school? How long have they been married? What ages are the children? Where has the Pastor served previously? What are some of their hobbies? Also include why the new Senior Pastor is excited to become their new leader.
One great way to do this, if you have the capacity, is to create an introduction video with your new leader and their family. That way, your Pastor can introduce themselves and their family and say in their own words why they are looking forward to joining your church team. Have fun with this!
3. Hold a commissioning or welcoming service.
Some churches have a commissioning service or special welcoming service to announce their new Lead Pastor. It’s a time to praise God for who he’s brought to your church, prayerfully seek his direction for the next season of ministry, and hear your new leader preach their first sermon as your Senior Pastor.
Note: Throughout the introduction process, it’s vitally important that the spouse and family also feel very welcome. Taking a new job, moving, and switching churches and schools can take quite an emotional toll on a family, and they may not feel all of the “welcoming” that your new Pastor feels in his limelight. Go out of your way to make the spouse and children feel very included, cared for, and welcome.
4. Host a special staff dinner or two. Or ten.
Though your new Senior Pastor will be leading an entire church body, they will be leading and interacting with the church staff more directly. Make sure you host an event—or several—that gives your new Pastor the chance to get to know their new team. This can be done in large and/or small group settings.
5. Get social!
Once the new Senior Pastor has been introduced to the church staff and congregation, it’s time to get the word out to your community. Announce your new Pastor on your website, on all of your social media accounts (if you don’t have a Facebook and/or Twitter page yet, it’s time), in a press release to your local newspaper, and/or in an interview on your local faith-based radio station. Again, be sure to include visual elements like pictures and videos as much as possible. Getting the word out there may even attract more visitors to your church.
One final note: As you plan special dinners, services, receptions, videos, etc. for your new leader and their family, be sure to inform all involved of the plans, and schedule everything ahead of time so that the family can prepare accordingly.
How To Introduce A Speaker In Church Sample
Invite the pastor to come to the front. A simple gesture of the hand, a smile, and a “Pastor Jones!” is all that is needed. If appropriate, wait at the front for the pastor to come to the podium; this is much more personal than returning to your seat while he is walking to the front. A hearty handshake or a warm hug is also appropriate, as it not only makes the pastor feel welcome, but assures the congregation that you endorse this person and the message he is about to share with them.
Give a quick background on the pastor and her regular ministry. If she pastors a church, is a traveling evangelist, or has done overseas missions, this is the time to share it. The congregation will feel more connected and ready to listen when they know something about her life and ministry.
How To Introduce Yourself As A Pastor
Even before you start speaking to an audience, you should know that good introductions are crucial to effective speeches and presentations because an audience assesses the caliber of a speaker right from the start.
A rule of thumb suggests that an audience’s assessment of a speaker is largely formed in the first 30 seconds of a talk. You can get those 30 seconds off to a good start by providing a sparkling introduction.
Create the right atmosphere for a speaker to be well received by the audience from the start through a
sparkling introduction. It is remarkable how many introducers ramble when they introduce a speaker – they
give their life history. In fact, words of introduction are fumbled more than any other aspects of a speech
because the introducer doesn’t know how to do it well.
Maximum impact comes from a concise introduction, when the audience is told why the speaker was invited.
This approach cuts out the fumbling background information that is given in many introductions. The safest
approach for an introduction is to write out a script (sample below) below.
The recommended way to make an introduction of a speaker is:
Introduction of Guest Speaker Sample Script
- Be brief. It’s not necessary to speak for more than one minute – preferably less
- Speak informally – as you would to good friends. Look around the audience.
- Be enthusiastic about your task. Make your introduction sparkle. You owe it to the person you are
introducing and to your audience to be animated in your brief talk. Act as though it is a real privilege to
introduce this speaker – feel happy about it – talk with real excitement. - Avoid Stale Phrases such as: “It is indeed a pleasure … a man who needs no introduction … we are
gathering here tonight …” Also, avoid giving the Speaker false starts by announcing their name too
many times during the introduction. - Above all, be warm and sincere.
Here is a proven “TIPS” formula to use for a 30-60 second introduction.
Topic Firstly, speak of the topic, giving the exact title of the talk.
Importance Tell the audience why this topic is important to them.
Present Speaker Tell the audience your speaker’s qualifications. As the final two or three words of your
introduction, give the speaker’s name. Be sure to say it clearly and distinctly.
SAMPLE: Imagine you are due to introduce John Smith, a certified public accountant, as speaker at a
business lunch. You can’t go wrong with this (unless you read it verbatim and in a clumsy way!):
T (Topic) “Today we are here to listen and learn on ‘How to avoid the mistakes of
unsuccessful businesses.”
I (Importance) “In its latest business survey last month, the Bureau of Statistics reported that
unsuccessful businesses fail for three main reasons. Since we are all business
people, we are eager to learn how we can avoid these three pitfalls and ensure our
businesses remain viable.”
PS (Present Speaker) “Our speaker has had a distinguished career in accounting. Seven of his articles
have been published in The Accounting Review and The Journal of Accounting
Practice, and he is on the board of the National Institute of Chartered Accountants.
He has studied the Bureau’s report and has some important advice for us today.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome [pause]” or, “I am pleased to present
[pause] JOHN SMITH!”
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Distinguish Yourself When You Introduce a Speaker
If you give it careful thought and preparation you will make the Speakers presentation even more successful …
and as a bonus you will also establish your professionalism as an introducer.
REMEMBER an introduction serves two purposes: - It acts as a bridge, a transition from one part of a meeting to another. It gives the audience time to make
a mental and emotional shift. - It prepares people for the speaker, heightening their sense of openness and anticipation.
Your task is to introduce the speaker, not to take center stage. The spotlight is on you for only a few moments
so that you can help make it shine … where it really belongs, the speaker. So keep it brief. For informal
gatherings 30 seconds is plenty. For larger events, aim for no longer than a minute. Under certain conditions –
for a very formal event with a very important speaker — you may need two minutes. - Research.
If at all possible, talk to the speaker at least a week in advance of the event. Find out what he or she will be
talking about and why it has relevance to your audience. Then learn as much as you can about the speaker’s
experience, education, life, interests, and accomplishments — whatever helps establish the speaker’s credibility
on the topic he or she is addressing.
NOTE: Many speakers can send you a resume or their own written introduction. Be sure you receive it in plenty
of time to review to help you prepare your own remarks, but do not read it verbatim. (It is usually too long and
self-aggrandizing.)
Lastly, and MOST IMPORTANTLY make sure you know how to pronounce the speaker’s name. - Prepare a 3-part outline.
A good introduction tells people why the speaker is talking about this subject at our event.
The first part of your introduction should state a common issue or interest that the audience shares.
The second part briefly (in a sentence or two) states how today’s presentation will help them solve that issue or
help enhance their interests even further.
And the third part of your introduction establishes the speaker’s credentials — convinces the audience that the
speaker knows what he or she is talking about. - Your performance.
Walk to the podium with confidence. Arrange your notes quickly and adjust the microphone, so that you mouth
will be close enough to it. Take a breath. Look at the audience and smile.
Your skillful introduction will create a pleasant harmony between subject, audience, occasion, and speaker. And
then comes your critical moment as an introducer-the moment of presentation. At the end of the last sentence of
your introduction, with a climactic intonation of unmistakable finality, announce your speaker’s name. Announce
it clearly and with sharply increased volume. Continue to face the microphone and your audience as you deliver
the speakers name, so that their name is not lost through a premature turn of your head. Then swing swiftly
about and face your speaker with an alert expression of friendly welcome on your face. Remain standing in this
position until the speaker rises and acknowledges your introduction.
ALWAYS remain at the podium until the speaker arrives. Shake their hand and step back from the podium,
handing it over symbolically to the speaker. Then sit down.