28 Ways to Create Great Segues: #28

By Jon Nicol

#28: The Introduction

For the last few installments of the segue series, we’ve focused on segues to the sermon. I’ve suggested video, music, scripture, prayer, pyrotechnics and origami demonstrations. OK, so we didn’t use the last two, but those would be really cool. Unless you did them on the same Sunday. Then it’s just a fire hazard.

For the final segue to the message (and overall final segue, unless I go past this randomly chosen number of 28), we’re going to talk about the Introduction.

This is the oldest segue known to man. When the population of the earth doubled during a nap, it was an introduction that segued history:

God: Adam, while you were asleep, I made you something.

Adam: Awesome, God, what is it? And why does my side feel funky?

God: Oh, um, I think you slept on it wrong. Nevermind that. I’d like you to meet Eve.

Adam: Whoa, dude!

God: Actually, wo-man. Now go try out the “Be Fruitful and Multiply” app I installed in you two. It’s better than Angry Birds.

And thus began the first (and only) relationship on earth that didn’t involve head games. At least for a while.

Here are some reasons to use an introduction:

Guest Guessing Game
If you’re visiting a church and some guy just gets up and starts preaching, you kinda’ assume he’s the pastor. But it’s still nice to know.

Pavlov’s Pastor
In most of our churches, we’ve conditioned our folks to expect a certain what and who and when. When the “what” comes (the message) and it’s the wrong “who” (the youth pastor), there’s an oh-so-slight disconcerting moment. (Unless you think the youth pastor’s an idiot – then you’re just plain tweaked and wished you had stayed home and logged on to North Point. But Andy Stanley probably would have been preaching on forgiveness and grace so you could get over thinking the youth pastor’s an idiot.)

The introduction really is a favor to both the guest speaker and the congregation.

Bad Wrap
It’s a great way to transition out of another “talking” element, like the announcements. When someone besides the senior pastor does announcements, that person often doesn’t know how to wrap.

“So yeah, there’s the announcements. I think that’s all we have. Anything else? No? Um, OK then. Well, thanks for listening. I’m going to go sit over there by my wife now…."

A simple fix is to give the announcement guy something concrete to end his time. “While Pastor Smith is coming up, open your Bibles to Matthew 18 as we continue our series on forgiving people you think are idiots.”

The above illustrates a call-to-action (“open your Bibles”) with a quick summary of the topic or series. This can work well as an introduction. It gives the pastor and the congregation a moment to settle in to the beginning of the message.

What doesn’t always work so well is the Late Show-esque “and now let’s welcome our pastor!!!” If no one claps, it’s a little awkward. And most pastors I know would NOT want to be intro’d like that.

If he does, bad segues are the least of that church’s problems.

(post graphic: Sigurd Decroos, Stock.xchng.com)