Feb
10
Written by:
host
2/10/2010 7:00 AM
From time to time, books tied to the larger theme of death capture our collective attention. Two recent examples, The Last Lecture and Tuesdays with Morrie, are engaging reads—not so much because they are representative examples of superb literature, but because they deal with the finality of life in a reflective and relatable way. In case you aren't familiar with them, both books are about college professors who share their wisdom with others before they died.
Although it is often near the end of our lives that we think about passing on wisdom to others, any time of life is a good moment to reflect on what one has learned and would want others to know. (After all, we are never guaranteed a tomorrow.) Today, I'd like you to consider how you might create your own "Last Lecture Series" in your own congregation, but one with a bit of a twist from the usual approach.
A Last Lecture Series is simply a forum for persons to offer what they would want their "final" presentation of their knowledge, skill, or passion to be. Although the series is called a lecture series, the presentations need not be in lecture format. Instead, individuals could present a piece of artwork, teach about a topic in an interactive way, play one or more pieces of music, preach a sermon, display photographs, demonstrate a skill, and so on. Last Lecture events are sometimes associated with institutions of higher learning. However, by changing the definition of just what sort of "lectures" you seek to offer, you immediately make it possible for many people to participate.
In a congregational setting, a Last Lecture Series could involve both persons from within the congregation as well as invited guests from other churches or the larger community. This opens up the opportunity for you to advertise the series more widely and create "buzz" within the community.
Here are 5 key things to do or remember…
- Set a standard time and place for the series, at least the first time you do such an event. This will make your publicity and process easier. A Summer Sunday school class would be a good time to try an activity like this on a trial basis, or you could schedule one a month starting this Fall.
- Set a suggested length. Ask the potential presenters to plan on a presentation of about 40-45 minutes, plus time for questions. Shorter or longer is certainly OK, though, but it's a good discipline to be able to sum things up in time frame that will hold attendees' interest.
- Encourage, but don't require, the presenters to weave their faith or spirituality into their presentation. Since the content is likely to be passion-based and delivered from the heart, this is likely to naturally happen anyway.
- Food will help make your event even more inviting and fun! Consider having a potluck or soup supper in combination with the presentations.
- Be invitational throughout each step of your planning process and promotion. Personally invite a team of people to help plan the series, to be a presenter, and to come to the event. Encourage your congregation members to personally invite a friend to attend with them, too.
You'll find LOTS of examples of "last lectures" (not by Randy Pausch) on YouTube and university websites, so I encourage you to watch a few to get a feel for what these presentations can be like. A series like this can easily become a church tradition, so have fun with it!
~ by Tim Gossett
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