CHRISTIANS IN COMMERCE (CIC)
CIC SPEAKER PREPARATION NOTES:
It is easy to make things more complicated than they really are. To be an effective speaker for a CIC meeting, all you have to remember are five things:
1. Give Scripture of the Week
2. Put Scripture in context; Explain the culture, setting of the reading,
3. Explain what Scripture means to you – TODAY!
4. Relate a current, personal experience or story – preferably workplace oriented.
5. Provide Challenge Question
PREPARATION:
SCRIPTURE: It takes time for God to be able to work in us through his word. You can't just slam the scripture reading once and expect to get the full impact of God's word or the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Start reading the appropriate scripture at least a week before you are to speak. Each time you read it, pray that God will show you the meaning of that scripture and give you the words which will have an impact on the men at the meeting. It is also a good idea to practice reading the scripture passage out loud.
Use a concordance or chain reference Bible to explore the connections of your scripture reading to other verses in the Bible. Meditate on the scripture verse by verse. Pray through the scripture, asking God to help you to fulfill any commands and thanking him for any promises. Read the reflection from the CIC newsletter. You don't have to stick exactly with the commentary or challenge questions in the newsletter, but it is a good resource to "prime the pump" and get you thinking.
SCRIPTURE IN CONTEXT: The text, as given in the Bible, has a particular setting in the culture of the time. Therefore the text has meaning in the context of that culture and setting. When "breaking open the Word" it is necessary to understand that context, and to relate it according the accepted or standard revelation of our time. Put simply, give the background and the cultural setting of the text so all can understand why the scripture is given or what was going that this text was relevant.
SCRIPTURE MEANING TO YOU: As you pray, read, and meditate on the text, think about how you can place yourself in that scriptural setting, and what the text means to you. Don't get "preachy", or try to explain what the scripture should mean to others! Place yourself in the Word, and relate how you feel hearing it. Make believe you are hearing it for the first time, and act accordingly!
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OR STORY: This preparation is similar to the one above, but slightly different. As you pray, read, and think about any experiences in your lifewhich relate to the scripture passage, you will gradually get a clear idea of the point you wish to make and the experience in your life which you can use to illustrate it. Whenever possible, use an experience from your work environment or try to relate the experience to that environment. Speakers typically have their own way giving talks – some write out notes, some script the entire talk. Whatever your most comfortable approach is, be sure to be prepared and talk to the audience. Some speakers lose their audience by just reading their text.
People can learn the most from honest insight into how this scripture passage has impacted your life. Resist the temptation to turn this into a sermon or a survey of Bible passages on this theme. You can quote from other books or articles, but your talk should be focused around one major point which is illustrated by a story from your life. Remember that your talk should not last longer than seven minutes. Many people try to cover too much, so when you are done, go back and take out any extraneous material which doesn't clearly support the main pointyou are making. Then go back and take out some more! The result will be more focused and meaningful.
CHALLENGE QUESTION(S): The Table Discussion Question should be very practical. Remember, the discussion that will occur is intended to be memorable, and bonding for the men attending. Try to avoid the abstract. Couch the question in terms of a practical example implicated by the scripture around which you have built your talk. For the question or questions to be really challenging, they have to make men truly ponder the impact of the scripture on their lives, particularly in the marketplace. Also, keep in mind that some people may not have specific experience yet on the topic. Your question should be flexible enough – or contain a second part – to include them too. It is the Speaker’s responsibility to make up enough copies of the question so that each table can have several copies.