THE AGONY AND ECSTASY OF FEEDBACK
John Vawter
July 1, 1987
My preaching was getting better and better. People were captivated by my sermons every Sunday. I was nearing my maximum potential as a Christian communicator-at least I thought so. My wife brought me crashing back to reality. "Darling, you have developed a couple of bad habits during your sermons that really detract from your content and presentation." Feedback. . . ouch! I genuinely recoiled at the suggestion that I needed improvement. I was not at all certain I wanted to hear what she had to say. It was easier to see the church growing-almost every Sunday-than to acknowledge I needed to refine my skills. Yet feedback is necessary, and we grow through it. But it is not always pleasant. When I finally listened to my wife, I realized she was right. I had developed a habit of clapping my hands together to emphasize points. It seemed a nice touch, but I was hitting one ring against the other and creating a loud, irritating clank. And to help people through difficult points of Scripture, I was pointing to my head and saying, "We've got to think through this truth together." Hey, those were terrific gestures! I developed them myself. I had not stolen them from anyone! I really liked them. Little did I know they were driving the congregation crazy. And no one would tell me except my wife. In search of evaluation
With this in mind, and as part of a study program, I asked for evaluation of my preaching skills. I mailed evaluation forms to thirty-five people in the church whom I thought would be candid. Each one had heard at least two years' worth of my sermons. The cover letter explained the project and emphasized my commitment to anonymity-no names on the surveys, stamped return envelopes. My initial reaction to the feedback was anger and ...
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