The Power of the Guest Speaker

It's no lie, I love to teach. I love it and for some reason God has opened some cool doors for me to teach all over the place. I really love teaching my youth group and I really love getting a chance to be the guest speaker on retreats, and what not.

I have always felt an infinity to speakers and teachers. I have spent years studying them, studying communication and being mentored by them. I struggle with it though. I struggle with the affect a speaker has with a group of students they don't know and may never see again. I know the affect is much smaller, much less than the relationships they have with their adults. I have spent a great deal of time as a speaker on mission trips with Adventures in Mission, so I have experienced all this first hand. Now these trips are different than the normal retreats or a one night deal that a speaker comes in and goes out. With a mission trip, I am there all week. Some what of a relationship is built, but at the end of the week everyone still goes home. Then, I really don't feel it's my place to stay in contact because I am not there youth pastor. While on the trip I always point them towards their youth pastor and leaders. Even when they want to have a serious heart to heart, I always try to point them back to their leaders, they do do life with them.

So, the affect. Now, I understand this may sound as arrogant as all get out, but I have spent the latter part of the last 10 years shying away from the gifts God has given me. And it has taken me a long time to actually realize and to come to grips with that fact, God has given me some gifts with communication. So, all that being said. I think there is some great affect and I think there is also little affect that takes place. I think one of the big ones is that a guest speaker can say things that the youth pastor has said a hundred times and finally it hits home because the speaker validates it to the students. I also think there's a whole lot of power in communication. Especially when gifts are being used, humbleness is represented and the Holy Spirit takes over. The affect can be huge. I have seen and watched students as they have "ah hah" moments where everything seems to come together in their mind, heart and soul. I also think another affect is Laughter. The most common response I get when I ask someone about a talk or message is..."it was boring". Man, when someone thinks a talk or message is boring they check out and check out big time. So, a guest teacher who has a gift of bringing forth laughter from every ounce of someone's being can have a profound affect on them.

Some of the pros. Will think about the negative affects.