Feedback provides a tremendous opportunity to grow as a communicator. When we preach, we often gauge our effectiveness solely by the look on the faces of our audience. That can be very misleading. Getting clear feedback from a sermon can clear any doubts you have about how you’re doing as a preacher.

But most of the time the only feedback we get is a quick pat on the back and a, “Great job!” Or worse, it’s a long, drawn-out email that gives a line-by-line critique of your sermon.

Neither of those is very helpful. Maximizing your feedback will help you improve your speaking skills, gauge your audience’s engagement with the sermon and prepare you for future topics you may want to cover. But this is easier said than done. So, how do we do it? Here are some things to keep in mind as you set up a feedback process for your sermons.

There are three groups of people you should be seeking feedback from. Think of them as concentric circles.

The Inner Circle
The inner circle is those closest to you. This can be a spouse, your children, other family members or close friends. With this group you can get feedback on the ride home from church or over lunch that afternoon.

A quick coffee on Monday morning with your best friend could be the best place to get feedback. This type of feedback can be immediate and it is often the most trustworthy. It is also the least formal – perhaps a quick text or a few short notes by email. But it is usually very reliable since it’s coming from a very trusted source that has your best interests in mind.  

Your Team and Staff
The next group is your staff team. This can either be the whole staff or just a select few. If your team is large enough, you should have a small group dedicated to handling all aspects of the weekend worship service. This would include worship leaders, sound techs and anyone communicating a message from the church. Open with the “wins” for each area. After that, work through any opportunities you noticed from Sunday. Set a time limit on critiques — say, five minutes — that way no one person feels their area is being singled out for complaints.

Open with the “wins” for each area. After that, work through any opportunities you noticed from Sunday.

In this setting, each member should feel free to express his or her opinions, knowing his or her work will also be closely examined. Open with the “wins” for each area. After that, work through any opportunities you noticed from Sunday.

Your Congregation
Finally, it’s wise to get feedback from the entire congregation from time to time. Depending on the type of response you’re looking for, there are a variety of ways to elicit comments from your audience. The simplest way is to have a “comments” or “feedback” box where people can write an anonymous message to you. A more public option would be a panel of select members or an open Q and A where people can respond to your sermons.

To get feedback in real time, use social media and ask your audience to respond to you directly or use a hashtag. They can also reply through a connect card in the offering. Or better yet, survey your audience. Not only can you get critiques and suggestions for sermons, but you also get a sense of where you audience sits on certain issues or topics. That way you can design your future sermons in such a way to engage them where they are.

All of these suggestions are good ways to ask for feedback, but without cultivating a culture of feedback those around you may not feel safe in giving you their opinion. When you show a willingness to hear both good and bad, you let them know you appreciate what they have to say. Creating a culture of feedback requires two things: A teachable spirit and tough skin.

Showing a willingness to learn lets people know you really want their feedback. This will require listening to multiple viewpoints and deciding which ones will sharpen you and which ones are dull. You also have to get tough in order to hear hard things. It goes without saying that you are invested in your sermon. But chances are you have a favorite passage, a favorite point or a favorite story that others think fell short. Tough skin will allow you to shake off discouragement and make your sermons the best they can be.

Sometimes the hardest things to hear are criticisms and compliments. But great communicators learn to take receive both with grace. Feedback can be an essential key in using both of those elements to sharpen your sermon skills.