While the term “rhetoric” carries with it several connotations, it is most closely associated with written or verbal speech. However, for most scholars of rhetoric today, the word takes on a more broad definition.

According to Kenneth Burke, rhetoric is “the human use of symbols to induce a response in other human beings.” That is, rhetoric is uniquely human. It is not limited to words; it also includes sounds, images, environments and structures.

Rhetoric is not a matter of throwing words out and seeing what sticks. It is the intentional act of inducing a response in other human beings. It is also an ongoing process, meaning that you as a participant are simultaneously both a teacher and learner.

So what does this mean for us as pastors and church leaders? Too often, when we think about message delivery, we focus only on the pastor’s sermon. I want to challenge that limited notion and encourage the view that the act of moving people toward a response begins the moment they pull into your parking lot and make their way into your sanctuary. It continues through the music, announcements, sermon, and invitation, and does not conclude until the person leaves your gathering place.

When we approach rhetoric as an act or situation that is beyond just the spoken or written word, we gain a more thorough understanding of why some people connect with us and others do not. This also allows us to see how to make changes in our approach so that we can reach people more effectively with a message that will transform their lives.

All rhetorical acts involve the same elements: communicator, audience, channel (or delivery method), message and noise. Let’s consider each of these.

Who Are You?

Who is communicating? If you think it’s just the pastor or the people on the platform, your view of the situation is too myopic.

Who is the church as an organization? What is your purpose? Who are you? From the building and grounds to the volunteers and the staff, what is your church saying to the person coming to experience your gathering? Do the words you use to describe your church agree with what your audience sees? Is there dissonance between your mission and your appearance — not just your physical surroundings but also the emotions you convey? Do you resonate and make sense to those you are trying to reach?

The act of moving people toward a response begins the moment they pull into your parking lot.

Who Is Your Audience?

Whom do you desire to see in your worship gatherings? Does your congregation reflect your neighborhood and stated mission?

If you say you are intergenerational, for example, are there people from multiple generations in the room? If so, are they interacting with one another? Who is missing? More importantly, who is not there, and why? How easy is it for those who are absent to come and find a place?

What Is Your Message, and How Is It Being Delivered?

These are the most vital questions. Again, the message includes your signage, check-ins, welcome centers, information stations, bulletins, sermon guides, music, lighting, opportunity to respond, etc. If these are not integrated and consistent, you are not delivering the message effectively.

If the various aspects of the service don’t agree, the audience is less likely to receive the sermon. The message may fail before the pastor speaks a word.

Consider whether your message is consistent in all you do. What kind of feedback are you receiving from insiders as well as outsiders? In the gathering, do the videos, lighting, order of service, music (including the lyrics and type of music), sermon, and response time fit together, or are they dissonant or — worse — contradictory?

What Is Noise, and How Do You Eliminate It?

Noise is simply anything that gets in the way of your message. It is internal and external. It is environmental. It is unavoidable. You will never reach 100 percent of your audience 100 percent of the time, in part because you will never fully eliminate those things that inhibit the communication of your message.

However, when we approach rhetoric situationally, we view those elements of the rhetorical act more thoughtfully and thoroughly. This helps eliminate some of the noise.

Viewing your worship gathering as a holistic rhetorical act allows your church to take greater ownership of how you are reaching the audience and by what means. And this takes pressure off the speaker to accomplish the entirety of the message in just the sermon. The result is that your worship gatherings will be more intentional and the intended audience more likely to respond.