John Catanzaro

The Preacher’s Voice series: Click | View Series There are primarily four areas of concern when it comes to the use and care of the preacher’s voice:

• Strain
• Tension
• Digestion
• Immune Health

Strain

Preaching is not the only thing preachers do. They teach, counsel, speak at different events, and have casual conversations. You might see your preacher at a sports event yelling with excitement on Saturday, but then he’ll be preaching on Sunday. Or you may see your bi-vocational rock star preacher jamming on Saturday, but then preaching Sunday morning, which contradicts all principles of healthy voice care. Whether jamming or preaching your voice needs to rest and recover. Strain is the number one killer of the preacher’s voice, and the number one cause of strain is lack of a proper night’s sleep. When we sleep, the brain recovers from the previous day’s activity, as does the voice. Relaxation, gentle conversation, and proper rest and recovery of the voice are essential elements for planned healthy voice projection like preaching.

Tips to Preventing Voice Strain

• Rise early and drink warm liquid, such as water with fresh lemon juice.
• Do not have a large meal before speaking.
• Exercise early and lightly on the day of preaching.
• Do not nap before public speaking.
• Stay calm and avoid strain the night before preaching.
• Do some light public speaking before preaching.
• Pronounce words clearly and distinctly; mispronounced words cause strain.
• Keep room temperature water with you and sip throughout preaching.
• Do not force excitement; let it come naturally.
• Adequately test the PA system before preaching.
• Do not use excessive bass in the PA system.
• Change up your pace during the message.
• Rest your voice after preaching.

Preach Jesus clearly, firmly, and lovingly, with conviction, grace, and action. Mostly, preach in faith with a loud and healthy voice. To be continued