When most people think of preaching, they first think of its audible qualities. The preacher speaks, and his audience listens. But the effectiveness of preaching is not limited to sound. Ministers can also preach to the eyes.

In 2005, Preaching Today conducted a survey of 442 pastors that revealed the following statistics and opinions of using visual aids:

• 70% of the pastors surveyed not only use visual aids in their preaching on a regular basis, but love using them as well
• 3.5% of the pastors felt obligated to use visual aids
• 90% (roughly) of the pastors felt that using visual aids enhances the sermon
• 70% (roughly) of the pastors use PowerPoint graphics and backgrounds
• 65% (roughly) of the pastors use Video/DVD clips from feature films
• 45% (roughly) of the pastors use video produced by people in the church
• 35% (roughly) of the pastors use video from websites
• 92% of the pastors who weekly used visual media delegated to someone else to operate the necessary equipment
• 62% of the pastors who weekly used visual media always had something on the screen
• 61% of the pastors reported experiencing technical problems “almost never”
• 1% of the pastors reported experiencing technical problems “very often”

If you are a preacher and have not yet considered using visual aids, maybe you should. If used properly, visual aids can greatly enhance a message. Of course, your church can communicate without words even while away from the pulpit. For more on that subject, read Church Relevance’s November 2005 newsletter.