Preach Magazine Issue 5 - Preaching to the unconverted | Page 35

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KATE BOTTLEY

Picking where to pitch it
Back in July I did what many preachers have to do, and
made the round of leavers’ services and speech days.
Being an education chaplain, former teacher, and
‘that vicar off the telly’, I get invited to speak at more
than my fair share of leavers’ services. So I found
myself invited to our local independent school
to impart some wisdom to those departing for
educational pastures new.

N

ow despite going to a state
comprehensive, my secondary
school had delusions of
grandeur and so as a former
head girl (don’t laugh) I was pretty
confident I would know how this
speech day lark worked. The head
teacher called me in before the ‘gig’
to explain the running order and to
helpfully suggest what I might like
to focus on in my talk. The speech
day is a chapel event so as well
as kids, parents, and governors,
there would be local dignities and
representatives from the academy
group the school belongs to,
although one did not join us because
of his objection to an ordained
woman being asked to speak. *sigh*
I prepared the talk, a few visual aids,
a story and a fairly robust biblical
point, but I just didn’t know where
to aim it. I knew that the kids had
seen me in assembly before and
knew what to expect, so it was the
grown-ups I was worried about.
There would be parents expec [