A few months ago, I wrote a post on 5 “rules” for being onstage and I thought I had to give it an update.
Have Fun. Having fun isn’t something that you do just for you, but for the audience as well. If you’re not having fun, they aren’t having fun. Sometimes I think we focus way too much on trying to be funny when we need to be focusing far more on having fun. When you play games, keep in mind that you are creating memories with your youth group. Laugh with each other. Don’t freak out when things don’t go as planned. Turn those mistakes into moments. Laugh at yourself, laugh at the hiccups, and just have a great time.
Timing is Huge. When you are onstage, you have to be paying attention to the clock. I think we will agree that we would never want our stage time to “drag” or be boring. A great way to avoid that is to time things out. Always look out for ways to “tighten up” your time by cutting out unnecessary sentences and filler talk. Have a rough idea of how long the segments of your stage spot should take. For example, if you’re doing 3 announcements at the open of service, know roughly how long each will take. (Note: Unless we have a video to go along with it, a single announcement for us rarely lasts more than 30 seconds). For things like games, always be thinking about pacing–never spend too much time on any one part (explaining rules, intro-ing contestants, etc.). When in doubt, feel it out. Feel the mood of the room, if you feel like you are losing them, wrap it up!
Be Mindful of Your Body (Follow-Up). Look out for your nervous body habits. Everyone does something without thinking about it. A lot of people do “pretzel feet,” which happens when they cross their legs while standing. Do what you can to prevent any distracting body movements. For example, if you are sitting on a stool for something, make sure it isn’t a spinning stool. It is incredibly tempting to move back and forth and spin on something like that. Those body habits seem harmless, but they can be distracting and keep us from fully engaging. Be aware of what you are doing. If you don’t know what “your thing” is, ask a friend after you get off stage or even ask someone to record you.
What are some things you would add to the list?
Colton
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