The Power of Multi-sensory Preaching

A revolutionary methodology of preaching delivery is gaining momentum in the evangelical community. It is called multi-sensory because it interfaces with multiple senses. Unlike conventional preaching, which stimulates only the sense of hearing, multi-sensory communication stimulates multiple senses, i.e. the senses of hearing, seeing, touching and sometimes even smell and taste.

Welcome to the Revolution

Instead of engaging only the ears of your congregation, multi-sensory communication enables you to engage their ears, eyes and hands; and it brings more of the whole person into the learning process.

Conventional teaching engages only hearing. Multi-sensory teaching engages hearing, seeing and touch.

Identifying Characteristics

The identifying characteristic of multi-sensory preaching is the use of props, object lessons, interactive tools, video clips, drama, art, music, thematic backdrops, food, water, smells and other creative elements that stimulate sensory perception. A growing number of pastor-teachers are making use of multi-sensory communication to elevate the impact of their teaching, and they are doing so without compromising the integrity of biblical teaching.

In this series of articles, we will examine the why and how of multi-sensory preaching. We will present neurological, cognitive and theological research to show why it can elevate the level of your communication. Then, we will show how you can easily incorporate it into your preaching, especially if you are an expository preacher.

Sensitive to the Senses

Simply put, the multi-sensory teacher recognizes the senses as information receptors. In other words, the senses act as antennas, which receive information, and then transmit that information to the brain for processing, learning and action.

With that neurological fact in mind, the multi-sensory teacher aims his teaching at as many of those receptors as possible, knowing the more senses he stimulates in the teaching, the higher the levels of learning in the audience.

In addition, the multi-sensory teacher understands that people have learning preferences by which they prefer to learn and by which they learn best. Stated another way: Some people in our congregations prefer to learn by hearing; others need to see the concept in order to learn it; still many learn best by interacting with the teacher. Bible teacher John MacArthur reminds us of learning preferences when he writes: “How do you learn best? Preferences vary from person to person.”¹

The multi-sensory communicator is sensitive to individual learning preferences and strategically plans his teaching to connect with all learners in his audience, not just some of them. Recognizing that a congregation will be filled with auditory learners, visual learners and interactive learners, the multi-sensory teacher varies his teaching style and mixes verbal, visual and interactive elements in his communication.