Do you know what Americans fear more than disease, death, or nuclear war? Studies reveal that Americans’ number one fear is public speaking. There is something about getting up in front of a group of people to speak that
unnerves even the most savvy among us. But public speaking—whether it involves preaching, presenting, sharing your testimony, or leading a small group—is a skill that can be developed. It is a necessary skill in this age of information transfer, because if we desire to make an impact in the world, the importance of effective communication cannot be overestimated.
This class is designed to help you get rid of those butterflies or at least, as Churchill once said, teach them to “fly in formation.” It will be a hands-on class with opportunities for you to put into practice the concepts you’re being taught. You learn how to prepare and organize a good speech and to incorporate rhetorical devices that work. You will also discover what doesn’t work to get your message across.
You will…
- Learn the basics of preparing content and delivery
- Integrate supporting materials
- Determine how you start…and end…effectively
- Discover the power of ‘the pause’ and other rhetorical devices
- Practice constructing, delivering, and critiquing speeches
INSTRUCTOR
Becky Toews has served in ministry for over thirty years and has studied the Bible extensively, including under the tutelage of the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer in Switzerland in 1977. As a pastor’s wife and mother of two, she understands what inspires people and what their struggles are. She is an instructor with Homeschool Academic Teaching Support (HATS) and serves as an adjunct professor of English Composition and Public Speaking at Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She has taught public speaking to high school students for the past 14 years and college students for 5 years. Becky has a widespread speaking ministry that includes various women’s conferences, churches, retreats, and university fellowships in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. She also conducts public speaking workshops at youth conferences and is the author of the Role of Women and her most recent book Virgin Snow: Leaving Your Mark in the World.
Becky received her undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, and holds a Masters of Arts in Speech from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. She is married to Chip Toews, who founded New Covenant Christian Church in Lancaster in 1982 and still remains the head pastor. The Toews have two grown children. Their daughter, Bethany, and her husband, Alan Wong, are attorneys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their son, Josiah, attends Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.