Two Kinds of Preaching
Preaching is the art form of communicating the Good News to an audience of listeners. Preaching of all kinds needs to be relatable and relevant to the listener to be effective and purposeful. Preaching has the ability to inspire and change hearts, or it can confuse and alienate people. To preach effectively one needs to understand the two variations of preaching. All preaching boils down to two main styles: textual and topical.
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Textual
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According to Dennis Sy, pastor of Victory Greenhills Church and teacher of church planting techniques, "Textual preaching is preaching on a section of the Bible without preaching the entire book of the Bible." This style of preaching is typically seen in churches that go through a series at a time that focuses for a few weeks or months on one section of the Bible. For example, many churches will have a series that focuses on the Exodus to address issues of faith, trust and God's faithfulness.
Topical
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Topical preaching differs from textual preaching in that it doesn't focus on one area of the Bible. Instead it takes a topic like love and uses various scriptures throughout the Bible to teach on love. The preacher may use the love found in Song of Songs, the story of Jesus' love and the love spoken of in 1 John to give a comprehensive understanding of love's depth. This style may use the series approach as well or could be different week to week.
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Approach
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Both textual and topical preaching can use various approaches. Some use the lecture approach, where the audience is captive and the preacher simply lectures on the text or subject matter. In this approach the audience is viewed as students and the preacher is the teacher. The usual approach in many contemporary churches is the common-man approach. This approach is found in many Protestant churches, wherein the preacher comes down to the level of the people and makes the sermon relatable and engaging through casual conversation, drama and other object lessons.
Delivery
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Textual preaching is usually delivered in a more formal format. It uses the standard flow of a conventional speech: opening, body and conclusion. It is more systematic in delivery because its very nature is more specific and detailed. Topical preaching, on the other hand, tends to be more free-flowing and off the cuff. It still holds to basics of public speaking but allows for more creativity.
Preparation
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According to biblicalstudies.com, preparation for both preaching types begins with prayer and personal experience. The best place to gather information for a sermon that will be inspirational and effective begins in the heart of the preacher. Although textual preaching seems more structured it still needs to begin in the soul of the one delivering the message, otherwise the sermon will be flat and unrelatable.
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