Timer for Public Speaking

As a pastor I speak in public each week.  I need something to keep me aware of elapsed time while giving my sermon.  What I am offering here would help anyone who must speak before an audience and, yet, stay within time constraints.  The photo was taken by a friend at one of our worship services while visiting us. 

(Photo by Günter Peters of Wiesede, Germany)

Step 1 Use a wristwatch?

Many simply take off their wristwatch and lay it on the pulpit or podium.  In my case, my sermon does not start at exactly the same time each Sunday.  Sometimes special events are inserted between the beginning of the service and the sermon.  And, I would need to make extra effort to remember where the minute hand is when I begin.  Also, the pulpit or podium may be slanted and the watch would slide down, maybe even fall off onto the floor once it begins to slide.

Comments

[Warlrosity]

I made something similar a while ago, and this makes me want to go find it.v I really like this

[Phil B]

Thank you for looking and thank you for your comment. Many of us will likely find ourselves speaking before an audience more often than we expect during our lifetimes. I am glad you like it. If you needed to carry a timer like this to a place where you would be speaking, it would be possible to make it more fancy and add a lucite case. It would also be possible to add more markings on it, for say 10 minutes or 5 minutes, etc.

[skunkbait]

Cool timer!!! I heard (it HAD to be a joke), of a minister who timed his sermons to match the melting of the mint/lifesaver that he'd place in his mouth at the beginning of each sermon. He accidentally placed a button (from his jacket pocket), in his mouth, and finally (after 1 hr and 20 min) a deacon had to give him the "times up" signal from the back of the sanctuary.

[Phil B]

Thank you, Barry. I have heard the same joke. I have been trying to include a joke in our church newsletter each month. There are some good religious or church jokes on the Internet. I will send you a couple by private message. This timer has been very helpful to me. I am surprised it has received as many views as it has. Perhaps more people are called upon for public speaking than I imagined.

[skunkbait]

I think the thing about public speaking is the "fear factor". I think public speaking is the "number 1" phobia in the US. I occasionally tell the church how I ended up in ministry: When I was 3,4 and 5 years old, I HATED going to church. I think I even threatened to burn the building down!!!! I would rather be taken outside and recieve a spanking (remember when people used to do that?), than be stuck in there with "that guy" (the preacher) telling unfunny jokes, pointing out sins, and occasionally shouting to make a point , (and all the while, my parents or grandparents telling me to "hush"!!!)..... Then I realized, if I was the minister, I could stand up, tell unfunny jokes, and raise my voice (I'm still not a shouter), anytime I wanted, and there's nothing my folks could do about it!

[Phil B]

Barry, I do not know that I hated going to church. I remember being very bored one Sunday about age 4 and I acted out. My parents gave me several warnings. Then they took me out and broke a Playschool desk over me. Worse than that, they locked me in the car for the duration (a '39 Pontiac) and I was embarrassed for others to see me when they were leaving for their cars. Phil

[skunkbait]

That is sooooo funny! Many years ago, I was once exiled (to a '67 Pontiac Executive), after "Sunday School" but before "Worship Services". I was a very eager participant in pre-school Bible class, (always answered Bible questions, and proposed a few questions of my own), but somehow that vocally displayed enthusiasm was not appreciated during the sermon!

[Phil B]

When I published this Instructable I expected some comments from people who no longer go to church and want to justify that based on boring sermons, too much talk about money, hypocrites in the church, and all of the usual things we hear. I did not expect to be discussing youthful indiscretions with another preacher. Here is a story told to us in a class. A man was speaking on a very hot day at a commencement. The entire audience gave him none of their attention and he knew it. But, there was one man in a back row who focused on the speaker. The speaker focused on this intent listener just to get through the ordeal. Afterward the speaker found the man to thank him for his attention. It was then that the speaker learned the man was both deaf and dumb.

[ticker11]

Here's a small add to your hack -- Most used alkaline AA cells from other toys will have a year or more of continuous "Clock Power" left in them, so you'd never even have to buy a new cell for this nifty rig.

[Phil B]

Thank you for the suggestion. I have a 3 volt digital calculator/clock on my desk. It normally uses two expensive button batteries. I built a little stand for it and placed a four place battery holder under the stand. Three depleted alkalines have 1 volt each remaining. Ganging them together with a dummy shunt in the fourth battery bay runs that calculator/clock for a year or more. I had not considered trying that on this timer, but the battery in it has a 2002 date on it and still works fine!

[rimar2000]

Clever, Phil. You are a compulsive inventor!!

[Phil B]

Thank you, Osvaldo. I did this a few years ago.