Comedian Mike Goodwin. Photo by Camille Dager.
Nationally recognized comedian Mike Goodwin shared his “secret sauce” for transforming communications through humor in a Tuesday morning seminar at MC USA’s Follow Jesus ’25 national convention. He provided practical tips and insights to an overflow crowd of intergenerational attendees on how humor can bridge connections, reduce tension and enhance group dynamics.
Goodwin explained that humor is a communications tool that needs to be applied with care, especially in the beginning of a relationship with individuals or an audience.
“Humor is neutral,” he explained. “You can use it to be insulting and hurt people, or you can use your humor to be encouraging, motivating and inspiring.”
When used well, humor can help break down barriers and improve the group dynamic. “Humor has a way of bypassing the head and getting directly to the heart. When somebody makes you laugh, you feel good about that,” Goodwin explained.
He offered several tips for beginners, including:
- Know your audience.
- Get to the funny as quickly as possible by trimming extra words.
- Don’t try to be a comedian – one laugh every 10 minutes in a presentation is enough.
- Be creative in the ways you introduce humor – a story, a funny visual, etc.
- Practice.
Goodwin gave examples from his career, illustrating points by dissecting his own jokes and providing tips for dealing with awkward moments.
He explained that getting everyone in the room to laugh is not the goal. Rather, the goal is to create an atmosphere where people are comfortable enough to laugh. Goodwin also encouraged the audience to be playful, explaining that playfulness can be a refreshing surprise.
Eric Buller from North Newton, Kansas, said, “I appreciate humor and storytelling. This presentation helped me to see humor in new ways and to get techniques that can be helpful for me as a pastor.”
Drew Graber, a youth attendee from Wayland, Iowa, said that a key takeaway for her was that, “Using humor in different situations can bring people together and make it more welcoming.”
Goodwin is a comedian, speaker and leader who has performed on Dry Bar, Peacock and America’s Got Talent, to name few. His signature bowtie is a nod to his expectation-defying brand of comedy that leaves a variety of audiences laughing hysterically and completely inspired. Learn more about Mike here: www.mikegoodwin.com/
Mennonite Church USA is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, founded in 2002 by the merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church. Members of this historic peace church seek to follow Jesus by rejecting violence and resisting injustice. MC USA’s Renewed Commitments state the following shared commitments among its diverse body of believers: to follow Jesus, witness to God’s peace and experience the transformation of the Holy Spirit. Mennoniteusa.org
Written by Cami Dager.