Communicating To Make a Difference

I was recently stirred by Earl Creps' comments from one of his recent posts. He said, "The typical person hearing a Christian sermon on Sunday is positively stuffed with messages and media received all week long. Rather than being like a cup of cold water in the desert, a talk at church can feel like a cup of cold water thrown into the ocean. Something about how we talk should answer the question, 'What kind of world is this, and how does God make a difference in how I fit into it?' That's certainly not the only question, but it is one we (I) sometimes overlook."

Whether you're wanting to impart vision to your small group, Bible study group, Kid's class or church, you have to take the time to think through how to make your points memorable. It's not about being "creative" though creativity is helpful, it's about discerning how to work along side the Holy Spirit in what He wants to communicate. I've found the following things helpful to me personally in this venture.

1. If what I'm communicating has been worked out in my life personally by the Spirit, I'm much more passionate and convinced about the need for others to experience it as well. There is no substitute for passion rooted in Holy Spirit conviction.
   
2. I involve others in helping me. I'm always asking other people for their thoughts about how to communicate my thoughts effectively and memorably.
   
3. Begin preparation ahead of time. If you wait till the last minute you're sunk! Thinking through what I need to say (and how to say it) ahead of time affords me a good deal of opportunity to interact with the Holy Spirit and others in regard to the topic at hand.
   
4. I learn from how others do it. Over the years I've come to grips with the fact that I'm not Terry Virgo, Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, Bill Hybels, Mark Batterson or Perry Noble (just to name a few), nor will I ever be like them. However, there are things I can learn from great communicators such as these. I subscribe to podcasts, blogs and e-newsletters, not as a replacement for communion with the Spirit of God, but as a humble acknowledgment that I'm not there yet.