Effective Communication

Communication. It is a single word. A simple word. But in our increasingly complex society, learning to communicate effectively is harder than ever. One reason communication has gotten more difficult is because the number of ways we communicate with others keeps growing. In the old days it was just word of mouth and printed materials. Then we added websites and emails. Now we live in a Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Text Message, 200 channels of cable TV, non-stop 24 hour a day media blitz universe! Honestly, most of us, especially those of us over 40, find it all so hard to keep up with.

As ministry leaders, it is tempting to just ignore it all and pretend we still live in the stone ages when putting an announcement in the church newsletter was all we needed to do. But that is a temptation we cannot give into. Without good communication, people will not know what our church or ministry is trying to accomplish. If they do not know what we are trying to accomplish, then they cannot pray, volunteer or give to help fulfill the vision God has given us.

If we want to rally others to the causes God has put upon our hearts, we cannot ignore emerging communication systems, nor can we only focus on one type of communication. As hard as it is, we have to learn how to manage multiple communication systems on a regular basis. Good communication can make or break a business, a non-profit organization, a church, or a regional ministry like the Baptist Convention of New England, where I serve as Executive Director.

Instead of complaining about all these new technologies, let us rejoice that God has given us so many different tools we can use to share His love with others. And then let's invest whatever time and energy is needed to use those communication tools as effectively as possible.

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Dr. Terry W. Dorsett has been a pastor, church planter, denominational leader and author in New England for more than 20 years. He is a happy husband, a proud father and adoring grandfather. He is a cancer survivor and believes that God works powerfully through times of suffering. He writes extensively and you can find all of his books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY