communication
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Paul wasn’t worried about being ‘eloquent’
I think some of our translations have done us a disservice in 1Cor 1:17 and 2:1-15 by using terms like eloquence which shift the focus of Paul’s argument from the content of his message to the method in which he… Continue reading
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Sermon styles: the synonym preacher
There’s lots of communication tools one can use while preaching; illustrations are the most well known. Another method of communicating an idea is to keep using different synonyms. It’s where you take one idea from the verse you’re looking… Continue reading
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A different form of Church AGM
We had our Church’s 2014 AGM recently and we decided to try a new thing… Every year we try to a new way of communicating a holistic perspective of church (helping people realise that church is more than their personal… Continue reading
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Repost: Abstract and Concrete Ideas in Church
We came across this idea a few years ago… that most churches (ours included) were generally pretty good at communicating two sorts of things… Abstract Theology, and Concrete Details about Church. (Abstract means concepts and ideas, whereas Concrete means times,… Continue reading
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Out of the box church marketing
“Out of the box” can mean being creative in weird ways, but it can also mean doing things in a stock standard way. It’s worth churches thinking through how they market themselves by looking at how other “similar” industries go… Continue reading
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What place does design have in gospel ministry?
I went through uni with a great student group called FEVA (Fellowship for Evangelism to the Visual Arts) and this was a constant topic for designers and artists. They loved Jesus and they loved good design and making beautiful things.… Continue reading
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Reblog – Let people finish your…
sentences. Whether you’re leading a growth group, preaching a sermon or just a one on one… don’t just say everything and rely on people’s hearing and memory. If they are listening to you, they’ll be able to finish your sentence.… Continue reading
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Be sad, but not surprised, when people lie
Even though you’ve read the bible with them, prayed with them, and cried with them… people will still lie to your face. They’ll lie about their sin, they’ll lie about their feelings towards you, they’ll lie about what they are… Continue reading
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The difference between accusing and rebuking is…
Intended outcome. The difference between accusing and rebuking is the desired outcome. A rebuke is a form of love. It’s really an appeal. It’s an appeal to stop, repent and renew ones commitment. Sometimes it’s an appeal to have a… Continue reading
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Conference ideas from #oxygen14
For many people missing out on a conference, it’s not just the preaching and encouragement they miss out on, but it’s also observing the well-run machine of a big conference so they can take and apply the ideas in their… Continue reading
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Reblog: You can’t be a leader unless you…
make decisions. In the end, that’s the basic things leaders need to do… They might do it with their team, or without their team – but that’s one of the decisions they make. Heck, they might even decide to ask… Continue reading
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Did you miss your expected outcomes, or miss-communicate your expected outcomes?
This is a really important question to consider as a leader. When something doesn’t go to plan, after you’ve planned it, and delegated it… what’s the problem? Where do you go for answers about what went wrong? The only question… Continue reading
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The gospel is a press-release not an archive.
The word gospel is usually thought to mean “good news”, but it’s more like “important news”. The gospel is what happens when the president calls the TV stations and says, “Clear your airwaves, I need to address the nation in… Continue reading
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Spell out the consequences… clearly and with examples
One of the common ways which those of us in christian leadership fail is in our communication. We communicate ideas and big pictures of things that are clear in our head, however… our hearers only get a fuzzy idea of… Continue reading
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Reblog: Abstract and concrete communication
For any field you can communicate a spectrum of things; from abstract ideas to concrete things. And in this sense, bible communication and organisation communication are no different. The trick is to realise that you don’t just have a personal… Continue reading
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The wonderful idea of using an “umbrella of mercy” when talking
I can’t remember where we got this idea but it’s brilliant… our staff team has this phrase “umbrella of mercy”. It’s what we say before we say something that could be taken the wrong way, or something that might be… Continue reading
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The difference between being in ‘sales’ and being in ‘ministry’ is…
The difference between being in ‘sales’ and being in ‘ministry’ is heartbreak. See, if I’m trying to sell you something, it’s because I get a commission, or it’s my job – get paid to help you want something (usually want… Continue reading
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The principles that should guide what pastoral staff meetings look like
A Church staff meeting is the opportunity to express and embody the values you want to shape your staff team culture. For our staff team, that means we spend time in the bible and in prayer for our church and… Continue reading
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Scripture, stories and stats
Different people are tuned into different frequencies. Some people just want to principles from scripture, the verses to back it up, and the biblical implications. Anything else is superfluous fluff. Some people just resonate with stories. The personal journey, the… Continue reading
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Numbers change communication
When church is 30-60 people, your primary communication channel is word-of-mouth; you can get around to most people in a week, and the other will hear about it soon enough. Any ads up the front, or video-ads are purely secondary… Continue reading
MINISTRY PRINCIPLES & PRAGMATICS 