It's all in how you say it

Although I knew way back in seminary that good communication is at the heart of effective ministry, I will admit that I was surprised at how much PR is involved in building a church.  Getting the word out about what is going on here - both to church members and people outside the church - is the key to growth and redevelopment.  So I spend a lot of time and energy deciding which words to use in on our website, in our newsletter, in press releases. 

When Steve shared this short video with me recently, which I think was probably produced by a PR firm, it gave me a lot to think about.

The woman in the movie tells the beggar that she had said the same thing he did on the sign, only she chose different words.   With the tired, overused words he'd put on the sign, he became as invisible as wallpaper.  People would glance at him and immediately put him in the folder in their head labelled "beggar" and easily dismiss him.  The words she put on the sign hit people in the gut and invited them to see the beggar with new eyes - as a person who they could relate to.   

Church language can often be received like the beggar's first sign.  Same old phrases.  Same old imagery.  People just throw it all into the folder in their head marked "religion" and ofen quickly dismiss it.  How can we in the church, with our words, help people experience church with new eyes - and feel in their gut that there might be something going on here that they can relate to?

This video shows that words can be very effective.  But I stumble over that word "effective" when I think about the church.  In the video, "effective" seems to be defined by more coins in the beggar's cup.  Of course that's a good result for the beggar, but in what other ways could you define "effective?" Could the new words on the sign be effective in inviting real conversations and connections between the beggar and passers by - effective in not only bringing certain tangible results but in beginning to change old definitions, labels and behaviors?

I often wonder, as we build our church, how we will measure "effective?"  What results do we hope our careful use of words will produce?  How will we know when our words are "working?"  Do we just want more money in the plate?  More people in the pews on Sundays?  No, our goal is not really to build this church but to build the Kingdom of God.  We are about finding ways to participate in God's mission of healing and reconciling the whole world.  "Effective" is more about the real conversations and connections and relationships that begin to develop among us and all around us and is far more difficult to gauge than a simple increase of change in a can.
Words are very important.  They can bring about wonderful responses in and among people.  They can inspire, lead and heal.  I am all too aware, however, of the strange edge that exists between wording things in such a way to open people's eyes to God versus trying to sell them something.  On my less good days, I wonder whether we're spending too much time trying to sell ourselves to a consumerist world.

I just returned from a two day clergy conference.  The speaker was a theologian, and his words were beautiful, thoughtful, relevant, accesible.  He reframed some of the most challenging passages in the Bible (the sections some call 'toxic texts') in such a wonderfully helpful and expansive and open minded way that I was uplifted and inspired.  I left there wanting to bring God's love out into the world.  That's what I hope our communication does, too.