"Communication is a wonderful thing"

My wife tells me that all the time. She tells our kids that all the time. And they are all grown up! But she keeps telling me that, so I must still need to learn it!

She reminds me that communication is a two-way street. Many times I forget that.

That little reminder is especially true in a church situation when it is about to embark on a major ministry or make a change to an existing ministry. As leaders, it is our responsibility to clearly and effectively communicate not only what we are doing, but also why we are doing it.

Although there may be plenty of printed materials, posters and other collateral material regarding the big change, that alone may not be clear and compelling communication as to “Why?” you are making this change or embarking on this journey. As a Mass Communications major in college, one of the things stressed to us was the importance of the feedback loop in any communication process.

So how do you have clear and effective communication that includes feedback? Well, you have to plan feedback into the process.

This is “Transilient Communication”. Transilient communication occurs when ideas, thoughts, feelings, learnings, knowledge, insights, and wisdom that might otherwise have remained dormant are allowed to emerge in an evocative but safe way. Transilient communication obliterates the barriers and puts everyone in touch with what is going on. And it connects them with others because they trust one another to hear what they say and listen to their heart. Imagine people deeply connecting with each other in this way.

This whole new level of communicating is a place where active listening to each other, (including those outside the tight circle of folks who are involved in planning the change) reflecting on our experiences, and synthesizing new insights from each others experiences are commonplace. And that brings about a fuller understanding of whether or not the intended message is being received by the target audience in the way that you intended it when you first planned the message.

But transilient communication takes courage. It takes time. It takes trust. It takes someone who is listening for the feedback.

Hey! Does anyone out there hear me???

Where there is no vision, the people perish

Where there is a vision but no plan to make it a reality, the people will be frustrated! I am sorry for the flip-side paraphrase of Proverbs 29:18 but I am trying to make a point here.

Such is the situation many churches find themselves in today. Many pastors and church lay leaders have a definite vision for what God is calling them to be and where He is calling them to go. But there is a lack of definitive movement in the direction that the vision is focusing on. Perhaps a better understanding of what that verse is really saying will help us put into better context regarding church growth and development.

The “vision” mentioned in Proverbs 29:18 was not what we think of today. It was not some ethereal mystical experience. It was not a forward thinking and motivational experience. Instead, the vision mentioned in this passage is all about teaching and instruction. In the days of the prophets, God spoke to His people through the visions of the prophets. Those visions were immediately communicated to the people and used for educational and instructional purposes. In other words, the receipt of the vision from God was not separate from the communication and instruction of what that all meant to the people. The instruction of the vision was equal in significance to receipt of the vision.

Here may be the point where the church of today needs some help. The church leadership needs to hone their skills in communicating the vision, providing instruction on what the vision is, and providing the tactical guidance or tangible demonstration of the vision.

What about your leadership skills?

Are your leadership skills what they need to be to take the vision that God has given you and translate it into specific ministry activities?