Some basic principles for communicating the gospel
- The question must be asked: What relationship does the media have to the surrounding culture?
- Good communication needs to include an awareness of the target audience
- Feedback is important for good communication
- Effective communication is based on credibility
- Communication needs to be unpredictable
When we share the gospel of Jesus with those around us, we can do so in a variety of ways. Knowing basic principles of communication helps us to be clear and also helps us to convey knowledge effectively. The principles apply not only to communicating the gospel but can be applied to other areas where we want to communicate clearly and distinctly.
The communicator must know their target audience and make an effort to reach them .
This means being receiver-oriented. We need to know the culture. We need to know the people we are talking to. We need to know the language. We need to know how to move in communication from perceived needs to real needs.
The communicator must be vigilant about the influence of the chosen media in relation to the culture.
What does “media” say to the culture? Where is the “marketplace”? – where people meet and exchange ideas.
Which are the most effective media?
Which media seem to promise a lot but deliver little?
What is the relationship between media and personal contact?
Communication must be based on the “unpredictability” of the message being conveyed.
Spurgeon, who is called the prince of preachers, says that in sermons one should cultivate the “power of surprise”… “don’t say what everyone expects you to say”.
Also, don’t forget the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to give a whole new dimension to communication. The word of knowledge and prophecy can act as keys to real needs in people.
Effective communication must have a dependency on some form of feedback in order to determine whether it is effective.
We can see this when it comes to a teaching situation where questions and answers are allowed. With our modern media where the Internet has become some form of platform, the amount and nature of “feedback” is easy to build in as something that you constantly make continuous evaluations against.
Effective communication is based on credibility .
Charles H. Kraft points out in his book Christianity and Culture that “communication is most effective when C has earned trust as a respected human individual within the chosen frame of reference…”
Willow Creek’s strategy states:
“The church-going couple Harry and Mary do not listen to Christian radio, their lives are not touched at all by evangelism via flyers and pamphlets, and they have no desire to visit any church. The Christian literature that comes through their mailbox is usually thrown in the trash. The only truly effective way to reach Harry and Mary is through developing an integrity-filled relationship with a believer.”
RA – After Dr. Robert J. Vajko
