Packed evening last night - attended an NJ2AS to hear several candidates for the NJ assembly - then rushed home to catch the last few minutes of Ravi Zacharias @ Dartmouth University on live stream. Once their Twitter feed for the evening was complete, I pasted it together. Good communication points in general (even though he's specifically talking about the Gospel). How do we communicate ANY message in an increasingly secular/pluralistic culture?
Notes, #RaviDartmouthHow do you communicate the Gospel in a secular & pluralistic society? The change in society & change in the church are very serious matters. If we're not willing to take a step back & reevaluate how we identify w/ listeners, we will be deemed completely out of touch. We must be connected to reality. We must listen well, we must listen carefully, & we must seek to understand others.
@RaviZachariasWe must understand & embrace the power of dialogue.
@NAQureshiWhen we are communicating in the public square, these 4 points abide:
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Identification- You must be able to identify w/ the listener; at the same time you must not erect barriers to them hearing you
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Translation- Our message in their idioms. You must identify with the person. Otherwise, your message will fall on deaf ears
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Persuasion- What in your communication to the listener will be persuasive? In the persuasion- if you can convince someone of the meaning & purpose that Jesus Christ brings- you will always have a listening audience.
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Justification- Why this truth & not any other? Meaning & purpose are at a high premium today.
#RaviDartmouth 4 Steps in the Task of Communicating:
o Awaken a sense of need. (1/4)
o If Jesus is the answer, He will have an answer to that need. (2/4)
o Jesus is not only an answer, but must be seen to be true. (3/4)
o The listener ultimately cannot remain neutral. (4/4)
Starting out with a point of reference, the goal of which is get to a point of relevance, one cannot avoid a point of disturbance. Timing is God’s / opportunity is yours. When you are faithful, you'll be amazed at what God does with the results.
http://apologeticsworkshop.wordpress.com/2013/10/10/ravidartmouth/