I wanted to highlight some of the recent training we've covered at Community Events/Coordinators meetings.
Words in and of themselves are just sounds. But when we put those sounds together into a language, they are a powerful force for good and evil. In the New Testament, James understood the destruction words can leave behind. James 3:4-10 (The Message) puts it this way:
"A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue—it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!"
Ouch!!! There is significant power in our words! This passage challenges me to take more care with my words. You and I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of gossip or hurtful and often untrue things said about us. Sadly, I have also been the one to say the same things about others. I have learned, sometimes the hard way, that my words can be hurtful. Just because you think it, doesn’t mean you have to say it.
Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue". So as MOPS leaders what do we do with this knowledge? How do we use this power for good?
Guidelines for Written Communication:
Much of our communication today is done in writing: email, texting, and Facebook. The power of our words is influenced by the way written communication works, so for the purpose of our time together we are going to focus there.
Tone - Is your tone communicating Jesus?
- Think it through: respond, don't react
- Consider whether this communication should be done via phone or in person
- If your email is emotionally charged, walk away from the computer and wait to reply
- Pray about how you should respond
- Proof read it through and adjust if need be. Have someone else read it if it is not a confidential issue. Ask yourself some questions. Is my response clear? Is it respectful, friendly and approachable?
- Pray for the one who will read it
Structure and Presentation
- Know your audience - address them appropriately
- Grammar is important - careless grammar and spelling or difficult-to-read font is the written equivalent of showing up to dinner at a swanky restaurant in grubby sweats. Remember that tone of voice and non-verbal cues are absent in written communication, so everything else matters more.
- Be brief - get to the point
Social Networking
In general, MOPS views personal websites, web postings, and web blogs positively, as a means of communication and self-expression. The thing to remember is your Facebook site is public and it represents you. As a Steering Team Leader associated with MOPS, it also represents your MOPS group and your church. If your church has a Social Media Policy for the staff or ministry leaders, be sure you comply with it. As a follower of Christ, your site also represents Christ. Be sure your posts represent Christ appropriately.
Remember, your life speaks!! Your posts on FB, twitter and in your blogs also speak! If we are truly in pursuit of a growing relationship with Christ, we will be consistently striving to be the same person in an email, on Facebook, in our blogs and in our conversations as we are at church, MOPS and other Christian circles. Above all else, we represent Christ and we should make every effort to live that out.
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