A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Proverbs 25:11 KJV
HOW we say something can make a huge difference. This proverb encourages us to use fitting words and when it comes to church communications, our selection of words can make a big difference in how we come across to those to whom we are ministering. For example, in the book, Creating Messages that Connect, (Group Publishing) Alan Nelson shares some words and phrases that we should avoid as we try to share our faith with those in the community, especially those who may be new to church or ministry. Some of these words include: saved, hallelujah, nonbeliever, fruit of the Spirit, seeker, and stewardship. You may be thinking, “Now, wait just a minute, Beth—we don’t want to water down our beliefs!” I agree. But think about people who may be so new to faith that they don’t even understand what most of these words and phrases mean. In your advertisements, brochures and other outreach materials, you must think of the reader as not being familiar with the “normal” religious terms we may have grown up with. Other unfamiliar words may be liturgy, vespers, sacraments, or expository preaching.
We should also be careful about how we communicate with regular attendees and members. Ministries often need to follow some business principles to run efficiently, but some business words can defeat the spirit of helpfulness we’d like to project. For example, words like procedures, policies or rules could be replaced with guidelines; phrases like “You can’t do that,” can be replaced with “Let me help you find an alternate way to accomplish that,” or “Here’s what we can do to help,” and signs that begin with a negative like “No Parking” or “Only for the use of ____ church” could be replaced with “Parking for our senior guests” or “For your safety, playground is only open during church events.” What other words or phrases could we change? Make a comment below! Oh, excuse me, PLEASE make a comment below!
