Evan Doyle » IWU

Communication

Evan — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:55:47 +0000

I learned something very interesting in a communication class last fall. The Latin root for both the words communication and community is communis- to make common, to have a common faith, or to experience together. Communication is literally the art of making a message common, or shared. Of sharing what you believe to be true. It’s also integral in community. Without communication, community can’t exist. The two are nearly synonymous.

So I decided to do a little research. For those of you who don’t know, I’m currently a freshman at Indiana Wesleyan University double majoring in Christian Education and Public Relations. I visited IWU’s online catalog and looked at the bachelor’s programs offered by the School of Theology and Ministry. Of the 12 ministry-related majors IWU offers, none of them include any communication-related classes.

I’m sure it’s the same at other Christian universities as well. We have devalued what good communication means to community-building, which is sad. Our goal and passion as the church is to build the community that is the church as well as the community around the church. Without communication, we can’t do either. I wonder at times how the effectiveness of the church would differ if we would learn to communicate effectively in a Christ-centered manner.

What does your church do to train its leaders in communication? Have you taken any courses or learned anything at a conference about ministry communication that you found especially helpful? Do you think I’m totally off base with this whole “communication is vital to community” thing? Talk to me in the comments.

True Vocation

Evan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:59:09 +0000

Here at Indiana Wesleyan, the university requires a class called “World Changers.” Every student seems to have a different opinion of the class. It hasn’t been awful so far, and we’re talking about a lot of deep questions. I really, really like deep questions.

Today in class we were covering the 4 Life Questions (more on those at some point in the future). In talking about what we’re called to do in life, my prof (Brad Garner) quoted theologian Frederick Buechner:

True vocation is the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.

That quote really set off a firestorm of thoughts in my head. Too often we refer to our job as our vocation. It’s not. Our vocation is the thing that deeply satisfies us in Christ while working to fulfill the needs of the world. We can look at great figures in missions and the church and see this, yes. But look at more than that. Look at businessmen and women changing the world they’re in. Video editors. Secretaries. Waitresses. Firefighters. Teachers. Factory workers. Every single one of them can do something to meet the world’s needs from their place of work.

Additionally, it made me think of something else. For many, their job and their vocation are not the same. The youth pastor at my church worked for many years as a mattress salesman while working only part-time for the church. Mattress salesman was his job. Ministry was his vocation. Every Christian has to have a job. We also have to have a vocation. And the greatest thing in the world for God is finding where the two concepts converge in our lives everyday.

What are your thoughts?