Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication

Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication
Average customer rating:

A must read for all public communicators!

None like it

go on a journey

quality book, great content

a must for public speaking

Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication
Andy Stanley , and Lane Jones
Manufacturer: Multnomah
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Leadership | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Preaching | Ministry & Church Leadership | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Sermons | Ministry & Church Leadership | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1590525140
Release Date: 2006-06-01

Book Description

When You Talk, Are People Changed?

Whether you speak from the pulpit, podium, or the front of a classroom, you don’t need much more than blank stares and faraway looks to tell you you’re not connecting. Take heart before your audience takes leave! You can convey your message in the powerful, life-changing way it deserves to be told. An insightful, entertaining parable that’s an excellent guide for any speaker, Communicating for a Change takes a simple approach to delivering effectively. Join Pastor Ray as he discovers that the secrets to successful speaking are parallel to the lessons a trucker learns on the road. By knowing your destination before you leave (identifying the one basic premise of your message), using your blinkers (making transitions obvious), and implementing five other practical points, you’ll drive your message home every time!

“Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…”

“Once upon a time…”

“In the beginning…”

Great stories capture and hold an audience’s attention from start to finish. Why should it be any different when you stand up to speak?

In Communicating for a Change, Andy Stanley and Lane Jones offer a unique strategy for communicators seeking to deliver captivating and practical messages. In this highly creative presentation, the authors unpack seven concepts that will empower you to engage and impact your audience in a way that leaves them wanting more.

“Whether you are a senior pastor with weekly teaching responsibilities or a student pastor who has bern charged with engaging the hearts and minds of high school students, this book is a must-read.”

Bill Hybels

Senior pastor, Willow Creak Community Church

“A very practical resource for every biblical communicator who wants to go from good to great.”

Ed Young

Senior pastor, Fellowship Church, Grapevine, Texas

“To communicate effectively, you have to connect. Andy has been connecting with people for years, and now he’s sharing his insights with the rest of us.”

Jeff Foxworthy

Comedian

INSIDE LEFT FLAP

In Communicating for a Change, Andy Stanley shares the seven imperatives that define his approach to challenging people’s minds in order to change their lives: Determine Your Goal Pick a Point Create a Map Internalize the Message Engage Your Audience Find Your Voice Start All Over

These seven concepts will simplify your approach to communication and transform your sermons, lessons, and presentations into powerful life-changing experiences for your listeners.

Story Behind the Book

Andy Stanley and Lane Jones are on staff at one of America ’s largest churches, North Point Community. Leaders of thousands of people, they regularly speak in front of large groups. They also listen to numerous speakers and know the disastrous effects of a poorly delivered message. This book is the result of their efforts to make public speaking—one of the most common fear-inducing activities known to mankind—simple, easy, and even enjoyable, so that God’s messages will readily produce the life-changing results they should.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for all public communicators!.......2007-10-11

A very thought provoking book that encourages you to look at how you engage your audience, and how to simplify your message so that the hearer actually remembers what you said. I highly recommend this easy-to-read book.

None like it.......2007-10-11

An incredible book. Straightforward direct approach on how to communicate effectively. Life changing if you apply this approach. You can use the approach in almost any setting.

go on a journey.......2007-09-21

This book is great for pastors and teachers. It is useful instruction for mapping out a message. It gives you five things to place before you every time you put together a message (they are now taped to my computer screen). I wasn't too interested in part one -the fictional "Ray" character story; however, I can see how it would be helpful to others. I really believe Andy is not only one of the best communicators of our time, but he also is one of the best teachers for pastors and church leaders. If you like this book, you might check out a similar book called Seven Practices of Effective Ministry.

quality book, great content.......2007-08-31

This book inspired me to approach verbal communication in a new way. It's an easy read with practical an applicable content.

a must for public speaking.......2007-08-23

andy stanley is a master at public speaking. he does have a secret to his success and reveals it in a concise, simple way. i wish every speaker / preacher followed the techniques described in this book

The Big Idea: Focus the Message-multiply the Impact (The Leadership Network Innovation Series)

Average customer rating:

High Impact
Overcome Information Glut & Decision Paralysis at Church
Great book, truly, I just want the moon
Two Thumbs Up for The Big Idea
Spectacular Book

The Big Idea: Focus the Message-multiply the Impact (The Leadership Network Innovation Series)
Dave Ferguson , Eric Bramlett , and Jon Ferguson
Manufacturer: Zondervan Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars
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Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication
The Blogging Church
Confessions of a Pastor: Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God

ASIN: 0310272416

Book Description

Churches that bombard people with too many "little ideas" can miss the Big Idea. Community Christian Church embraced the Big Idea and everything changed. They decided to avoid the common mistake of bombarding people with so many "little ideas" that they suffered overload. They also recognized that leaders often don't insist that the truth be lived out to accomplish Jesus' mission. Why? Because people's heads are swimming with too many little ideas, far more than they can ever apply.

Customer Reviews:

High Impact.......2007-09-25

The Big Idea is helping our pastoral staff focus. The longer you're in ministry the more you need to focus. This book is really helping our dialog about what we are doing as a church. WE have the why nailed down it is the what and how that gets diluted. Ferguson makes an interesting case for little tuths and big biblical truths that must translate into action - helpful. Dan Boyd

Overcome Information Glut & Decision Paralysis at Church.......2007-08-17

I am an information junkie. I read newspapers, magazines, books, and blogs. I watch TV and listen to talk radio. I consider myself a well-informed guy. But being well-informed is not the same thing as being wise or effective. Indeed, too much information can paralyze our ability to make decisions.

Our churches often contribute to this glut of information. The pastor preaches on one topic, Sunday school teachers teach on another, the worship leader sings new songs with multiple verses, and the announcement guy rambles on with the church's upcoming events. No wonder parishioners get stuck in their spiritual lives. They have too much information to act on. They know more than they can do.

In their new book, The Big Idea, Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, and Eric Bramlett tackle the topic of information-glutted, decision-paralyzed churches. They argue that churches should teach one big idea per week, and that this big idea should be reinforced in all the church's venues (worship services, Sunday school classes, and small groups). They demonstrate the multiple benefits of the big-idea approach. And they offer practical guidelines for how to implement this model of ministry in your church based on their own experience.

Do you want to make more and better followers of Jesus Christ? Do you want to see a greater connection between people's faith and works? Then, as The Big Idea's subtitle puts it, "focus the message" so that you can "multiply the impact." Teach your parishioners one thing a week. They can do more with less.

Great book, truly, I just want the moon.......2007-05-08

This highly practical book on not just preaching, but church-wide discipleship, is written by one of the leading, Biblically conservative churches today in the areas of creative communication, team-based ministry, evangelism and leadership development. Community Christian Church in Chicago is also recognized as one of the top five leading multi-site churches.

The authors make a clear case that most of our churches send anywhere from 30 to 100 messages a week as to what we want our people to respond to in their growth. Our Sunday services, alone, often send 20-50 messages. In The Big Idea, the authors make a case for focusing the message to one Big Idea throughout the entire worship experience for the week and asking for clear response to that one idea in all areas of our church. They convincingly make the case that, in the long term, better discipleship occurs if we can yield a greater application response to the messages being sent--so people are living what they know rather than knowing far more than they live.

Don't be intimidated by the author's success and size of church--they communicate very simply. Along the way they give suggestions for how smaller churches can begin to use some or all of what they share. This is not a book about a program, rather it is a book with lots of practical leadership process steps that can be gleaned from and subsequently contextualize to your own style, leadership and setting. You will quickly note this approach to communicating for discipleship is used by their multi-site mega church as well as church plants.

After reading the first two chapters, I thought this book would make it on my top 10 list of must read leadership skills books for pastors. By the end of the book it was still in my top 25 and probably top 20. While the book is well illustrated throughout, I was left longing for just a few more varied examples. I especially was hoping that the authors would deal more with expositional preaching from the perspective of using that style of preaching to demonstrate good personal spiritual disciplines as a way of modeling. They did a very short, excellent bullet point treatment of ways to approach topical preaching--though this was the primary area I wished for more detailed illustrations of each approach (even if the examples were simply web links to sermons that could be listened to so as to learn more about how to effectively construct each kind of approach). If the authors had more extensively illustrated some of these ideas I would be telling you this is the best book on discipleship and preaching I have ever read. As it stands, it is still a great book that is sure to provide you with helpful ideas you can begin to implement quickly.

Two Thumbs Up for The Big Idea.......2007-04-11

Dave Ferguson shares some great ideas and strategies in this book. I like it because it wasn't just a "here's how we did it" church growth text...there are some philosophical principles and transferable ideas. The way that they have outlined a planning process for ministry is really helpful.

Spectacular Book.......2007-04-11

If you are searching for a way to simplify what your families are learning in church and get everyone on the same page this book is for you.

The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You

Average customer rating:

Very, Very Good!
All Catholics Should Read This!
Mystagogy for the Masses
Good reference book
How To Book for Mass

The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
Michael Dubruiel
Manufacturer: Our Sunday Visitor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Ritual | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1931709327

Book Description

Mass (mas) n. 1. The Liturgy of the Eucharist. 2. The Breaking of the Bread. 3. To send forth with blessing.

Maybe you are a recent convert, or perhaps you've attended Mass your whole life, but there are still things that puzzle you — like when you should genuflect and when you should bow. What the different books used at Mass are and what they contain. The meaning of words like "Amen," "Alleluia," or "Hosanna." What to do during the Sign of Peace.

You aren't alone.

The How-To Book of the Mass not only provides the who, what, where, when, and why of the most time-honored traditions of the Catholic Church, but also the how. All in an easy-to-read, easy-to understand format.

In this complete guide to the celebration of the Eucharist you get:

• Step-by-step guidelines to walk you through the Mass

• Explanation of the various parts of the Mass

• Biblical background of the prayers of the Mass

• Insights from the Tradition and teaching of the Church

• Practical aid to overcoming distractions

• Concrete ways to grow in your relationship with our Lord at every Mass

If you want to get something out of every Mass you attend — and share this grace with others — you need The How-To Book of the Mass.

Learn the right way to:

• Bless yourself with holy water

• Make the Sign of the Cross

• Genuflect

• Pray before Mass

• Sing the opening hymn

• Confess your sins

• Listen to the Scriptures

• Get meaning out of every homily

• Intercede for others

• Be a good steward

• Give thanks to God

• Offer the Sign of Peace

• Receive the Eucharist

• Accept a blessing

• Spread the Good News

"Every day Our Lord humbles himself just as he did when he came from his heavenly throne into the Virgin's womb; every day he comes to us and lets us see him in abjection, when he descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar… We, too, with our own eyes, see only bread and wine, but we must see further and firmly believe that this is his most holy Body and Blood, living and true. In this way our Lord remains continually with his followers, as he promised." — Saint Francis Assisi

Customer Reviews:

Very, Very Good!.......2007-10-06

I'm what you would call a conservative Catholic. I want to grow closer to God every day. I approached this book, as I do with all books that claim to be Catholic, with caution.

This book is very well written. It has taught me many things and has increased my knowledge and love for the Mass and the Holy Eucharist. From reading it, you can truly see that the author loves God and loves to bring others to knowing and loving God.

All Catholics Should Read This!.......2007-09-16

A friend invited me to go to Mass with her. I hesitated to go as I was not Catholic and didn't know much about the Faith, so searched for a book to help. This is one of the first books I bought on my journey to the Catholic Church. I read the book prior to going to Mass for the first time. I sat in Mass relating what I had read to what I was experiencing. I was so intrigued, I read the book a second time and truly understood each part! This book was amazingly easy to read and definitely one of the small aspects of my learning that lead me to Confirmation last Easter! Awesome for those wanting to learn more about the Catholic Faith!

Mystagogy for the Masses.......2007-09-13

I cannot count the number of times I've recommended The How-To Book of the Mass: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You, by Michael Dubruiel. I've lost count of how many copies I've given away. I recommend it to Catholics who want to know why they do the things they do every Sunday. I recommend it to Protestants who are just dropping in, or who are dating Catholics and bewildered by the unfamiliar round of sit-stand-kneel.

The book does for modern Christians what Cyril and Ambrose did for our ancient forebears. It's a modern-day mystagogy -- an easy-to-follow step-by-step walk through the ritual, revealing the meaning of all the words, gestures, postures, furniture, and vestments. Dubruiel also gives you the history and doctrinal significance of the various parts of the Mass. He draws testimony from the abundance of patristic material on the liturgy -- the Didache, St. Justin Martyr, the Apostolic Constitutions, Cyril of Alexandria, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose of Milan. He's also careful to lay the scriptural foundation for all the important prayers and actions.

This book is highly recommended for Catholics, for the significant others of Catholics, for seekers, and for the merely curious.

Good reference book.......2007-08-13

This is a good reference book for both new and old-a great reference for religion classes also.

How To Book for Mass.......2007-07-26

This is an excellent book for both the new attendee at Mass and the old timer. The presentation is easy for the beginner to understand and is also an excellent review for the cradle Catholic. The book is an easy read and includes the "whys and wherefores" of the topics discussed. This would be an excellent study book for RCIA groups or a gift for the inquiring Catholic at all levels of progression.

Hit the Bullseye: How Denominations Can Aim Congregations at the Mission Field (Convergence Series.)

Average customer rating:

A Must Read
Not helpful
Narrow Audience
Almost Misses the Target
The Church's mission

Hit the Bullseye: How Denominations Can Aim Congregations at the Mission Field (Convergence Series.)
Paul D. Borden
Manufacturer: Abingdon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community

ASIN: 0687043719

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read.......2007-09-27

I have never written a review on Amazon before, but the negative feedback this book is getting needs to be overcome. This book is a must read for any denominational worker. Paul Borden's leadership has resulted in the only denominational entity in this century that has "turned around" a majority of plateaued and declining churches. The uniqueness of this accomplishment makes this a must read. As a Ph.D. and church consultant for over twenty years, this book makes a significant contribution to the field of church growth. To get a better insight into how the denomination helped these churches, read the trilogy--this book, "Direct Hit" by Paul Borden and "Winning on Purpose" by John Kaiser.

Not helpful.......2006-11-16

This book is repetitive and poorly edited. I had a hard time getting past the lack of agreement of verb and subject, lack of parallel structure, sentence fragments and incorrectly spelled words. If there were two editors, as indicated on the cover, I can only wonder what they were editing for, certainly not ease in reading which is fostered by flowing sentences and good punctuation.
The author is very limited in his idea of what the church is and what it is for. By throwing out old metaphors, he thinks the church can turn from dysfunctional behaviors and be renewed. Where is Scripture in the solutions he promotes? What about the Scriptural description of the body where ALL parts are needed and we cannot say to one part, "I have no need of you."? He says that his solutions focus on the congregations and then describes a very hierarchical, corporate, quantitatively driven structure.
There are some good descriptions of places where the church has failed and needs to reform, especially the area of accountability. But in the wordy, wandering text, it's hard to isolate a lot more about this book that I find helpful in my context as part of the Reformed tradition.

Narrow Audience.......2006-09-22

This book has a very narrowly defined audience - those who are in church governance. For that audience it is a very challenging book and worth reading. It is not perfect but it could be a critical tool for those who are seeking to renew the old mainline denominations that have long been on the sidelines.

Almost Misses the Target.......2005-10-15

It will be hard for anyone to suggest whether or not another person should read this book. At some points I thought it was great and offered fresh, valuable ideas. At other points I wanted to toss it in the trash and suggest no one read it. The best I can do in this review is offer you a few of my "perceived" pros and cons and let you decide for yourselves. I am not an expert in this subject, but in my 29 years of ministry experience I have served 5 churches, 4 of which showed growth. I have also served in what Borden might call judicatory leadership in another denomination.

PROS:

At last someone offers a paradigm in which denominational leadership leaves the boring offices of bureaucracy and enters the field of consultation to come along side pastors in local churches! Everyone always says it's all about the local church, but leadership seldom seems to act like it. Three cheers for this proposed paradigm.

Thankfully Borden raises the bar on pastoral expectations, at least in the area of productivity. Too many pastors are hired who should never be behind the pulpit and once the mistake is discovered, too few are out counseled into other areas of service. I think Borden's style is a little strong and in reality there are reasons other than leadership incompetence that can cause churches not to grow. Some reasons are beyond control. Still, raising the bar doesn't hurt, if done thoughtfully, and is sorely needed.

I applaud the effort to help churches become missional. Too many churches routinely go too many years with no conversions. This is a mark of ill health.

Borden writes from personal experience. Who can help but be emotionally moved to see the churches of a large geographical area revitalized and brought back to life? May this story happen again and again across the country and in many denominations.

I also am impressed with Borden's ability to create a large intricate movement. His ability to cover all details, his passion, his strong personality, and his recruitment techniques would make it hard to fail.

CONS:

First, Borden routinely writes about community and church "family" as if the communal nature of church detracts from mission. To be Christian is to be in community. This is not just organizational community (i.e. an employee at Wal Mart), but spiritual community. If I must place community on the back burner to build the church, I sacrifice too much. The church is the assembly of those who have been called out of the world (ecclesia) and the fellowship of those who have been called together (koinonia) in the name of Christ. The mission of the church is to lead souls to Christ, but this is not the only reason for the church's existence. The church, the Bride of Christ, will still be in existence long after heaven and earth pass away and there are no more souls to lead to Christ.

Second, Borden speaks as if leading people to Christ is everything, or at least the most important thing. I once believed like that. We lead people to Christ, so we can train them to lead others to Christ, so they in turn can lead others to Christ, and we will build up the church and someday those who were saved can be with Him in heaven. One day I thought, "What are we doing here?" We are peddling our product like a pyramid marketing scheme! Christ is more than that. We are so concerned with bringing people to Christ that few are taking the time to be with Christ right now! The kingdom of heaven isn't just someday. It's at hand here and now. There is more to salvation than many evangelicals stop to dwell on. When a bride and groom consummate their relationship children are born. When the Church (Bride of Christ) comes together with the groom (Christ) spiritual babies are the natural result. There is nothing about community or spiritual formation that should detract from evangelism.

Finally, how about a little fair play here? Borden repeatedly gives his employees and pastors timetables for performance or their jobs are at risk. But he also asks them to promise that they'll stick with the program a certain amount of time to work through the hard times. In the early portions of the book he equates the church to an athletic team. If a player doesn't produce, the player is traded. No hard feelings, that's just the way it works. True, but this also creates a system of free agency and a mentality of players who go to the highest bidder. He wrestles with this by using 2 million from the judicatory's funds to recruit and train leadership. He also negotiates with local churches for pastors' salaries. Leadership recruitment is a big hurdle. This worked well for the five years it was studied. What will happen over the next decade?

MY RECOMMENDATION:

Get the book. Read it. Discuss how it can be beneficial to you. Don't throw away the baby with the bath water. There's some good stuff here. On the other hand don't swallow everything that's thrown your way. There are some gaps that need to be addressed, perhaps in a sequel?

The Church's mission.......2005-08-19

If you understand a Church to be a mission outpost and that most of the work of being a follower of Christ is outside of the Church walls -- this book is an excellent account how the American Baptist have turned around many of their Churches in the Western USA.

Average customer rating:

For the conservative considering this book...
A useful book on technical delivery

A Complete Guide to Sermon Delivery
Al Fasol
Manufacturer: B&H Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Ritual | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry

ASIN: 0805412409

Customer Reviews:

For the conservative considering this book..........2005-02-17

Al Fasol's book, A Complete Guide to Sermon Delivery, contains useful information for any public speaker, but requires careful reading. His thorough treatment of frequent mistakes might alone be worth the price of the book, I suppose. Unfortunately he tries very hard to be all things to all people, resulting in a book that differs little from any book on public speaking. This, however, is not what makes it bad. What makes it bad is the title and the stated purpose of the book. If the book were stripped of its references to the Bible, God, and Christianity, it might merit my endorsement, albeit with a strong warning about Fasol's opinions on the use of multimedia, radio, and TV.

Fasol's introduction begins with the stated purpose, "The purpose of this introduction is to present a basic theology of sermon delivery." While I contend that theology is theology and "theology of" anything is a misuse of the word, I recognize popular misuse of the word has all but muted my reactionary contention. He attempts to fulfill his purpose by quoting people like Karl Barth and Schleiermacher but not the Bible! (It is ironic, too, that he would quote Schleiermacher after Barth, given the latter's repudiation of the former.) Fasol offers these quotes ostensibly in support of his working definition of preaching, "Preaching is a word from God applied to a contemporary congregation, communicated by a God-called person in a way that maximizes the message and minimizes the messenger." By this definition, an anonymous PowerPoint slide on the internet that related a Charismatic prophesy to a current issue would qualify as preaching. (The internet is chosen for this example based on the apparent inclusion of radio and TV audiences in the "congregation" in chapter six.) It neither refines "communication" to mean the spoken word, nor does it qualify "a word from God" to mean the Bible, nor does it apply "applied" to mean a "moral ought." (To address superfluous wording like "contemporary" and "maximizes . . . minimizes" I simply point to Richard Mitchell's "Less Than Words Can Say.") Our sermons should all begin far better than page one of Fasol's book!

Page number 2 is unfortunately no better than page number 1. The section titled, "Who Should Preach: A God-Called Person," contains two paragraphs that say absolutely nothing related to this section title. This astonishing development in the book was particularly disappointing since I looked forward to reading some defense of the fanciful idea that a distinctive "calling" to preach is Biblical. (The New Testament describes all believers as called.)

The chapter on "Achieving Full Vocal Production" has some boilerplate text available in most books on speech and singing, though there are some digressions that diminish its value. For instance, Fasol's digression on oxygen displays ignorance of biochemistry and physiology. Another example of a fanciful leap in logic, "A cheerful person usually has a pleasant voice because there is no tension on the vocal bands," (p. 23) leaves me a bit mystified. More humorous is the profound observation, "Sermon delivery has been called `the most dynamic moment of the preaching experience.'" (p. 25) What other moments of the preaching experience might there be?

Fasol redeems himself with an outstanding chapter on articulation. That it is a bit hard to follow, like reading a description of how to tie a shoe, is no fault of Fasol's. In fact he does a good job of it. If this book sold with a CD that contained demonstrations of the many examples he has compiled, it would be worth double the price!

Likewise the chapters, "Improving Vocal Variables," and, "Improving Body Language," are well done. Fasol's suggestion that we transcribe our already-preached sermons is outstanding. In fact it sounds like such an effective technique to highlight deficiencies that I am daunted by the prospect!

Space does not permit adequate treatment of chapter six, "Delivery for Radio and Television." It is fitting that it is preceded by a quote from the liberal par excellence Harry Emerson Fosdick! Suffice it to point to Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death" and Richard Weaver's "Ideas Have Consequences." Those who have read these two books and are interested in the conversation may be intrigued by one sentence in Fasol's book, "Television gestures [sic] must be slow and deliberate, never made directly toward the camera." Two aspects of this statement are fascinating: 1. Television is used adjectivally, indicating a different class of gesticulation, which seems to suggest that the television "world" is not like the non-television world. 2. Why never toward the camera? Is it because the viewer is engaged not as a participant, but as a voyeur? While I am prepared to hear arguments that television and radio might be redeemed by broadcasting in the very way Fasol excoriates, e.g. as "talking heads," I utterly reject the suggestion that preaching should adopt the forms of television entertainment. At best it "maximizes" the messenger while "minimizing" the message. At worst it trivializes the Word of God in the imagination of the viewer and debases that which we must exalt.

A useful book on technical delivery.......2002-03-29

Preachers and public speakers will find this book useful. Fasol discusses the body language and pathos aspects of communication by giving the principles of proper vocal production and articulation, effective facial expression, eye contact, posture, gestures, etc. This book is written with preachers in mind, but certainly any public speaker would find it effective for bringing to mind these often-forgotten areas of communication. I don't think the title of the book ("Complete Guide...") is entirely accurate, but it is a helpful book none the less.

Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons (Buechner, Frederick)

Average customer rating:

Biased opinion
Secrets in the dark
Amazing, essential collection of sermons
Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons
An easy and inspiring read.

Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons (Buechner, Frederick)
Frederick Buechner
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith
The Faces Of Jesus: A Life Story
Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner
Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale
Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading

ASIN: 0060842482
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Book Description

A “best of Buechner” collection of sermons that gathers some of his best sermons from previous books as well as seven new sermons and a new introduction.

Customer Reviews:

Biased opinion.......2007-08-11

I am an unabashed fan of Frederick Buechner. His use of stories enforces my personal conviction that doctine preached is less effective than Christ lived...inside or outside the church. I love his style and he is one of "those" three or four that I wish I could share a meal with and literally watch him tell his stories.

Secrets in the dark.......2007-07-03

Frederick Buechner is a warm, loving, witty, intellectual whom I greatly admire. After reading this book I have grown even fonder of him and I like to think grown in my faith a great deal too. It was my church service every morning. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I loved it.

Amazing, essential collection of sermons.......2007-03-28

Frederick Buechner is an extremely honest and emotional preacher and this is a book of over thirty of his best sermons. It is easy to identify with his readable, inspiring and imaginative sermons. Buechner is optimistic and never boring--he speaks of a gospel of love that invites to confront and continue to engage our doubts; he speaks of a gospel that isn't overly literal but speaks truth in stories and emotion. He finds ways to engage his audience and certainly these ways are not lost on the page. Surely, a book for every Christain to have, a guide for the path.

Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons.......2007-02-17

I believe that this collection of sermons by Fredrerick Buechner is profoundly rich in sensitivity and wisdom, proclaiming without a hint of judgment and with authentic humility and integrity, the good and reassuring news of God's mysterious and redeeming presence in this world, including to believers, non-believers, non-believers-who-wish-they-could believe, and the indifferent.

An easy and inspiring read........2006-08-01

Frederick Buechner has great style, excellent writing and super content. I opened it and immediately became became engrossed.

Average customer rating:

Way too much, unless you are a expert
Mammoth and Breathtaking
Brilliant
Possibly the best book ever written on the art of preaching.

Homiletic Moves and Structures
David G. Buttrick
Manufacturer: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ritual | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0800620968

Customer Reviews:

Way too much, unless you are a expert.......2007-07-25

Wow, what a book about preaching. The book is long, detailed, and yes tedious. I was warned before hand concerning the book, thanks Matt, of the nature of the discussion. Buttrick is a master, there is no doubt. He knows every thing and every one concerning preaching. This book is not for the average preacher, most would have no clue what he is talking about, it is mostly theory. This book is beyond me, I am not that good yet to practice this methodology. But the book was helpful in polishing the pulpit. The book is like fine sandpaper, it puts on a beautiful finish on a preacher, but you have to be polished before the paper would do the job. If you are a top notch preacher that needs the most challenging material and style, this book is for you. If not, read "Preaching" by Calvin Miller this year.

Mammoth and Breathtaking.......2007-04-02

Buttrick's book was and is a milestone in homiletics. I suspect that for those who read the book carefully, and I did and have reread sections several times since, we were never the same. This is a marvelous, breathtaking book by a master theoretician. My confession, however, is that I was never quite able to satisfactorily pull off what Buttrick recommends regarding sermonic "moves." Nonetheless this is as important a book for the preacher/ pastor as Karl Barth's "Romerbrief" was to the theologian's playground in the early twentieth century.

Brilliant.......2000-08-17

Anyone with an interest in preaching would include this book in their list of 10 books to take to a desert island. Buttrick helps us to understand how the literary and critical task not only informs but at times defines the preaching task. He places strong emphasis on preaching in a way that is consistent with the way people process information. Iconoclastic at times to a fault (Buttrick began lectures in one class "The last 400 years of Christian preaching has all been done wrong-I'll show you why) his patchwork phenomenological method helps the preacher break out of tired formats to become an effective communicator.

Possibly the best book ever written on the art of preaching........1998-05-23

This book is divided into two parts: One devoted to the construction of sermons, the other to the interpretation of biblical texts.

Buttrick's approach to preaching is different than most because he actually took the time to learn how the listener hears and remembers sermons. Thus, his homilitec is geared toward constructing sermons that people will actually remember after they leave worship. He also spends half of the book on the art of interpreting the biblical text with regards to preaching, arguing that different literary forms demand different types of sermons. Thus, narratives should begat narrative sermons, pedagogic passages should begat pedagogic sermons, and parables should begat parabolic sermons.

Only one caveat. Since his approach is based on how people hear, it implies that the art of preaching needs to be continually reformed because how people hear and remember tomorrow will be different than they do today. Put differently, thirty years from now, "Homiletic" will be obsolete. My guess, however, is that if Buttrick is still teaching, he will be teaching an entirely new approach to art of preaching.

The Seeds of Heaven: Sermons on the Gospel of Matthew
Average customer rating:

Thought provoking sermons.

The Seeds of Heaven

The Seeds of Heaven, Sermons of the Gospel of Matthew

Taylor is an outstanding writer

Barbara Brown Taylor spins new stories from St Matthew

The Seeds of Heaven: Sermons on the Gospel of Matthew
Barbara Brown Taylor
Manufacturer: Westminster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Taylor, Barbara Brown | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0664228860

Book Description

This wonderful collection of sermons by renowned preacher, author, and speaker Barbara Brown Taylor is based on the Gospel of Matthew. Each of the fifteen sermons, three of them appearing here for the first time in print, is based on a reading from Matthew, including Exceeding Righteousness (Matthew 5:17-20), The Problem with Miracles (14:13-21), Family Fights (18:15-20), Once More from the Heart (18:21-35), Beginning at the End (20:1-16), and On the Clouds of Heaven (24:29-44).

Customer Reviews:

Thought provoking sermons. .......2007-08-24

Mrs. Taylor's fifteen sermons printed here are not new ones but they are fresh and challenging to adult and young adult students, even if they have heard them before. Recommended highly for study groups.

The Seeds of Heaven.......2007-02-18

Excellent! I love the way Barbara Brown makes the scripture relevant to the everyday world. She has an entertaining way of expressing her thoughts.

The Seeds of Heaven, Sermons of the Gospel of Matthew.......2006-02-27

Barbara Brown Taylor shares her sermons and insight on the typical gospel of Matthew but add so much more. This book is so impressive we have incorporated it into our Lenten program for this year. Thanks Barbara for this wonderful collection.

Taylor is an outstanding writer.......2005-10-23

I purchased the book to be used in an adult church education class. The volume is a collection of sermons based on the Gospel of Matthew. They are scholarly, yet easy to read. Taylor provides some fresh interpretation to this beloved old gospel. Her ideas make for lively in-class discussion. I recommend her work very highly.

Barbara Brown Taylor spins new stories from St Matthew.......2004-11-23

She paints mesmerizing pictures from Matthew's Gospel. Bound in the colorful cover outlining two hands around a tender green plant above brown earth, Barbara Brown Taylor is symbolized as the Gardener who brings forth fruit from The Seeds Of Heaven!

"As the world grows smaller and followers of the world religions become our literal next-door neighbors, the question of Christianity's relationship with these neighbors gains new urgency; It may take us awhile to sort out proximity to Hinduism or Taoism, our nearest neighbor is and always has been Judaism."

On hearing from her close friends tell of Barbara Brown's time-off to write her new book, I anxiously awaited my first reading. About the same time my close friend who is a Muslim Chaplain, spoke about her Columbia Seminary class visiting his Dec. Muslim Worship near the season of RAMADAN.

Her first chapter, "Exceeding Righteousness" pictures her unique way of interpreting the Gospel for other religions. Her urgency gains new momentum in the next sermon, "The Marginal Messiah, I wish I could tell you that Jesus death and resurrection changed everything...That once the word got out what God had done with Him everybody saw the Light and turned toward it on the spot."

From her tough CPE experience in a downtown Atlanta Hospital, she takes us into the inner lives of Matthew, Thomas, Peter with her inner thoughts about the Kingdom. After five flashes of the Gospel coming quickly, she says, "Jesus zings us with snapshot-like scenes glimpsed thru windows of a fast-moving train!" Her vivid use of the today's vernacular shows relentless urgency as she pursues her goal of showing us "how the Kingdom of Heaven is like this, and this, and this!"

Although I'm familiar with more of her Sermons as compared to hearing her lecture delivery, it is interesting to see how much more transparent these passages from Matthew's Gospel give an inside perspective of Barbara Brown Taylor! I first notated this in the margin of Chapter 13, when she speaks of not being sure this Parable of the Golden Rule sounds like Jesus. "It becomes necessary to look below the surface!" Her previous books do not move as intensely forward with such interest and energy in their reliving the early miracle teaching of our Master, as "The Seeds Of Heaven!" AMEN! From Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

Complete Library of Christian Worship (The Complete Library of Christian Worship, Vol 3)

Average customer rating:

Complete Library of Christian Worship (The Complete Library of Christian Worship, Vol 3)
Nelson Books
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Ritual | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1562330136

Book Description

The most complete set of reference and printed material available on Christian worship. These books provide a detailed view of Christian worship and the importance it has played in the development of the Church.

New Proclamation: Year C, 2007: Easter through Christ the King

Average customer rating:

If it's anything like the last one

New Proclamation: Year C, 2007: Easter through Christ the King
David L. Tiede , Rebecca J. Kruger Gaudino , Gary E. Peluso-verdend , and David Schnasa Jacobsen
Manufacturer: Fortress Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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New Proclamation: Year C, 2006-2007, Advent Through Holy Week
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Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church Is Transforming the Faith

ASIN: 0800642562

Book Description

Keyed to the Revised Common Lectionary; Book of Common Prayer; and Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass, the Proclamation legacy continues to offer the best in creative, searching, and responsible interpretation of the biblical lectionary texts.

Not only is New Proclamation ecumenical in orientation, offering exegesis and homiletic reflection for readings for half the church year in each volume, it also offers an overarching strategy for approaching each season and ways to connect one's homily or sermon to the salient features of contemporary life. Anchored in expert exegesis, the preacher is able to craft effective, gospel-centered sermons that proclaim a gospel true to tradition and our times.

EASTER
David Tiede
Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota

PENTECOST 1
Rebecca J. Kruger Gaudino
United Church of Christ minister and freelance writer, Portland, Oregon

PENTECOST 2
Gary Peluso-Verdend Phillips
Theological Seminary, Tulsa, Oklahoma

PENTECOST 3
David Schnasa Jacobsen
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Ontario, Canada

Customer Reviews:

If it's anything like the last one.......2007-01-11

Haven't had the opportunity to peruse this one yet. But advent through easter is awesome. I'll take my chances.

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