The other day, I left Atlanta for Norfolk, Virginia on a Delta flight. As I stowed my carry on luggage and put my electronic in the off position (why don’t they use normal language?), the captain came over the PA to convey some seemingly important information.
He told me we’d be leaving from Runway #5, and we’d eventually cruise at an altitude of 38,000 feet.
Exactly what am I supposed to do with this information? How does this knowledge affect me in any way? Now, I’m sure those two bits of info are important to the PILOT or possibly the FAA, but why did the entire plane need to know that?
It was important to him, but not to us.
Tell me about the weather where I’m going. Tell me what the stock market is doing right now. Tell me who won the Celtics game last night. All of those things would be far more relevant to the cabin (why do they call it a cabin) of the plane.
Too much church communication, and even sermons, adopt this same model. We tell people information that matters to us, and expect them to care. Our communication or our preaching doesn’t intersect their real world, so the truthfulness or the accuracy of the information falls by the wayside because nobody cares.
If you want to communicate effectively, start with your audience. Step into their world and let them know WHY they need to know what you’re about to tell them.
In a sermon, while you’re preparation should always begin with the Bible, your sermon probably shouldn’t start there. Sadly, most people aren’t going to alter something in their life “because it’s in the Bible.”
When you’re sending an email, make sure it’s about them, not about your runway or the altitude. (You might want to pick up this cheap ebook from Improving Church called “Why Nobody Reads Your Church Email”)
Don’t be an airline captain, talking just because you have a microphone and are supposed to address the audience, and end up giving information that is accurate and important to you, but meaningless to everyone that hears it.







