This past week, my church family at Missio Dei has been engaging in great discussions on church membership and church leadership. As a member of our leadership team, I’m glad we’re small enough to engage with everyone on these important church functions, but boy does it take a lot out of you! There have been tons of searching Scriptures as well as our own hearts concerning these topics.
How does this relate to church technology? Because the majority of these conversations have been taking place online or via private messages. If you’ve done any communicating through technology, you know it can get really messy, really fast. All it takes is one person trying to use sarcasm for the conversation to blow up and become unproductive. Sorry, this article isn’t about how to control people and stop them from saying stupid things on the interwebs, but hopefully you will be able to walk away with some good tips regarding online communication.
Remember Who You’re Talking To
Is your audience a group of peers? Are they your flock looking to you for guidance? Are they 7th and 8th graders? Are they church techies?
This point, when it’s executed well, is often done subconsciously. I could start explaining to my 5 month old how to root her future Android device, but there’s absolutely no way she’d understand that (let alone a word I’m saying!), so I resort to cooing instead. If I submitted an article to 78P.tv about horses instead of technology and the church, it wouldn’t be published (and I’m sure I’d get grief for it for a very long time!).
Sometimes, when I think I do a swell job laying a concept out in a Facebook conversation, I find out later no one had any clue what I was talking about. That’s because when we communicate, there are two sides to the conversation, the giver and the receiver. The giver has the responsibility to communicate well. They are not to speak over someone’s head, nor too low as to devalue their audience. The receiver, while we can’t control them, does have a responsibility to analyze what’s being said in the appropriate context. They shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but rather clarify on an iffy point.
Contextualization is key to good, solid online communication. Whether is a 1,000 word blog post or a 140 character tweet, remember what audience you’re communicating to.
Apologize When Needed
You’re not going to do it right all the time. You’re going to forget your audience and say something wrong. You’re bound to offend someone somewhere! My gut reaction is to push forward rather than take a step back. Maybe yours is too?
We need to hold off our insults and sarcasm and not make things worse. It’s not too late to apologize! (Yes. That just happened.) I can honestly say that every time I have taken the time to apologize, the conversation has turned around. Humility goes a long way. Not only have you saved the situation, you’ve regained your audience. After all, what’s the point of communicating without an audience?
The Wrap-Up
We’re still talking things through at MD. Yes, my phone continues to die from constant replying. Yes, I’ll keep messing up my communication. But hopefully, I’ll remember to communicate well more often, and I’ll pray the same for you!
What about you? Have you had any communication blunders on the interwebs? Feel free to share your stories or your remedies in the comments below.
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