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Communication If you are reading this article in a mailed copy of our monthly newsletter, some may find that 'quaint'. In this age of information overload (e.g. e-mail, texting, Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging, Skype), reading something that comes to you 'snail mail' is becoming somewhat of an oddity. We can be connected to one another in a variety of ways using our television sets, cell phones, computers, game systems, pen and paper and ( I almost forgot)— talking to each other face to face! But, (and I bet you can guess where I’m headed with this) has our communication with one another really improved? Some may say yes but, for many of us, all these sources of information and attempts to communicate with one another have left us feeling overwhelmed and more likely to just ignore what is coming at us. Communication is hard work. It is difficult for leadership in a congregation to get the word out to its members. It is difficult for a single member to get his/her thoughts heard by the rest of the congregation. We are often left with frustrated individuals who can’t understand why they feel left out of the loop, didn’t know something was happening, wonder why so few showed up at something that seem to be so well advertized. All communication is rooted in relationship. Communication happens when one person or group attempts to share something with another. My experience has been: "The better the communication, the better the relationship." But I believe the inverse to be true: "The better the relationship, the better the communication." When I get an e-mail that I suspect to be junk, I’m apt to delete it. If it is from a good friend, I’m likely to open quickly and respond. I suspect that if I feel good about what my Church is doing and feel my participation in the life of the congregation is important — I’m more apt to pay attention. Having said all this, we will continue to communicate in as many ways as possible. Your council feels that this newsletter is important and has decided that it should be published monthly. Check out our web page as we are about to begin updating it often. Look for an Advent Lutheran Church Face Book page. Take time to check out the announcements on the monitor in the Narthex. Stop to read the bulletin boards. But, most importantly, let’s talk!
Grace and Peace, |