Stretch Beyond "Churchy" Words (A Guest Post)
Watch out for churchy words. They confiscate your meaning. These are the words that whisper a not very hidden secret: Only the initiated can understand these ideas. Those who are not “in the know” either check out when they hear these words or they become convinced that this Christianity stuff isn’t for them, and they don’t come back next week.
Bridging the Language Gap in Sermons: Four Ways to Ensure “Church Words” are Meaningful to Your Listeners
There is a risk of misunderstanding when we use certain “church words.” We say a word, intending one meaning, but our listeners hear or interpret something else. How do we ensure our listeners actually understand what we mean? Consider these four approaches to bridge the divide.