importance of communication in ministry

Importance of Communication in Christian Ministry
The Christian principles of communication are same as the characteristics of ministry. They are communication is paricipatory,libarative,builds community,nurishes culture and prophetic1. So the Christian ministry is more about communication. In christian ministry, all types of communication is involved that is intrapersonal, group etc but the interpersonal communication's role is very important. Preparing the sermons etc coming under the intrapersonal communication and preaching, teaching etc come in to the catagery of group communication.
In christian ministry, there is formal talk and informal talk which are called as trasaction and interaction in interpersonal communication. Inerpersonal communication helps to establishig and maintaing the relationships, helps to avoid misunderstanding, unites the people, giving meaningful expressionof love, gives encouragement, comfort in christian ministry.

Biblical presentation
Communication is very important role in Jesus's ministry, apostles ministry. The Bible gives us the narratives about the interpersonal communication (eg: Jesus and Samaritan woman), and Group communication (eg: sermons of Peter, Stephen etc) intrapersonal communication (eg:prodigal son, Peter in Acts 10) and Mass communication (Scriptures, Temple sturctures etc).
Paul wrote about christian miscommunication in I Corinthians 14:8-12. Hendricks observed that in verse 19, Paul's longing for gift of communication.2 Infact our christian ministry is based on the great commission which involves preaching and teaching- Proclaiming Gospal and making discipiles.Oommen defines evangelism as “Evangelism is the proclamation or comminication of the good news (Gospel) of Jesus Christ – in the power of the Holy Spirit – to a person in a manner that he understands and responds, so that he should put his trust in God through Jesus Christ, accepting Him as his Savior and serving Him as the Lordof his personal life, in the corporate fellowhip of the Church”3 this definition clearly explains about the role of communication as proclaiming, respose to the message etc.

Communication in Ministry
Communication involves differnt ways in Christian ministry. The following are some of the areas where the communication takes place in ministry.
1.Preaching and Teaching: Preaching and teaching is the main way whare communication takes place. Speaking, nonverbal communication like gusteres etc involves. Preaching in the church, in meetings, mass evangelism etc are mostly needed effective comminication. Stage is for communcation, not for monoplay or performance.
2.Personal talking and counseling: This is the most effective tool of communication in chiristian ministry. Pastor's house visitings, counseling the people, christian communicator's talking with others, all involves the way to communicate the gospel and equiviping the individual. In personal evangelism, the effective communication gives much results.
3.through stories in sunday schools, skits, singing, action songs, music etc.,
4.Media: printed media as Bible, books, and electronic media like Television, radio,Vedio tapes, Audio cassettes, Films,Computers,telephone. Many christian ministries have their won television channels. Radio playes very important role in missions.4 Movies, audio-vedio tapes etc are very useful in missions and church ministries.Many ministries have internet usage like maintaing websites, prayer cells through telephones, using LCD etc in the worship.
5.Symbolism: Through the observences like baptisPassionate and Compassionate Communication,m, communion lots of communication takes place. Church constuction, dressing of the priest etc also communicate with people.
6.Leadership: In the leadership, communication takes important role. To make the leaders, to lead the people etc, a leader must have the good communication skills in christian ministry. John Haggai wrote that the leadership requires effective communcation through speech, writing, and without effective communication, a leader never reach his/her leadership potential.5
7.Personality: “Nothing is as easy as talking; nothing is as difficult as communicating”6 this means communication through the personality is very difficut than speaking. The christian message is more communicated through the preacher's personality, life style than the preaching. Christian preaching involves the teaching and doing(Acts 1:1) This ministirial communication explained as 'concept-feeling-action'7by Hendricks, and 'BEING before DOING and SAYING'8 by Oommen.Positive personality gains positive response and negetive gains negetive. If the preacher is not practicing what he/she preached, there are much distraction in his/her communication.

Thus the communcation plays very important role in Christian ministry in many areas.