Stanley, Andy and Jones, Lane.

Stanley, Andy and Jones, Lane. Communicating for a Change. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2006.

Communication is typically taught from a business or management perspective. Books like Andy Stanley and Lane Jones's Communicating for a Change are therefore refreshing, offering insight into Christian ministerial and evangelical communication. However, Communicating for a Change is written as much for the layperson as for the pastor. The purpose of the book is to help readers improve their ability to communicate about God and faith with the objective of stimulating positive change.

Both authors have extensive experience in the Christian ministries and draw upon that experience to help others considering a career in preaching or entertaining a lifetime calling. One of the authors, Andy Stanley, is the son of a preacher and had twenty years experience as a pastor. Lane Jones helped develop the core communication principles outlined in Communicating for a Change and has been teaching communication skills to pastors for years.

The authors' advice is simple and straightforward. Stanley and Lane present seven core principles they refer to as "imperatives" such as keeping in mind the goals of any sermon; creating a communication map; and internalizing the message. The principles are presented in parable form, which will appeal to any Christian reader. The parable format also enhances the informal tone and style of the book. Some readers will find the informal style disconcerting, as many of the "imperatives" overlap with one another. At times, corny jokes weigh down the narrative. Other readers will find the story format a helpful change of pace from the dry prose so often used in books on effective communication. The author tries to anticipate questions and answer them in narrative format.

The book suffers somewhat from Stanley's immature writing style, but is redeemed by brevity and decent organization. There are no gratuitous charts or graphs, because the parables speak for themselves. Visual aids would be totally unnecessary in Communicating for a Change, and would clutter its pages. What Communicating for a Change lacks in scientific methodology, it makes up for in droves of personal experience and experiential wisdom.

Divided into two parts, Communicating for a Change organizes content into theory and practice. Thus, the authors do not stop at the storytelling. The main premise of the book is that there are seven imperatives to effective communication. The first part of the book outlines the reasoning behind the "imperatives" and their basic ideas. The second part of the book presents the practical methods by which readers can put those imperatives into practice. Even abstract ideas such as how to engage an audience are presented with practical advice.