TOP PREACHERS SHARE INSIGHTS ON COMMUNICATION IN NEW BOOK
JACKSON, Tenn. — Preaching is entering an exciting new era of impact and influence, according to the editor of a new book of interviews with the nation's top Christian communicators including Bill Hybels, Max Lucado, Chuck Swindoll, Warren Wiersebe, George Barna, and others.
In the book – Communicate With Power, recently published by Baker Books – Michael Duduit interviews many of the nation's finest preachers. Those interviews – which originally appeared in Preaching magazine – reveal significant insights for communicating the gospel at the end of the twentieth century.
Although preaching does not have the same cultural role it had a century ago – when summaries of Sunday sermons appeared on the front page of the Monday New York Times – the reality is that great preaching is probably more prevalent today than at any time in American history, Duduit asserts. "While there are not a handful of pulpit princes known to most Americans as was once the case, there are thousands of quality preachers who are effectively communicating the gospel in churches large and small across the United States."
In his conversations with many of the nation's best Christian communicators, Duduit noted several characteristics of quality preaching in today's churches.
"Probably the single most significant characteristic of effective preaching today is relevance to the needs of people," Duduit indicates. The best preachers know how to take biblical insights and insightfully apply them to the lives of men and women in their congregations. In particular, they recognize the need to speak to unchurched people in language they can understand, while being authentic to the truths of scripture.
Another common characteristic is the use of contemporary, applicable illustrations of biblical truths. "Today's outstanding preachers aren't digging into old collections of stories to dig out sermon illustrations older than they are. They understand the need to illustrate scriptural principles in ways that will communicate effectively to people in this culture, so they are far more likely to draw illustrations from USA Today or prime-time television than from literary classics or old preacher stories," Duduit says.
One thing common to most strong preachers is an intellectual curiosity that makes them active readers, the editor believes. "Most of the preachers I interviewed are voracious readers," he explains. "Many carry books wherever they travel – looking for spare moments to read. And their literary diet ranges far beyond theological and religious works; good preachers are readers of history and biography, fiction, lots of interest in current events and cultural trends."
In addition to his work as editor of Preaching magazine – a bi-monthly professional journal for pastors – Duduit has served since June 1 as Executive Vice President of 51ÉçÇø, a Christian university in Jackson, Tennessee. He also teaches classes in preaching at the church-related university.
"I am convinced that young preachers have so much to learn from the great Christian communicators of our day," he says. "These powerful voices are excellent mentors for a new generation of Christian preachers who will proclaim the gospel in the 21st century."