For God’s Sake, Shut Up!

Brief Description

The old maxim is true: sometimes it is not just what you say, it is how you say it. One of the great problems in the Christian community today is a general inability to communicate effectively without polarizing or driving people away. Sometimes the greatest problem is the seeming inability of many Christians to learn the truth of another old maxim: silence is golden. For God’s Sake, Shut Up!, by Communications Specialist Brian Kaylor, offers numerous insights for Christian leaders and followers who desire to share their beliefs in more meaningful and effective ways.

About the Author

Brian Kaylor serves as communications specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Missouri, and his writings have appeared in various Christian publications. He is a doctoral student in communication at the University of Missouri, where he also teaches undergraduate communication courses. He has presented over two dozen academic papers at communication conferences and won several awards for his writings. Kaylor previously served as pastor of Union Mound Baptist Church and graduated from Southwest Baptist University. Read more about Brian Kaylor at his blog http://forgodssakeshutup.blogspot.com/.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction (But Please Read It Anyway)
Part I: Avoiding Common Mistakes in Communication
1. God Gave You Two Ears and One Mouth: The Mistake of Not Listening to People
2. Teletubbies, Sponges, and Other Abominations: The Mistake of Not Picking Your Battles Wisely
3. An Inconvenient Truth: The Mistake of Lying
4. Checking in for Ethics Rehab: The Mistake of Not Considering the Consequences
5. Oops: The Mistake of Not Avoiding Logical Fallacies
6. Breaking the Body of Christ: The Mistake of Using Inappropriate Metaphors
7. Concerned about the Here and Now: The Mistake of Not Speaking at the Appropriate Place and Time
Part II: Becoming a More Effective Communicator
8. Practice what You Preach: Learning More Effective Delivery
9. Talk the Talk: Keeping a Consistent and Appropriate Focus
10. Fewer Dropped Calls: Living Up to Your High Calling
11. The Spiritual Gift of Criticism: Giving and Receiving Criticism
12. By Invitation Only: How to Measure Success Appropriately
13. What’s Love Got to Do with It? — Or “Everything!”
Epilogue (I Get the Last Word!)