{"id":4905,"date":"2018-01-08T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2018-01-08T13:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/trainchurchleaders.com\/practicum\/?p=4905"},"modified":"2026-04-21T15:35:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T19:35:30","slug":"communication-governed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trainchurchleaders.com\/practicum\/communication-governed.htm","title":{"rendered":"Communication Governed by the Great Commission"},"content":{"rendered":"

To fulfill the Great Commission, we’re going to need to communicate with people. However, fears and insecurities can hold us back. Perhaps we have an introverted personality. Maybe a lack of training makes us feel disqualified. Our poor communication skills<\/a> may have led to bad past experiences. Whatever it might be, we somehow let these fears and insecurities govern what we say and do rather than be governed by the Great Commission.<\/p>\n

And, we’re not just talking about a fear of public speaking as discipleship can happen one-on-one, informally, not just in a formal group setting. We can be riddled with fear of what people will think and how they will respond. What if they won’t even listen? What if they won’t change as a result? We might be afraid of failure.<\/p>\n

Communication Skills Matter But Ultimately Aren’t What Makes the Difference<\/h2>\n

While it’s difficult to imagine discipling and leading others without having good communication skills, God is able to use us as we are. Read the words of the Apostle Paul:<\/p>\n

When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Cor. 2:1-5)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Communication Governed by the Great Commission Overcomes Fears<\/h2>\n

As we look at Jesus’ Great Commission to “go and make disciples” we find three realities in Matthew 28:18-20 that should help us in our communication as we go about Jesus’ mission to make disciples.
\n\"CommunicationWe will look at each of these factors that characterize communication governed by the Great Commission in the next several posts:<\/p>\n

1) \u00a0Authority in Communication<\/a>
\n2) \u00a0Focus of Communication<\/a>
\n3) \u00a0Confidence in Communication<\/a><\/p>\n

These realities don’t negate our need to learn to better communicate but they should remove excuses for failing to try regardless of how introverted of a personality we might have, lack of training, or any other hindrance.<\/p>\n

This post, as well as the three linked to above, can be found in the Steering the Church Toward Discipleship Leadership Guide<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

For More on These Topics, Go To:<\/p>\n