Whether you speak from the pulpit, podium, or the front of a classroom, you don't need much more than blank stares and faraway looks to tell you you're not connecting. Take heart before your audience takes leave! You can convey your message in the powerful, life-changing way it deserves to be told. An insightful, entertaining parable that's an excellent guide for any speaker, Communicating for a Change takes a simple approach to delivering effectively. Join Pastor Ray as he discovers that the secrets to successful speaking are parallel to the lessons a trucker learns on the road. By knowing your destination before you leave (identifying the one basic premise of your message), using your blinkers (making transitions obvious), and implementing five other practical points, you'll drive your message home every time!

"Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."

"Once upon a time..."

"In the beginning..."

Great stories capture and hold an audience's attention from start to finish. Why should it be any different when you stand up to speak?

In Communicating for a Change, Andy Stanley and Lane Jones offer a unique strategy for communicators seeking to deliver captivating and practical messages. In this highly creative presentation, the authors unpack seven concepts that will empower you to engage and impact your audience in a way that leaves them wanting more.

"Whether you are a senior pastor with weekly teaching responsibilities or a student pastor who has bern charged with engaging the hearts and minds of high school students, this book is a must-read."
-Bill Hybels, Senior pastor, Willow Creak Community Church

"A very practical resource for every biblical communicator who wants to go from good to great."
-Ed Young, Senior pastor, Fellowship Church, Grapevine, Texas

"To communicate effectively, you have to connect. Andy has been connecting with people for years, and now he's sharing his insights with the rest of us."
-Jeff Foxworthy, Comedian

Story Behind the Book

Andy Stanley and Lane Jones are on staff at one of America 's largest churches, North Point Community. Leaders of thousands of people, they regularly speak in front of large groups. They also listen to numerous speakers and know the disastrous effects of a poorly delivered message. This book is the result of their efforts to make public speaking--one of the most common fear-inducing activities known to mankind--simple, easy, and even enjoyable, so that God's messages will readily produce the life-changing results they should.

William Willimon, one of the world's most admired preachers, offers his practical and sage advice for some of the most basic tasks of ministry: preparing, delivering, and evaluating sermons; planning, leading, and evaluating worship services; offering public prayers; and celebrating baptism and the Lord's Supper. In addition, Willimon provides creative suggestions for involving laity in worship. Ideal for beginning ministers and veterans alike, A Guide to Preaching and Leading Worship will assuredly become a standard must-have for mainline Protestant clergy.