Spurgeon on Communication

I have been fortunate enough lately to observe some excellent communicators in action. Last Sunday night Brian Houston spoke at The Event at Kings, and I have made it to some sessions of the Planetshakers, notably Judah Smith's. This 'feast' of master communicators has got me thinking about this powerful art. What is it that makes a communicator particularly effective?

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) is dubbed as the undisputed Prince of Preachers. Spurgeon pastored the first 'megachurch', the Metropolitan Tabernacle, in London in the late 1800's.

The following are four directives on effective communication from the Prince of Preachers:

1. Cultivate a Clear Style
"When a man does not make me understand what he means, it is because he does not himself know what he means...I believe that many 'deep' preachers are simply so because they are like dry wells with nothing whatever in them, except decaying leaves, a few stones, and perhaps a dead cat or two... It is not enough to be so plain that you can be understood, you must speak so that you cannot be misunderstood."

2. Cultivate a Cogent Style
"Our speech must be forceful. Some imagine that this consists in speaking loudly, but I can assure them they are in error. Nonsense does not improve by being bellowed...Let us be forcible by reason of the excellence of our matter, and the energy of spirit which we throw into the delivery of it."

3. Cultivate Naturalness
"...may a living, natural, simple way of talking out the gospel be learned by us all."

4. Cultivate Persuasiveness
Spurgeon admired speakers who could connect personally with each hearer, "preachers who in their sermons seem to take their hearers one by one by the button-hole, and drive the truth right into their souls." He encouraged preachers to adapt themselves to their different situations - "Suit yourselves to your audiences...The greatest master of oratory...is able to address any class of people in a manner suitable to their condition, and likely to touch their hearts."