Evaluating and Improving Christian Communications

by Tom Watson, Jr.

When Christ spoke the words of the Great Commission and then sent His Spirit to empower the first missionary movement, there were no mechanical media by which His message could be transmitted to the uttermost part of the earth. The channel of communication of the good news was the personal witness of Spirit-filled believers who saw themselves as divine tools set apart for the specific purpose of communicating Christ’s message.

When Christ spoke the words of the Great Commission and then sent His Spirit to empower the first missionary movement, there were no mechanical media by which His message could be transmitted to the uttermost part of the earth. The channel of communication of the good news was the personal witness of Spirit-filled believers who saw themselves as divine tools set apart for the specific purpose of communicating Christ’s message.

The task of these human instruments was to secure for Jesus Christ in their generation an equitable distribution of the gospel message to all nations and to every creature; to call out the redeemed from every kindred, tribe, and tongue. They were propagandists, but their propaganda was charged with an urgency implicit in the nature of the message itself. The motivating force was not related in any way to the selfish interests of the propagandist. This distinction still is a valid one. It may well be that in the eyes of target people the purely altruistic motivation alone constitutes the real uniqueness of all truly Christian communications.

In this article we want to suggest guidelines for evaluating the effectiveness of mass media in the accomplishing of our goals. The long-range goal is described as being to plant a church in every community, and the immediate goal is to evangelize every creature.

But to evaluate the effectiveness of communications media, we must first make at least a cursory examination of certain principles by which the use of such media is governed, and certain methods that experience teaches us we ought to employ. Therefore, this article will be structured with these three elements related as accurately and as realistically as possible to one another. We will consider principles-or theories, as the case may be-and we will consider methods. Then we will try to arrive at the desired guidelines for an evaluation of the effectiveness of our efforts as communicators.

PRINCIPLES
Every act of communication between humans begins with a source person why initiates or who holds a specific idea that he desires to transmit to a target person or group. But an idea cannot be crammed into a person’s head. It has to follow certain established channels. There is a limited choice of such channels, but there is no communicating apart from the channels that are available.

To make the problem more complex, certain hindrances inevitably present themselves in a threat to render the effort ineffective. The science of effective communications therefore requires constant research, careful analysis, and great diligence to overcome these hindrances and to insure the largest possible degree of success.

The beginning of wisdom in the communicating of the gospel of Christ is not the enthusiastic assumption that any means is bound to be effective because of the urgent character of our message. Wisdom lies in the utilizing of available data, the sharing of empirical findings, and the employing of careful judgment to determine what procedures ought to be used in this situation and among these people to accomplish the exact objectives that are desired in the interest of the Body of Christ upon the earth and in the light of our declared goals.

To establish the principles upon which effective communications is established, let us review the process by which an idea is passed from source to target persons:

1. Choosing the Symbols. The idea must be expressed in terms of certain symbols that are capable of conveying the thought to those singled out to receive it. Among the available symbols are words, pictures, objects, facial expressions, gestures, and even certain nonlinguistic sounds.

2. Encoding of the Message. The idea must be expressed accurately and adequately in terms of the symbol chosen. This requires the skill of the artist, the sculptor, the speaker, or the writer. In the field of Christian communications the fact of divine gifts and calling must never belostfrom view.

3. Transmitting the Message. A word spoken into a single ear or proclaimed to a crowd in the market place is a transmission. So is an artist’s brush in motion or a printing press in action, or a radio transmitter on the air. This is the sending process-by whatever means, an indispensable part of the communications process.

4. Receiving the Message. Here the process passes largely beyond the control of the communicator-but not entirely. The observing of rules of pure logic in the act of transmitting the message will accomplish much in getting the message through to successful reception. This is the entry of the message through the ear gate or the eye gate. It is important to recognize that neither careful symbol selection, nor skillful encoding, nor efficient transmitting will insure the desired results if reception of the message is not accomplished.

5. Decoding the Message. It is not the words themselves that constitute the thing being communicated, but the idea that is conveyed through the choice and arrangement of the symbols. Probably only those who actually decode the message can be counted as people we have "reached" with our communication. These are the ones who read, hear and heed the message. They reach for the idea.

6. Interpreting the Message. No matter how explicit we are in stating our message, there are other companion ideas that are implicit in the finished product, and these prove to be of primary importance in interpretation. Very likely this is the point at which Holy Spirit illumination becomes the determinitive factor. Now the process has passed yet another step beyond the control of the communicator.

7. Accepting the Idea. This is the first phase in the desired response by the target people. The idea has been received, decoded and interpreted. Now it will be believed or disbelieved, accepted as a thing of value or rejected as something to be ignored or despised.

8. Applying the Idea. This is the test of the whole process. Even the "acceptance" of an idea falls short of realistic achievement unless there is evidence of action on the part of the target people in accordance with the demands of the message. What people really believe activates them. The source person’s ultimate objective through communication is the symbolized, encoded, transmitted, received, decoded, interpreted, accepted idea properly applied by the target people.

METHODS
Methodology is in a sense the exact approach to the interpretation and application of principles. Effectiveness in communications probably is born of proper principles, but it is nurtured and brought to strength only if it feeds on well chosen methods. Let us consider then, the principles already observed as they relate to the methods from which we make our choice:

1. Choosing the Symbols. With rare exceptions, the communicating of the specifics of the Christian message requires the use of words. It may well be words plus pictures, or words plus facial expressions and gestures-but the symbol with which most Christian communicators are concerned is either the spoken or the written word. More than a single set of symbols may be required. If a word plus a picture-or a sound, a chart, or an object lesson-will communicate the message more effectively, the communicator who for reasons ranging from supposed economy to sheer laziness resorts to the use of the word alone is acting inconsistently with the urgency of his message.

2. Encoding the Idea. This transforms the idea into a message. If words are chosen as the desirable vehicle, then only certain words carefully selected and properly arranged will serve to express the idea that the source person hopes to communicate to the target person or group. Exact ideas must be expressed by the use of exact words in exact arrangement. The more specific the information to be communicated, the more critical becomes the choice and the arrangement of words to conveytheexact idea.

The transforming of the idea into a message may well be the point at which the most formidable of hindrances are erg; countered. There are accepted criteria, however, that can guide us in the encoding process:

a. Desirability. One of the first responsibilities of the Christian witness is to be able to state his message as an attractive and a desirable idea. This is a necessary step in getting attention, and we do not speak effectively until we have taken it. The gospel of Christ is an authoritarian message, but the autliority may not be recognized until first the desirability has been grasped and the attention captured. It is possible for the earnest Christian communicator to write or say so much abut unimportant things, or speak so dogmatically-or perhaps, on the other hand, so unconvincingly-that to any but the already preconditioned and friendly audience he forfeits the right to be heard.

b. Flexibility. The flexible message is one that is directed to people where they are and not where they ought to be. It will not create unnecessarily conditions the target person is unable or unwilling to meet. It establishes thoughtfully and strategically its irreducible minimum of absolutes, and declines to go beyond these necessary boundaries in stating its propositions to those it intends to win.

c. Intelligibility. Much communication fails because someone does not write or say what he means, or, in some cases, because he does not mean exactly what he says. Intelligibility demands the use of words currently understood. It will demonstrate an awareness of cultural differences. It will avoid ambiguity, bear in mind its proper frame of reference, never lose sight of limits in attention span. Intelligibility requires careful attention to the overlap-or lack of overlap-in fields of experience. The communicator will be largely ineffective unless he exercises a disciplined determination to express himself in properly defined terms, and to state his idea in words that have in the minds of his audience meaning reasonably similar to that which is held in his own. Not "What does this mean to me?" or "What may this mean to the critical Christian who may overhear me?" but "What will this mean to my hearer?" is the question that will mold effective methods in making our message intelligible.

d. Credibility. If there is a "credibility gap" in the communicating of the Christian message, it is brought on largely by the unwise presentation of unacceptable, and to a great extent unbiblical, propositions. The gospel, properly stated, is logically and rationally acceptable. Its accretions are not necessarily so. The introduction into the message of illogical presuppositions and unprovable premises-the confusing of superstititions with revealed dogma-may exact a heavy toll from the credibility of the Christian message, however passionately it may be presented through the mass or the personal media.

e. Applicability. This criterion may contain elements of all of the other four. The message that is not relevant to realistic situations is not an applicable message. The communicating of an applicable message requires on the part of the sender a keen sensitivity to the actual needs and aspirations of the receiver. It demands answers to questions that really are being asked. This cannot be accomplished without careful attention to the class and condition of those to whom we speak. The savage does not ask what the civilized man asks; the rich man’s questions are not like the poor man’s; the teenager seeks answers in areas far different from those being explored by the more mature; the concerns of the free world citizen may not be shared by the inhabitant of the Communist world at all.

3. Transmitting the Message. No single medium for communicating the Christian message can provide total coverage of all who ought to hear it. Availability of the audience must be the guide in the choiceofmedium of expression. The important thing is to convey the encoded message efficiently and effectively to the person or group singled out as being the desired target for the idea. This demands the study and analysis of conditions. There is no use in publishing literature for people who are illiterate. A radio message will bear no fruit among people who have no receiving sets. An advertisement on the financial page of a newspaper will not speak to people who are known to read only the funny papers.

The secular world, governed by stern economic factors, observes the rule that a combination of media usually is the most effective way to convey the message to the target. Communications media are interrelated; they go fastest and farthest when they go hand in hand.

4. Receiving the Message. Though the communicator has less control at this point than he had in the preceding areas, he still bears a heavy responsibility to increase the probability that his message will get through. If radio broadcasts are directed at people known to have receivers-and this on the frequency and at the listening hours most likely to reach them-the number of listeners beyond reasonable doubt is increased. If literature is distributed among people who can read-and this in the language, idiom and vocabulary that has meaning to them-the effectiveness of the communication almost certainly is enhanced. If the frame of reference for the message is keyed to their interests and concerns, even greater efficiency is insured. The sender of the Christian message finds it necessary to bear vicariously for the target person the responsibility that the message be received. In production and in distribution alike he does not dare forget this responsibility.

5. Decoding the Message. It is possible to multiply both readers and listeners without having a realistic count of "decoders" who actually have extracted the idea from the symbols and thus been brought to a point where the desired response becomes at last a possibility. Only those communicators whose methodology includes the greatest care and thoughtfulness at the point of encoding can hope to score satisfactorily when the moment for decoding is reached. But the message may not be decoded properly-or interpreted, or applied-upon first exposure. A second-or a fiftieth-repetition may be required. The influence of another medium may provide the decisive factor for the receiver in discerning the actual content of the message.

6. Interpreting the Message. What "methods" will influence the intangible realm of spiritual understanding and interpretation? If the "god of this world" has in fact "blinded the minds of them that believe not," then the communicator must accept responsibility to do what he can to determine that the veil is taken away. Thus prayer becomes a prime consideration in the methodology of effective communications. People need no help or encouragement to misunderstand. They require all possible assistance in interpreting properly the idea.

7. Accepting the Idea. Here also is a sphere of influence that prospers best in a climate of prayer. The Christian communicator will remember, however, that precept and example are inseparable. His message may well be interpreted, and then accepted or rejected primarily against the background of the life that is demonstrated by those identified to the target person as being responsible for the message. Repetition, followup, change of pace, reaction and interaction are essential. We do not really know if people are accepting our ideas until we have given them an opportunity to express themselves, to ask their questions, and to voice their doubts.

8. Applying the Idea. A basic requirement here is clarity in the mind of the source person as to what it is he desires that the target person should do, and how long he is willing to wait for results. Long after the message has been decoded and interpreted-perhaps long after theideahas been accepted-the receiver may not have taken the exact action that the sender desires. Here again good methodology demands variety in the choice of communications media, change of pace in the presentation, exchange of ideas, good development of feedback. When the idea has been applied, it may be presumed that the communicator’s goal has been achieved. This in turn leads him either to another target-or to a new and higher goal for the target person with whom he was formerly concerned. The object of an evangelistic communication now moves into the target area of a teaching and building outreach.

EVALUATION
The immediate aim of evangelization is personal conversions. Here the extensive use of mass communications media proves of maximum value. The whole of society is the target; men and women, old and young, rich and poor, educated and ignorant, wicked and righteous, savage and civilized. Somewhere there is that person who has ears to hear and eyes to see. He cannot be recognized by physical characteristics, facial expression, or personal practices. He is not a statistic. He is known only to God. In some areas and circumstances he may be the one in three; in others the one in a thousand. It is no less important to reach him if he be the one in a million.

In the planting of the church and the nurturing of the believer, the communications problem undergoes a drastic change. The audience has become far more specific. Its tastes and habits are much better known and understood. Immense barriers have been removed. Results are more easily measured. Maximum effectiveness in communications may pass from one medium to another-or from all combined to one alone. Nevertheless, there still are three basic choices in the task of reaching people with the message:

1. Public Confrontation. The use of the voice, mechanically amplified or not, on the street corner or in the market place, is a mass communications medium. It was the only choice available to the primitive evangelists, and with its exclusive use they turned in an admirable performance. At times they were heard to cry out in terms of Isaiah’s discouragement, "Lord, who hath believed our report?" Holy Spirit guidance tinned one from an abundant harvest in Samaria to a lone seeker in the desert of Gaza. The simple criteria apparently, were the two questions, "Is God really leading?" and, "Are His apparent purposes fulfilled?"

The public confrontation medium offers distinct advantages in its simplicity, economy and flexibility. Little or no equipment or experience is required. Therefore, far more patience can be exercised in determining results. The time, energy, and personal influence, however, of the evangelist or the teacher are commodities of value that demand consideration. Wisdom dictates the necessity of the thoughtful and prayerful establishing of certain standards adapted to the peculiar situation by which effectiveness and thus feasibility might be determined.

2. Literature. The moment the "word symbol" is transferred to the printed page, certain economic and logistical factors come into view. The value of the effort can no longer be judged merely in terms of the time, energy, and influence of the evangelist. Other personnel are involved. Financial problems must be faced. Skills in the field of expression, design, production, promotion and distribution must be developed or purchased. Choices must be made between the alternatives of tracts, posters, pamphlets, books, Bible portions, and othersnot all of which will be suited to any given situation. Generally –but not always-brevity and compactness prove of more value in evangelism; lengthier printed matter makes a greater contribution to spiritual maturity and church growth. More people are saved through tracts than through books. Spiritual growth is unlikely apart from the Bible and other lengthier publications.

The field of literature is a fiercelycompetitiveone. Far more material is available than any individual is able to consume. Therefore the target person can be expected to expose himself only to that which is the most readily available, the most attractive and the most easily understood. This fact places the Christian publisher under a solemn obligation to study production excellence and distribution strategy in the pursuit of his publication ministry.

Ultimately, the evaluation of the effort must be judged on the basis of standards that recognize the economic factors binding upon the effort, and include a realistic appraisal of the fruit in terms of the desired conversions. It is not enough in any situation to rationalize that God has said "my Word . . . shall not return unto me void." The pragmatics do not constitute a decisive measurement, as we have observed, but neither will they be ignored. God also has promised concerning His Word that "it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

Is the Word prospering in terms of conversions? Are there visible results in terms of growing churches and maturing lives?

3. Radio and Television. In the broadcasting field, an entirely different set of factors is brought under consideration. Broadcasting is less tangible than literature; less personal than public confrontation. Broadcasting must make its impression now, or it may never make it at all. More than any other medium, it is subject to the possibility of throwing seed to the wind or sowing it by the wayside. As an evangelistic tool, however, it is unsurpassed in its potential when properly used.

There is excitement and drama in the use of a microphone, a tape recorder, and a powerful radio transmitter. The broadcaster always is exposed to the hazard of being captivated by this excitement and drama and therefore rendered incapable of an objective judgment concerning the value of his effort. Certainly more than the street corner preacher-probably more than the publisher-he bears a responsibility to submit himself and his work to the judgment of those who are more capable of that objectivity.

Happily, for the broadcaster there is a variety of polling and survey techniques whereby he can determine with fair accuracy who is receiving his communications and what application is being made of his message. It would be a strange shortsightedness that would reason that such findings are irrelevant-that the Christian’s responsibility is limited to. the proclamation of the message wherever opportunity is found, without regard to results or overlap. Radio is a far more useful tool in some specific circumstances; a far less useful tool in others.

Production excellence and distribution strategy again enter the picture in the use of radio. Good content can be wasted when transported on the wheels of a bad vehicle. Likewise a good vehicle can be employed in vain to carry bad program content. Both can be good-and yet useless-because insufficient attention is given to listening habits and tastes.

The divinely-appointed communicator has learned not to expect the many to respond, and he is willing to settle for the few; but he must learn to be dissatisfied with none at all or even with too few. In the light of the imperative nature of his assignment, he must find acceptable criteria for measuring and evaluating these results and of improving his methods.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. We must create among all involved in communications an awareness of responsibility for excellence and effectiveness in all use of mass media on behalf of the Christian message. This ought to be implemented by:

a. Qualified instruction in specific fields of communications as part of routine training in Bible institutes, Christian colleges, and theological seminaries.

b. Instruction in principles and methods, with emphasis on effectiveness given high priority in the orientation and candidate schools operated by the missionary societies.

c. Continuing concern for excellence by those on the fields expressed through the use of data made available by current research in communications, and through seminars and conferences.

d. Upgrading of the skills of those engaged in communications as a part of furlough planning.

e. Increased cooperation between organizations on the field and in the home offices through exchange of information, materials, personnel, and equipment where necessary to get the job done and to avoid overlap, duplication and competition.

2. Those engaged in communications must increase and expand the use of evaluating techniques to determine what methods are justifying the time, cost, and personnel invested in them and what methods ought to be altered or abandoned.

a. Because of its posture and experience, Evangelical Literature Overseas might well assume responsibility for the establishing of procedures valid for determining the results of publications ministries on foreign fields.

b. International Christian Broadcasters already has demonstrated its concern and its capability in the measuring of results in overseas broadcasting. The establishing of systems for sampling and analyzing listener habits has placed ICs in a position to offer invaluable help to the missionary broadcaster who is concerned about increased effectiveness.

3. A detached and thoroughly objective understanding is needed of when the responsibility for mass communications becomes the responsibility of the child-the church-and no longer of the parent-the missionary organization.

4. Positive action ought to be taken to break with a strategy on the field dictated by the theories-or worse yet, by the prejudices-of supporting constituents. In the accepted economics and operational function of the missionary enterprise there are those whose primary calling is the furnishing of the funds. There are others who give the leadership and plan the strategy. Yet others are charged with the daily routine of implementation. It is no less rational that the latter should be required to produce the necessary finances than that the financier should appropriate the responsibility of the strategy planner. A mutual confidence is assumed in the entire arrangement.

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Copyright © 1968 Evangelism and Missions Information Service (EMIS). All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMIS.

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