Communication Roles

Welcome

The following pages attempt to unpack our understanding of the various aspects of Christian witness. We do this by reflecting upon the various roles we might play. It may bring to mind, too, the callings we have in the Bible to be shepherds, watchmen, ambassadors, etc.

The concept of roles has derived from our understanding of the various modes in which we might operate as Christian radio broadcasters. Developing this has brought a richness to our appreciation of what might be expected of us. It has also expanded our understanding of what is possible in the context of providing a Christian witness by radio. It raises issues of our accountability and good setwardship of resources.

We have also come to see that the application of these roles can be usefully expanded to cover other forms of ministry, too. They are by no means exclusive to the radio context.

Learning from everyday life we observe that most people move in and out of different roles without thinking about them; it tends to happen automatically as we go about our daily routines. We move from home to workplace, to shops, to the football game — and back home again, relating appropriately to the people around us. In so do we change our posture, our vacabulary.

But when it comes to Christian ministry we run into difficulties as we have followed stereotypes. We tend to do things the way they have always been done. We may be sub-consciously according to pressures and expectations placed upon us, and don't follow our instincts — or the promptings of the Spirit — that suggest that something is distinctly inappropriate or ineffective. This could be because it is out of context

Not only that, but we may have to admit to being woefully un-original and lacking in creativity in our understanding of the variety of roles we could move into as we respond to the needs of the community. Perhaps it is time to remove that straitjacket!

It is therefore timely that we unpack the subject of roles in the context of ministry communication — as we perform Christian witness under a variety of guises. Roles speaks to the different modes we need to function in — depending on the context.

Actually, it is nothing new — St. Paul, that great teacher and church-planter of the New Testament, may have a lot to teach us here.... He wrote: I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9.22)

READ ON!...!