Jesus Spoke and People Were Astonished: Developing Pastors Who Possess Christ-Like Communication Skill

When Jesus spoke, people were astonished. He not only delivered the most life-giving message ever uttered on this planet, but He did so in compelling and extraordinary ways. Today, however, there exists an evident lack of compelling and effective speakers representing this same life-giving message. Thankfully, however, the competencies utilized by Jesus remain discernable and learnable.;The Presenters Lab training model inherent in this project as its implementation, addresses this gap by helping the pastors and leaders of Meadowbrook Church to gain and grow in the skills needed to help them maximize their potential as effective communicators.;The Presenters Lab project was an eight-week intensive lecture--interaction seminar that resulted from biblical-theological and contemporary literature research on effective communication. Lab participants were trained in the elements employed by Jesus, as well as the corresponding skills used by notable, effective speakers in contemporary society. As a result, the pastors and leaders at Meadowbrook Church have noticeably improved as presenters, and exhibit a renewed passion and intentionality in their commitment to continue to grow in this important calling. In addition to its impact on the pastors and leaders of Meadowbrook Church, this project's information and training can help serve as a broader resource for ministers today to grow more effective and persuasive as they communicate God's Word.