theCommune-ity | Youth Division United Pentecostal Church International

Book: The Revolutionary Comnmunicator
Reviewer: Russ Cripps
Author(s) - Jedd Medefind and Erik Lokkesmoe

If you read books, you need to read The Revolutionary Communicator by Jedd Medefind and Erik Lokkesmoe. This work, which was published by Relevant Books, is a fantastic addition to any library.

The Revolutionary Communicator is a book about Jesus and His life-changing, world-changing ways of communication. Medefind is a chief of staff and former communications director within the California State Legislature; Lokkesmore serves as the director of communications for a cultural agency in the federal government, he is a former cabinet-level speechwriter and press secretary to several members of Congress and national political campaigns. What I’m getting at is this – these dudes are rather smart.

Essentially these two brains dissect the communication style of Jesus Christ through secular eyes and principles. The chapters the authors cover are as follows: ATTENTIVENESS, CONNECTIONS, QUESTIONS, AUTHENTICITY, STORYTELLING, SOLITUDE, and SUCCESS. What you must understand is that this book, although not written in the traditional Christian format, powerfully teaches us how to achieve communication connection by looking at the ways Jesus Christ connected with His audiences. “Jesus’ approach was simple and uncomplicated, but you can never mistake simple for unsophisticated. Communication doesn’t begin with words, it begins with connection. Communication, compassion, community, and communion – all of these words come from the same Latin root which means ‘to make common’. The three things that made the communication of Jesus so effective and real was, first, He exhibited extraordinary vulnerability, second, He spoke with startling forthrightness, and third, He was surprisingly accessible.”

The Revolutionary Communicator not only teaches you some fantastic principles of communication, but it has many stories and illustrations interwoven into the tapestry of the book that one is able to both learn from and use in preaching or teaching. A major take-away from this work is the power of the stories Jesus told. We’ve heard this before, but the authors did a great job at helping bring this concept to the front of my mind all over again.

Four qualities “to bring communication near” were written about, these include “narrative, simplicity, familiarity, and concreteness” – each of these are greatly taught and expounded upon. By connecting with the reader, Lokkesmoe and Medefind teach you to connect with your audience. I found this book to extremely well written and easy to read. It’s strong in opinion, yet strong in supporting that opinion. I personally underline and cliff-note all of the books I read and this book is WAY marked up! This book is a must have for any human being who has ever heard of Jesus much less speaks to others about Him. Happy reading.

Russ Cripps is a creative writer, thinker and Associate Pastor from Austin, Texas. He’s married to Stephanie and has two daughters, Ragen and Rylee, and an English Mastiff named Nebo. Russ enjoys the God-life, family, cycling, sweet (literally) coffee, and challenging books. To subscribe to his free monthly LEADERSHIP NUGGET, send him an email Russ@CLAustin.com. He also hopes to release his first book by August 2007.

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	Book Review Book: The Revolutionary Comnmunicator Reviewer: Russ Cripps Author(s) - Jedd Medefind and Erik Lokkesmoe If you read books, you need to read The Revolutionary Communicator by Jedd Medefind and Erik Lokkesmoe. This work, which was published by Relevant Books, is a fantastic addition to any library. The Revolutionary Communicator is a book about Jesus and His life-changing, world-changing ways of communication. Medefind is a chief of staff and former communications director within the California State Legislature; Lokkesmore serves as the director of communications for a cultural agency in the federal government, he is a former cabinet-level speechwriter and press secretary to several members of Congress and national political campaigns. What I’m getting at is this – these dudes are rather smart. Essentially these two brains dissect the communication style of Jesus Christ through secular eyes and principles. The chapters the authors cover are as follows: ATTENTIVENESS, CONNECTIONS, QUESTIONS, AUTHENTICITY, STORYTELLING, SOLITUDE, and SUCCESS. What you must understand is that this book, although not written in the traditional Christian format, powerfully teaches us how to achieve communication connection by looking at the ways Jesus Christ connected with His audiences. “Jesus’ approach was simple and uncomplicated, but you can never mistake simple for unsophisticated. Communication doesn’t begin with words, it begins with connection. Communication, compassion, community, and communion – all of these words come from the same Latin root which means ‘to make common’. The three things that made the communication of Jesus so effective and real was, first, He exhibited extraordinary vulnerability, second, He spoke with startling forthrightness, and third, He was surprisingly accessible.” The Revolutionary Communicator not only teaches you some fantastic principles of communication, but it has many stories and illustrations interwoven into the tapestry of the book that one is able to both learn from and use in preaching or teaching. A major take-away from this work is the power of the stories Jesus told. We’ve heard this before, but the authors did a great job at helping bring this concept to the front of my mind all over again. Four qualities “to bring communication near” were written about, these include “narrative, simplicity, familiarity, and concreteness” – each of these are greatly taught and expounded upon. By connecting with the reader, Lokkesmoe and Medefind teach you to connect with your audience. I found this book to extremely well written and easy to read. It’s strong in opinion, yet strong in supporting that opinion. I personally underline and cliff-note all of the books I read and this book is WAY marked up! This book is a must have for any human being who has ever heard of Jesus much less speaks to others about Him. Happy reading. Russ Cripps is a creative writer, thinker and Associate Pastor from Austin, Texas. He’s married to Stephanie and has two daughters, Ragen and Rylee, and an English Mastiff named Nebo. Russ enjoys the God-life, family, cycling, sweet (literally) coffee, and challenging books. To subscribe to his free monthly LEADERSHIP NUGGET, send him an email Russ@CLAustin.com. He also hopes to release his first book by August 2007.