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October 14, 2008
How we talk about stewardship matters
The New York Times wrote a story about psychologist Dr. James Pennebaker who has built a career around the theory that words matter. He has developed a software program to count and catagorize the words people use when talking about certain subjects. He then uses this data to gain insight into subtle shifts that are often beyond the obvious. It's amazing how scientific word counting has become and even more amazing is how accurate the results actually are.
I wonder what data Dr. Pennebaker would uncover if he interviewed denominational leaders, pastors, seminary students and lay leaders about the subjects of stewardship and church giving. What would people say? What words would they use and into which catagories would they be placed? In turn, what would this data tell us about the relative impact the conversation on stewardship and giving is having on our denomination and in our local churches.
If Dr. Pennebaker interviewed you and asked for your thoughts on the subject of stewardship and church giving, what words would you use? In turn, what would this tell us about the future of stewardship and giving in the SBC?
Posted by bstroup at October 14, 2008 9:32 AM
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