Map of Comprehensive Communication
Framework Town
Foundation City
Function Ville
Reading: Knowing Where You Are Going
Read: Textbook pp. 6–11 (from “Knowing Where You Are Going” to the end of “Comprehensive Communication”)
Before You Read
Key terms: principles, map, review, strategy, Comprehensive Communication, Foundation, Framework, Function
Guiding question: In what order does the author say we should look at communication, and how can the map help when something goes wrong?
[Hover over the numbers on the map to see what the principles are.]
What the Reading Teaches
1. Communication is central to the whole story. “At every point in this epic of creation — disobedience, disaster, and redemption — communication is central.” So we grow in creating understanding “by following His pattern of communicating, summed up in 19 principles of human communication within Foundation, Framework, and Function.” (p. 6)
2. The map. “It is easier to travel in unfamiliar places if a map is available. The map is limited in detail and is usually only two dimensional. Its symbols only suggest reality. But these shortcomings are actually a help in understanding the overall picture.” Only on a map can most people see “the full course of a great river.” (p. 6)
3. How to use it when something goes wrong. “When problems arise, it is useful to review the situation. Where did misunderstanding begin? What is the root cause of this conflict? How can I shape the message, and the timing of its presentation, so it will be more readily understood and accepted?” “When you need such help, review the principles one by one, in consecutive order, remembering the major applications of each. Compare what is indicated with what happened. Plan new steps remembering these principles.” (p. 6)
4. Find your own strategy. “When you find discrepancies, you have a creative opportunity to alter your methods and form a plan uniquely suited to your situation. It is of much greater value to review these insights carefully and develop your own strategy than to spend hard effort mastering and imitating someone else’s program. What works in one place seldom will work as effectively in another place.” (pp. 6–7)
5. Brave communicators. Phil Butler calls those who break old patterns “brave.” He warns that “Satan will attack with incredible vengeance from without and from within.” Our hope is “total honesty, in-depth professional preparation, a genuine biblical basis for what we are doing, and spending time on our knees.” He ends: “I only plead that we know exactly where we are going… why we are going there and that we have a willingness to stick to the path we chart once we are underway.” (p. 7)
6. The nineteen principles (p. 9).
7. What Comprehensive Communication is. “Comprehensive Communication is dynamic, focusing on total interaction rather than simply message delivery. Rather than focusing only on sending and receiving messages, Comprehensive Communication is seen to be a fundamental activity of life. Everything we do involves communication.” (p. 11)
8. The three words defined (p. 11):
- FOUNDATION: “Communication between individuals or groups always depends on the beliefs of those involved and their assumptions. Beliefs and Assumptions are different in every culture, sometimes similar, sometimes sharply different. For understanding, we must learn what differences exist and how they affect communication actions.”
- FRAMEWORK: “Learning how to participate, how to think, within differing cultures is basic to communicating a message which is perceived through relationships. Knowing the webs of relationships within and outside the culture indicates how channels of relationships affect communication.”
- FUNCTION: “Learning and sharing understanding through mutually intelligible signs is visible, functional communication.”
9. The order. “Our assumptions and beliefs determine what we consciously hear and see. Therefore, look at FOUNDATIONS first, then the FRAMEWORK which shapes the message, then the FUNCTION to express the message in a comprehensible manner. Unfortunately, most attempts at communication omit the first two steps, thus the need for Comprehensive Communication.” (p. 11)
10. The goal. “Our overall goal in writing this book is to increase the breadth and richness of your ability to communicate, achieving the effective fulfilling of every Christian’s fundamental purpose — to share knowledge of God’s Good News.” (p. 11)
Reading Guide (ungraded)
- Describe a program you saw work in one place and fail in another. Which principle, in the textbook’s words, might explain why?
- In one sentence each, say what Foundation, Framework, and Function deal with.
- Why does the author say most attempts at communication fail? Use the phrase “omit the first two steps.”
- Pick one principle from each section that you most want to understand. Write one question you hope the course will answer.