The response to the launch of our website has been amazing, and the feedback we have had has been very encouraging. We wanted to communicate not only with our church members but also with those in our local community and anyone who wants to know about us. Our website is helping us to achieve that goal. We not only want to communicate with you, we hope you will communicate with us via this website, you can e-mail us at mail@stbarnabasbredbury.co.uk - or see our contacts page for further details.

Just think how communication has changed over the years, and especially in these last few years. At first our only means of communication was speech, and all knowledge and information had to be handed on orally. Then came the written word and printing, we also saw the invention of such things as the telephone, the radio (or wireless as it was more commonly known) and TV. We now have faxes, computers with e-mail and video communication, mobile phones with voice mail, text messaging and internet facilities and each month it seems that there are updates and improvements in the ways in which we can communicate with one another.

When you returned from holiday you only used to have to sort out the mail, but now you have to check the answer-phone, the e-mails, the fax machine etc. - you almost need a secretary to sort it all out! Wherever you travel, on buses, trains on foot you see people glued to their mobiles, either sending or receiving text-messages or calls. Internet cafes have sprung up everywhere so that we can “log-on” wherever we are.

It would appear that people are communicating more than ever, but is that true? While it is great to be able to send a quick message to someone, it can in no way replace a heart to heart talk. When a man or woman says “My partner doesn’t understand me” it often means that they are not communicating their thoughts and feelings to one another. “How RU?” “I’m OK” in a text-message may be a quick overview of how your friend is feeling, but are they really likely to say “Actually I’ve had a horrible day, my boss has shouted at me, I’ve broken a finger playing squash, the kids are driving me mad and the dog has just been sick all over the new carpet“ Well that‘s a bit long for a text-message isn‘t it?

New communication is a boon in many circumstances, but we must not neglect taking time to talk to one another, especially to our loved ones. And while we are thinking about communication - have you communicated with Jesus lately? No matter how short or how long the message He will be delighted to hear from you.

 

Article by Daryl Beaumont