Posted September 20, 2015 Book: Rebuilding Your Message: Practical Tools to Strengthen Your Preaching and Teaching Authors: Michael White and Tom Corcoran Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN. 2015. Pp. 213 An Excerpt from the Jacket: A parish doesn't just communicate its mission from the pulpit. Teaching and preaching also happen in classes and small groups, in bulletins, on the church website and social media, and trough volunteers who welcome visitors through its doors. In Rebuilding Your Message, Michael White and Tom Corcoran, award-winning authors of the bestselling books Rebuild and Tools for Rebuilding, share dozens of strategies to help priests, staff, volunteers, and parishioners establish and sustain excellent communication in Catholic parishes in order to better proclaim the irresistible and life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ at every level. An Excerpt from the Book: It Needs to be Worthy of Mystery They are to make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst. Exodus 25:8 The celebration of the Eucharist requires only a few simple things: first, the primary elements of bread and wine. Then there are the altar, the ambo to enthrone God's Word, and a place for the assembly. Add to these the chair of the priest celebrant, a cross, chalice, and paten, and that's about it. The sanctuary is the center of the weekend experience and the focal point of all of our communication efforts. And, at the same time, it forms a sacred space that aims at being a sign and symbol of heavenly realities. That said, it needs to be worthy of the mystery presented there. That means every element is important and has significance. In turn, that probably means less is going to be more effective and more successful. We understand many churches are designed and built in historic and elaborate styles with important iconography and rich statuary, all of which must be respected and carefully maintained. But what about Chairs that are only needed for weddings or funerals left on the altar as permanent accessories? Tired or even dead flower arrangements or decorations left from seasons long over? Banners that are simply old and outdated or altar cloths and linens that are worn, or worse, dirty? The choir or music space and all that stuff musicians have (if it is adjacent to your sanctuary)? Mikes, speakers, and all the attendant wires? As God reveals himself to Moses and the Israelites, they learn, among other things, that he cares about the details, especially when it comes to the details of worship and worship space. Carefully consider what your sanctuary is saying. Is it saying "The Lord be with you"? Is it asking, "Lift up your hearts"? Is it announcing the mystery of faith? Table of Contents: Part I: About your role 1. Are you the message 2. Be yourself 3. Humble yourself 4. Check your ego at the door . . . . Part II: About Your Context 26. Begin in prayer 27. Your campus is saying something 28. Don't sell anything in your lobby 29. Go for the low-hanging fruit 30. It needs to be worthy of mystery 31. Lighting is architecture . . . . Part III: About Your Delivery 46. It's theater 47. Even the bad news is good 48. Presentation trumps content 49. Perfection is a path 50. Do exegesis (on your community). . . . Part IV: About the Outcomes 67. Preach the announcements 68. One church, one message 69. Just start a conversation 70. Create tension 71. Silence creates tension 72. Hold off on answers 73. Surprise me