No doubt - email has become a vital tool to communicate, to people around the world and those around the corner in our workplaces. The church is no different from any other organization, using email to communicate quips, quotes and jokes to crucial, timely information that requires immediate attention and action.

Have you ever been misunderstood through an email you sent? I’ve witnessed relationships being damaged and divided because of misinterpreted words. Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. We may need to consider this passage when writing emails. Especially in the context of discussing relational matters or topics that can be personal and sensitive.

When using email to communicate, here are some tips to consider to build bridges, not damage relationships.

~ Be careful when you are upset, emotionally involved in a situation you are addressing. Be aware of your feelings and attitude when you are writing or responding to a sensitive issue or topic.

~ Remember, you don’t know the frame of heart or mind of the person when they “finally” receive or open your email. If this is a time sensitive issue or if you respond too quickly to a “sensitive” email, the recipient may not catch “your intentions or heart” behind the email.

~ When in doubt, when emails are being shot back and forth discussing or trying to resolve something, PICK UP the PHONE! We can tend to hide behind email communication.

Let’s build winning teams by building winning relationships through winning email communication!

This entry was posted on Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 10:35 am and is filed under Leadership, Relationships, Volunteers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.