like a fire

Guy Kawasaki writes of a summary of Seth Godin’s new book: Small is the New Big. His partial summary of the book:

For an idea to be spread, it needs to be sent and received.

No one sends an idea unless:

1. They understand it.
2. They want it to spread.
3. They believe that spreading it will enhance their power (reputation, income, friendships) or their peace of mind.
4. The effort to send the idea is less than the benefits.

No one “gets” an idea unless:

1. The first impression demands further investigation.
2. They already understand the foundation ideas necessary to get the new idea.
3. They trust or respect the sender enough to invest the time.

Notice that ideas never spread because they are important to the originator.

Notice, too, that a key element in the spreading of the idea is the capsule that contains it. If it’s easy to swallow, tempting, and complete, it’s far more likely to get a good start.

Wow, that says a lot about how we use the gospel to reach people, expecially teens. How many people don’t really send the gospel message out just because they don’t really understand it? Or because they don’t want to spread it? Or don’t think spreading it will give them peace of mind or even power (not so sure about the power idea)?

Then there’s actually receiving a message. Demands further investigation? Most evangelism training I have received focuses on closing the deal, not opening the conversation for the future. Understands the fundamental ideas? This was really proved in London when we tried to share our faith with people from South Asia. They didn’t even know what were asking. Trust is the one area that I beleive is more important in our society today. Few people actually trust the people surounding them, so it takes time to build trust in people.

It seems like the best ideas that help me in the ministry these days come from guys like Seth and Guy. Does that mean anything about the state of the church and its leaders?