issues

Brand NEW Sample Lessons Avaliable!

May 25, 2011 by Art of Eloquence

On Monday, I shared all our updated sample lessons/excerpts. Today I’d like to unveil our brand NEW samples. These are samples that we’ve never had before. I hope you enjoy a peek into the world of Art of Eloquence communication studies. Please pass this link along to those who may be struggling with one of these issues or would like to enhance their lives by learning to master them.

NOTE: Each link here takes you to the product page where you’ll find the sample or excerpt link toward the bottom of that page.

Say What You Mean Every Day

The Play Book

Say What You Mean: The Language of Leadership

21 Days to More Godly Communication

Say What You Mean: Overcoming Social Anxiety

Say What You Mean: Debating the Issues

Say What You Mean: Avoiding, Reducing and Resolving Conflicts

Say What You Mean: Beginning Debate

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Filed Under: Art of Eloquence News Tagged With: Anxiety, college, communication, conflicts, debating, godly communication, issues, leadership, lessons, sample lessons, samples, Say What You Mean, social, social anxiety

NEW at Art of Eloquence: UPDATED Sample Lessons

May 23, 2011 by Art of Eloquence

We’ve updated all our sample lessons!

Over the last year, I have been working almost exclusively on new communication studies, especially the ones that you have told us you needed. Over the year, we have released:

Say What You Mean Debating the Issues

Say What You Mean Overcoming Social Anxiety

Say What You Mean Beginning Debate

Say What You Mean Avoiding, Reducing and Resolving Conflicts

This past year has left me precious little time to do some much needed revising of our website…and you all know how UNtechie I am. Well, in the past few weeks, I’ve been working on several aspects of our website and today I’m ready to announce our first series of changes: UPDATED Sample Lessons!

After much techie frustration, I have finally been able to update and upload revised versions of the seven sample lessons that we have had, mostly for our homeschool curricula, and HEEEEEEAR they are!

Say What You Mean for Preschoolers

Say What You Mean for Kids

Say What You Mean for Teens

Know Your Audience

Say What You Mean: A Creative Speech Course

Say What You Mean: Defending the Faith

Say What You Mean When You’re in Business

Each sample lesson link is located toward the bottom of the page so feel free to browse! I am currently working to create sample lessons for some of our newer studies which do not yet have them. I should be finished with them all by Wednesday, so come on back to the blog and check them out!

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Filed Under: Art of Eloquence News Tagged With: audience, beginning debate, business, conflicts, creataive speech, debating, Defending the Faith, excerpts, faith, free, issues, kids, lessons, Preschoolers, sample, Say What You Mean, social anxiety, Speech, speech course, Subscribe Here!, teens

Give Grace A Chance

April 18, 2011 by Art of Eloquence

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After reading my title, I have that song stuck in my head now, don’t you? “Just Give Grace a Chance…” Continuing Grace Month with excerpts from my article, “10 Quick Ways to Disagree in Grace” we come to numbers five and six. I pray these tips have been a blessing to you and I would ask that you please pass along the link to my blog posts as there are so many Christians struggling to find comfortable or more effective ways in which to disagree.

Sometimes Christians find that they may disagree with other Christians over doctrine or how they interpret scripture. I have seen Christians lash out at a sister or brother in Christ and I have seen others stand idly by in fear of what their response would bring. This is a HUGE topic that I actually address in several of my communication studies, but I want to address a portion of this here today: new Christians.

“5. Give new Christians a Chance
Before I ever came to accept Jesus, I didn’t know His Word. I cannot accept what I do not know. I had to spend time reading the Bible before I could grow in my faith. The closer I grew to the Lord, the more I wanted to live my life for Him. I didn’t start off witnessing. It wasn’t until later that I decided not to participate in things like Santa and the Easter Bunny. Be sure not to stumble a fairly new Christian because he is not yet ready or willing to make a change.”

We don’t want to stumble a new believer before he has an opportunity to walk with the Lord. It’s so important that we discuss things and not argue the point. Most new believers will need time to sit with an idea before they can really understand it. Most people have the same issue with almost any new idea. Nobody wants to be told they are doing things wrong, but often we do need to hear it. It’s so much easier to share what we believe than to accuse or badger. This allows us the freedom to speak. It’s also much easier for the recipient to hear us discuss our different belief. This allows the other person the freedom to listen and understand.

Another issue we face with gracious disagreement, is when we notice the other party isn’t “buying it.” LOL As we attempt to discuss issues, we may notice that the other person isn’t accepting our facts.

“6. Address their Concerns
If they ask you a question, by all means answer! Sometimes people may not come out and ask, but you can tell they have a concern by their body language or their facial expression. If they object, by all means address it. Calmly share what you know about their concerns.”

Some will come out and ask you how you know X to be true. Others will squinch up their faces or shake their heads from side to side. This is a red flag clue that something needs to be addressed. Do so. Remember, that addressing their concerns doesn’t mean telling them the are WRONG or getting them to agree you are RIGHT. It simply means that we should graciously attempt to clarify why they are having trouble with our idea and see if we can discuss it further. Along the way, the other party might learn you are right or YOU might learn something about the other person that will allow you to explain your position more effectively.

I’ll be back on Wednesday with some more tips on disagreeing in grace. Check out our newsletter subscription below. We will have a free gift coming out tomorrow for all subscribers. It’s an activity book that helps parents and kids discuss what Jesus did for us.

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Filed Under: Communication Articles Tagged With: activity book, answer, brother, Christ, Christians, communication, communication studies, concerns, disagree, disagreeing, discuss, effective, gift, grace, gracious, issues, new believer, newsletterm free gift, sister, song

Disagreeing in Grace 3&4

April 13, 2011 by Art of Eloquence

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On Monday we discussed the first two rules of disagreeing in grace. Rules three and four involve being calm and concentrating on the issues rather than the person’s character.

3. Be Calm
The best way to share your views with anyone is in a calm and rational manner. The more passionate you are about a topic, the harder that will be. When you give a speech, being passionate about it is beneficial, but when you are trying to change someone’s mind or heart, it is a deterrent. Nobody wants to be forced into accepting something. They want to come to their own conclusions after hearing all the facts.

Ignatz is trying to get Igor into a business deal and he’s not going to take no for an answer. So he raises his voice, digs in and badgers poor Igor for what seems an interminable length of time. Even though the idea seems to have merit, Igor is suspicious because Ignatz is so insistent. He feels as though there must be an ulterior motive or a hidden disadvantage if Ignatz is pushing so hard.

If Ignatz had just come to him and calmly stated the value and benefits of the deal, he would have been inclined to agree right away. As it happened, he was so suspicious that he waited too long and the deal was no longer an option.

4. Don’t Condemn the Person; Question the Issues
Remember always that the Lord loves His children. It’s the sin He hates. Keep in mind that people are not machines. We don’t switch our sin on and off. Ask questions. Share. Condemn the action if you must, but never condemn the person that Jesus loves!

Ivan and Mabel were discussing politics when Ivan was so disgusted with her inability to prove her point that he called her an ignorant fool and proceeded to question everything from her honesty to her sanity. It wasn’t long before Mabel was no longer listening, dug in her heels and declared her allegiance to the other viewpoint even though she secretly began to feel he had made a few good points.

If Ivan had only stuck to the issues instead of attacking her personally, they may have been able to have a civil discussion.

Remaining calm and sticking to the issues in question will help you appear to be fair minded and intelligent while allowing the other person to thoughtfully consider your position, even if they don’t adopt it.

This YouTube video is of Tim Keller talking about how society now discusses faith. It illustrates what I’ve shared for years about communication and sharing our faith: it takes grace and respect.

Come back next week when I’ll share more from “10 Quick Rules for Disagreeing in Grace!”

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Filed Under: Communication Articles Tagged With: calm, condemn, disagreeing, grace, honesty, intellingence, issues, Jesus, political, politics, rules

Classical Music Speech Challenge

January 24, 2011 by Art of Eloquence

How did you all do last week with your impromptu speech? What topic did you choose? Please share your experience! This is the last week of the challenge and we are going to step it up one more time. But I know you are all up to it!

This week, I want you to put what you learned this month together and give an impromptu speech on one of the fun topics listed below. This time also watch that you are loud enough for those in the back of the room to hear you and that you aren’t rushing through your speech. Maintain good eye contact with your audience and have fun with your topic! Show your personality!

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Filed Under: Art of Eloquence News Tagged With: audience, debating the issues, faith, impromptu, issues, leadership, music, Speech, Speech Challenge, Subscribe Here!

Say What You Mean: Debating the Issues

November 3, 2010 by Art of Eloquence

How to Effectively Discuss Controversial Political Issues without Arguments

eBook Currently Available for Pre-Order

The political climate in the United States is volitile. Most political discussions are heated, but they need not be. If you are a Christian and find yourself on the typical Christian conservative view of each issue, but aren’t sure how to voice your concerns without ending up in a heated dicussion, this eBook is for you!

This is a study like NO OTHER! Say What You Mean: Debating the Issues helps you understand the issues, but it also teaches you tips and techniques for presenting your Christian conservative viewpoints in a way that will be much more effective and friendly.

Many people think of discussing politics as a debate and, in a way, it is. However, since most people don’t discuss politics in a formal debate setting, they find they aren’t as effective when they have a debate mentality. Most people discuss political issues around a dinner table, on the internet or with a neighbor in the front yard. This is where the grassroots political discussions take place.

eStudy includes:
* Background on each topic.
* General tips for discussing each issue.
* An At a Glance Chart with the major viewpoints on both sides of each issue.
* How to discuss each topic if you only have a few minutes.
* How to discuss each topic if you have more time.
* Embedded resource links where you can learn even more information on each topic.
* Practical advice to help you practice.

Say What You Mean: Debating the Issues will help teens and adults alike to prepare to discuss some of the nation’s most important political issues. The other side is voicing their views. It’s time for us to share the Christian conservative views.

We only have two more years until our next presidential election. Become more informed on the issues. Help yourself and your family become more comfortable and effective in sharing your Christian and conservative viewpoints.

Pre-Order Say What You Mean: Debating the Issues today and save!

Our special Pre-Order price of only $19.95 will only be for a limited time! The eBook is currently in editing, but as soon as it is back from the editor and uploaded to order on the site, the price goes back up!

This is one of our most powerful studies at a time when respectful and effective discourse is sorely needed in our country. Click here to view all the political topics included!

To Pre-Order, just order as usual. The pre-order discounted price is already preloaded for you! In approximately two weeks you will receive your copy of Say What You Mean: Debating the Issues as an email attachment.

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Filed Under: Art of Eloquence News Tagged With: conversation, debate, issues, politics, Say What You Mean: Debating the Issues

Give Grace A Chance

Disagreeing in Grace 3&4

Classical Music Speech Challenge

Say What You Mean: Debating the Issues

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