Meet the Author

It takes little time for a pastor to know that good communication is at the heart of healthy relationships. Dr. Franklin W. Nelson (Frank) has spent more than thirty years pastoring churches and currently serves a church in Woodbury, Minnesota.

In his research on friendship, Frank was amazed to discover that his own name (Frank) comes from the French meaning “free.” The root of the word “friend” is “frie,” meaning “free.” He concluded that with friends we are free to relax, free to disagree, free to help, free to TALK - openly – equally – freely!

When we find the freedom to talk and listen, respect and value, help and care, know and understand, we have found the fundamental, essential elements of healthy and loving relationships. TalkPoints build friendly qualities into any relationship through good communication. They are like tools that make it easier to talk more freely, especially with those we love most. Frank believes that good things always come from good relationships, and good relationships will always be, in part, the result of good communication. Frank’s hope for the families, communities and nations of the world is that friendship (freedom) will expand throughout the world by increasing the quantity and quality of communication that flows like a life-giving river between people.

Another way to describe Frank’s vision is found in Revelation 22:1-2 NRSV: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Frank’s hope is that each page of a TalkPoint conversation will be like a leaf from the tree giving life and offering hope for the healing of marriages, families, churches, communities, cities and nations.

" Stimulates good things to think about and discuss."

"It’s a nice way to break the ice and stimulate conversation."

"I felt good about having the opportunity to communicate."

"Practical, thought-provoking."

"It took very little time, which was nice."