Read this before you lose it

freak outOne of the more difficult aspects of being in a creative ministry is that some people don’t understand your ministry (we’ll get back to that word your in a little bit). We all live in our own worlds and while we know the importance of great design and powerful communications, others are focused on the sermon, the music…the things in their ministry.

It’s been heavy on my heart when I read about a designer in the dumps, and when I know of designers ready to quit. And folks you’re not alone, I work in the same world you do, sometimes they just don’t get my ministry.

And then I read my devotion yesterday:

Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.’” Matthew 16:23 (NLT)

This devotion came right after listening to Phil Vischer’s session from the NRB convention as he talked about the challenges about having a successful ministry and losing it.

It is easy, human nature, to see things from our perspective. We get it, why can’t they? But here’s the newsflash that might keep you from losing it: it’s not your/mine/their ministry,

it doesn’t belong to you.

And do you really want it to? Do you really want to rely on you to make all the right moves? One of my constant ‘mantras’ that I pray is that

I not get ahead of God and
that all things happen the way He intended,
when He intended.

That requires me to let go of the reins and realize I am not driving and while it is easy to say “God is in control”, it’s not as easy to remember that when you’re told your budget has been cut, that your design isn’t important, or you are expected to produce excellence in an hour.

But the bottom line is that it is not about you and me…it’s ALL about God. The ministry God placed in your hands is not their for your achievement or your pleasure…it is their to glorify God and draw all men to him.

You’ve been there. What are your challenges, what carries you through those challenges of ministry?

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This entry was posted on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 10:15 am and is filed under growth, relevance . 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.

  • http://www.chaosymphony.blogspot.com danielle

    Wow. Thanks for this. Great thoughts.

    To answer your question:
    My challenges:
    -Sr. Pastor consistently undermines any limited authority I’m given.
    -The communications budget is really, REALLY limited for what is required of it/me.
    -I am paid to work 20 hours per week, I consistently pull 35, and lately have been working 60. However, I am holding another PT job to make ends meet, so I can’t continue giving my time away.

    How I deal:
    -Prayer and diving into the Word.
    -Laughing. Laughing. Laughing. I have to. Luckily, I have people I can do that with.
    -Regular communication with staff when they do things wrong (and right).
    -Celebrating victories and holding up examples of why good design and communication are important (maybe an email from a visitor, something like that).
    -Relying on my husband to talk me off a ledge every once-and-a-while. ;-)

  • http://www.holycowcreative.org holycow

    Great point Danielle…you have to have good people around you. There are those that will help and support and there are those that will just allow you to complain and wallow in the misery.

    Surround yourself with people that laugh with you and make you laugh, people that speak encouragement, people who don’t enjoy being negative and look towards the positive.

  • No one of consequence

    Unfortunately, I hadn’t coped very well with my frustrations in this crazy ‘ministry’ we call ‘church communications.’ My big mouth very nearly got me fired. But …

    I had lunch yesterday along with my Sr. Pastor, Worship Pastor, and two guys [one of which an old friend of mine] from another organization to talk about “church marketing.” The conversation began along the traditional lines of marketing goals and advertising channels, etc. When the conversation shifted to ministry goals, missional awareness, personal evangelism, service evangelism (as being as important, if not more important) … I got to hear my pastors speak in a rare moment of vulnerability.

    They admitted their cluelessness. I even heard an admission that the Sr. “Bus Driver” didn’t even know where he was driving the bus … Didn’t have clearly defined, focused, purpose-driven goals for the church. Of course, there is no plan [road map] for getting there from here.

    Ironically, I was strangely peaceful, and felt empowered, despite realizing that these guys are virtually clueless as to the value of someone like me … already on staff among them to help creatively communicate the vision [were there one to start with].

    A high vs. low standard of “excellence” is not my problem here. My problems stem from holistic cluelessness from the top down. I’m merely asked to take whatever crap gets half-a** thrown together at the last minute … and make it look pretty. I fear many/most of us are in the same boat.

    Regardless, I’m praying for all of us. Godspeed.

    Helping the Church matter …

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