Jesus Hates Papyrus » stress

A prayer for the ‘daily grind’

Michael Buckingham — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:33:22 +0000

Christianity today has an article about some new advertising taken out by the Church of England to “soothe commuters travelling into work this morning”. Obviously as we move out of summer into the fall season it becomes a busy time for everyone. The church conducted a survey that shows that this new season brings extra pressure and a desire for change.

Dear God,
You know me. Don’t you? I’m not just a person on a bus or a train.
I’m not just another face on CCTV; or just another login name.
I’m me, and I have stuff going on.
Love life issues; bills to pay. Egos at work to deal with; an overflowing inbox.
So please, give me strength. Guide me to focus on what’s really important. And help me make the most of every moment of this new day in this new month.

Thank you.
Amen

It’s great to see the church engaging in the media and I love the fact that they made it about the people reading it and not all about them. Too often we get so wrapped into our ministries, our sermons…that we forget about the real lives, the real hurts of the people we were called to serve.

Think deadlines are the enemy…ask these guys

Michael Buckingham — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:52:58 +0000

One of the challenges in working in church marketing are deadlines. Unlike corporate America, there is something new every single week, and if you’ve been doing this for any time at all you’ve had the phone call informing you that the pastor is making a mid-course correction to the sermon…on Saturday.

How can you be creative in such an environment? Is it realistic…is it even possible?

Once you take a look at the challenge put forth in the Church Marketing Lab I think you’ll see that it’s not only possible, but sometimes the pressure brings out your best work.

So don’t let that deadline or last minute change cripple you, allow it to challenge you.

Beauty from the rubble

Michael Buckingham — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:14:48 +0000

I just returned from Chicago with my trend spotter (who also happens to be my son) where we met with Tim Schraeder, Director of Communications for Park Community Church, a church in the middle of a huge building project (with one of the BEST views of the city). What I was most impressed with (other than that view) was that the church purchased a warehouse in a less then ideal neighborhood to watch that neighborhood literally be torn down and beauty arise from the rubble. New condos, office space and shopping now surround their future site. What a perfect analogy of what a church should be and how big God is.

Sometimes we are surrounded by ugly. Sometimes it seems like the darkness will overtake the people we are trying to reach. Sometimes the miracle is that we made it through the day. On our own the rubble would bury us.

With ministry come some ugly days, it’s easy to be frustrated by those that don’t understand, volunteers who aren’t committed, projects that don’t go as planned…be encouraged today that your ministry is much smaller than the God you serve. Be encouraged that He sees the rubble and from it can make something beautiful.