Having spent over ten years serving the Church through creativity, I’ve learned a few things. Whether through projection, audio, lighting, marketing, print, branding, web, or service planning, I’ve faced many hits and misses over the years that have shaped me into the creative pastor that I am today. But, as I stand back and assess my journey over this time, one truth stands out to me.
As you can imagine, I have my share of horror stories from over 500 Sundays.
I remember a service back in the day where I used my personal laptop to run our PowerPoint (yes, I said PowerPoint) and a screensaver full of pictures of my friends filled our church’s projector during the sermon. And you think your lead pastor has it out for you! ;)
I can remember being right in the middle of one of the most heartfelt messages I’ve ever heard and when the pastor called on a video to be played ……..cricket…cricket…….. something went wrong and despite a LOT of prayer, that video never played.
I’ve made major typos in bulletins, designed graphics that looked hideous, let cringe-worthy feedback through sound systems, and tried many ideas that simply didn’t work.
But, while it’s fun to look back and laugh at these kind of things, it’s not the mistakes that you should remember over the long haul. You must hold onto the wins.
This week, I travelled to Baltimore, MD to a church where I worked full-time for five years. My wife and I had made the trip for a funeral and it had been over a year since we’d been there. While we certainly experienced the tears of the occasion, there was a lot of joy found in the reunion we had with members of the congregation.
I was able to connect with so many people that I had served in that ministry and I was incredibly blessed by their genuine excitement to see us. After many hugs, stories, and laughs, I felt like God was using this time to remind me of a simple truth.
Ministry is about people.
This time of reunion reminded me that all of the hard work that I had given in my time serving there wasn’t about making perfect ProPresenter slides or a compelling brand. It was about ministering to them.
Our wins in creative ministry should always come back to changing peoples’ lives.
Did we successfully bring people a little bit closer to Jesus? Did you help people experience the wonder of the Gospel? Did we use the creative resources God gave us to minister to His children? Did you invest in volunteers who served with you? Did you, like a good pastor, cater your “message” to minister to the unique group of people that He’s entrusted you with?
Over these ten years, I’ve seen the things that I thought were so important fade away. Videos come and go. Logos get redesigned. Services are forgotten. While we should certainly strive to give both God and our congregations our best, we must not forget what is truly important. It’s peoples’ lives that matter for eternity.
Creative ministry, like all ministry, is about the people.
Oh this is so good! And it came at just the right time :)
Thanks, Stephanie! :)
I agree with Stephanie’s comment–this is so good, and encouraging! Thank you!
Thanks, Krista! I hope you have a good Christmas!
Thank you for sharing this Pastor! It’s a wonderful encouragement. Most of the time we dwell on our failures and focus on having a perfect ministry that we miss the very reason why we serve. Often times I feel so discourage because I felt what I’m doing and how I lead my team, thas I was never good enough when I realize it I felt so selfish. Now I have a different view and I pray that how I view my ministry should be how God views it in his perfect will! Bless you pastor!
Ministry can be really tough sometimes, but it’s so worth it in the long run. Taking regular seasons of rest and keeping yourself spiritually fed will keep you going.
I love what you said about prayer!
‘Ministry is about people.’
^THIS^
Kendall — I just wanted you to know you are featured today on Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity! Here’s the link:
http://jodythomae.com/2015/07/01/create-a-day-your-daily-dose-of-creativity-128-simple-truth-about-creative-ministry/
Thanks for all you do for God’s Kingdom!
Peace, Jody Thomae
This blessed me. Thank you for sharing your gift and for the reminder that Ministry is about people.
Thanks so much, Nicole!
Very Good Kendall!! I like this article and the angle you tell it from. Us “Tech” heads can get carried away sometimes but the truth of the matter is that connecting with people is our main goal!!!