When I was hired at Gateway in 2003, the extent of our worship media was printed choruses in the church bulletin. At that time we had a great staff involved in other areas -website, phone system, network server, printed media, radio program, cassette tape ministry- but with so much to keep up with, worship media wasn’t at the top of the priority list. Since then, we have updated our sound system, projectors, stage lights, camera system, house lights, and CD/DVD duplication system. As the church music minister, I have been right in the middle of it. Sometimes heading up the project and other times shutting up and letting others decide while I poured sweat at the top of a ladder. We haven’t arrived in every area, but if I can send you in the right direction and help you avoid a few mistakes, this series of post will have done some good. My perspective will probably be more philosophical than it is technical. If you’re a tech-nerd, please chime in to elaborate, clarify, or correct.
In future posts I plan to address the above mentioned areas and more, but before I do I have one truth that I have lived by… use what you got! After I grew tired of switching between the hymn book and chorus sheet, we placed an 800 lumen projector on a wobbly table with a laptop. Yes, I would actually walk to the back of the stage and mash the right arrow key! We could have said, “One of these days, when we have a projector like First Baptist… then we’ll start…” but we didn’t. I am proud to say that a few months later our church members saw the huge advantage the goofy little projector was within the service and gave $8,000 in a special offering for the purchase of a projection system which included a 5,000 lumen projector. This started the ball rolling to many more additions and upgrades of our worship media.
When you fall into the one of these days mentality you’re in a dangerous place in ministry. Ask the unfaithful steward of Mathew 25 if he wishes he had wisely used the small amount his master gave him. If he was alive today, I would tell him… use what you got! It’s an issue of stewardship. Be faithful with the resources God has given you so as to prove that you can be trusted with more. The faithful steward of this story found this to be true when his Lord said, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” Right now think of an area of your ministry that you are seeing little growth and then examine further to see if you are truly maximizing the resources God has given you. The one of these days way of thinking is not always bad, but wishful thinking without wise management is still bad stewardship. Get a plan together… After you have established your purpose, priority number one should be to create a strategy that maximizes your current resources. As you are faithful with a little, you will prove to your church, your God, and yourself that you can be trusted with much.
more in this series
His Master’s Voice “…much of our worship is no longer active.”
6 comments
charles cook says:
Jun 24, 2011
Daniel, looking forward to reading these. “wishful thinking without wise management is still bad stewardship” – what a great line to capture a biblically based perspective.
Charles
Daniel says:
Jun 24, 2011
I am not sure if I made it up or stole it so please don’t give me any credit! (…there’s nothing new under the sun, right?) Too often we sit around and think about about all the things we could do if we had all the things we don’t have:)
Jeff says:
Jun 24, 2011
I’ve got a feeling I’m really going to enjoy this series, but allow me to play the Devil’s advocate and ask a question. At what point are you not “using what God has given” but “distracting from the worship with inferior equipment”? I was in a few of those services with the wobbly projector and remember distinctly reading lyrics on a slant. Was the idea to present the need to the people with the money?
Daniel says:
Jun 24, 2011
“At what point are you not “using what God has given” but “distracting from the worship”
I’m gunna go with good/better/best here. Flopping from chorus sheet to hymn book = GOOD. singing from a badly keystoned display = BETTER. The church dropping the money for a projection system = BEST.
“I was in a few of those services with the wobbly projector”
The slant was worse from your perspective because you were up in the balcony:)
“Was the idea to present the need to the people with the money?”
Yes… of course… in part. Perhaps I took too much credit for being an ultra-wise steward?
Bruce Barnes says:
Jun 24, 2011
Enjoyed the article Daniel. To respond to Jeff’s “devil’s advocate” questions, if a ministry waits only until it has the “best” of everything, ministry will always wait. Regardless of the ministry in question, another ministry can be found somewhere that’s a little better. Part of the lesson of the talents is faithful use of what the Lord has provided. The measure of faithfulness is determined not by what He has put in our hands but rather how we effectively use what He has placed there. He determines what He gives us; afterwards, we must make the most of it for His glory! I believe that approaching ministry utilizing the best you have and matching it with the best preparation possible will not distract from worship, but enhance it!
Daniel says:
Jun 24, 2011
Well said, Dr. Barnes. It’s obvious the servant with the 1 talent underestimated the importance of his resources. Likewise, we become convinced that our “wobbly tables with dim projectors” could never please the master.