One of the most frequent frustrations that I hear from people serving in church media, creative ministry, or really any area of the church is a lack of resources. You come up with big dreams and ideas only to be hit with the reality that you’re in over your head.
There have been many days in my ministry journey where I’ve felt the disappointment…like hole in the pit of your stomach disappointment…of not having the budget, time, or manpower to accomplish an idea.
The interesting thing, though, is that people serving in every size of church seem to face these same troubles. It’s not just small churches that see this struggle. In the time I’ve spent with creative leaders of megachurches, even with their size, they’re still left squeezing things into their budgets, schedules, and teams. This has led me to one conclusion…
No matter the size of your church, your vision will always exceed your available resources.
And that’s okay. In fact, I think that’s the way it should be. As we serve the Church, we should always be dreaming of ways to reach more and more people for Jesus. It’s this drive that brings out our best creativity.
Despite this being a shared problem among all churches, we’re still left with the reality of having to work around these issues. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you face them:
But, I Can’t Afford The Gear…
The job simply can’t be done without the right gear, right? I used to use this excuse all the time. One day, a friend saw some of the equipment at our church and began raving about all of the amazing things that he would do if he had the same gear. That’s right – the same equipment that I had been taking for granted.
This happens to all of us. We quickly forget the “new gear day” excitement of the tools that God’s already given us. Look around. Take inventory of what you do have in your tool belt. The best creatives aren’t necessarily the most equipped – they simply make the most of what they have. This doesn’t mean you’ll never get any new gear! Be faithful with the small things that God has provided and He’ll make a way for bigger and better things.
I Just Don’t Have The Time…
Time is our most valuable resource and there never seems to be enough of it to go around. While I’m not a fan of everything from the popular entrepreneur/writer, Gary Vaynerchuk (@GaryVee), one motto of his that I appreciate is that you have to make time for what you want. Because life is naturally busy and schedules seem to automatically fill themselves, you’ll never stumble upon a ton of free time to pursue your passion.
If you know that God has called you to do something great, carve out time in your schedule for it. Get up early and stay up late. Say no to some of the good things to make room for the great things. Take time to assess your current to-do list. Are the things you’re doing pushing you toward the vision that God’s given you? What could you remove?
I Can’t Do This Alone…
Yeah, you’re right. One of the many famous John Maxwell leadership phrases is, “One is too small of a number to achieve greatness.” What he means is that you cannot and should not do everything on your own. There are few, if any, God-sized visions that can be accomplished without people coming together. But, this can be a challenge, right? You don’t have a roster full of professionals at your church just waiting to get involved. But that’s okay.
Start by doing your part. Be faithful to work hard and keep at it. Then, tell everyone you can about the why behind what you’re doing. Express how great the end goal will be and how they can jump in to help. Most importantly, be willing to take chances on people. Invest in the average joes and remember that a C+ team will go a lot further than an A+ individual.
So, Now What?
I’ve learned that it’s not abundant resources that set successful people apart—it’s their grit to move forward with what they already have. Be encouraged! God has placed you in your particular position for a purpose. Seek to glorify Him in all that you do and keep dreaming big for more creative ways to reach people.
Spot on!!! Love this.
Thanks, Tim! Glad you enjoyed it!
thanks, your article was encouraging…
Great to hear, Luis!
Wonderful insight, now I know I’m not alone.