What Am I Doing?
So, based on some thoughts you gave me, I have decided to do a weekly post called, “What Am I Doing”. This title well for a couple of reasons.
#1 Many of you have asked me to write about things I do at the church and things I’ve learned from experience and can pass a long.
#2 Many times, I have no clue what I am doing!
So here’s how it will work. Each week, I will write about some specific aspect of my weeks work. These posts will be focused mainly on the work/technical aspects of my job, not the spiritual aspects. Although, the 2 often cross paths, so at times these posts may as well. I will post every Saturday, so that you can take time over the weekend to read through my thoughts.
Now, some of you are probably asking, well what do you do? So in a nutshell, my job responsibilities are anything music, media and tech, which includes IT work in the office. I will program services, lead worship, run sound, manage and maintain audio/video equipment and handle any needs dealing with computer and server issues for the staff.
When I read that, I start to twitch. I am responsible for too much. But it is a necessary commitment right now. Our church has grown rapidly over it’s 10 year existence and we as a staff are doing our best to keep up with it. One of my goals this fall is to build volunteer teams that will focus on each of the aspects I’ve mentioned. I want to get more people involved, but I also want to lessen my involvement in certain aspects of the job. It is very easy in my position right now to do a lot of things well, but to not have something I am great at. That needs to change.
So this Saturday, look for Post #1 on “What Am I Doing”.
If you have anything specific you would like to know about, please feel free to leave me a comment. I would be happy to address things as you ask for them.
“So in a nutshell, my job responsibilities are anything music, media and tech, which includes IT work in the office. I will program services, lead worship, run sound, manage and maintain audio/video equipment and handle any needs dealing with computer and server issues for the staff.”
Sounds like my position. Imagine teaching school 5 days a week too. That’s what my weeks in Charleston were like.
Jeff M. Miller’s last blog post…Fabricated ministry: We were warned
Jeff, I feel your pain, But you got me beat dude!
Sorry, man, I’m going to be a party pooper… I read that and think “wow, that’s a lot of resources both financially in man power”. An I’m sure that’s only your responsibilities. I’m sure there are tons of other stuff other people handle. I guess my question is how much does that really do to serve the Kingdom? All those volunteers, couldn’t they be better used out serving the community? The dollars to support all that, could they be better spent on feeding the hungry?
Is all that stuff really necessary to worship God and do His work?
Just my thought… You know me, always trying to stir stuff up…
the awesome thing about our fellowship is there are already 100’s and 100’s of people out in the community serving in areas they are called and gifted to serve in. in the worship ministry there several serving who are equipped and gifted in this area to serve as well. people are doing what they’re called to do. using their gifts and talents in obedience to Who gave them to them. i have a friend who is mad skilled in design and fashion. she does everything to His glory. she blesses people with her gift, and her willingness to let Him come through in that, on a daily basis at her shop. i think we serve Him by doing the things He has gifted us to do with passion and excellence…whatever and wherever that may be. we have to trust Him to do the rest…meaning…let Him work through us to touch whom He pleases. He’s a big God…He can do that behind the scenes in a worship ministry of volunteers, to the inside of a fashion store, as well as in the community. so i think serving where i am qualified and gifted is indeed worshiping God.
tam’s last blog post…fill in friday – a community story
Yeah, I get that. But referencing B’s latest post on that “Healer” song… I mean, why? It’s putting a God stamp on things that may be wasting His time for us. I think it creates these inward focused communities that require quite a load of resources just to maintain… for what purpose?
Buddy,
That’s the point. I am trying to lessen the impact on resources. Both people and finances. Take our IT stuff for instance. Our office facility has headed down the road of treating itself corporately. Server, infrastructure and the equipment to manage that. I am changing that. We are getting rid of the server and going to a more self managed setup. It will save tons of money and man hours.
When it comes to media and tech. I have couple of people that help each week and I am always concerned of them spending too much time volunteering in that capacity. So, there will be more people involved with less hours of participation.
By way of expense. First of all, there are no paid positions in anything I manage, except my own. There is no plan to add any paid positions to these ministries either. Also, we don’t even have a tech budget. If something is necessary, we discuss it and then move forward. The cost of the equipment I manage is close to 2% of our annual offerings a the church. We run a food pantry, which is one of many local and world outreaches we are a part of and serve. Our food pantry spends and uses more money than I do every month…including my salary. Our outreach and missions expenses are 20 times bigger than our technical ministries.
I see that Tam just responded and I understand her heart in this and would agree. Table Rock has been given much and is responsible for much. many of the things we do have nothing to do with what we as a leadership want, but more an understanding of what and who we are. So we do it and we do it well. This includes everything from technical things to outreach.
Money has nothing to do with it. I don’t think money should be a consistent issue for care and outreach. People think that money feeds people and clothes people. Hardly.
I know your thoughts regarding big/small churches. You also know that I don’t agree. I don’t think what you are doing is wrong, but I also don’t think what I am doing is right. I just think it is one idea.
Hey buddy, I was commenting at the same time you were.
I would change that to say “it can create”. that’s why I don’t disagree with this style of church, because I am a part of a church and know many others (minority or not) that do not focus inward. Table Rock has never been about taking care of ourselves or building a little city. It’s always been about being apart of the bigger picture. So, when we do things “big” it is always about the kingdom, not us.
Sorry, I didn’t intend to criticize you or your church specifically. It is difficult to have these conversations because they typically devolve into a defense of one’s own ministry.
I cringe when people ask me why we are doing Simple Church because I find it incredibly difficult to explain without making contrasts or criticism against the ‘traditional’ church system. I always end up getting folks on the defensive, justifying how their church is different.
As Christians in 2008 we continue to get these prophetic signs about a failed way of doing things (your “Healer” post for example) and ignore the realities that they are telling us.
Brian McClaren posed a question in one of his books. A great question and one that validated for me my journey away from modern ‘church’. He asked, “If your church were to close it’s doors today, would you leave a void in the community?” Not a void among those who attend, that would be self evident. Would it leave a void among those in your community (world?) who do not attend your church?
Wow… not sure I get you there…
Buddy, I don’t ever take your thoughts personally. I will speak for table Rock though, because that is where I am involved and that is what I know, so my responses will be “defended” from that point of view.
I think my focus is different. This isn’t a church issue, this is a people issue. There is Godly intent and there is selfish intent and churches take on those forms based on the people involved in it. Whether 5 people or 5000. the people involved create the personality of that environment. So then is it God focused or not? It’s as simple as that.
In this situation with this song, an individual lied and subsequently hurt a lot of people done the line including churches and a record label. This wasn’t the record labels fault, this was the liars fault. I am sure that the label will be evaluating a lot of things, but the reality is that Michael lied and is to blame. Now, we can take this as a wonderful lesson for all of us. How did we join the “bandwagon”. Godly intent? or Selfish intent?
On your question of not understanding my statement. What I am saying is that so much focus is put on money instead of the work needing to be done. I’ve listened to people over and over talk about how money is spent here instead of there. most often I see that those people haven’t done one thing to lift a finger, they’ve just anted to write a check. I believe that writing a check is extremely valuable in helping those in need. But, I believe it is less valuable than a personal touch and contact with those in need. Many of the things we are involved with doing in our community cost nothing. We do yard work and moving. We’ve been helping a school with after school programs and security. we also have tons of donations a month of clothing and necessities for our food pantry that we are able to hand back out. I just think too much emphasis is put on money sometimes, then what happens is the focus goes to, how much money has been wasted, which may not be true at all. Does this make better sense? Maybe a new post is coming on. Actually writing this our, I’ve thought of 2
Re: song.
I see it as a systemic issue. The whole system (CCM) is setup to promote this kind of abuse. If he hadn’t come out, how long till we saw the “Healer Small Group Workbook”, “Healer DVD”, “CCM Superstars Collection of Songs Inspired by the Healer”, “Kirk Cameron and Touchstone pictures presents ‘The Healer’”, etc, etc and Christians all over the world would gobble it up… just ask Rick Warren, he’s got it figured out.
Re: money
Money and Time go hand in hand. It’s biblical and I come from the point of view where that’s an understood axiom. But the reality is that for the poor, hungry, hurting, needy, money is VERY important. Go to downtown Baltimore and ask a guy living on the street if he would prefer hanging out and talking with you or getting new shoes, or a hot meal, or suit for a job interview.
Buddy,
RE: song. I agree with the your take on the CCM industry. If a church is run this way, it’s intent is finance and it will see the same failures.
RE: money. Agreed that what we do goes hand in hand with our spiritual walk, but it has more to do with intent than what it is actually used for. If that dude in Baltimore needs a meal, suit and some shoes, than someone needs to step up tot he plate. He can look me up, I’ve got all 3 fro him right now and it would cost neither of us a penny.
My point is, when it is about the money, than it becomes an endless ridicule of what it is spent on or not spent on. If it is about being a light and involvement in community, than money is just a long for the ride. Where does the balance lie? Should all my money go to “needs” can I enjoy anything? It is more expensive to eat healthy than to eat fast food. Should I eat fast food all the time to help the poor? It’s an endless set of questions and critiques. talking about the money leads to a mess. Determining to focus on community and care end all that discussion, cause money and it’s usage will follow.