As a kid I recall (quite fondly, I must admit) annoying the fire out of my parents when as the oldest and most “mature” of my siblings, I led them in interrupting the family vacation with a rousing chorus of “Are we there yet?” That’s all it took most times, and the questions from my younger siblings would begin to fly: “When will we be there?” “How many miles before the hotel tonight?” “Why does the road appear to sink down?” “Why can you see the moon some days during the daylight?” It was great… the All-American family vacation! That is until we got older. Then Dad broke out his instrument of torture—a device so hideous your worst enemy should not be shown such evil! The sentence had just been handed down, and our hearts were now in all of our throats… The ATLAS! Dad would throw it in the backseat and say, “No we’re not there, but you will tell us how to get there, and how long it will take!”
Has anyone in this generation ever seen one of these things? I mean, there are like 50 states and 10 pages per state. What happens if you run off one page to another? And how do you find the city that has no name because a juice box got spilled on the map!?
I am privileged to be in ministries all across the country, and although I do know how to read a map, I’m very thankful for the invention of the GPS! But what we find so helpful on road trips—knowing where we are and when we’ll get where we’re going—is often lacking in our tech ministries.
One thing I regularly notice is that I’m called in to solve “X” problem, but in reality when I get there the problem is much farther reaching. As I talk to those involved I also regularly discover that they don’t really even know where they are so to speak. Many do not know what’s really wrong, what’s right, what decisions are being made, or why. It’s sad, but it can also be quite humorous at times that certain people are not on the same page.
If you think this might be a problem with your ministry (i.e. you’re not sure where you are, let alone when you’ll get where you’re going), here are some tips you should find helpful.
1. Communicate
The pastoral staff, the music pastor, the church finance committee chairman, the tech director—they will all need to be involved to some extent. (And there will need to be meetings.) Stay in touch regularly. Pastors, talk to your techs! Techs, talk to the pastoral staff and finance committee. Be open. Be honest. Determine where you want to go.
2. Plan, plan, plan
Whether it is an Easter production with the kids Sunday School classes or a major church renovation, you will never regret more planning. Then once you have a plan, work your plan. Stay on course. If you keep changing the target you will never reach it.
3. Set Goals
Goals help you to measure progress. That way you know when you get where you’re going. You can’t hit what you aren’t aiming at. Have a defined start point and a defined end point. This will prevent epic adventures that never end.
4. Allow Time
Give projects enough time. It takes the time that it takes. Start earlier than you think you need to.
Still need help? GIve us a call. We’d love to know how we can help you get where you want to go.