Here in just a few hours the ONEband leaves to go lead worship at Cross Timbers church camp. We are so stoked to get this opportunity to spend our weekend with a camp full of students going after God. Video updates to follow all weekend.
I don’t about you, but we get TONS of request for design and videos. I am thankful to be part of a team/church that rarely has to say no but that doesn’t mean there is not a burden. Since January of this year we have received and filled over 300 Creative Submission Forms. WOW! That’s a lot of design, bulletin articles, HTTV video announcements, web updates, post cards, posters, tshirt designs, visitor packs, and the list goes on and on.
There is one thing we implemented immediately when I moved into the new role as Creative Media Director. We started a creative submission process called the Creative Submission Form. This form is the lifeline, the backbone, the safety net of most everything creative at Harvest Time. Brian Spessard, our graphic/web design guy, put this form together. You can download it here.
This form has been great but one thing we have found out is that having a form makes it easier for ministry departments to request our services. Now, to get us to design something all you have to do is fill out the form with 3-5 weeks lead time and presto, a custom graphic or video. Obviously we can not exist this way long. We are now in the process of trying to figure out how to say NO to some of these request. The best way to say no is to have a filter. Filters do something very special and unique, they filter. It’s deep I know.
Here is the list of questions/filters I’ve come up with so far:
- Is the quality of this piece going to determine someone’s decision on whether or not to attend here?
- Is this necessary to print? Can it be social, viral, or web driven?
- Does a leader need to spear head this for it be successful?
- Is this a use of creativity or a cop-out from it? (making a flyer doesn’t make your event cool)
- Will this affect 100+ people?
- Does this require professional design? (can it be done on construction paper and a copier? I know you are cringing at this one but if it’s just flyer for leaders to remind them about a BBQ it doesn’t need my special attention: )
- Is it going to inform, educate , create buzz or make a difference in a life?
Based on the answers, we will decide if it needs to be done by our department, to what degree, and how much to spend producing it, whether it be print or video.
Any questions/filters you use? I’d love to steal them from you : )
In life, we all have an emotional tab. When I hear the word “tab”, I think of this clip from one of my favorite movies every time.
The thing about a tab, is it appears limitless. In ministry it’s so easy to put your emotions into everything that you do. Emotions can be disguised as passion, commitment, pursuit and beliefs. So many times we will take withdraws from our emotional tab on things that don’t make a lick of eternal difference. Let me give you some examples: carpet color, 90db or 92db, drum shield or not, last minute changes, this song or that, this font or that, and the list goes on and on.
I’ve found that if I allow every change or lack of change to be a withdrawal from my emotional tab, it is emptied before a whole day goes by. BUT if I choose to submit and listen instead of argue and speak, I smile a lot more. : ) I am the only person who can control my “emotional tab.” I choose what I spend my emotions on daily.
If you can control how much and when you withdraw from your emotional tab and then couple that with a consistent daily time with God; your passion for ministry and for God will never be diminished, destroyed or deterred.
Don’t confuse passion with emotion. Submit to leadership easily and quickly. Be passionate about your ministry and spend your emotions on loving people!