Keep Stopping to Achieve Balance in Your Ministry
Originally published in the February 2005 issue of the Church Media Hotlist Newsletter.
Coordinating A/V/L requirements for setup and tear down. Volunteer recruiting and training. Creating graphics for the next publication. Last minute video edits. Renting props for the upcoming sermon series. Fixing broken equipment...
The list just goes on and on. These are the tasks church media techs are faced with on a week in, week out basis. There's just so much to do. We are all so busy. Stop!
And then, keep stopping!
In Genesis 2:2, God sets the example for us: "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work."
It's tough for us to keep stopping, especially since most of us put in quite a few hours on Sundays. That's why we've got to take time on another day to rest. It also means that we have to guard the time our volunteers spend 'volunteering' on weekends.
I encourage you to take time for yourself and your family and also to make sure the volunteer crew rotation is built up to a point where we can tell ourselves and our volunteers, "go ahead and get involved in corporate worship". In other words, it's OK to keep stopping.
On a related note, while watching the History Channel, I came across a show about the Niagara Falls. In it, they detailed the life of a tightrope walker called "The Great Blondin," the first and arguably greatest tightrope walker to cross the Falls.
"On June 30, 1859, Blondin started the trip that was to make history. Incredulous watchers saw him lower a rope to the Maid of the Mist, a tour boat near the base of the falls, pull up a bottle and sit down while he refreshed himself. He began his ascent toward the Canadian shore, paused, steadied the balancing pole and suddenly executed a back somersault. Never content merely to repeat his last performance, Blondin crossed his rope on a bicycle, walked blindfolded, pushed a wheelbarrow, cooked an omelet in the center and even made the trip with his hands and feet manacled!
Yet even these stunts failed to satisfy Blondin's urge to test himself. He announced that on August 19, 1859, he would cross the gorge carrying his manager, Harry Colcord, on his back. It was to be the supreme test of Blondin's skill and stamina.
According to Colcord, the trip was a nightmare. In the unguyed (without guy wire) center section, the pair swayed violently. Blondin was fighting for his life. He broke into a desperate run to reach the first guy wire position. When he reached it and steadied himself, the guy wire broke. Once more the pair swayed alarmingly as Blondin again ran for the next guy wire. When they reached it, Blondin gasped for Colcord to get down. Six times in all Colcord had to dismount while Blondin struggled to gather his strength. In the end, Blondin had to charge toward the crowd in order to prevent the press of people forcing them back into the precipice." (reprinted with permission by Melissa Slouber)
This true and exciting story really got my attention. There, in the midst of danger, even with guy wires breaking, Blondin forced himself to keep stopping. He knew his limits and was wise enough to stop on several occasions.
While we don't normally deal with such life-or-death situations in our media ministries, we would also be wise to learn the valuable lesson: keep stopping. It is how we will achieve our own balance in ministry.
Anthony Coppedge provides consulting to Churches for developing and growing a Media Ministry, building teams, casting vision and even choosing the right equipment. He lives in Bedford, Texas with his wife and two daughters and can be reached at anthony@anthonycoppedge.com
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