The Overwhelmed Church Creative

Life as a church creative can be overwhelming. We often run a regular 9-5 job in addition to church creativity, plus any outside design work that we may have for the month. It’s got to be a creative thing, to have so many plates spinning in the air at the same time. I guess we like it.

It’s not a good thing though. There’s a reason why worship pastors and art directors are consistently called flaky. It’s become a known stereotype and even accepted part of who they are. For example, they miss the start of the meeting or hand something in past a deadline, and people laugh and just say something to the affect of, “Oh, well that’s James, it’s who they are.”

As creatives, we have to be able to keep the plates spinning, and get our job done right. I would like to help you succeed in this area, and help you avoid four lies we tell ourselves, and four ways we can overcome defeat.

1. I don’t have time! You are constantly on the run as a creative leader. It’s easy to throw your hands up and give up. The truth is, if the opportunity is valuable, then time can be found. An overwhelmed schedule almost always comes down to poor planning. Get organized, adjust your schedule to take advantage of your most productive hours. There are great resources to help like Evernote, Slack, and Todoist free to download. Time cannot be made, but it can be found.
2. I need to do it all. We just touched on the fact that you can find time. But it does not mean you need to say yes to everything. God has given you the passion and resources for specific ministries. Focus on your core ministries and quality. Don’t try to do it all. Do you. Learn the power of the word “NO!”
3. I don’t have the resources. It may be discouraging to have vision beyond your resources, but there’s nothing wrong with dreaming big and planning for the future. Get creative and lean into your people resources, because success is not connected to money, it’s connected to quality. Passion and hard work will get you farther than any blank check.
4. I’ll never be as good as… You may not have the best worship team and that church down the street might have floor to ceiling LED panels. Good for them. They are finding a way within their means to reach their community. But they are not you. No one else can be you, but you. Every person has a God-given unique ability; something that reaches the ears of the masses and energizes the church. Find it, lean into it, and understand that this is where you will thrive.

What we do as church creatives can either give us life or take it away. It’s really up to us which kind of life we are going to have. Don’t buy the lies, embrace the truths, and continue to shape stories for your church and community.