Every church and team committed to its mission always looking to do better. This is not about vain endeavors. It is about appreciating the privilege of introducing people to faith and discipleship. It is always important to remember that tech and everything else is a means. No endeavor is without its challenges. To do better, more–innovation, there will always be barriers. Besides research in our closed corners we must remember that collaboration is key to fulfilling mission.
Thinking we can do everything by ourselves is nothing but debilitating arrogance. No local church has all the capacity within itself to impact the community(ies) it exists in. It takes all kinds of churches to reach all sorts of people in all places. Church tech teams don’t work in isolation; they serve in the context of the mission of their church.
In the same vein, local churches shouldn’t be slogging away in isolation. Collaboration doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing everything together. It means that you make yourselves available to support each other. There is spiritual support such as prayer, but there’s also the practical stuff. There could be great benefit for church tech teams when churches collaborate.
Limitations
“Many hands makes work light” is not just a cute saying. It is profound truth. Collaboration can help you and or churches you collaborate with push past barriers. I’m stating the obvious here but it is these obvious things that are often overlooked.
Google doesn’t always have the answers we’re looking for. Unlike online forums, the tech team from another church in your community could spot something in your sound mix Google could never. Collaborating with teams in other churches will help you push through limitations. Collaboration is key to achieving the impossible.
Bing is not going to build your new stage designs like an available warm body who’s had the experience. The guy from the church next door might just be willing to help you build. A shared learning experience in which you and the churches you serve in, benefit.
Innovation / Ideas
Some ideas and innovation occurs in the doing. Problem solving is not only a technical challenge and exercise but also a creative one. Sometimes it takes sitting in the same physical space, talking and building models etc. for creative solutions
[clickToTweet tweet=”Collaboration is a great tool for obliterating teachnical and creative roadblocks – @blessingmpofu” quote=”Every creative and technical endeavour hits walls at some point. When this happens collaboration is one of the critical keys to employ.”]
Stewardship
The resources your local church has are not for your church, they’re for Jesus’ Church. Stewardship means recognising what you have and using it to its fullest for the greatest benefit of the Church. In collaborating across denominational lines, for example, we could discover that we have skills others don’t have. We may also discover that they have something we don’t.
Imagine not having to spend big bucks on something because of a trade of equipment and ideas. What if the equipment you no longer need is something another church in your community is praying for?
Collaboration and Competition
Thinking what you know and can do is something to guard is small-mindedness. It is contrary to what Jesus prayed for and wants for His Church. For a weird reason, some think when they share they expertise they lose. This doesn’t encourage the unity Jesus hopes to see us demonstrate to the world.
Folly
Collaboration is how we cash in on each other’s dumb tax. Dumb tax: the cost we’ve paid to learn. Some call them mistakes, blunders, blow outs, failures etc.
Save the trouble of making mistakes and wasting resources when others already have. Kingdom-mindedness also means helping others avoid the pits we’ve fallen in.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Collaboration is how we capitalise on each others’ ‘dumb tax’ – @blessingmpofu” quote=”Collaboration is how we capitalise on each others’ ‘dumb tax’.”]
Next Steps
What about doing coffee with crews from others churches in your city or community. This doesn’t have to be some formal organisation and structure. It could be just to talk through current projects and even some challenges. It could be going to see how others are doing what you’re doing in your context.
We have everything we need we just don’t have it within ourselves. Building relationships is how we access everything we need to fulfil the mission.
You might just be on the verge of unprecedented wins for your team and progress for your church. Walk across the street, drive across town. Time to start building bridges. Collaborate.
[Image via Bossfight]
Justin Allison says
I appreciate this post! I’m already doing a lot of this, but it helps to know that you would say I’m on the right track too!
Blessing Mpofu says
This is an encouraging Justin. I guess it takes all of us working together. It’s great you’re onto that; hope you start seeing great benefit.