10 Feet Tall And Bulletproof…….Really?

Posted on June 29, 2006

It is not uncommon to have a conversation with someone where they ask you what you do, and it’s pretty interesting to hear their response. If I know I’m talking to a non-technical person, I will usually say I work with computers, since some people have no clue what I.T. means or anything else more specific. Oftentimes, the non-technical person will put you in their own category as they say one of the following:

• oh, you fix computers?
• oh, you are a computer programmer?
• oh, you make websites?
• oh, you are a graphic designer?
• oh, you are a hacker?

If they hit anywhere close to something I have ever done or attempted, I may just say ‘yes, among many other things.’

So, if you are a pastor or other leader in a church, there is a fairly good chance that you are not that technical and there is nothing wrong with that. But, how can you find the right kind of technical expertise? The truth is, being a computer guy does not mean expert at everything technical. There are different kinds of programmers, plus a graphics person is not necessarily a network administrator too and a network administrator may not be skilled at desktop support or PC troubleshooting.

The other challenge is that some people will try to give the impression that they can do it all, then you may be in the hands of someone that is fumbling around with mission critical equipment.

Another example, just because someone is a skilled pastor does not mean that they are a good administrator or a good counselor. We all have our skills, our gifts, our expertise and we need to know what we know and also know what we don’t know. I know many pastors who have surrounded themselves with skilled people that are able to do the things that they are not gifted in.

So, how do you discern that you are getting someone that is a skilled network administrator or a skilled web designer or skilled at whatever it is that you need done that you can’t even talk intelligently about? Your problem might be that you know your website looks dated or you wish you could print to that other printer or you need your laptop connected to the wireless network. Each of those roles may require a different person, but us tech guys tend to be bulletproof and there’s nothing that’s over our heads, as far as you know, but I’m here to shatter that image.

If you are a mega church or a even a mid-size to large church, you may have the staff in place and this is a non-issue. But the rest of you, probably the majority of you, this could be a real issue.

Start asking around, talk to people, pick their brains, describe your issues and concerns and ask for referrals. If they refer themselves, ask for 2 or 3 people that can vouch for them, as to their specific skills. Maybe you need to find a point person to head up the effort, especially if you don’t have the time. This point person probably needs to be trusted and known, more than anything, as opposed to technical. Empower this person to do the talking and referral checking. This is true whether you are looking for a staff person or a volunteer because much of what needs to be done may give this person access to financial data or even personal info about members.

If you are starting to see a need for technical expertise, it’s not a bad idea to find one or two or three key technical people, volunteer or staff or even a contractor, because more than likely, the need for technical expertise will continue to increase.

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