Sunday, I told part of the Tech Arts team that we were taking this week off. I was tired and I’m working through some things and I just needed some downtime. I have also thought we should integrate some fellowship/Bible study/prayer into what we do. As the morning wore on, God led me to go ahead and meet but not do any work, just come together and do some kind of Bible study, prayer and just hang out. In a word, be still!
So, I sent the email out inviting everyone to come in and hang out. It was great, I was a little apprehensive about it, for some reason but everyone seemed to appreciate it. I talked about Matthew 25, where the rich man gave his servants the talents. When they returned them, the first 2 returned twice as many and the rich man said “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. ” The final man returned the one he was given. The rich man “…cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
What does this mean for us? God expects us to use our talents, gifts and interests to bring God glory and always work to improve ourselves and our service. God has allowed us lately to do more and to do it better. The challenge is maintaining that standard because once you raise the bar, you can’t go back, so excellence is key in all that we do, both on Sunday mornings and otherwise.
The Tech Arts Team will be taking some downtime regularly, about once a month, so we can be still. It was well received, I know I need that and apparently others do too. The plan is to do it the first Tuesday of each month or whenever it seems necessary, so we will work next week, then be still again the week after. Maybe that’s a good name for it, Still.
Great idea Jim. It’s always good to come together like that. It will help build the team in the long run.
dj
Jim,
I can so relate! A few months back I starting taking my staff off-site for coffee about every other week. Some times we just sit and fellowship. Sometimes we will do a short devotional. We almost always conduct some “business’. We pray for each other, but mostly we enjoy each other’s company outside of all the business. I think with waht we do it is easy to get caught up in all the tasks and it is easy to forget we are doing ministry. Ministry is what we are. Good to see you taking care of your people, like me I’m sure you’d be lost without the excellence in your staff.
Good shout Jim.
Before God asked me to actually use my workaday talents in the Church I was chief usher for 10yrs.
In those 10yrs I had great plans and desires to implement training, standards, etc, etc … think Buddy Bell in Britain and you get close … anyway, because I neglected to do the prayer and fellowship thing with the group on a regualr basis it never happened and it is also one of the reasons I believe God asked me to lay aside all my leadership roles.
I’m back in the learning boat again and should I ever end up with a team again I intend to ensure there are times for just hanging and praying, etc.