Users or Customers?

Posted on April 4, 2008 by Jim Walton

Even though I am not a good live blogger, I am trying to capture this moment. Here are several quotes from Clif.

Our problem is not a lack of resources, it’s a lack of imagination. We, as IT people, are usually pretty concrete and we need to be more creative.

We are focusing on the problem and not on a creative solution to get it done.

If the only resource is the church’s budget, then your imagination is too small.

Someone suggested that we don’t always include God in our process, Clif says we need to agree to pray and expect God to show up.

John 13:14-15John 13:14-15
English: World English Bible - WEB
14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

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This is a neat concept, be creative and don’t focus on the problem, just figure out how to do it but that sure is hard. The easy solution is to throw money at the problem but most of us don’t have the budget or the resources to adequately take on every request that comes our way.

The challenge is to think creatively to address requests from our customers, which includes church staff, other volunteers, other ministries and even outside groups.

Great reminder, Clif! Great insight too. It’s going to help all of us raise the standards of our service.

He warned me that I was part of his talk but I didn’t know how exactly he was going to do this.  He referred to a series of posts I wrote last summer that started here, then went here and here.   This series actually began with Clif and it is a constant theme of Clif‘s life and ministry and leadership style.

Thanks Clif, for continuing to encourage me in what you say, in how you lead and how you live your life.

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2 Responses to “Users or Customers?”

  1. Clif Guy on April 4th, 2008 3:20 pm

    Thanks for the kind words, Jim. It was a great opportunity to speak on something I’m passionate about and to push myself to enlarge my imagination and to remember that God has infinite resources.

  2. Rick Wighman on April 5th, 2008 4:41 pm

    About 15 years ago I was at a meeting of Professional Foresters (I am one) in British Columbia. The gentleman giving a talk said, “you don’t need a bridge, you need to get [wood] to the other side” This has always stuck with me – we need to stop defining solutions and instead work harder at defining the problems. If we do that correctly, then we can generate a range of solutions that will address the problem and we can, with the help of the people we’re helping, evaluate those and find one that makes the most sense.

    Another aspect to this, that is particularly useful in a church context is that sometimes we push too hard for things. HE is well aware of our resources and our limitations. Recognizing that He is our leader (He’s ALWAYS (t)here hence He can’t show up, it’s really a matter of whether we’re willing to acknowledge His presence and leadership) means willing to acknowledge His timing. That may mean that we’d really like to get this latest project completed now that may not be in His plan. So when things get tough losing your peace and joy isn’t in the plan God has for us. I forget this a lot, and have to revisit it regularly,