These past few months have been pretty intense for me as a church technical leader. My church opened a new auditorium the first part of December, and I had the opportunity to be very involved in many aspects of the project. For months leading up to the open, the deeper into the project and the closer we got to opening the new auditorium, the further my head was down and focused. From a details standpoint, that is exactly what the project needed to finish on time and on budget. But all of that was happening just a few weeks before Christmas.
During the final phases of construction and install, I was careful to protect time with my family when I was not working. But that was as far as it went. Now that my workload has begun to lighten and I have had a chance to catch my breath, I am realizing that I isolated myself from everyone else. I withdrew from talking, texting, and even chatting on Twitter with my friends and peers. While that was necessary for me to focus on my job and family, I missed my friends. I missed the community of peers that I had around me. Maybe you can relate.
Since that realization, I have started texting, calling, and connecting with those people who I share life with. My heart has begun to feel rejuvenated. I am back in community. It is just what I need; what I am wired for.
“We have a God-created desire to share life and be connected with others...
God wired us for community. We have a God-created desire to share life and be connected with others. Having that support, especially in ministry, is vital. You would think that I would understand that by now—that I would make staying connected a priority even when I am in crazy busy seasons of life. I wish that I had taken advantage of that support during the building project, but I didn't.
The ministry that I was called to was causing me to feel isolated. But, I allowed it to. I had plenty of tasks to accomplish and details to manage. However, just like my spiritual growth, community involvement is my responsibility. Reaching out and meeting new people and maintaining relationships are hard to juggle in certain seasons of our lives. You have to choose to do it. Be purposeful about doing life with others.
Thankfully we are no longer constrained by proximity and can text and use social apps like Twitter and Facebook to achieve that connection. The Church Technical Leaders association was built on community. I want to encourage you to jump in and find those folks that can be there to support you. Our online community can connect you with church techs from around the country and around the world. The resources and articles available at churchtechleaders.org are written by members of the Church Technical Leaders community. These writers are sharing what God is showing them as they lead in their churches.
If God is stirring you to get connected even deeper, let us help you connect with other church technical leaders. You are not crazy for serving God the way you do. You are not alone; there are lots of folks doing what you do, that understand. God is using you to make an impact in His kingdom. And, He lets us serve Him together.
bill@churchtechleaders.org
