Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash
Don’t wait for your lead pastor or the worship pastor to set up the first Christmas service meeting.
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
Luke 14:28-30, ESV
Jesus gave a lesson within a lesson, here.
Yes, the context of this passage is talking about the cost of following Jesus, but Jesus was also a practical man, most likely having worked for much of his life as the manager of a stone mason contracting business, and he knew the ins and outs of project management. He’s briefly talking here about the simple leadership principle of planning ahead, and production leaders should take heed.
Now, I know it’s August and you’re probably thinking about how many more days you can get at the lake before school starts and the weather starts to cool. Maybe you’ve got some late-summer PTO lined up, and something like your big Christmas service is the furthest thing from your mind, but maybe it shouldn’t be.
I know you hate one particular feeling—the feeling of the Monday or Tuesday after Thanksgiving, realizing that you’ve got maybe three weeks until your big Christmas production, and there’s a lot to do with not a lot of time. December is a notoriously busy month for production leaders, but it doesn’t have to be, and it won’t be if you start now, in August.
Just Start With a Meeting.
Don’t wait for your lead pastor or the worship pastor to set up the first Christmas service meeting. Hop on your work calendar, find some free space for you and whoever else should be at the meeting, and get the conversation rolling. They won’t be mad that you’re being proactive, and it’s going to make for an easier, less stressful couple of months for you.
There’s a lot to think about—stage design changes, lighting changes, team rehearsals, graphic media themes, maybe even integrating some front of house upgrades just in time for all of those visitors to hear and see the excellence of your team. And the truth of that matter is that all of those things require your coordination with your teams. You’re the linchpin for the whole operation, and that’s perfect, because you’re really good at this.
You’ve heard that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the same goes for what we do every week. A little preparation goes a long way to saving you and your team from long days and a lot of stress right before Christmas.
So, yes—it’s August, but it’s also Christmas time. Season’s greetings, friends.
