Our Offering
I had the pleasure of worshipping & learning with a new congregation this past Sunday. The music & visual beauty offered me many opportunities to engage but one of the moments that caused me to shout with praise was watching the arts leader that led the service teams. She gave me a beautiful picture of how God is equipping the body to serve Him & provide a place for others to find God. She was the right person for the job!
The team meets in between services to talk through the program, refocusing themselves and talking through any necessary changes. The 1st service had a few unexpected moments – the worship leader & pastor had changed the order of what was originally planned. The team recovered to the point that I doubt anyone in the congregation noticed. Many of you can relate to how changes can rattle a team. The teams, from the up-front worship team to the behind the scenes worship team/the tech team, had worked hard to make sure their part of the service was a beautiful offering. So, in between the service the arts leader thanked them for their part in the service and their flexibility in flowing with the unexpected. Being a smart leader she realized that some don’t respond well to change, it frustrates them & can make them feel devalued. So, after she thanked them for responding to the changes, she reminded them that leadership & the creative team does their best to plan out the service so that they can bring their best. They pray & meet to create a space for people to meet & learn with God. But despite all their planning, she said “I trust the pastor & the worship leader to listen to the Holy Spirit during the service and if the Holy Spirit speaks, we follow.” That was a beautiful moment. She was a great leader at that point. She didn’t ignore what happened in the service… she didn’t just tell them to buck up … she didn’t tell them these things happen, get used to it. She recognized this was a time to remind or envision her team. She reminded them it isn’t about things being perfect … how we follow; our process is part of our offering.