AlteredEgg.com - Easier to Carry Christ to Work Than Work to Christ?

Easier to Carry Christ to Work Than Work to Christ?

There is an incredible dichotomy that I have found in work and ministry. I found it easy to carry Christ into the secular world, but almost impossible to network with Christian Creatives or break into ministry, because of my business background.

As CEO of a small manufacturing company, I shared Christ often and openly with employees, vendors, and customers. I counseled troubled employees and urged them to attend church. I shared Christ with customers whenever possible. I was known as nearly the only company in our trade that sent Christian Christmas cards. When the trade press profiled or interviewed me, I was sure to give God the credit for our success and explain that we ran our company by Christian values.

Of course there was a down side. I served on volunteer industry education committees, early in my career. At official lunches and such, the other business folks often lapsed into stories of how clever they were, as in how they turned back their postal meters to avoid paying for postage, etc. As the stories went on, my discomfort became obvious. When I did not join in, they asked me to speak up, tell them about my best trick to get over on somebody. I told them I was a Christian and that all of this sounded like stealing to me. I was not invited to any more lunches.

Later in my career, I ran for the Board of Directors of a national organization. My goal was to help the organization clean up some financial misdeeds and move past the image problem that had developed because of it. I tried to get the organization to follow its own bylaws, and return the state chapter money to the state chapters. I was duly elected by the membership. The Board members knew I was a Christian. Once they determined that they could not corrupt me, they voted me off the Board. This was a very painful time in my life. In spite of having God on my side, I was unable to help the industry members who were being dealt an injustice. It was a loaded political issue, and the trade magazines even published my appeal for funds to fight the injustice forced on the state chapters, but the political pressures soon took over and the whole thing died down.

With God's help I picked myself up and got going again. I was still pleased to carry my faith into the business world. Success returned, and God blessed me with family, a reputation for wisdom, and a great salary. Now I am a consultant and webmaster and have my own Internet, Graphic Design, and Web Hosting Company. I have been completely unable to find the right combination to serve ministries. Churches and ministries distrust me because I am a for profit company and want to charge money for stuff they think they can get for free from volunteers.

Web sites are done by volunteers or not at all in most churches. They hire church growth consultants, management consultants, team building consultants, and more. They pay for sermon outlines, teaching resources, media projectors, sound systems, and more. But they want literature, postcards, signs, banners, posters, web design, hosting, email, and technology consulting done at no cost.

Please understand that I am not complaining about churches... Or putting volunteers down. I am not bitter, but am so frustrated by the lack of movement toward professional use of modern communications. The average corner church now has the ability to interact with the entire world.

In my heart beats a passion to see God's people use the Internet technology for the Kingdom. The power of the medium has not been grasped, at all, by most churches. If there were one thing that could give the church the tools to reach and change the world, in less time, and for less money than ever before, it is the Internet. Any corner church can share a message with the ENTIRE KNOWN UNIVERSE of people on this planet.

If there was one thing that could solve internal communications and scheduling problems as experienced by most churches, so the leaders could be more effective and the congregation more informed, it is the Internet. Oh how I wish, for the sake of the Kingdom, that it was as easy to carry my vocation into the Church, as it was to carry Christ into Work...

My business was dedicated to the Lord in a ceremony attended by 15 or 20 Christian Friends, when we started. But now all savings have been exhausted in starting my company. I am no longer wealthy. Though I want to, I cannot serve churches at no charge. I tithe and give generously for somebody with virtually no income.

I would like to specialize in offering web, graphic, and marketing services for Churches and ministries. But God's people will not pay for services, as they want them done by volunteers. Wisdom guides to say that churches should use volunteers when they can. But when something can impact the image of the church in the local community, make it more visible and attractive, in as powerful a way as the web, maybe it should be trusted to professionals. The reasoning would be the same as for choosing professional help with building, decor, sound and projection system, etc.

Today's Christ Seeking person is likely to be about age 30 (as always). They are not impressed nor attracted by fuzzy black and white copies, or cheap clip art. They want churches to speak to them in the language of the realm. Multimedia and professional graphics are needed to attract today's people who have questions about life.

People who need the Lord are looking for something that works, not something that is quaint. I Love Jesus. I am not picking on any one church. I am not picking on churches at all. But I am sharing my frustration, and my passion for what could be...

Every church could save money on postage by using email lists to communicate to elders, ministry leaders, and members. The mailing list can easily be cross referenced with the email list to prevent overlap. Every church can have a web calendar that any member or ministry can use, at any time, from any computer in the world, to check available dates for the sanctuary, auditorium, fellowship hall, gymnasium, kitchen, or church van, without calling the secretary, who then spends 15 minutes finding the list and giving a report. It could also be used to avoid scheduling events that compete with each other for attendance.

Every church could save printing costs by making up their own tracts and event announcements and putting them online. Members could print these on their own printers, and pass them out throughout the community.

Costs for printing church history, statements of faith, purpose and mission, etc., could all be reduced by placing these online. Mostly, the church can let the local people know what it is really like to be involved in their community of believers. Even small churches can talk to the general public in full color.

In response to a Radio talk show question, why don't churches do a better job with the Internet, the wise author of a book on church Internet usage once said, "Churches spend money on things they understand. The more they understand something, and it's value to the Kingdom, the more freely they spend. When they understand the Internet, they will spend. Until then it will be a toy, relegated to the folks who like to play with technology."

Here is a good metaphor for the resulting web sites. Auto Mechanics can make an unlikely car run, and even design a car that runs perfectly, but they are unlikely to design cars that makes the heart skip a beat when you see it. They are unlikely to design a car that sells.

Some churches have awesome graphic and web talent on staff. Most don't.

We have to "Sell" Jesus to a lost world. Or at least craft a message the world will give attention to and consider. Some day, churches will 'GET' it about the Internet, and about using professionally produced web sites, literature and other communications materials.

I hope my little business is still around to help when they do. I want to do this stuff for God instead of money. But I have to support my family too.