There’s a verse in the Bible that says “you have not, because you ask not…” Now there is more to the verse, and the context is a little different, but for people in the church who want to serve, especially if your gift or talent is somewhat different from the usual “offerings,” asking is a huge part of the equation.
Think about it. There are some things every church knows they’re going to need, and filling those roles will always be first and foremost on the minds of the leadership. If you have something different to offer, it might not even be on their radar, especially if your gift would be something completely new. If you wait to be asked, barring divine intervention, the invite is not likely to come. Instead, you’re going to have to be the one to walk up to your church leadership and say, “Hey, what if we tried…?”
Now if this is the case, and it is, how you ask is going to be critical. The leadership person in question is not likely to know what to do with your idea. For this reason, you can’t give them a half-formed, half-baked idea. The more you have worked out in advance of the ask, the better. Going to the leadership with a complete, well thought out idea will make things a lot easier on both of you. Do your homework.
How much will it cost? This is going to be a question in nearly every church, because we all have budgets to deal with. The more inexpensive initially, the better. In the ideal world, low risk, high reward projects are the most likely to get the “green light.” Build your idea for growth where possible, realizing that success brings investment. How can you get the best bang for your buck.
Be humble. The leader in question may have a lot of questions. This should be understandable. Their credibility is on the line and in ministry credibility is huge. They may suggest changes. They may give you reasons why your idea won’t fit at the present time. They may have a similar but smaller way to try your idea. Accept these and go back to the drawing board. One of the things that is crucial in using our gifts to serve is coming under authority. Many people don’t do that well, but we all answer to someone.
Be faithful. When you get the go ahead, bring your best work to the table, deliver on time. Demonstrating faithfulness is a big part of this that cannot be overlooked. There was a reason Jesus, in the parable of the talents said “you have been faithful in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.”
Be flexible. Very rarely in life do we get everything we asked for all the time. Be grateful for what you get and move forward, even if you didn’t get everything you wanted.
One day, hopefully your dream and your vision will be fully realized, but it usually, it all starts with “the ask.”
This year, I am going to post creative challenges from God’s Word, the idea is simple, read the passage and create something based on it.
AMOKArts 