Some days I wonder if the size and scale of Willow Creek is a good thing. From the outside, it seems like Disneyland. From the inside, it can be daunting. 10 venues, all with events happening at the same time, ranging in complexity from slightly complicated to ridiculously complicated. Today I had a moment that represented the opposite.
One of the huge advantages of having 10 venues with simultaneous programs happening, is that you are forced to develop new people. You have a huge need that needs to be filled by people that are first, willing and eager, then hopefully over time, these individuals will develop into superstars.
I was going from one meeting to another (which doesn’t necessarily differentiate it from any other day), and I saw 2 guys that represent a picture of the benefits of tons of opportunities for people to serve and then thrive while serving in production. Chris is a guy in his twenties, who started serving in Promiseland Production in the 5th grade and has become a part-time staff member on our team. He will soon be heading off to the Austin Police Academy. Ben is 17 and has been serving in Promiseland Production since…5th grade and is in his first week as a part-time staff member serving in production. Chris is training Ben.
Chris and Ben have been exposed to amazing production through the local church since they were little. When I think about the first time I saw a PM1D (at Willow Creek when I was 30) and the first time Ben saw a GrandMA lighting console (at the age of 12) I am blown away. Ben and Chris and countless other volunteers have the chance to get their hands on equipment that I couldn’t even dream of when I was that young.
How are you leveraging the talented youth in your church? There are kids in your church that God created to do production and we have an opportunity to harness that talent for the local church to change the world. What can you and I do to increase the opportunity for people to learn and grow in the technical arts?
Whether it is for the local church or for taking their Christian world view into the entertainment industry, let’s take the equipment, the venues, and the opportunities we have been entrusted with and leverage them for the benefit of young people gifted in production so that we can change the world one production at a time.
