By Mike Harland
As you lead a church or worship ministry, you have a shepherding responsibility. That includes shepherding creative people, which can often feel very challenging, like herding cats. Creative people prefer spontaneity over structure. So as you structure your worship ministry, how do you shepherd people who don’t prefer it that way? Here are three ways to shepherd creative people.
-
Give creative people the opportunity to be creative.
Allow these creative people to gather, brainstorm, and dream about the worship ministry of your church. Provide opportunities to think outside the box and color outside the lines.
-
Execute creative ideas.
Your job as a leader is to add the element of execution with the creativity these people provide. Put tangible action steps in place to execute the creative idea. As you create these steps, you must establish clear deadlines to help them achieve this goal or idea.
-
Build confidence.
Consider this statement regarding creatives, “I am a creative person, and I am insecure.” With most creative people who have platform visibility and responsibility, including pastors, musicians, and artists, they often lack confidence in their gifts and skills. The creatives you lead need to hear feedback and response to what they do. Like a sports coach seeks to build a player through coaching and correction, creatives also need affirmation from you along the way.
A shepherd of creatives cultivates an atmosphere of expectation, allows for creativity, provides an action plan for creative ideas, and gives a cadence of feedback. Constantly remind people that what we do in and through our worship ministry is not about us but about Jesus Christ. Call out these gifts and skills in the creative people around you for His kingdom.
Adapted from Training Pathway: Worship Ministry. Check out more training videos on Ministry Grid.
