Inside the Sojourn

Your turn

What's on your mind or what would you want to hear about from my perspective?  Send me an email at steve.broadway@suddenlink.net and let me know.  Let's stimulate some discussion...

Influence has a price

One of the interesting aspects of creative arts ministry comes in the form of feedback.  I made the observation to Jim and the elders during my hiring process that everyone has an opinion because everyone has a bias that developed during their formative years. Not that tastes can't change, but they normally don't. Result: it is impossible to please everyone all the time, so we might as well pursue the mission/vision, be ourselves and try to please God in what we do. 

Feedback comes primarily from three sources:

1. trusted, informed people who understand the context and appreciate the issues
2. well intentioned, but uninformed people who don't see the context and issues
3. anonymous cards and letters

The first category is the most helpful.  When a known individual who understands something about the context of what we're doing provides feedback, it is incredibly helpful.  It's easy to value the perspective of others when we have a relationship.

The well intentioned category may lead to a few awkward conversational moments, but at least gives us a shot at understanding where the person is coming from.  ...and we can try to educate and persuade that person with an understanding of why we do what we do.  We may disagree in the end, but we'll appreciate each other more.

The third category above is not helpful.  We recently got a Connection Card that said only, "Please!  No more dramas."  It's naive to expect to make a difference if we're not willing to identify ourself.  If we want to influence someone, we'd best have a relationship with them. Anonymous feedback is a waste of good cardboard and ink.

Influence has a price.  We must get involved, at a minimum, in a conversation about the issue we want to influence.  We need to think more deeply than "I don't like [fill in the blank]".  We need to be able to express why and we need to be willing to listen to other points of view - really listen and consider what the other person is saying.