Leading a technical ministry will often attract some of the smartest and brightest members of your congregation. Chances are you are pretty smart yourself if you landed the role of tech director. So what happens when some young geek shows up that proves to be smarter than you are?
This is where the boxing gloves come out. OK, maybe not real boxing gloves, but you start sparring with technical jargon and specs trying to see who can outdo the other, and you gloat over any small triumph.
Well, hopefully you don't actually do that, but I have found myself in technology jousts more than once...and it stinks when you lose.
All is not lost though. Just because someone is smarter than you doesn't mean that you have to step aside and let them run the show. In fact, you are needed now more than ever. Smart people need to be led just as much as anyone else, possibly even more.
One of the biggest things that you need to focus on when you lead people that you think are smarter than you is the vision. Why are you doing what you are doing? It is your job to remind everyone that the reason you are involved in technical ministries is to help the overall Body of Christ. You aren't there just to play with buttons.
Always remember that the smartest solution is not always the most effective solution. For example, there have been times when I have cut back on gear and features in order to gain simplicity for the volunteers in our church. This is a great project to put your brilliant members on. Give them a piece of equipment and tell them to learn it inside and out and write a simple one-page guide on how to use it effectively in your context.
Smart people are great for helping you to set up complex systems. Even if you are capable of doing it, this may be something good to let them tackle. Make sure to always emphasize that anyone can create a complex system but it takes skill and understanding to make a complex system simple.
Don't ever feel intimidated when you have a volunteer that appears to be smarter than you. Make sure you are always willing to dig a little bit deeper into their life. Why are they trying so hard to show you how smart they are? In many cases, this is the way that they get acceptance. Acceptance is something that you can provide for them. There is no better way for them to use their brainpower than to serve God and others.
