Last year--inspired by Carey Nieuwhof --I decided to go on a spending fast. It was a total fail. Why was it a fail? Because I saw something that I'd wanted for a really long time at an incredible discount.
We all get motivated by the cost of things. We love "getting a deal." And sometimes when we are getting that deal we become reactive in using our resources. (I'm not just talking about money. Time and energy also have value.)
I write for a number of publications--including the blog for my day job. I was scheduled to write a post this week on technology innovations and when my team got back to me with their input the stories were all the same. The biggest current news in performance technology across the board is that costs are falling. LED Displays, IPTV, LED lighting...all are more affordable than ever before.
We work with clients in sports, entertainment, the arts and corporations, and our church clients remain some of the most effective users of technology out there. But for church technical teams, when you are the one responsible for making the decisions for what is needed and how it is used, how do you define those decisions and create those budgets?
I work with Craig Janssen who taught me a great phrase early in my career: Mission. Activity. Facility. The idea is that your core mission should drive what you do and what you do should drive what you build (or in this case...buy.) It's a framework that ties every decision back to purpose.
During my time in the industry, I've heard a lot of angst about church business administrators who "don't get it" or church technology teams "who just want new toys," but when the conversation is focused on mission, those conflicts don't arise.
All of us can be distracted by shiny new things--especially when they are at a discount--but a clearly articulated mission and activity that flows out of that mission will keep us on track every time.
How does your mission drive your budget?
