we hold loosely...

I am being really honest here.One of the keys of designing creative elements is that we hold loosely our ideas...
But I am also recognizing that there are times that we must forge ahead, despite what other people say. This week was one of them.
I often struggle with what other people say and their reactions.
One comment this weekend was "when 5% of the business negatively impacts the other 90% of my business...I eliminate that 5%."
It was directly related to the fact that we were again changing the location of our projection screen. Placing it in the middle of the stage, which causes major issues with the band and the lighting.
Well, it feels like that 5% always seems to come down to the creative element.
Please don't get me wrong. Worship is extremely important to me.
The series is People that Jesus Met...
Our creative element for this week was People that Jesus met in train wrecks...
The idea was to highlight TWLOHA (To Write Love On Her Arms). The seeds of this organization was sown around the rescue of 19-year-old Renee Yohe, who struggled with addiction, depression, self-injury, and attempted suicide.
The team appeared to be lukewarm about the idea. But we went with it.
Most people didn't know what I was talking about. Only the very youngest on the creative team.
The element was a short dramatic reading of an edited version of Renee Yohe's story. Then an interpretive dance of the song "Theme for Yohe".
I often struggle with this. I never know when I go into these uncharted waters of design...
I simply trust God...try to humbly lay the ideas back at the feet of God
Trusting Him to work in peoples lives. If I never know the impact, I'm o.k. with that. But it is really nice to occasionally hear affirmation that an element really impacted people's lives.
You see, it's not what we like or don't like.
It's not what we understand or don't understand.
It's lives that are changed.
Again I strongly believe that our "job" it to usher people into the presence of God.
We should be designing to entice the skeptic, challenge the lukewarm and to spark passion in the believer...
This week it worked.