Has your church ever made a mistake that it seems you can’t recover from?
Like this guy did a couple of weeks ago:
A couple of weeks ago, Eric Hartsburg accepted a $15,000 payment to have the Romney “R” tattooed on the side of his head.
Probably (maybe) seemed like a good decision at the time.
Now, not so much.
But the fact that he’ll have to explain himself to his grandchildren (who ask him ‘Mitt WHO?’ will haunt him for a long, long time.
Have you ever made a decision in your ministry that seemed like a misplaced tattoo?
I mean… everyone knew that it was wrong. It was blatantly obvious.
There was no hiding it. No taking it back.
Some mistakes are that bad. Like a bad financial decision that pushes your church into bankruptcy… or hiring someone that you should have vetted more that turned out to be an abuser… or leaving the coffee pot on and burning the church to the ground.
But the reality is… most mistakes and failures don’t have a big red and blue R all over them.
Fact is… usually, 85% of the people in the church don’t even see most of your mistakes.
But many of us allow the fear of mistakes and their ramifications control us.
We never take risks.
Stop that. Take the risk. Move the ball down the field. Chances are, any mistakes along the way won’t burn down the church, or brand you for life.
Risk. Don’t be stupid, but risk. Move forward. Lead.
What’s the biggest ministry mistake YOU ever made?
Todd
I would totally go for the tattoo, for less than $500 you can have it removed with a laser. Still in the black for $14500.
Fear of making mistakes is usually linked back to, “How will I look as a leader? People will think I failed.”
We need leaders more afraid of being disobedient to the high call of the Gospel. We need leaders who link decisions back to, “Will this serve and glorify God if it succeeds?”
Actually, Steve, your point about having the tat removed for 500 clams could translate to being a good steward. This cat who had the Rs put on him took his talent (an available temple) and made it worth a lot more (Matthew 25:14-30).
Now, am I ever going to do this? No way!
The old saying is true … “If you’re not failing once in a while, you’re not risking enough.”
In Jamaica they often say, “If you don’t ever get burned, then you’re not a cook.”
The challenge of course is learning to take the “right risks” … so that when and if the end result is failure and not success, the one who gets burned is you alone, not God, not your staff, and not the reputation of your church.