FIRST IN LAST OUT
WHEN THERE’ S NO LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL | Todd Elliott, Founder of FILO
I’ m working with some incredible people right now. The kind of people every team wants. They’ re responsible, driven, and committed to doing things well. They care deeply about their work, and it shows; they’ re also completely maxed out.
System upgrades. Routine maintenance. Volunteer recruiting. Set changes. Weekend services. Special events. The list doesn’ t just grow, it multiplies. And for many, it never seems to slow down.
Most technical artists I know respond the same way at first. They put their heads down and keep going; they absorb the pressure and push through.. until they can’ t.
There’ s something powerful about seeing the finish line. When there’ s a clear end, most of us can endure a lot to get there. The long hours feel temporary, the stress feels purposeful. And you’ re able to rally. But what happens when there is no finish line?
What happens when the tunnel doesn’ t end, or worse, when people keep assuring you that relief is just around the corner, but it never actually comes? That’ s where things get dangerous.
So what do you do when you find yourself there?
LET YOURSELF OFF THE HOOK At some point, you have to tell yourself the truth: you cannot do everything.
That realization doesn’ t come naturally for most of us. It usually comes after pushing too far for too long. But over time, I’ ve learned the importance of stepping back and asking a simple question: What can I realistically accomplish with the time and energy I have?
Not in an ideal world. Not on your best week. But in a normal, sustainable rhythm. Once you’ ve answered that, the next step is the hard one, you have to let the rest go.
COMMUNICATE WHAT’ S ACTUALLY POSSIBLE Most leaders aren’ t intentionally overloading their teams. Often, they just don’ t see the full picture. Your job is to help them see it. Break down your week. Show them where your time goes. Walk them through the hidden hours, the behind-thescenes work, the things that don’ t make it onto a stage but are essential to everything working.
When people understand the weight you’ re carrying, it creates the opportunity for better decisions. Without that clarity, expectations will always drift higher than what’ s sustainable.
PLAN FOR LIGHT If you’ re always reacting, you’ ll always feel behind. Part of leading yourself well is learning to anticipate the intense seasons. Easter. Christmas. Big events. Conference weeks. You know when they’ re coming. The goal isn’ t to eliminate those seasons. It’ s to prepare for them and to protect space around them.
Build toward the busy times, and just as intentionally, build in recovery afterward. Create margin where you can catch your breath, reset, and think clearly again.
And don’ t try to do this alone. This kind of planning only works when leadership is aligned. That alignment starts with honest conversations about capacity and priorities.
Because if you don’ t define the limits, something else will.
LIFE ISN’ T ONE ENDLESS TUNNEL It can feel that way sometimes. Especially in production ministry. But healthy teams don’ t live underground forever.
If you lead people, this matters even more. Your team needs more than direction and deadlines. They need space to think, to create, to dream a little.
They also need a voice. Not every tunnel needs to be dug. Not every opportunity needs to be pursued. Strong teams are built when people have a say in what gets their energy and what doesn’ t.
Hard work is part of the calling, we aren’ t trying to avoid that. But constant pressure without relief doesn’ t produce better results, it produces burnout. Eventually, people stop pushing forward. They don’ t find the end of the tunnel, they create one by stepping away.
BUILD A RHYTHM THAT LASTS Working nonstop with no relief isn’ t sustainable. It’ s not a badge of honor, it’ s a warning sign.
The goal isn’ t to avoid hard seasons. It’ s to build a rhythm where hard work is followed by real recovery. Where intensity has an end point. Where people can lift their heads, see the light, and remember why they’ re doing this in the first place. That’ s the kind of team I want to be part of.
One that works hard, yes. But one that also knows when to step back into the light.
Todd Elliott Todd is a writer, speaker, technical artist in the local church and Founder & President of FILO, which stands for First In, Last Out. FILO was born out of his own need as a technical artist in the local church to be in community with other church tech people, to learn new ways of doing things and to be inspired that what he did mattered. The more FILOtype people he met, the more convinced he was that these are things we all need. That’ s why FILO exists: to equip, encourage and inspire technical artists in the local church to become the best version of ourselves. Formerly the Technical Arts Director at Willow Creek Community Church, he started FILO in 2015 to help other technical artists become more effective so that the local church can be more effective. Looking for community and growth with other church technical artists who get it?
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78 May 2026 Subscribe for Free...