WORSHIP LEADERS
INVISIBLE GENIUSES : DON ’ T MISS TALENT RIGHT IN YOUR FACE | Doug Hood
For most , if not all churches , volunteers are the lifeblood of our weekend services . They unlock buildings , set up chairs , greet people in the parking lot , teach classes , serve coffee , hand out bulletins , help people find seats , pass out offering plates , change diapers , operate sound systems , display song lyrics , create and cue lighting scenes , and much more . Depending on your church , you may relate to a handful of these roles or all of them , but either way , I ’ m certain you rely on volunteers . These people serve , some every week , for years at a time for zero pay and little recognition . They are important to the church , and they should be important to us . Not because we need them to fill a slot in a rotation , but because they are people first . God loves them , and we need to love them .
If we miss them , we can miss tremendous talent — like Vince . Vince was the son of a preacher ; it was natural for him to want to be like his Dad , so he went to seminary . However , Vince wasn ’ t a good student or a strong public speaker . Even so , after completing seminary , he took the job of pastor for a church in Belgium . The miningtown community was poor , and he connected with the plight of the people . He observed them . He began to draw the people and the surroundings of his town .
After a short six months , his deficient preaching skills caught up with him , and his role as a paid pastor ended . Vince tried to continue on his own , remaining for a short while unpaid , but eventually he gave up and left the church . It is said he never set foot in a church again .
But while he was there , Vince made a real connection with people of the village . He watched them . He painted them - his talent for painting far outweighing his talent for preaching . He went on to create several paintings containing landscapes and scenes of buildings , houses , and churches .
I wonder how many invisible geniuses are in our churches right now . People who are incredibly gifted in a way we have not yet noticed .
In what would become one of his most famous works , Vincent van Gogh painted Starry Night in 1889 , one year before his death . While his paintings were beautiful even at a quick glance , they were also insightful upon closer inspection . Here ’ s what I observe : The windows of the houses all have candles . Each house is lit . All the buildings have light coming from the windows - except the church . The church remains dark and unlit . Perhaps , to Vince , the church was a cold , dark , unwelcoming place . After all , that had been his experience .
After he left the church , the rest of his life was described as extreme emotional , relational , and financial turmoil . He grew despondent and hopeless . At the age of thirty-seven , he took a gun and ended his own life . Vincent van Gogh is now recognized throughout the world as one of the most talented painters and artists of all time . The world now lifts him up on a pedestal for all to see . They recognize his talent and pay huge sums of money to purchase what he created . Ironically , the small church in Belgium didn ’ t see that invisible genius . They had no use for him and instead threw him away . Imagine how this story could have ended differently .
Think about your church . Would an artist choose to share his or her talents at your church ?
I wonder how many invisible geniuses are in our churches right now . People who are incredibly gifted in a way we have not yet noticed . Chances are we as the church have a need , and they as an individual have a gift to give . As you strive to lead your people better and chase the worship unicorn ( those uniquely original and gifted people ), your teams are a vital part of that pursuit . Vocalists , instrumentalists , audio engineers , graphic designers , lighting programmers , camera operators - all these people help to