A few years back we had a worship service on Good Friday. It was an interactive arts performance, where we always look to try new things to enhance worship for teenagers. This particular year we were using a software that allowed people to text their prayers to our screen, while the band played. The software had a filter component; however, it was only available if you upgraded. I didn’t want to take the risk of spending a lot of money on something that I wasn’t sure people would use, so we settled for the free version. BIG MISTAKE.

In the middle of a worship set, as people were sharing their prayers, someone decided to text something inappropriate. Let’s just say it went something like this:

“I LIKE…(use your imagination)”

Embarrassed we took it down immediately. That night we failed. While we knew we were taking a risk, we didn’t approach it in the right way.

People hold back from taking risks because they’ve failed before. While failure will happen again, the way to take risks like a pro is by knowing which ones to take. To know which ones you should take you need to make sure:

  • You Know Your Stuff: If you take the time to do your research you’ll know the calculated risks that come with what you want to do. If something seems like a long shot you can eliminate it or re-approach it from a new perspective. Gather data, gain feedback and make sure you understand as best you can what you are getting yourself into. Even if it means failure, you’ll know where to go back to take a look.
  • You Have A Purpose: Don’t just do something to do it. Everything in your ministry needs a purpose from creating community to deepening a child’s faith. If you add something to your ministry just because, then you’ll find yourself wasting time. Know why, before you start figuring out how.
  • You Will Review It: Whenever you are taking a risk make sure you have an opportunity to review it afterwards. Whether it’s success or failure you need to take time to analyze the big steps you are taking. Ask people to help you analyze, create a feedback system with the crowds and give yourself a little margin to review.

Risks will help your ministry grow because they will:

  • Expand Your Comfort Zone
  • Bring You Humility
  • Keep Your Ministry Breathing
  • Challenge The Status Quo

When you take a risk make sure you calculate, focus and keep track of your journey progresses. Do not be afraid to push your ministry to the limits, even if it means failing from time to time.

What risks are you taking in your ministry?