In the tongue-in-cheek comedy “Mystery Men,” the invisible boy pleads his case for being added to the elite cadre of superheroes.
“In this business,” he says, “you need to network, and I know how to network!”
The same should be said by a drama ministry director.
When I left a Portland-area mega-church and took over the drama ministry for a congregation that barely filled a hundred seats, I learned a quick lesson in the importance of networking all of my available resources.
Gone were the days of slapping down the church Visa and loading up the church van with all the materials for our Christmas extravaganza. My new budget almost covered the cost of performance royalties and copying scripts. Obviously I was going to have to learn to beg, borrow and haggle if I wanted to have sets, costumes and maybe even the occasional cast party.What I ended up with was a little black book full of names and numbers, some great productions and a bunch of new friends!
A director’s little black book: Whether you use
a plain spiral notebook or a fancy palm pilot, find
a place to jot down names, numbers and notes.
In just a few weeks I learned that we had families that worked in construction, ladies who sewed and even a gentle-man whose father owned a prop shop! All of these names went into my little black book, and you can bet that I introduced myself and my vision to these folks in short order.
Another sister in the church, who manages a hotel, informed me that state health regulations require hotels and motels to dispose of sheets, blankets and pillowcases after a certain number of weeks. Thread and dye are cheap, costumes are not, and now we have a nearly unlimited supply of fabric for our seamstresses.
This would never have occurred to me on my own, but the infor-mation was out there, just waiting to be found.
When we needed hay for a manger scene, I priced bales at $10.00 each. Luckily, our sound technician knew a family that raised horses. The next day a trailer pulled up to the church with the bales we needed, along with wood to build the stable and the offer of a half dozen sheep! (The pastor’s wife nixed the livestock, but it just shows the unexpected windfalls that are waiting out there.)
Remember, people know people. A man who builds houses knows another man who is a painter who always has a few gallons left over after a job. Guess where that paint is now? Don’t be afraid to ask around. Chances are that someone is going to know someone who has what you need. Have your pen ready and jot it down!
Be creative! You’re a drama director; creativity is in your blood! Can’t afford cowboy props from the local theatre supply for your upcoming show? Have you called that grocery store that has an annual “Western Days” sale? Where are all those props collecting dust the other fifty-one weeks of the year? Think outside the box!
A word of caution: Never contact someone expecting a “deal” because it’s for the ministry. This is unfair and it takes away that person’s opportunity to bless the church. Any advice they give you is the product of a lot of hard work and experience; it’s a gift, so remember to treat it as such.
Finally: We are all called to be good stewards of God’s money (and many of us don’t have a choice). Every dollar that the church doesn’t give to me is one more that’s available for local outreach, missions, etc. This goes for our time as well. The better I can manage my time, through the judicious use of networking and resources, the more time I have to minister to my team and for the other things that God has called me to. Don’t be afraid to let people in your little black book give their gifts of help and service, and don’t be afraid to ask you could be blessing them as much as they are blessing you.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go pick up some sheets.
