From Pastor Bill

In our church, will we value character over talent?  Answer: We must!  I know it is a great temptation—particularly in the area of music—for physical appearance and talent to blind us, but we must keep our eyes wide open spiritually, and here’s why: 

1. The Holy Spirit consistently shows up and works through character more than talent.In terms of the long haul, the “hip” factor and vocal range will not grow a church properly.
2. A character deficiency affects the entire team/group/church. A selfish ego, a negative attitude, a prima donna mindset, the undermining or disregard of leadership, juvenile behavior, relational divides, snarky comments, and/or blatant immorality will infect the entire team/church and creates a demoralized and unhealthy culture.  Like a cancer, it can spread from one member to another.
3. We run the very high risk that a character deficiency will hurt the witness of our church.For instance, if we have someone on stage who is seen by a first-time guest who happens to be their co-worker, and that person is widely dismissed at work for his/her lack of character, we have a witness problem.  Or if the person’s Instagram postings, tweets, or Facebook reveal a character that undermines the persona on stage, we have a witness problem that affects the reputation of the entire church. 

Character, however, can be a tricky thing to identify and define because we often tend to think of it solely in terms of sexual immorality. While that is certainly a dynamic, it is even more prevalent in terms of ego, narcissism, insubordination, negativity, gossip, and relational immaturity.

So, yes, gifts and talents are important factors, but not as important as character.  And what are we looking for in terms of character?  That’s easy.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, along with humility and a servant’s heart.  I’ll take those over looks and talent any day, and so will God!

Devotedly your pastor, 

Bill Blanchard