We’ve been connecting with church communicators each week this summer with our ‘A Week in the Life’ series.
Today we hear from Eric Dunaway. He’s the communications pastor at Pathway Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. Eric is also a past Creative Missions participant.
What’s on your plate this week?
This week my plate includes directing a big project related to wrapping some walls and windows in our lobby with vision for our capital campaign. I’m also working with our video producer to capture a life-transformation story. Tomorrow I will be the “Pastor On Call” (POC) and possibly make a few hospital calls.
What are you most excited about right now?
I’m really excited about some changes and development that’s taking place within my department. We’re taking some strategic steps toward empowering our ministry teams to communicate more effectively, which is a bit of a new direction for us. Historically the teams have sent everything through my team to produce on demand. The challenge with that model of operation is that we’re just not equipped to handle the volume of requests. We’re moving toward a model that equips and resources our teams to execute 90% of their communications and promotions on their own, while we (the communication team) provide the coaching and support they need. So with that we’re developing a lot of stuff—a new playbook, branding toolboxes and standards, templates, simplified processes, etc. I’m really excited about this! The challenge, of course, is building an airplane in mid-flight.
What’s holding you back this week and how will you overcome it?
Bandwidth is always the bottleneck for us, as with anyone I’m sure. There are all sorts of practical and strategic things that go through my mind in response to this question—proposing an aggressive plan of action to my boss that opens up the bandwidth needed to move the ball forward, regrouping on time management and prioritization, etc. But this week I’ve felt burdened to recalibrate my vertical orientation, and keep Christ at the center in the midst of what often feels like chaos. Too often I let that slip and I drift into “me mode” with the fatal assumption that I’m strong or talented enough to navigate it on my own. So before I initiate any practical strategy, I’m seeking the Lord’s wisdom to equip and guide me as a pastor and leader.
What does your work space look like right now?
Well, today my work space looks like a chair tucked in the corner of my living room… rest assured my office (which I share with our video producer) is an absolute disaster.
We asked Eric to share a picture of his work space and specifically asked him not to spruce it up for the picture. Click to see a larger version of Eric’s work space.
