The God and Gigs Show | A Podcast for Christian Creators · Allen C. Paul, Christian Creative Coach

5 Major Mistakes Every Christian Creator Should Avoid in 2026

·25 min·1 clip

Alan says pride kept him from mentioning donations, even when money was tight and people could have helped.

1. The God and Gigs Show episode is about five mistakes Christian creators should avoid in 2026, drawn from problems Alan C. Paul says he faced in 2025. 2. Alan C. Paul is the host and founder of God and Gigs, and he frames the episode as advice from his own creator missteps. 3. The episode asks what creators should stop doing in 2026 so they can avoid the frustration, financial drift, and wasted effort he says showed up in 2025. 4. The first warning is not to overcomplicate organization, because Alan says he added quizzes, extra structures, and more layers just to look like a bigger brand. 5. He says the extra complexity did not create better results and instead made it harder for people to know "what do I do next" or "what does Alan need next." 6. Alan connects that mistake to a Star Trek phrase about complicating the plumbing and stopping up the drain, then says simplification is part of his current theme of "rest and renewal." 7. The second warning is to stop neglecting cash flow targets, which Alan describes as failing to decide how much money a project should make. 8. He says he tried an album idea, sales ideas, and a funnel without first setting a target such as $100, $1,000, or $100,000. 9. Alan argues that a revenue goal creates a playing field, tells a creator what game to play, and stops the feeling of just floating and hoping. 10. He says his own finances were inconsistent in 2025 because he did not set those goals month by month. 11. The third warning is to stop ignoring clear signals from the community, and Alan uses his email list and the Creator Checkup Newsletter as the example. 12. He says he once wrote emails with three or four articles per send, stayed up late to finish them, and still saw little change when he later shortened them. 13. Alan says the lack of complaints and the unchanged open rate were signals that the longer version was not adding value. 14. He tells creators to ask direct questions like "Do you really want this?" and says they should try an idea for about 60 days or 90 days before cutting it down or changing it. 15. The fourth warning is not to overcommit resources, and Alan says he tried to expand his virtual assistant role without planning the workload or budget. 16. He broadens that point to software, cameras, microphones, keyboards, and other purchases that can drain time, cash, and energy if they do not have a plan to sustain them. 17. The fifth warning is that pride should not stop a creator from asking for help, and Alan says he avoided mentioning donations even when the ministry was tight. 18. He says a $20 gift after a public appeal felt more humbling than several course purchases, and he ties that to "value for value" and the line that it is "better to give than to receive." 19. The episode is conversational, confessional, and practical, with Alan speaking directly to creators and interrupting the teaching for a sponsored membership break. 20. Christian creators who manage content, income, and community will find this useful, while listeners wanting entertainment or a light topic may skip it.

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