Reaching up for Creativity

"Pay attention to what people have to say and evaluate their suggestions honestly. But don’t allow their fear of change to cause you creative cramps… Creativity is a long-term investment. If your top leaders are not totally committed to the vertical vision, then fear of friction will dismantle this God-given virtue. At Fellowship, we do not value upsetting people, but we do value upsetting their equilibrium to challenge them for spiritual growth… To be sure, creativity must be biblically driven and it must honor God. However, when we have our people off balance, we have a great potential to catch them off guard with a powerful punch from the pages of Scripture… It is very tempting to want to please people, but leaders often experience leadership cramps when they allow their vision to be compromised to appease a few negative people. Once the vision goes horizontal, disaster will follow."

Those words are from Ed Young, Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, TX.

I remember reading The Creative Leader last year and being blown away by a lot of his statements. Being creative can be a tough thing in a Church that is resistant to change. A lot of Churches don't believe drums belong on a platform, or that only white lights can be on a stage, or that the Pastor can only wear a suit and preach. The list goes on...

Being stuck in the same old traditions will not only make a congregation age, but not appeal to a younger generation. I still think the best thing any Church could do is have someone young (20s) in a position of leadership. Not only to be there to sit in on meetings, but help drive creative, edgy ideas that appeal to that crowd. It's paramount in my mind.

Granted, not EVERY church is called to be a Fellowship, LifeChurch.tv, Elevation Church, or Seacoast. But we do need to appeal to all generations, not just the ones that give $$$.

We are about reaching more for the kingdom.