June 27, 2018
In 1889, Charles Duell, Commissioner of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, suggested abolishing the office because almost everything possible was invented. Had this suggestion been carried out, there wouldn’t be patents for televisions, DVDs, video games, computers, and digital cameras, cell phones, or GPS locators.
The marketplace is rapidly changing. New products, new services, new technologies and new competitors are entering the market every day. To succeed today, organizations including churches must continuously search for new and better ways to get the job done. This search must involve the organization’s most valuable asset, its people.
Genuine innovation doesn’t just happen spontaneously; it occurs in churches that expect creative support thinking. This support must start with the pastor and his staff’s commitment to developing people who are creative enough to always be on the lookout for better, more efficient ways of carrying out the Great Commission and the Great Command. Without excellent support, encouragement, and recognition, member participation in any innovative undertaking will be minimal.
Innovative churches seek to tap the unused creative potential of their members. The church creates and maintains a climate where members are encouraged and recognized for developing new ideas and volunteering to use their strengths and talents. These creative-orientated churches also provide the necessary pastor and staff leadership to see that inventive behavior becomes usable on a daily basis.
Often the most innovative and useful ideas come from people who tend to be silent. Church leaders solicit and communicate to all members that their views are welcomed and expected. Church CEOs have the answers and expect members to implement their plan without input.
Question for creative thought. What is your church doing about Sunday-to-Sunday results and your long-term performance?
Keys to Creative Thinking
- Excellent ideas are often the results of combining several ideas.
- Confirm the people know and understand the goals and purpose of the local church.
Many Bible students are unaware that there are maps in the back of their Bible. These people are also among those readers of the Bible who never read the footnotes.
- Encourage, recognize, develop, and utilize the creative potential of people who make up your church.
“KNOW THAT NO involvement, no commitment, and no action results in no victory. You don’t inherit success—you earn it.”
“I OFTEN HAVE THE impression all we want from the congregation is their money. With one exception, Jesus never asked for money, He asked for a commitment.”