Creativity is a wonderful characteristic of our God. The Psalmist reminds us that even a casual glance at the world around us will lead us to the knowledge of a Creator. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not hear.” (Psalm 19:1-3)
We are created in the image of God, and as His highest creation, we should be reflecting the characteristics of a perfect God – His holiness, His love, His sacrifice. Lost in the middle of these powerful attributes, we sometimes miss the characteristic of creativity. We serve a very creative God, and he has given us the ability to creatively approach life, family, and ministry.
Creativity is desperately needed in ministry. No tradition or preference should come between the church and God’s mission for it. One of my professors in college used to say, “We have the most wonderful message in the world, but we often package it like it doesn’t matter.” If there were ever a pursuit that deserved our utmost effort, it is the work of the Lord. Our philosophies and programs need to be constantly evaluated as our world is constantly changing.
We expect missionaries to go to a foreign field, understand the culture, and reach them with the gospel. We don’t want them to produce cookie-cutter, American churches. Truth is relevant in any society, and missionaries seek to make that truth readily available by engaging the culture.
Meanwhile, here at home, we aren’t as willing to accept this model of ministry. We have become so steeped in tradition that we’ve missed opportunities to creatively reach the world around us. If our goal is to reach a community for Christ, our desire should be to do everything we can to engage them. People need to know that God’s truth is relevant to their life right now, and the only way for this message to be powerfully communicated is through constant ministry evaluation.
I am not advocating compromise. Far too many churches have compromised truth to achieve relevance, only to find that they have failed miserably at both. Although creativity is a valuable tool, the goal must always be to bring glory to God.
My next post will deal specifically with how to keep the creative side to ministry in check, but first, I want to invite you to consider your life and ministry right now. I want to encourage you to ask yourself these important questions.
- Is your church effectively reaching your community?
- Are you continually looking for new ways to improve and expand your ministry?
- Is there any man-made tradition or practice in your church that would distract or discourage someone from accepting Christ?
- Do you find yourself continuing programs and events out of convenience instead of necessity?
- Are you asking God to give you creative ways to reach your community with the gospel?
- Is there any part of your ministry that you would not allow God to change for His glory?
God often surprises us by not fitting in the boxes we’ve created for Him. We need to push ourselves to think outside the box.
Next, I’ll be posting on an even more important issue – what to do once you’re outside the box.
