Please read The Hardest Thing You Will Ever Do for the context of this post.
One thing I’ve had to learn to let go of while launching Fulcrum is the “flinch reflex” I picked up while working with established churches for 12 years.
I’m easily bored with the status quo. I’m wired to try to new things and to tinker with whatever is already in place. I can’t help it. I go crazy if I don’t. One of my favorite statements is, “Let’s try it and see what happens.” My favorite question is, “What if?”
I’m one of those who believes that “change for the sake of change” is a good thing. I preached a sermon once that said as much and justified it theologically by saying that regular change keeps us from falling into the trap of idolizing whatever remains static too long. Not many bought what I was selling that day, even though I had a mountain of scriptures backing me up.
I’ve also been, at times, easy prey to the accusation that I’ve made an idol out of change or novelty. So there.
When I graduated from college I was fascinated by the creative process. On my shelf are several books from back in my early days of ministry when I thought that creativity would be useful in church work. I haven’t opened those books in a long time.
To be fair to the churches I’ve worked with, both gave me ample freedom to be creative in my preaching. You wouldn’t believe some of the things I got away with in my sermons. Remind me some time to tell you what I did to a communion table. If preaching hadn’t been a creative outlet for me, I’d be developing real estate right now.
That being said, the longer I worked in established churches the less creative I felt. Finally, I just gave up and stopped asking “what if?”
Why?
Because I got tired of running into road blocks.
“What if we try this?” I’d ask.
“We can’t, ole so and so might leave.”
“What if we moved this?” I’d suggest.
“We can’t. We’ve been doing it this way so long it would confuse everyone if we changed it.”
Several times, I’d use whatever leadership capital I had and push forward anyway, only to be overwhelmed with unrelenting criticism and complaints.
If every time a mouse goes for the cheese, he get’s his head smashed in the trap, he’ll eventually stop going for the cheese, especially if he has ten heads. (Feel free to tweet and re-tweet that one ad nauseam.)
Eventually, when I came up with a new idea I’d automatically flinch in anticipation of the difficulty and frustration that would accompany its implementation. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with myself where I throw out a wild and crazy idea and then systematically talk myself down from the precipice of a creative leap by listing all the reasons it wouldn’t work and how much opposition I’d have to overcome. Those conversations always left me exhausted, as well as with the feeling that everyone in Starbucks was afraid to make eye contact with me.
As we dream and plan for what Fulcrum may someday become, I’ve had to fight against the flinch reflex. When I have an idea now, I don’t have to talk myself out of it before I ever go public with it. Instead, I can give each idea the room it needs to fully form and then either take off and fly or be turned into mulch that will fertilize future brainstorming sessions.
I still have plenty of ideas that will never be implemented. Some are too expensive. Others would undercut our values in the long run. Others are just goofy. Regardless, I love it that i don’t have to abort an idea for political reasons or because “we’ve never done it that way before.”
This is one of the biggest differences between launching a church and working with an established one.
How long will this last? I don’t know. There could surely be a day when the Fulcrum Community becomes so set in its ways that it begins to stymie creativity. I may even be the one who becomes resistant to all these changes suggested by the young bucks. I hope not. We’ve tried to make experimentation a value of the Fulcrum Community from the very beginning so that we’ll always be willing to try new things in the future.
Will it work?
I don’t know.
Let’s try it and see what happens.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
great post. i’ve appreciated this one more than any post i’ve read on your blog (nothing against the others). as children of the creator God, you’d think we’d value creativity a bit more. we can’t help but see God’s creativity when we look around at nature — or even at the personalities (and colors, shapes, and sizes) of our friends. but you’re right, we often trade creativity for order and tradition and comfort.
i think part of it comes from our fear of failure. or our general dislike of messes. but i think failure is an option… and should remain one. and messes can be beautiful in their own way. i think a lot of our current problem — with leadership, pastors, ministers, and the like doing all the work of a church, while the church chooses to attend only — stems from this. members are afraid they won’t “do evangelism right,” and ministers are afraid a members idea of service to the community will be messy, or worse yet, will offend another member who thinks we shouldn’t cooperate with the salvation army.
wow, great post. i’ll be thinking on this.
It’s really difficult to read these posts because it confirms a lot of my fears about going into ministry at an established church. Are there places in established churches where you don’t have to be stifled?
A lot of my experiences have made me feel like creativity is something that is just not that important, but at the same time I’m with you that change is a good thing.
Every time I read I get just that more excited. The church I worked with last was a church that did not stifle my creativity. We were to the point that people were conversing with me during the “sermon time.” I loved that. There was such a relaxed atmosphere.
However, the issues of really changing to the point of affecting our community were usually met with some resistance. I once suggested that we take the name “church” off our sign and simple call it a “community center.” I suggested we use the 13 acres of land for a community park and let the community help build it, making it theirs. Things like this were just “not practical.” The community might have “issues” we would have to deal with.
The church, even the progressive ones, in so many ways are stifled. I pray that changes, but as for me, I want so desperately to begin getting into our community with creativity to make friends, and love on them, in order to help them find Jesus–not the church system, and certainly not religion.
Thanks Wade for your encouragement and the boldness you possess that sets me (and I’m sure others) on fire with a passion to make a real difference in this world.
Just a note: Our group “Pathos” is about to launch our ministry in the buckle of the Bible Belt. At this point, we are just in the beginning. Satan has already attacked me in my thought processes. I pray for God’s control and provision and vision. Please pray for us.
I have found three ministry concepts that work c and it does not depend on creatvity or just doing things the same old way. 1. Pray . Constantly for open doors into receptive hearts. Always works. 2.Preach and teach with the gospel as the core teaching. To both the lost and the saved. There is great power in the word. 3. Love people. Those you can help that come into your daily line of vision. These three do not take a lot of creatvity or changing the institutional church. Is just daily discipleship. Not very glamorous. Not a lot of shocking program changes. Not a lot of new cool ideas . Acually neither attractional or what is now called missional , Just hearts open to see the hurt, loneliness and the devastating results of sin and Satan and a willingness to be there and help. It is reaching out with the gospel and being salt and light. Being like Jesus and His compassion.Main cost is time . It may cost you some money but it does not require money from the collective treasury.
Hey guys–sorry for the delayed response. I’ve been chasing details this week in a number of directions.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to stop by here from time and time and leave a comment.
Thanks!
Wade,
Thanks for your thoughts here. As you often do, you’ve articulated thoughts I’ve wrestled with on creativity and working with an established church. The flinch reflex is real and those of us who struggle with “people pleasing” battle that element of the reflex as well.
Don’t have much else to add today other than to say thanks for writing. You need to do more often!
Thanks Doug. I’m happy if I can get something up here once a week!