Innovate or Die!

I’m doing an article for the July/August issue of Rev! Magazine on innovation.  Having read a few business books on innovation, I’m growingly confused as to why we seem to be so immune to the new idea virus in the church realm.  I need your insights.

I might clip a few quotes from this blog, if I can get some salient responses as to why it is that churches don’t seem to innovate more.  Why do we find change, adding creativity, thinking out of the box, so difficult within the macro faith culture?  Exceptions exist but they are...exceptions.  What’s in ecclesiastical DNA that seems averse to progressive thinking?

            When we turn to our corporate counterparts, many of them are rushing headlong into innovations, change, and investing in experimentation.  Obviously, the K-Marts and Sears withstanding are flailing, but seems a lot more are investing in research and development than churches.

            Is it that we’re so busy running a non-profit, that we don’t have time?

            Are we preoccupied with more important reactionary needs?

            Are we bound by traditions or models that did not require this in the past?

            Does our theology convince us that God stopped creating after the 6^th day?

            Are we afraid of what people will think or that they’ll leave or worse, stay and cause a commotion? We work too hard to get them to lose them over a little innovation.

            So help me out, won’t you?  Give me some of your ideas as to why we seem to be so reluctant to brainstorm and innovate in the typical local church in America.

            

Comments

[Kent Shaffer]

A few reasons come to mind as to why it is so difficult for churches, as well as businesses, to implement successful innovative thinking.

First Issue: Creativity vs Management

As much as creativity and innovation is a buzz word today, management (whether time or team) seems to receive an equal amount of buzz, if not more. The only problem is that great creative solutions often contradict great management solutions. It is a problem that is not easily identifiable because the two subjects are almost always studied independently of each other.
For example, time management experts tell you to try to avoid stopping someone in the hallway to ask questions or converse. Time managers often view this as inefficient and a time stealer of both parties. On the other hand, innovation seekers will tell you to take advantage of unplanned conversations because they are most likely to give insight into a new perspective other than your own. It is difficult to find the balance between creativity and management. However, it is not impossible. IDEO, a product development firm, has a good understanding of harnessing both creativity and management, and you can read about it in The Art of Innovation.

Second Issue: Limited Perspectives

Frans Johansson addresses in his books The Medici Effect that creavity and innovation is at the intersection of ideas, concepts, and cultures. We all are extremely limited in our perspectives. Demographic, cultural, and religious backgrounds all shape your perspectives of the world. The more you expand your perspectives, the more innovation potential you will have because you are adding new ways of thinking to your creative arsenal. If you have ever gone on an over-seas missions trip, you undoubtedly were exposed to a whole new world of perspectives. Innovation oriented leaders recognize that diversity makes good teams. They search to piece together teams that have completely opposite backgrounds (and hence perspectives) because they know it will maximize their creative potential. Unfortunately, it is easy for us all to stick around people similar to ourselves. Most pastors do not have time in their schedules to learn new perspectives. Like leadership, marketing, or relationships, innovation takes a great deal of investment that many churches can't afford to invest.

Third Issue: Inexperience

Innovative thinking unfortunately is not some idea or formula that can be read and then instantly put into practice for premium results. Innovation experts recognize that creative thinking techniques require practice. For instance, IDEO's The Art of Innovation also addresses how people are flawed in their execution of brainstorming. Because of lack of training, most people kill creativity when attempting to brainstorm. IDEO and many others have developed keys to effective brainstorming. They were learned from practice.

Those are probably the biggest factors that come to mind explaining why churches often lack innovation. I also think that true success takes a vast understanding of many areas - God's Word, leadership, creativity, marketing, design, management. They all intersect, and true success is best achieved with a knowledge of each area. Otherwise, you may learn how to maximize innovation but accidently hinder management, etc. Happy writing!

[Larry Shallenberger]

Perhaps it's because of our insular cultures. We keep recycling the same ideas within our own systems. I wrote some about this at http://childrensministryandculture.wordpress.com/2006/02/07/who-are-you-listening-to/

[Greg Atkinson]

Don't want to stir up anything, but part of the reason has to be the training and education that most church leaders received (ie.-seminaries). Most (not all) seminaries are the antithesis of innovation, creativity and relevance.

Our churches are being led by wonderful, God-fearing ministers that have unfortunately been affected by the system that is all-too-present in most seminaries.

It's so encouraging to see new and innovative programs being created all around the country. I'm a part of a few and am all for it. Recently I spoke at a worship conference at a seminary that shall remain nameless. I attended their chapel service and found myself fighting tears. I looked over at another guest speaker during the music and just shook my head. God help us!

[Richard Reed]

My experience in introducing new things into "church services" or just "doing church" is that acceptance and utilization is based on a process which includes understanding the target population and timing. The congregtion I serve is a bi-denominational, older one. Introduction of an idea such as useing a projector for a service can produce an almost violent negative response. But we were able to use a projector for a Christmas pageant involving both youth and adults. It was remarkable well received. Process, understanding and timing is essential. Eric Hoffer the long-shoreman wrote "The Ordeal of Change" and nailed our reluctance on the head. I do have to admit that at times I feel I live in the second century but then I get a positive comment about my blog.

[phill Longmire]

Great article…I find myself having a harder time finding time to create…we are all about marketing and have some creative people but resources and time play a huge factor in our ability…

You have to be organized and have a game plan in order to market correctly…it takes time to create…produce…and send the right stuff…

I am surprised the creative department in the church is not larger than what it is…I suspect with Granger leading the charge right now that church marketing will improve over the next five years.

[Dana Libby]

One of the blessings of the church that my wife and I serve as pastors is that the majority of folks present on any given Sunday do not have a life-long connection with one particular (or any) faith tradition. Because of this, we are able to adjust the teaching, musical worship and interactive experience very frequently, to meet the needs of those present. Serving a "hard living" group of people has it's own challenges, but being tradition-bound is not one of them!

[Mark O. Wilson]

Perhaps this is just a blessing of the small town context, but our church is probably the most innovative organization in the entire community (that includes the businesses.)

National businesses that are great at innovation have full time staff and entire departments devoted to that cause. In our remote area, it's mostly "ma and pa" operations -- and there's no department of innovation. They're all just trying to keep their head above water.

Thus, it doesn't take much creativity in a small town to be spectacular!

(We're not Saddleback or Fellowship
Church by any stretch -- but we're the closest thing to it in Hayward!)

As the majority of American churches are rural/small town and have less than 100 in attendance, they will naturally operate at the "ma and pa" level -- and will probably not have a department of innovation. (besides a creative pastor, and a couple of idealistic lay people.)

[John Stuart]

Hey Alan, being creative means using the things around you to get God's message across - just like Jesus telling parables.

About two years ago, I started writing daily online devotionals for the members in my church. Every Monday to Friday, I send them bible texts, comments and prayers which take about five minutes to read. Over 100 people have signed up and when they read them, they forward them to their family and friends.

I started blogging the devotionals and sending them to ezines, websites and periodicals. They are now being read by thousands of people all over the world. I begin each day writing them in my office. I've almost written 500 devotionals - enough for several books!

The Presbyterian Church of Canada has published about 80 of them, with a distribution emailing list of over 4000 people.

Ever since I started the online devotionals, church worship attendance is up by 33% and church membership is up by 20%. People stay connected to church seven days a week and not just for one.

You can read some of my devotionals at my blogspot

www.glenkirk.blogspot.com

and you can subscribe to them at my church's website

www.erinpresbyterian.org

John Stuart
Erin Presbyterian Church
Knoxville, TN

[Dale Beaver]

For the past seven years I have been a chaplain to the Nascar Nextel Cup series, traveling with racers from week to week. We met in garages and media centers, sometimes in competitor motorhomes for the purposes of prayer, fellowship and basic discipleship issues. We didn't need to be innovative. The environment was enough of a show that these guys longed for the simplicity that seems to bore us in the church. The mundane was actually refreshing. Now that I am back in local church ministry, inovation is the current topic of our ministry meetings. I have observed two reasons that I believe the church is reluctant to lead in this area. First, the former reason. The culture that made up the majority of the last century was very traditional. Even in our desire to grow with the times and its' means of expression, the church that I knew didn't really want to touch the tried and true methods of doing church. We did this out of respect even though it frustrated us. Secondly, the church today is hesitant to innovate because of the reasons I saw in Nascar. In setting our feet in the past, we transcend all the moment by moment techonological advances and media blitzs. In settling in the past, the church today looks like a quiet and tranquil place to be even in the midst of enthusiastic expression. Whether it truly is or not, the church feels like family with all the simplicty of what looks like home. To try an innovate within this structure feels very threatening to those who have come to depend upon it.

[Chuck Kelsey]

Going from 11 years in a new church start as the founding pastor, to the associate pastor role in a 140 year old church, has given me a slap upside the head as to why so many settle for a role as maintenance pastors rather than being willing to push the envelope in even a mild way.

It is less work in the short run.

The new church start was all about innovation and reaching new people in new ways. Not so with the established congregation.

The first critique (I am being gentle), upon coming to the older church, was that the font was changed on the bulletin.

Since that point, essentially every new ministry that has been started, every piece of furniture moved (literally), and every new person trying to be a part of a ministry caused the voices of criticism to mumble harshly in the background, "Why are we doing that?" "Who said we could do that?" "We've never done it that way before." "I don't like it."

Misplaced ownership of ministry and ministry tools (eg. the building), reluctance by previous leaders to move forward without complete assent from the entire congrgation, those who were more interested in ministry rather than maintenance moving away in frustration, and an overall theology of scarcity rather than abundance, have all added to a residual effect of too much energy spent on changing the institution of "It's Mine Church" and not enough on innovation to reach out to the unchurched.

Thank God that is not where God is allowing us to stay. If, the darkness of the tunnel of opposition to change can be traversed, remarkable ministry can happen. A culture can be transformed to look outward with innovative ministry, rather than remain mired inward with the mundane if the focus is kept on where God wants us to be and with whom, as opposed to how we want to protect staus quo.

Innovation doesn't seem to be happening in the church partly because it hurts so much in the beginning. But what a joy when the church comes out on the other side.

[Glenn Dawson]

Innovate or Die? My personal experience with denominations is what isn't said yet understood. I became a Christian when I was almost 40. Church as we know it bores me and can put me to sleep at times, so I feel for the seeker that needs to find spiritual manna. I am always seeking to innovate. When I excitedly talk about community and taking church to the streets or meeting at a food establishment or seeting up a prayer booth on week-ends at wal-mart or where-ever people are.. I get yawned at or laughed at or the old eyebrow raised. If I was concerned with their thoughts I'd be off in the country at a little church that wants a nursemaid til they all die or Jesus comes. Another thing is that those that have larger congregations tend to think that what they are doing works yet I think they have mostly gobbled up sheep with wandering eyes.
This goes back to bing in touch with what is truly happening in the world around us
Lets innovate by getting the unsaved to tell us what would attracted them. This is done by businesses and when they try something and the results are poor, they drop it and try something else. its called steering the ship. Praise His name

[Michael]

Churches that don't inovate stay stuck in large part do to the fear of change. Look how long it took the church to embrace a better way to read the lyrics to a song, and I know of churches that still think that's heresy.

A habit is hard to break. A religous habit (hidden under the pretense of tradition) is even harder to break.

Like any habit, you must find a suitable replacment habit. Replace the habit for staleness with the new habit of creativity, and do this repetively...you will find innovation in the end.

Change isn't the only thing we are afraid of. We're also afraid of losing people and the approval of people. What will people think if you start to use video in a service? What would happen if you didn't wear a tie next Sunday? What if people leave the church?

Truth be told, innovation will bring death to a few...but will be replaced by many.

Another thing that holds the church back is pride. Your preaching is enough. The word of God should stand on it's own. You don't need media, visuals, etc.

Would love to read the article.