Core Value: Creativity

By Dave Short (C-Lync Director)

There are no problems - only opportunities to be creative
- Dorye Roettger

In ministry and life, you will occasionally run out of ideas, exhaust your resources and face less-than-ideal circumstances. To find solutions, creativity is a must.

Many people have bought into the idea that only a few select individuals in this world are creative.

In a memorable scene from Father of the Bride II, George Banks, played by Steve Martin, yells at his OB/GYN that men his age don’t become fathers! When the doctor informs him that Picasso fathered a child in his 70s, Banks screams: “But he’s an artist! Artists can do whatever they want to do!”

We often associate creativity with artists or inventors, but creativity is much bigger than that. Believing that only special, talented people are creative— and you have to be born that way—diminishes our confidence in our creative abilities and God’s.

Creativity, as one of Chi Alpha’s core values, involves approaching each and every situation we face constructively, with the goal of making it better. As a ministry team we must think beyond the status quo.

No matter how successful our methods or ideas have been in the past, tomorrow’s situation might call for something different. Do not discard proven methods just for the sake of change, but do not fear change. Educator Joseph Pierce once said, “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”

When attempting to make changes for the better, clearly define the challenge you’re facing and collect ideas from the other members of your team. One person’s thoughts can spawn innovative ideas in others’ minds. When brainstorming, generate as many ideas as possible, then select and sharpen a couple of ideas that seem right to the group. The Holy Spirit will confirm to the team the right direction to take.

Stay on the cutting edge, and become creative. Allow for an open environment of constructive and corporate innovation. Be positive, be inclusive and be brave.