Molding Your Creative Efforts

To what extent is creativity part of effective religious ministry and leadership? In many ways, it is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Being able to help a congregation find new directions, renew or strengthen what they already do, and forge new connections with the community—this is some of the high-level work of creativity in ministry that joins the more routine creativity of crafting compelling sermons and worship.

Yet exercising creativity in a church or other religious organization is itself an art. Congregations as a whole can remain firmly attached to past practices, music, and traditions, even when their relevance and spiritual impact have faded for many members. New clergy, fresh out of seminary and full of inspiration, often have to learn to step back from their big ideas and instead look for common ground, where they and the community can discern together how God may be calling them to something new.

This section explores the creativity of clergy and how they use it most effectively in their ministry and leadership. Often what brings new life to a congregation is not just the creativity behind a new idea, but also the creative methods that clergy use to bring people together in new ways, to build consensus and respect in spite of divisive issues, and to solve the mundane, practical problems that arise for churches on a regular basis.