Tag Archives: leadership

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10 Ways to Be More Creative

Do you think it’s possible to become more creative?  Is creativity natural, or developed?  Is it a limited commodity, and you’re just stuck with however much of it you have?  Is it even possible for a small-church pastor to be creative with limited budgets, no staff, and few options?

I think you CAN become more creative.

What is Creativity?

Here’s my definition of creativity: The skill or ability to view problems and possibilities in new ways, and find solutions that are novel and courageous.

10 Ways You Can Develop your creativity

So how do we develop the skill of creativity?  Here are a few suggestions:

1. Read broadly.

Take some time and check out authors that break boxes, think fresh thoughts, and have an “upside down” way of viewing things.  This will mean reading people who disagree with you politically, who synthesize differently than you are used to.

Try some of these:

2. Strategically break your routine.

Seeing the same things the same ways will eventually result in stifled creativity, because it doesn’t give you new experiences and info to process and synthesize.

  • Eat somewhere new.
  • Take a new road to work.
  • Learn a new skill.
  • Read a book about something different or weird
  • Do a new kind of recreation (If you’re an inside guy, go out. Or vice versa!)
  • Talk with someone outside your normal circle – ask them questions

Identify what is unique and different about these experiences.  You may not like them – you might even decide not to do it again.

3. Think childish.

Kids see ways to solve problems creatively because they haven’t been discouraged yet by how many WRONG answers there are. What if you recaptured that mindset, by deciding to ignore the voice that says there’s only one right answer?

  • Shut down the inner voice that says “that’s stupid.”
  • Deliberately suspend your disbelief.
  • Force yourself to come up with 10 different ways to do something, even if 4 of them are completely ludicrous.

The person who rolls their eyes at an over-the-top suggestion may be RIGHT, but they are not creative.  So don’t be that guy.

This is valuable when you need to do things like come up with creative trunk or treat ideas, or find creative solutions to problems with your discipleship process.

4. Involve others.

Some people are “Yes, and…” people.  Some are “yes, but…” people.  You know who I’m talking about.  When you want to get creative, it is important who you choose to be around you.  The right people will help you break through a creative block.

“It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but that you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it.” ~ Sherlock Holmes (Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir A. Conan Doyle)

5. Be ready to capture ideas.

Brainstorming is a huge part of the art of creativity.  But you have to have a way to capture those creative ideas.

Don’t let a flash of insight slip by!  Write them down in Evernote, or put them in your Todoist list.  Sketch it on a napkin.  Take pictures with your smartphone.

Side note: I get some of my best ideas from OTHER people. Specifically, I once got an idea that became an incredible discipleship tool at my church. It’s a Bible reading plan for new Christians, and you can download it for free right here: 

The Best Bible reading plan for new Christians

    I HATE spam. I’ll never share your email! Unsubscribe at any time.

    I recently created a post about discipleship sermon illustrations… most of which I had saved in Evernote over the course of about 7 years. I have a way to capture ideas… and after doing it for years, I’ve got lots of sermon illustrations, and I can brainstorm more with ChatGPT.

    6. Plan ahead.

    Many creative people like to hate on this one, but trust me… it’s valuable. Don’t wait until the last minute.  Creativity is useless if you don’t have time to execute the idea!

    Time pressure only creates the base layer of creativity.  Going to the next level of great creative ideas requires margin. So start early.

    7. Get enough sleep.

    There is abundant research saying that if you don’t sleep, your life will suffer.  You’ll make less effective decisions, your productivity will drop, and your creativity will suffer.  So make yourself go to sleep.  Check out Michael Hyatt’s post on evening routines for help.

    8. Ask “What if…?” and “Why not?”

    The more you ask these two questions, the more you unleash your creativity.  Even if the answer is “obvious,” go ahead and ask the question.  What you gain from the question is more than the answer – it is perspective.

    9. Use metaphor and simile often.

    If creativity really is the synthesis of ideas, metaphor is a great laboratory.  To practice this, think these kinds of thoughts:

    • “How is this problem LIKE other problems?”
    • “If this situation was a ___ (car, storm, war, family, factory, etc), what would each piece be called?”

    This forces your brain into a synthesis mode of completely different sets of ideas, which is the essence of creativity.

    10. Laugh at yourself.

    Creativity = Ridiculous.
    Ridiculous = funny.
    Funny = people laugh at it.
    People laughing at you = bad.
    THEREFORE, Creativity = bad.

    If that’s your logic, you’ll never grow your creative skill.

    So if you decide that you’re OK with being a little ridiculous, and can develop the ability to laugh at yourself, you’ll be further down the road toward being truly creative.

    In the comments below, share this: Which of these ideas surprised you?  Why?

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    A Pastor’s After-Easter Action Plan

    The songs have been sung, the message has been preached, the celebration is over… and the pastor is tired.  I know.  You definitely need to take some time off this week.  But here’s a short list of actions you should take to make sure that your efforts leading up to Easter Sunday don’t go to waste.

    A Place to Start for Small Church Pastors

    1. Follow up on spiritual decisions.

    If someone came to know Jesus, that’s of paramount importance.  Check in with them, confirm their decision, share your joy, communicate your availability, answer questions.

    2. Take care of the administrative details.

    This is the “unsexy” part of your week, I know.

    • Entering guest cards into the database…
    • writing follow-up letters…
    • communicating “thanks” to your team…

    Those kinds of things may not feel like exciting things to do on an emotionally exhausted “morning after Easter,” but paying attention to these kinds of details is exactly what will put you in a good place for the future.  If you have recruited administrative help, this is a good time to make a list of tasks they need to take on.

    3. Keep the conversation going with guests.

    Use information you’ve captured with your guest card to communicate a couple times with guests from Sunday.

    • Send them a personal thank you note (we do ours hand-written, with a little gift card to a local restaurant inside).
    • If someone asked for info on a particular next step on your guest card, then that could be a next step they’re motivated to take.  Follow up on that.
    • Find a way to “wow” guests with your love.  After all, “By this shall all men know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:35

    4. Clearly communicate a general next step.

    In today’s world, it’s doubtful that people are suddenly 100% committed to coming every Sunday from “now ‘til Jesus comes.”

    Lifetime commitment to your church is probably a tough sell after one Sunday.  It’s like a store owner asking you to only shop at that store after your first visit.  Probably not gonna happen.  It’s better to communicate a specific next step people can take if they were attracted by what you offered on Easter.

    Being a pastor who really is intentional about discipleship means you’ve got to communicate the next step on your discipleship pathway.

    It’s probably best not to have 6 next steps.  Simplicity and clarity mean you need to decide about 1 next step you want new guests to take.  Is it:

    • Come to a membership class?
    • Show up at a relationship-building event?
    • Download our discipleship tool?
    • Come to your church dinner next week?
    • Volunteer at your outreach event to kids?
    • Attend the start of your new series next Sunday?

    5. Do a review with your team.

    I wrote about this in my post “The Easiest Way to Continually Improve Your Outreach.” Check that post out.  The best way to make sure all the lessons of this Easter get learned and captured is a quick review of:

    • What went right
    • What went wrong
    • What we can improve next time
    • Who’s responsible for it

    6. Thank God & your team.

    You didn’t do this Easter alone.  Even if it was a bit less than you hoped for, people labored to make it happen, and it wasn’t a waste in the eyes of Heaven.  So spend some time thanking God in faith for what he’s doing, and how he’s going to continue that work.

    Then make a few phone calls or write a few thank you notes to people who made the weekend happen.

    Here’s to small church pastors, who labor faithfully… thanks for what you do for God’s Kingdom!

    I’m going to make a checklist for this post, and give it away.  What other steps should I include after Easter?  Tell me in the comments below.

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    Leadership Lessons from the Rise of Donald Trump

    His hair is legendary.  He has an ego the size of the Grand Canyon.  He might possibly be the next President of the United States.  He’s definitely making waves.  His name is Donald J. Trump, and the enormity of his wealth is only surpassed by the Trumposity of his personality.

    Let me start by saying this is no endorsement.  I didn’t vote for him, and frankly, find the thought rather disgusting.  But whatever you think of him politically, his candidacy has generated more buzz and traction than anything in recent memory.  There is a long list of pundits and bloggers who are astounded at his ability to transcend accepted political wisdom.

    I’m not getting political in this post.  I’m not going to talk about how to stop him, or talk about his faults & failings.  I have only one question.

    Why?  

    Clearly, he’s tapped into something.  Why?

    What’s he doing, and what can we learn from it?

    No doubt, the analysts will argue about it for years.  But here’s my list.

    Note: These observations are amoral.  A case could be made that the following things are what dictators or fascists do as well.  But for this post, I’m concerned ONLY with the leadership observations, not the morality of their uses.

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    How to Not Waste Your Christmas Crowd

    Every pastor knows that Easter and Christmas are two Sundays that are most likely to attract the unchurched and the de-churched to attend. You probably have given thought to your Christmas or Advent services already, since we’re just a few weeks away.

    Between now and Christmas, you’ll probably

    • brainstorm ideas
    • decorate the Sanctuary
    • rehearse special music or programs
    • recruit prayer warriors
    • pray God does something great

    But have you built systems to capture what God does?  Or will your guests who walk through your door that Sunday… walk back out until next Christmas?  What can you do to keep from wasting the big day?  Here are four ideas you need to think about in advance:

    1. Capture their information.

    As I’ve written before, one of the biggest regrets I have about some of my early outreach efforts, was that I didn’t know the power of harvesting information.  Without the ability to continue the conversation, those one-time guests… slip through your fingers.  One of the best ways to show concern and care is to get someone’s info and keep the conversation going.  When you get someone’s info, you’re practicing what Seth Godin calls Permission Marketing.  It’s the permission to continue the conversation, to build trust.  Whether it’s a pastoral visit, a text, a phone call, or a personal note, you’re working on the relationship.

    And if you’re going to keep working on it, the core of a guest follow-up strategy is your connection card.

    Connection Card front 2013 FINAL

    If you want an editable copy of this, email me at darrell@newstartdiscipleship.com, and I’ll send you a Canva link. 🙂 

    2. Give them something to come back for.

    I know that God has to draw them to Jesus… but He may want to use your plan to do it!  So plan to give them every reason to come back!

    • Start a new series after the New Year.  Announce it on Christmas.
    • Have promotional materials available for that next series.
    • Schedule a church dinner for the launch week (If you’re a small church pastor.)
    • Do a 30-day Church Attendance Challenge.

    This is going to take pre-planning.  Look over the graphic designs (paid and free) on CreationSwap.com.  Get someone to design a postcard or series graphic for you on Fiverr.  Get it printed up in advance with GotPrint.com or VistaPrint.com.

    3. Follow up on them intentionally.

    What kind of contact do you have with your 1st time guests through the week after they visit?  For many churches, the basic plan is, “Give them a generic pencil, and tell them we hope they come back soon.”

    You’re going to need a more intentional, on-purpose plan.  

    And what if they pray for salvation? You need a discipleship pathway that’s ready-to-go. 

    In fact, I’d recommend checking out the free discipleship tools from NewStart Discipleship. If you’re not sure how to go about disciple-making, you can get some free discipleship training here, or you can download my 35 page free guide by dropping your email right here:

    Download How to Build a Clear Discipleship Pathway FREE

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      4. Have something ready for those who decide to follow Jesus.

      This is something I used to do badly. But not these days. I’ve gotten way more intentional about being ready for new Christians.

      Think about giving them:

      It doesn’t have to be perfect.  But you should have a plan!

      If you want to download my secret tool for giving to a brand-new believer, drop your email here and I’ll send it over for free: 

      Get my SECRET TOOL for brand new believers!

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        Why We Still Do Sunday Night Services

        Sunday night services have fallen on hard times.  I can understand why.  Attendance is low.  It’s tiring for pastors & their families, especially for those who have 6 children.

        People are busy.  They feel overworked, overcommitted, tired and stressed.  Family time is drained by a million things.  (I know, I know — family time is mostly drained by TV & the internet.  And it’s not like people who stay home from Sunday night are using that time to sit and have quality conversation & fun with their kids.)

        Pastors are also tired.  Administration and stresses drain the creativity and energy it takes to draw out Biblical content and present it in fresh, memorable way.  Pastors also complain of not enough family time.  (TV & internet? Hmm.)

        People used to “go to church every time the doors were open.”  But that assumption isn’t there any longer, unfortunately even among Christians.

        But we still do them at our church.  I’ve had people ask me why, even suggest that we cancel it.  But I haven’t, and I don’t plan to.

        Here are 4 reasons why we still do Sunday nights:

        1. It gives me freedom to focus on non-core people on Sunday AM.

        I have two different audiences with two different needs.  While you don’t have to “dumb down” the Gospel, or the Bible, preaching to an audience of young Christians & biblically illiterate people does require changes in preaching.  You have to think about assumptions, different cultural connection points, different levels of biblical literacy.

        2. It gives me a chance to encourage the leadership of the church.

        I often talk with pastors frustrated because EVERYONE doesn’t attend on Sunday PM.  I’ll be honest… that’s not the end of the world to me.

        It’s no secret that those who come to Sunday PM service are the most committed people you’ve got, at least in terms of faithful attendance.  Board members, musicians, children’s workers, nursery attendants, and more get up from their Sunday afternoon time and have given years to serving faithfully.  What an opportunity to encouage those who make the place run!  As a leader, honestly, if I didn’t have Sunday night to do that, I’d have to create a new venue to do it.

        Even though they were present for your Sunday morning service, they were probably serving anyway.  They gave out.  They come into Sunday evening with deflated tires — you are the air compressor.  Pump ’em up.

        3. It gives me a chance to develop systematic Bible study content.

        Preaching is a lot of work.  It makes sense to figure out how to make some of your work do double duty.

        Sometimes, I’ll develop the material, and teach it Sunday nights.  It lets me outline the book, develop the flow of thought and application, locate illustrations, do the background and language studies. Then when I re-preach it on Sunday mornings, I can develop it further, develop graphics, artwork & Powerpoint slides, add another layer of communication smoothness on it.

        I don’t feel badly about doing that, and you shouldn’t either, as long as it’s not all the time.  I’ve probably only done it with 5-6 series over the years.  Your core people will not mind, as long as you are serving them well.  They might even enjoy hearing it again, with another layer of polish on it.  Learn this from Top 40 Radio & Christmas music: If the song is good, it’s worth playing again.

        4. It gives me a chance to cast vision to the core.

        When you’re doing church in a way that people are not used to, communication is crucial.  John Maxwell was right when he said, “People are down on what they’re not up on.”

        I realized the potential value of this when I taught a series on the purpose of the church on Sunday nights early on in my ministry.  One of my core people said, after going through a few weeks of inductive study on the purpose of the church, “You know, I am realizing that the church is here for more than just to keep it going and keep the doors open.”

        Exactly!  From a leadership standpoint, you can’t put a price tag on that.  And I realized that this was a chance I had to keep communication lines open with people who needed to hear from me outside of the Sunday AM context… to hear that it was going to be OK.  Even though there were people coming that were new, and didn’t hold our values, and didn’t look or talk or smell the same… it was going to be OK!

        Crucial for church revitalization.

        In my next post, I’m going to talk about ways you can keep Sunday night from being a drag.

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        What I Learned from Raising Cane’s

        A few months ago, a new chicken place came into our neighborhood.  It was named Raising Cane’s.  Liz and I decided to try it.

        In short, we loved it.  It hasn’t replaced Chick-Fil-A, but they are really good at what they do.  And I’m not the only one.  Raising Cane’s was the 4th fastest growing restaurant chain in America in 2015.

        I was there some time back for lunch, and got to thinking about what they do right, and why I enjoy it.  I started mulling it over.  Here’s what I learned:

        1. Keep it simple.

        Cane’s philosophy is clear from the moment you walk in.  “One Love” is their motto.  The One lLve is fresh (never, ever frozen) chicken strips.  They only do one thing.

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        How to Thrive In A Tough Season

        I know that title is pretty broad — I can’t do anything about some of the frustrations in your life.  I can’t do anything about that guy whose trash blows in your yard.  Or the guy on the interstate who cuts you off with no blinker.  And you really can’t do much about it, either.  Just get over yourself and get over them. 🙂

        But there are some larger, enduring frustrations that I’ve experienced that I bet you have too.  And THOSE, I can teach you something about.  It’s the frustration that comes with seasons in your life.

        I know you’re familiar with the concept of seasons of the year, but you might not have thought of life in terms of seasons.

        3 things you need to remember to keep from being frustrated about seasons:

        1. Seasons come in a micro- and a macro- version.

        Here are some examples of micro-seasons:

        • Recovery from a medical procedure.
        • Bouncing back from a very busy project
        • Adjusting to a new neighborhood after moving

        Examples of macro-seasons:

        • Raising young children
        • Old age
        • Teenage years

        For micro-seasons, you just need to wait them out, and take some short term actions — medication, rest, etc.

        For macro-seasons, you’ll need to adjust your attitude, check your values, and engage in personal growth.

        2. Seasons are not something you can control.

        You can’t just decide you’re not going to participate in this season any more.  You can’t stop most seasons of life any more than you can stop spring or winter from coming.

        So the solution to the frustration can’t be found in how to change the season… it’s got to be found in how I respond to it.

        3. You can’t control seasons, but you can choose your attitude.

        iStock_000004003533XLarge

        The old saying “It’s not what happens to you, it’s what happens IN you,” applies here.  Author and holocaust survivor Victor Frankl said,
        “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom….When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.”

        So here are some ways that I have dealt with seasons, while trying to keep my attitude positive:

        1. Watch your words.

        Early in my ministry, when we were frustrated about a season we were facing, Liz and I would often say to each other, dramatially, “Well, in the grand scale of 30 years of ministry…”  It was usually good for a chuckle, but it did more.  It became a tagline that allowed us to “zoom out” and see the season from the larger perspective.

        Be careful of your words.  They don’t just reveal your perspective — they help create it!  And your perspective helps create your reality… Create wisely.

        2. Find the funny.

        20151122_100932

        Kids have been probably the defining season of this part our life.  I have a saying my wife and I have laughed over for the last few years: “Someday, I’m going to change the world, but right now I have to change this kid’s diaper.”  It helps me laugh, and remember the delicious irony of a young kid that thought he was going to change the world through his career in ministry — then had 6 kids, and discovered that he needed to change himself first.

        3. Grow.

        Sam Chand says, “A leader can only grow up to the level of his tolerance for pain.”  Seasons can be full of pain.

        But they are also prime places for “the growth that happens before the growth.”  You know what I mean by that, right?  It’s what Steven Covey calls the “private victory” that always precedes “public victory.”

        I know what it’s like to be dealing with a season while wishing to be out “kicking behind and taking names.”  But while you’re waiting, don’t waste the time.  This is captured beautifully in John Waller’s song “While I’m Waiting” from the movie Fireproof. Check it out if you need some encouragement:

        These are some behind the scenes areas where you can grow during tough seasons:

        • Attitudes
        • Personal Discipline
        • Family habits
        • Reading
        • Personal devotional time
        • Working on a new skill
        • Improving an old skill
        • Investing in a relationship
        • Seeking out coaching
        • Developing teamwork in your church/family
        • Creating better systems
        • Creating morning and evening routines

        Choose your attitude.  Watch your words.  Create your plan.  You’re going to get through this.

        Who do you know that’s in a tough season right now?  Share this with them!

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        My Spectacular Failure in Food Pantries

        And what I learned from it...

        Lexi was an enthusiastic new attender of our church.  She was about 35.  She, her husband & several kids all lined up and nearly filled a pew — back when a full pew was a rarity in our church.  She invited others.  She seemed hungry for the Word of God.  She even seemed eager to put the Word into practice.  I still remember when she called me one Sunday afternoon after I preached on reconciliation, and told me she’d called her dad and asked his forgiveness.  They had not spoken in years.

        She had enthusiasm and ideas.  One Sunday, she came up to me and asked if she could start a food pantry ministry.  I was all for it!  We live in an economically poor area where 34% of households are under $20k/yr income.  People called the church all the time asking for food or other help.

        She started working.  She named the ministry “Love Thy Neighbor Food Pantry.”  She set up a simple, free website.  She called grocery stores and got managers to donate food.  She called furniture manufacturers and got a lumber donation to build shelves.  We hauled the wood to the church.

        I was flying high.  This was the kind of people-helping, city-blessing ministry I’d dreamed about starting when I was a pastoral student in college!

        A Sudden Change

        About 3 weeks of this kind of work, one Sunday she didn’t show up for worship.  I called, and she said she wasn’t feeling well.  The next week, she was gone again, and this time she didn’t answer my calls.  I checked with a mutual friend, and what I found out floored me.

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        Why Your Pastor is Tempted to Quit

        And how you can help...

        “Pastor.”  The word may have lost some of its respect over the years, with high-profile scandals, Hollywood hit jobs, and TV cariacatures.  But the title still conjures up good things in many American minds.  A 2011 study by Rasmussen says 70% of Americans view pastors favorably.

        But pastors, honestly, through all of their healing, restoring & guiding work, can live with a lot secret pain.

        According to a survey by the New York Times in 2010,

        • about 1,500 pastors per month leave the ministry due to burnout, conflict or moral failure.
        • 45% of pastors say they’ve experienced enough burnout or depression to feel the need to take significant time away from ministry
        • 57% of pastors report that they would leave ministry if they thought there was somewhere else to go
        • 75% report severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear, and alienation.
        • 80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with their spouse.
        • 33% say that being in ministry is a hazard to their families.

        “Not my pastor.”

        No, I hope not.  But some pastor friends of mine have reached these points.

        I recently surveyed pastor across several denominations and asked them what was most frustrating in their ministry.  I gave them multiple options to choose from, as well as the ability to write their own answers.  Here’s what they told me about their greatest challenges: