Comments on: Innovation Manipulation

By: bryonm

bryonm — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:26:03 +0000

Los,
Thanks for pointing out this article. I worked in a portable church for over a decade. Innovation is what it took just to pull things off week in and week out.

By: d

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:14:45 +0000

Innovation in the church?

Easy.

“How many people have been saved and baptized?”

One gauge. One stat.

Period.

Too bad that churches are so embarrassed by this number that innovation is measured by the fluffy stuff that involve WAY too many meetings and WAY to little time reaching any further than the parking lot.

By: Erik

Erik — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:04:12 +0000

great question… the term “innovative churches” is over cooked. innovative is the church finding the way to reach people in a way that no one has thought of or done yet. the place (not just a church) that originates an unconventional way of reaching people…that most wouldn’t even dare considering. when it’s voted on and at the top of a list…when it’s at a conference. it’s not innovative anymore. still chewing on this one…

By: Brad Metzger

Brad Metzger — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:52:31 +0000

The little “cup buddy” cardboard coffee cup holder thingie. When Sandals got those, I knew innovation was afoot.

By: : )

: ) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:37:47 +0000

Because my church (predominantly white, nondenominational) is so different from my previous churches (predominantly black, Full Gospel Baptist), it all seems innovative to me. : )

By: Ed from AUS

Ed from AUS — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:08:42 +0000

To me, Innovation is any church that puts aside its own agendas in order to reach the community for Christ. We live in a selfish world and unfortunately our churches are just as guilty of being selfish. We try so hard to protect “what’s ours” our traditions, our preferences, the way WE want things that we forget that in order to reach the lost we must meet THEIR needs, communicate in their terms and on their turf. Jesus said “Go into all the world…” not “make the world come to you…”

By: Hope Mabry

Hope Mabry — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:37:34 +0000

I’m not so opinionated when it comes to innovative ideas for churches, but I love that our church plant here in Scotland hired a non Christian drummer for the worship team. He got saved like 6 months later. And he’s a really good drummer too, because he was hired early on. (He’s volunteers his time now).

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:02:14 +0000

I think it’s a church that is always evaluating and questioning their methods, and thinking of fresh ways to minister, instead of solely copying “successful” church’s methods. Possibly, bad motives are leading to stale churches. The business model is way too dominant in churches, it seems.
Our church has been innovative, mainly because, we openly recognize that there is no formula to doing church. God designed us individually, so we’re going to bring different things to the table with different results, and growing in in different ways.

By: PatrickJohn

PatrickJohn — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:53:54 +0000

For me, I think of an innovative church as one that has a greater impact on the community. Finding new, fresh, and creative ways of engaging in the community OUTSIDE the walls of the church building is HUGE.
A lot of times I think that the ways are already there.. we just have to engage. (like getting groups of musicians to play in local bars) Not trying to brownnose,, but sweet idea. The ARTS are easy bridges.

By: Jimi

Jimi — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:37:44 +0000

Anyone can be “innovative” if you’ve got a fat budget to work with. Innovation in ministry is spending the majority of the church budget actually reaching people for Christ and serving the poor instead of creating theme park churches.