Creative Juices

I follow the Church on the Move blog titled "Seeds."  If you are a worship leader, I highly recommend you check it out.  They often proved tips and insights into leading worship as well as logistics into their services (there was a series about soundboards and mixing that was WAY over my head, but probably really good stuff for those involved with that kind of thing).  I'll save you a step; Here's the link- http://seeds.churchonthemove.com/blog

They also frequently blog about using creative elements in worship services and if you know me, you know this captures my attention. There have been a few recent posts on the creating process and I would like to share a few things that particularly struck me.

Practice creative osmosis. The Bible is clear that when we hang out with fools, we become like them. However, when we spend time with the wise we become wise. It’s a bit like osmosis – a gradual transference of substance from one place to another. The question is: Who is transferring wisdom, creativity, excellence, ideas, etc. into your life? As worship/creative leaders we must continue to surround ourselves with people who challenge our ideas, sharpen our instincts and dare us to move into new and different arenas.

Build a diverse team- Allow them to challenge you (respectfully, of course). Welcome their input and allow their ideas to trump yours at times.  They specifically recommend team members be diverse in age.

Creativity Is A Group Effort. There are no creative geniuses. There’s not one guy coming up with all the ideas. There’s not one person who can take credit for every great idea. It’s a team effort.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in creative planning is assuming your first good idea, is good enough. Think about it. Every bad church video you’ve ever seen started as a good idea to someone. I learned over the years to let even my best ideas sit for a while, because often when I allow myself time to review my ideas over and over again, I find glaring problems with my initial concept that must be adjusted to avoid a mediocre result.

We have a motto here in our creative department: “It’s not about getting it done, it’s about getting it right.” We must remember why we do what we do. Every time we open the doors of our church the seats are filled with hurting, stressed, and rejected people, men and women who desperately need to experience something real and positive.

It’s All In The Details... I’m constantly amazed at how the smallest detail can greatly make or break a worship set... The amount of time you spend on the details will have a great impact on the success or failure of your project.