Leadership Journal

Awhile back our church had a capital campaign for a new children's building. (Imagine that—a church trying to raise money!) Our technical team prepared a video to promote the building program. It was a great video—the camera angles, movement, and music were innovative and spectacular. But the narration was something I call a "doggie downer."

Tired of overcrowded children's rooms? Sick of waiting in lines to drop off your kids? Give to the Fellowship Church Building Fund …

Visually and artistically, the video was right on. But the script wasn't. The person in charge of this project was new to us and didn't understand that people give to vision, not need. (If people gave to need, then the neediest organizations would have the most money!) The video, though creative, didn't support the positive message we were trying to get across. We cancelled it, and experienced creative tension.

If you've ever felt tension before—physical, emotional, or otherwise—you know the discomfort it brings. Muscles tighten, your mind jams, your body aches. You can get so constricted that you become immobilized.

The same thing happens when we face creative tension. We can tighten up, preventing us achieving our purpose. We've identified at least three of these creative struggles that will inevitably come your way. But if handled wisely, you can maintain vibrant and healthy.

One common belief is that creativity means spending more money. But that's a fallacy.

In today's technology-crazed world, it's tempting to keep buying the hottest equipment. But does that purchase serve a higher purpose, helping reach people more effectively, or is it just a cool toy for your team to play with? You don't have to buy high-end gear to be cutting edge. Yes, you may have to spend some money for technology. But you can be creative without being a large, wealthy church.

Recently, in a message about tithing, we handed out packages of Skittles to everyone to communicate the fact that everything we have is from God. I told the story about the time I bought my daughter a bag of Skittles, which she then refused to share with me.

She didn't understand three things: I bought them for her; I could take them away from her; and conversely, I could take my credit card and buy so many Skittles for her she wouldn't know what to do with them.

It's the same with God. He entrusts all of us with some "Skittles"—some a small pile, some a medium pile, some a big pile—and he merely asks that we give back to him a portion to help finance his work in the local church. Any size church can use an illustration like that.

One of the most powerful visual aids I ever used was a fly. Yes, a fly. I love salt-water fly fishing, so as I spoke, I tied a custom fly on stage. I discussed the fact that Satan customizes temptation to each and every one of us. The fly represented that temptation. Visuals don't get much smaller than that! But, bigger and more expensive is not ...