Core Value: Creativity

Continuing the series reflecting on 10 years since my ordination.

As I’ve shared before, my original dream was to become a movie director. I even began my collegiate career at Milligan College with the intent on pursuing that dream. My plan was to graduate with a degree in Communication and then enrolling in film school at University of Southern California. I’ve always been intrigued by the art of filmmaking, and a well-told story communicated through the media of film can still bring tears to my eyes.

Although my experiences at Milligan led me down a different path than the art of filmmaking, I was still shaped by my Communication classes in Tennessee’s fair-eastern mountains. One class, taught by Dr. Alex Wainer, had particular influence on my understanding of living out my faith in the midst of a culture that can sometimes be hostile to Christ. And, ironically enough, the book from that class that had the most impact on my thinking could hardly be called a book at all. In fact, it’s more like a pamphlet – Art and the Bible by Francis A. Schaeffer. I’m sure his argument has become a springboard for my own understanding of the role of creativity, but if I remember correctly, Schaeffer argued that Christians should be the most creative people on the planet because they’re seeking to glorify their Creator with their creativity.

In the beginning, God created. We were created in the image of the Creator. Creativity is part of our makeup. It’s what makes us human. We were created to create. It pleases God when we use our creativity to His glory.

And that’s how I’ve approached my role in ministry. I’m not going to do something simply because it’s always the way things have always been done.   On the flip side, I also will not blanketly reject tradition or do something simply for creativity’s sake.  I am willing, however, to think outside the box to impact our community, as well as to draw each other closer to God. And this affects every aspect of ministry, from my preaching to the ministry programs we create.

I firmly believe that using our God-given creativity is honoring and pleasing to our Creator.