What I Got Wrong About Ministry Innovation
The one topic I wish I had spent more ink on when I wrote my book on innovation
Since the publication of my book, The Innovation Crisis, in 2020, I have been at conferences, churches, and other venues speaking on innovation. This has led to countless discussions and interactions about the book, what it contributes positively to the discussion, and what I got wrong. That latter category is more fun to write about than what I got right. There is one omission that is so glaring it feels like a sin of commission. What is it? Spirituality and innovation.
Now, a little bit of self-defense is in order. I do spend considerable ink on Jesus being an innovator. Jesus was undeniably innovative. But that does not address the larger issue of how we innovate utilizing the spiritual tools given to us as believers.
Here is a smattering of thoughts on spirituality and innovation:
Innovation and spiritual discernment. How do we go about discernment processes as we innovate? Much of the design thinking process is a discernment process which should be well suited for spiritual discernment processes.
Spiritual discernment in community as it applies to innovation. As we innovate, we do so with others in mind. This is core to human identity and the church. A book that has gotten a lot of traction with ministry leaders is Ruth Haley-Barton’s Strengthening The Soul of Your Leadership. I think this is because she addresses how churches and ministry organizations discern together. This is a much-needed skill, and her approach is spiritually infused. Her model would also apply to innovation processes.
Seeing spiritual needs as targets for innovation. This is a huge hole. Technological innovation is given to pragmatic problem solving. This often sidesteps spiritual issues that are in the hearts of people, and that matter much more than fixing inconveniences. Identifying issues of the heart and designing solutions for them is a significant need in ministry innovation.
Reflecting on and innovating around institutional issues that impact spirituality. Our ways of organizing work often create problems that need innovative problem-solving. These are often problems that are created unintentionally and require deeper levels of empathetic understanding. The spirituality of leaders, the way that the Holy Spirit is invited into how we work, and so many other issues apply here.
Innovation in how we understand and apply spiritual disciplines. Our Catholic friends have done much more work in this arena than we Evangelicals have. For me personally, new ways of absorbing God’s word have catapulted my relationship with God forward in various seasons of life.
This is just a starting list that I am going to keep. I would love to hear your feedback on this topic and will add your suggestions to my ongoing list.
[Image: Created with midjourney using the prompt, “a puzzle with 1 missing piece, close up, photorealistic“]