Blessed are the innovators; the do-ers, not just the thinkers. The guys and girls who are presenting creative solutions to the complex problems of society.

Too often the Church is pigeon-holed as a group of disapproving sceptics, ignoring change and clinging to tradition. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that we’re all innovators and we all have the ability to creatively solve the issues we see in our environments and the wider world.

Is there something about our world that you passionately believe is wrong? Something that angers you to the point of exasperation?

Did you know that you can make a difference? In fact God says you have to make a difference. It’s not a matter of choice.

So how do we go about it? There’s every chance you won’t end up ‘making a difference’ in a straightforward, obvious way. You need to innovate. We’re in a stage in history where society is transforming more rapidly than any other era we’ve ever known. Conventional methods and current trends of ‘making a difference’ won’t be effective for very long.

You need to be thinking ahead – grasping at clichés: ‘think outside the box’, ‘blue sky thinking’, ‘start with a blank page’ etc.

In Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell writes:

“Times change. God doesn’t, but times do. We learn and grow, and the world around us shifts, and the Christian faith is alive only when it is listening, morphing, innovating, letting go of whatever has gotten in the way of Jesus and embracing whatever will help us be more and more the people God wants us to be”.

As individuals and as Christians, we need to think: what next? What can I be doing to reach people, solve problems, create opportunities and end injustices.

It may sound difficult, but we all have the ability to think creatively and be innovative. The days of bake sales and door-knocking are over. It’s time to change the world, to bring the Kingdom of God to earth. And it’s time to do it creatively.

I love the following quote from Charlie Todd, founder of Improv Everywhere – a New York City-based prank collective that causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places.

“You don’t need anyone else’s permission to create. Green light yourself and get to work.”

The things that make you angry and the injustices that break your heart can be creatively solved by you. You are an entrepreneur, you are an innovator and you can make a difference.

At Godculture magazine, we’re launching a series on innovation in the Church and we’ll be exploring themes of entrepreneurial evangelism and creative problem solving. You can read more on our website.

Image: Creationswap

Written by Dan Preston // Follow Dan on  Twitter //  Bramber Bakehouse

Dan lives on the sunny shores of Eastbourne. When he’s not Instagramming pictures of his cat he works for Spring Harvest, helps run Bramber Bakehouse and assists new charities and businesses with strategy, marketing and fundraising.

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