{"id":3252,"date":"2020-11-19T09:59:22","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T15:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onehopecanada.ca\/?p=3252"},"modified":"2020-11-19T10:12:09","modified_gmt":"2020-11-19T16:12:09","slug":"think-outside-the-box-creative-ideas-to-renew-your-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onehopecanada.ca\/fr\/think-outside-the-box-creative-ideas-to-renew-your-ministry\/","title":{"rendered":"Think Outside the Box: Creative Ideas to Renew Your Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"renew\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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By Kerry Provost, Awana Canada<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>

I have always been quick to say that I am not a creative person. I have worn this statement like a badge of honour. It declares, \u201cI am not creative, because I am logical and rational.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

I have built an invisible box around myself. It is like a security blanket; it wraps around me and clearly limits how far I can go in my ministry. The walls secure my place and define my work.<\/span><\/p>

Truth be told, I envy visionaries who come up with big, creative ideas that make a real impact. I have become too familiar with the boundaries of my box.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Recently I have come to realize the walls of my box are very limiting. Rather than providing definition and direction, they have become barriers, b<\/span>locking me from doing the work I feel called to do.<\/span><\/p>

With a pandemic wreaking havoc, it is easy to default to staying in the box, to do what has always been done when it comes to ministry opportunities. For many, this means a forced pause.<\/span><\/p>

But as a friend recently reminded me, we do not serve a God of a wasted year.<\/strong> The world is not on pause. We have not been called to s<\/span>top\u2014or become stagnant\u2014in th<\/span>e work we are doing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\tWe do not serve a God of a wasted year. The world is not on pause. We have not been called to stop\u2014or become stagnant\u2014in the work we are doing. \t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The apostle Paul sums it up well: \u201cTherefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain\u201d (1 Corinthians 15:58<\/em>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Jesus wasn\u2019t limited by boundaries, only by His own power (which, of course, is limitless). Consider the day He fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. His decision to tell the people to sit down for lunch, rather than sending them home, was not driven by the need to do something obvious. He was driven by compassion and a desire to continue discipling the people.<\/span><\/p>

God specializes in doing the impossible.<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>

Moses drew water from a stone. David killed a giant. Esther saved her fellow Jews. Jesus was born of a virgin. He can work through us, too. He can find a way to reach kids with the Gospel, and to equip church leaders and families for child and youth discipleship. It\u2019s not you and me doing this. It\u2019s God working through us.<\/span><\/p>

It\u2019s time to get rid of the box and get creative to renew your ministry. Take a look at the following statements in the light of your own ministry activities.<\/span><\/p>

1. Identify the problem, keeping in mind that the way you <\/b>have <\/i><\/b>been doing ministry is not the <\/b>only <\/i><\/b>way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h4>

For example, you might say, \u201cOur problem is that we rely heavily on church being open to receive kids. Now that it is closed, leaders are unable to run their traditional programs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

2. What is at the core of your service?<\/b><\/span><\/h4>

Compassion is at the core of how Jesus responded when He fed the crowd. What is your mission? Perhaps it is something like, \u201cOur mission is to reach kids with the Gospel and equip church leaders and families for discipleship. Our values point to ministry, rather than programming.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

3. Don\u2019t look for the right answer, look for alternatives<\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/h4>

Consider every idea. Let the brainstorming begin! The way you\u2019ve always done ministry may not be the only way.<\/span><\/p>

<\/b>4. Focus on what will work.<\/b><\/span><\/h4>

What things <\/span>can <\/span><\/i>you do to continue to reach kids with the good news of Jesus, and disciple children? Make a list of ideas you can use to renew your ministry. It might include:<\/span><\/p>