One of the challenges of being a small church is perpetuating new ideas. Because of the lack of human resources and input, the pool of ideas may be shallow and drained more quickly. Here are some suggestions for renewing your creative energies.
Networking: Seek out information about churches in your area, big and small, that have an active Women's Enrichment Ministry. Plan a day trip to sit down with the leader of the ministry. In advance of the trip, make a list of questions and needs you may have. Ask what is working and what isn't working.
Creativity: Some prefer creating originally. Some prefer creating adaptively. These two ways of creating aren't right or wrong ... they're just very different. The Governor of North Carolina once complimented Thomas Edison on his inventive genius; Edison denied that he was a great inventor. "But you have over a thousand patents to your credit, haven't you?" asked the governor. "Yes," replied Edison, "but my only original invention is the phonograph. I guess I'm an awfully good sponge. I absorb ideas from every source I can, put them to practical use, and improve on them until they become of some value. The ideas are mostly those of others who don't develop them themselves." Edison would be described as "adaptively creative."
Brainstorming: Dreams, passions, synergy, and ideas can all be discovered during a brainstorming session. A word of caution and preparation before you plan a brainstorming session, though. It may be necessary to discuss the rules for your session. It will be very beneficial to encourage each participant to come with a positive, forward-thinking attitude. In his teaching video, "Recapturing Your Creative Spirit!" Craig McNair Wilson shares six Brainstorming Rules of Engagement:
Think creatively.
Use phrases that are positive, such as "Yes, and we could also ... "
No wimping and no blocking. Critical thinking will come later. Every idea is a good idea at this point in the process.
You want WILD ideas.
You want MORE ideas. Hand out self-stick notes and ask the participants to write down their ideas. Attach the notes to a wall. The goal is to try to fill the wall with ideas.
Use critical thinking to shuffle through the ideas and determine what realistically can be accomplished at this time. Save the rest of the ideas for a later time.
The very first attribute of God that we read about in Genesis is His creativity. Realize that there is no one without significant creative potential because we the chosen children of God and are empowered with His creative abilities.