What Matters Now in Children's Ministry: Ingenuity

(picture was originally uploaded to Flickr by vancouverconvention)

With yesterday’s release of the FREE eBook What Matters Now in Children’s Ministry, I thought I’d share my contribution here at Elemental CM. The word I chose was Ingenuity.

Following a recipe is easy to do. It takes little skill. One only needs to follow directions.

Short order cooks follow recipes. World-class chefs create mouth-watering masterpieces.

Creating a culinary work of art isn’t so easy. It takes finesse and the understanding of how ingredients combine to create a dish that is tailored to the specific palate of an individual.

Why is it that you attend conferences, read books, network with others, and buy curriculum? Is it simply to gather and trade recipes for ministry? Or is it to gather inspiration, taste something different and discover ingredients you’ve never tried before?

True creativity, innovation and reformation in children’s ministry will only come when we dare to step beyond the tried and true recipes and are willing to experiment with new strategies and practices.

What are your thoughts on Ingenuity? I’d love to hear!

What word would you choose to answer the question, “What Matters Now In Children’s Ministry?”