Creativity - Part Two

Here is a practical execise you can do to motivate and stimulate your mind to be more creative:

• Get some silly putty and a note pad or sit in front of your computer.

• Open the silly putty and begin to make stuff out of it. (hint - don't be limited - there are no rules... remember: you are free to be the creative being God made you to be).

• Write down everything you do with it – even if the shapes or actions you perform make no sense at all.

• Look at your list... Could you use those shapes or actions to tell a story or teach a concept? Are there key words on your list that would get a spiritual truth across? Are you having fun yet?

Now:
Get into the minds of kids.

• Give some silly putty to your thrid, fourth and fifth grade kids at your church.

• Have them do the same thing that you did.

• Collect the responses and...

...well, you figure it out.

Creativity - Part One

I have heard it over and over again at so many training conferences, staff meetings and with individuals on my children’s ministry staffs and teams… It goes something like this:

• “I know that you just said to be creative and have fun – well, God just didn’t bless me with the gift to be creative."

Or

• “You know… I’m just not a very creative person.”

I really believe that nothing could be further from the truth. But this seems to be a general consensus in the Body of Christ among those, who you would think, would be the most apt to declare and have a high self-esteem of their creativity. Perhaps you are one of these who has voiced this very concern -like the quotes above - of your lack of creativity or maybe just the thought has continued to cross your mind. Let me tell you that the very fact that you were able to formulate that thought means that you are creative. Let me make this simple and practical for you.

The definition of creativity is simply this: The ability to take any idea that is at any stage and to add to it, or deconstruct it, or take away from it, or any combination of the three…

This means that you have the freedom to either be the one who has come up with the idea or, take an idea that already exists and modify it. Let me be obvious and point out the key word in that last sentence: freedom. Creativity is not meant to be a frustrating concept or practice. It is, like any other art form, the freedom of expression. It is meant to be fun and refreshing. In order to start down the path of creativity - start with this simple idea: Don't worry about being right, wrong or looking foolish. Give yourself permission to be free to express yourself, whether it be on paper, the computer screen or in conversation with others.

In the next post, I will start listing some practical steps you can take to promote, perpetuate and propel creativity.

Incredible Object Lessons Vol. 1

Need some object lessons? Object Lessons are my favorite! Well... next to the evils of Gospel Magic. The cool thing about object lessons - is that, they're everywhere! A couple of years ago, I took some of my favorite object lessons and put them together in a book to sell at conferences and lectures. It was such a hit that I wrote another and then another and finally two more on simple pyro-technique object lessons.

Here's that first book - it's called: "Incredible Object Lessons Vol. 1". It's 13 incredible object lessons that you can use to illustrate Gospel truths to children. Some are scientific in nature, others present more like gospel magic routines and still others use common items from around your home. You'll have fun presenting these lessons and the children will remember the truths taught!

It's in the store so click here and you can download it for a small fee. Don't worry, I plan to add the others as I go!

Let me know how you like the book!