Batman versus Joker. Coke versus Pepsi. CNN versus Fox News. Techs versus creatives. Some of the most deeply seated feuds of all time, right?
But despite how strongly those of us in ministry might feel, what if I told you that there’s actually no such thing as “a creative”?
Creativity is nothing more than finding a nontraditional, non-obvious way to solve a problem.
In the ministry world, many of us are accustomed to that term being thrown around as a label for certain teams or people in the organization. Sometimes it’s a worship team, sometimes it’s maybe a content creation person. In actuality though, “creative” is not a noun that describes someone with special abilities like they’re a long-lost member of the X-Men. There’s no such thing as “a” creative. “Creative” is an adjective that can be used to describe someone. It can describe anyone, regardless of their role on a team.
There are folks on the worship and production teams. There’s me and my team of technicians.
And we are **all** creative.
The Bible is clear that all humans are made in the image of God, and Genesis tells us right out of the gate that God “created” the heavens and the earth. If He created something, and I’m created in His image that means that I, regardless of my vocation or calling, also have the ability to create living inherently inside of me from the day I was conceived.
Creativity is not strictly expressed in videos edited or songs written or graphics designed, nor is it only embodied by certain people on certain teams in certain roles.
Creativity is nothing more than finding a non-traditional, non-obvious way to solve a problem.
While I might be a technician (and might even see myself as “just” a technician), I’m also creative.
As a graphic designer, I may need to design a graphic of a certain color scheme with certain pieces of information that’s easy to read and is aesthetically pleasing. I’ll use my inherent, God-given expression of creativity to solve that problem.
A sudden thunderstorm killed our power and now I have to determine how to still amplify the pastor’s voice so everyone in the room can still hear what he’s saying even though the wireless mics and PA are dead. As a technician with limited available equipment, and specific logistical hurdles to overcome, but having a robust understanding of technology, I’ll use my inherent, God-given expression of creativity to solve that problem.
While I might be a technician (and might even see myself as “just” a technician), I’m also creative.
I may not have a large budget, so I might have to think outside the box to determine cost-effective ways to deliver a high-quality service experience.
I might not have a huge staff or volunteer team, so I must develop ways to streamline our processes and be as efficient as possible to do multiple things in multiple places, all at the same time.
Some of our gear is old and getting worn out and I have to delicately stretch out its life span until replacement funds are approved. We are meeting in an elementary school’s café-gym-auditorium and I have to figure out how to manage the PA in the perfect balance to amplify while also minimizing reverb off the concrete walls.
In each case, I must find a non-obvious solution to a problem. I must be creative.
Unfortunately, in ministry, though, it can be easy for technicians to feel like second-class citizens sometimes. Maybe it’s because our work is behind-the-scenes and sometimes overlooked, or maybe it’s because we might not be super vocal or visible as individuals, or maybe we have just put that label on ourselves, feeling unimportant because we aren’t front-and-center all the time.
As a result, we can easily allow insecurity and inferiority to become part of our identity. We see ourselves as “not” something and “just” something else.
… it can be easy for technicians to feel like second-class citizens sometimes. Maybe it’s because our work is behind-the-scenes….
However, since I’m made in God’s image, and he’s neither inferior nor insecure, I don’t have to allow those things to cling to me and define who I am or what I am, or am not.
I’m more than a conqueror, I have the power and ability to do all things through Christ’s strength, I’m blessed and prosperous, I’m called to a specific purpose and because of my Creator, I am also a creator.
God created my identity and purpose long before I was ever conceived, and what he placed inside me as a gift, a calling, and as a seed to grow is, as Romans 11:29 (NIV) states, “irrevocable.” It will never change and God will never rescind it.
However, I do have to do my part by tapping into that which he’s placed inside me. And it will be impossible for me to step into that identity if I haven’t first even realized that it’s there.
We all have different gifts. But at the root of all of those gifts is the idea that we’re still designed in God’s image to be a problem solver and a creator.
I might be horrible at painting or storytelling or editing videos or playing guitar and that’s perfectly fine. The people with those strengths may not be good at splicing wires or programming lights or directing cameras and that’s fine too.
We all have different gifts. But at the root of all of those gifts is the idea that we’re still designed in God’s image to be a problem solver and a creator.
I may not be artistic, but I’m still creative.
And every time I get to solve a problem with limited time, resources and teams, with my back up against the wall like a ministry MacGyver, my God-given creativity shines through.