Insurgency and the Establishment

To be involved in innovation takes a willingness to do things differently. It takes a fighting heart that can push through on change even when it is hard. It takes a sensitivity to people that allows you to empower them in the creative process.

To do these types of things, you have to be an insurgent. You have to be willing to forget the old ways of doing something and at the same time borrow all the good of the old.

Your main struggle as an innovator will be against the establishment. The establishment is the system that works wonderfully today but is not thinking about how the world must change.

So here is the question, how can you have an insurgent's heart within an establishment world? They are not mutually exculsive. In fact, some of the greatest innovations came out of the center of the old, established organizations/industries/cultures.

One of the great examples is Corning. This company has reinvented itself dozens of times creating new markets and new products that have revolutionized our world. From light bulbs to Corningware, to fiber optics and now LCD screens. They are an example of an established company who has an insurgent culture capable of amazing innovation. To see a timeline of their innovation click here.

One of the key ideas that I would like to highlight in this process is one that is shared in a book called Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators: From idea to execution. It is key for insurgents within established organizations. The authors call it "NewCo" and "CoreCo." The idea is simple. Your core company - CoreCo - can create new initiatives - NewCo - if it is strategic. There are two key lessons to learn if you are trying to start something new within an established organization.

Borrow - They say that we must borrow key infrastructure that will help us succeed. For instance if your ministry has a warehouse, your new initiative should use it to store key products/materials instead of outsoucing and spending more money.

Forget - They say that we must forget the old ways things have been done. So if your ministry has a traditional way of doing a certain thing, you must forget it and reimagine it for your new needs.

If your desire is to begin a NewCo within a CoreCo, the other key thing for you to consider is how you structure your initiative. If it is too connected to the old, it won't make it. A CoreCo manager will never make the necessary sacrifices for a NewCo initiative. If it is too disconnected you won't have the advantages of all that infrastructure. The key is high level leaders who support the NewCo but empower it to grow and develop the way it needs to.

So here is the question, what can you do to create the right environment to lead an insurgency within your established organization?

Innovation Book of the Week - July 7-11

As you consider how to take an idea you have and really connect it with others, a must read is Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath.

This book helps you identify what a message or idea needs to have to be memorable and actionable.

Enjoy!

http://www.madetostick.com/

Anchor and Twist

So many times when we come up with a new idea, we then go about trying to sell it to the world. We make powerpoints, design logos, create descriptions, write case studies and on and on.

Two of my favorite innovation writers (Dan and Chip Heath - who wrote Made to Stick) have a new concept that I think can really help missions innovators. The call it Anchor and Twist.

The concept is very easy. Instead of trying to explain your new idea from scratch, you start with something people know, relate it to your idea and then add the twist. This allows people to quickly relate your idea to something that they have seen before, but creates the distinctive quickly. This is tricky, but can be very powerful.

Lets take a very easy example. We recently purchased a small high definition flat panel television. For some the difference between analog and digital is still a bit unclear. But try this, "The picture looks like what you see on your flat panel computer monitor at work only it has an antenna hookup in the back." Almost everyone now has flat computer monitors, so they know what those are. But none of theirs have a place for an antenna to hook up. So you anchored your idea in something they knew and twisted it to describe the new item.

Lets us a missions example. As many of you might know, a staple in communicating missions in North America has been the "dinner event." They are banquets where people come to hear about what God is doing around the world. These tools were and still can be very effective for awareness and communication. One of the centerpieces for a missions banquet is always the "compelling video." Lets say I am trying to introduce our YouTube videos and explain how they might be used to communicate to people interested in missions. I could either go into a long explanation of online video, the demographics, the stats etc, or I could say, "Putting our missions videos on online videos on sites like YouTube are like a virtual missions banquet with a 24/7 program." I have anchored the YouTube video in a familiar concept for many people involved in missions but twisted it with they reality that they are available all the time.

What innovative concept are you working to present today? How could you apply this concept of "Anchor and Twist" to help people understand and grapple with it more effectively. Remember that the amount of work you do up front to define and explain will go a long way towards adoption as you work with you idea.

Fix and Flex Part 2

I received a great response from our first installment on the "Fix and Flex" concept. On of our facebook group members asked the following question and I wanted to take a minute and process it with you.

"Jon -- Cool. Sounds like being goal oriented. For me, that is a strong motivator...but what about other creative types that are not particularly goal oriented...who prefer to feel the flow. Any tips? Any tips for those to whom they would be accountable?"

Here are some thoughts:

When we talk about fixing one thing and flexing another, we usually thing dates/times/etc. Those are very linear things that we wish we could fix on both ends. The innovation of fix and flex is that we pick the most important one to success and then the other side of the equation stays loose and able to change.

But lets think about this in a different way for creatives who aren't at all driven by linear goals. You can also do this with very conceptual things. For instance, let's say that you are a graphic designer and you are tasked with creating a series of postcards to promote an upcoming event. The normal process is to receive the scope for the project from whoever is requesting it and then begin to work based on that scope. But what if the designer looked at the scope and asked the question, "Which element of the scope is most central?" Out of this exercise they might pick one or two things to fix. Then they could process, what areas are open for new ideas or new approaches - those are the areas to flex.

Now comes along the manager of this graphic designer. If you are using the same vocabulary, the manager who is holding this graphic designer accountable can engage them and ask what things must be fixed and what areas can the designer really try some new and different approaches.

In this environment, a designer can create an innovative environment while still being accountable for the scope.

What do you think of this next application?

Fix and Flex Part 1 - reference

Friends,

For those of you interested in the article that I refered to in the Part 1 story, please click here:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/05/how-to-become-an-early-riser/

- ENJOY!

Fix and Flex Part 1

How do you create order and process if you are a creative/innovative person? This is one of those age old questions. We look at those creatives in our lives and many times they are tipified by the all-nighters, messy desks and ignored calendars. That is a stereotype of creative minds.

Mindy and I recently read an article that Dayna Garland, Creative Director at HCJB Global, gave us. It was entitled "How to Become an Early Riser" by Steve Pavlina. In this article he focuses on his journey to being an early riser. He did it because he saw that some of the most productive hours in the day were the early ones. I would highly recommend the read, but for this posting, I am only taking one of his core ideas and throwing it out there for a wider application.

His basic solution was what I am calling "Fix and Flex." In the article, he said that the way he was able to change his habits and become an early riser was to fix the morning time he would get up but flex the evening time based on how tired he was. Fix and Flex - sounds simple.

The beauty of this simple little concept is that it is the saving grace for all you creatives out there. Usually the answer to more discipline is a high amount of rigid restrictions. We see this in New Years Resolutions. In those high restrictions, compliance becomes very difficult. Usually, we fail and then give up.

The difference with fix and flex is that you fix one thing but you allow the more relaxed process of creativity to dictate the other. Let me give you another example. Lets say that my goal was to write in this blog three times a week. With this concept, I would fix the number of times I wanted to write but not when. That means that one week all three posts might come in the same night and the next week they would come on Monday Wednesday and Friday.

Are you seeing the applications? In the end, it is very simple. When we require that everything be fixed as a matter of discipline we are set up for failure because of circumstances, creative flow, etc. But when we allow for flexibility along with fixed goals, we create an environment where we can be much more innovative.

More to come in this in the next few days.

A Loving Touch

A quote from Carolyn Arends' recent article in Christianity Today really got my attention the other day:

"Is there any story about God that isn't a love story?" - Carolyn Arends

She is right. No matter how aweful the situation or how strange the outcome, everything that God is about is covered in love. When He corrects - He loves. When he blesses - He loves.

So think about your work to innovate. How are we covering our actions in love. Sometimes it is easy to get so caught up in accomplishing a goal or creating something new. We get focused in and we act in very unloving ways. Then we wonder why God is not blessing our seemingly "holy cause."

This isn't something that just happens to those wayward people. It happens to all of us. We get so focused on our goal that we stop loving. How does this look practically?
- We reject a vacation request of a project member because our deadline is more important than their unique opportunity.
- We cut people off in a meeting when they are processing the project goals.
- We manipulate people to perform faster.
- We pit one person against another to motivate them.
- We yell at vendors who did not deliver.
- We short-change our family for the project.
- and the list goes on and on.

Our motivation in our innovation is the key. Are we doing our missional innovation out of a love for God and for those that our innovation will serve?

Being Dangerous

Charles Bukowski said, "To do a dangerous thing with style, is what I call art."

Why are we so risk adverse? Why are we so afraid to fail? Maybe some of those same reasons cause us to do little that draws attention or stands out as compelling.

Are you willing to do a dangerous thing?

A Rest from Blogging

Everyone needs a rest - so I have taken a week or two rest from blogging. But this week I am back and we will be talking about "Fixed and Flexed". Stay tuned for more on how this concept can help you create an environment for innovation.

Engaging People through Art

Recently, I featured an article by Paul Nethercott about Missional Art. We recieved a great response of click-throughs and some good comments. I also recieved this excellent example of missional art. Kathy Trim (another TEAM missionary in Japan) shares how she is using art to engage the Japanese culture. Take a few minutes to read this and think about how art can be a part of your missional outreach:

Scrapbooking. The word alone raises many eyebrows as a large number of people believe it is just an expensive hobby. And in the United States, I do believe that, for some people, that is probably an accurate definition. However, I prefer to think of it as a form of art, particularly one that passes on a heritage to the next generation.

How can the art of scrapbooking be missional art? Japanese tourists are often stereotyped as people who travel in groups with cameras around their necks. In actuality, it isn't just the tourists from Japan who are taking photographs. Photography is very popular with nearly all Japanese people. What are they taking photos of? Just like you and me, they take pictures of the people, events, and scenery that are important to them. Building relationships with Japanese people takes lots of time. It is hard to get past the surface topics and become trusted enough that they will open up and share what is really in their hearts. However, through the sharing of photographs, relationships can be effectively deepened.

This is where scrapbooking comes "into the picture". (pun intended)

Scrapbooking can be an individual activity in the privacy of your home. But, the real fun of scrapbooking comes when people gather together in groups and share ideas and tools, and work together on their individual projects. I've begun hosting scrapbooking events in our church hall which is so suited to this with lots of tables and chairs. There is no preaching or evangelistic message. There is just a leader who cares; a leader who will walk around and ask the guests to tell them about the photos; a leader who will give words of encouragement and hope; a leader who will offer ideas to help the guests create photo albums that will be filled with cherished memories for themselves and their families. I am not very artistic...Yet, with the tools and supplies available for scrapbooking, I am now able to express my creativity in an art form that will hopefully bless others as they see my albums and hear my faith-stories that are journaled in the albums. The Japanese women that are now attending these events are excited about what they are doing. They enjoy showing their photographs to other people and talking about them. These women are bonding with each other, as together they create their own art.

Missions begins with relationships. As we build relationships and develop trust, opportunities to share our faith will open up. The innovation comes at the beginning. How do we meet new people? How do we develop relationships with them? How do we help them recognize a need in their lives that up until now, they may not have realized they have? Very few people will intentionally seek us out. It is for us to go and seek those whom are lost. We certainly aren't
going to stumble over them sitting on the church steps waiting for us to open the doors.
Scrapbooking is a type of art that even people who are not "artistic" can do. It opens up the doors to interact with people on a deeper level. It is also meeting a felt need in their lives (shoeboxes overflowing with pictures that need to be organized and preserved for the future).

To me, scrapbooking is missional art.

K.J. Trim
church planting with TEAM in Kobe, Japan

Linking Christ-centered Innovation to Prayer

There is a direct and essential link between Christ-centered innovation and the discipline of prayer. Our success in innovation demands that we be connected to God and communing with Him. We need His heart to know what problems or challenges to address.

I used the phrase "Christ-centered innovation" on purpose because much innovation that exists in our world is focused on ourselves and our needs. That does not mean it is bad. But it does mean that it was done with the basic human gifts and talents that God has given to all of humanity.

But there are innovations that are Christ-centered or Christ-focused. These are innovations that come out of prayer and knowing the mind of God. These innovations are big in God's economy, but they may or may not register in the eyes of modern man.

Of course, the challenge with understanding which innovations come out of this posture is that it is all about motivations. And that gets me to my point. Those Christ-centered innovations are only birthed out of prayer. If we are to reach beyond ourselves and create innovations that will impact people for Christ, they will come as we pray for breakthroughs.

This is easy to say and very hard to do. Innovation is a practical and energizing event. Prayer on the other hand, can seem very impractical and without energy. Of course, we know it is not, but it is hard to get beyond that perception. So many times we think of prayer as the thing you do to kick off the effort. It is like smashing the bottle of wine against the hull of the ship before it sets sail.

But prayer is most of the work. To continue using our last analogy. Prayer is the building of the ship and the actual innovation work is only the sailing of it.

So how many hours should we put into prayer if we truely desire our innovations to be Christ-centered? I don't think there is a formula, but I can probably guarantee that we should spend more than we are spending today!

Innovation in the Arts

As people interested in being on mission with God, we are always searching for new tools that will help us share hope. Everything considered a potential teaching tool isn't it? You use movies, events, holidays, music and the list goes on.

One of our faithful Innovation in Mission members on facebook, Paul Nethercott (TEAM missionary in Japan), has shared a new perspective on art and its potential for missions.

I love how Paul has brought up the concept of redemption in art. Our creativity has a way of bringing a message of hope home like no other. So please take a minute to read this innovative approach to art and see how it can be a part of your ministry toolbox:

Missional Art
The Heavens declare the glory of God: the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1)

"Missional” refers to outwardly focused actions that share Christ with the world.

"Missional Art" is any creative expression that intentionally illuminates God and the hope found in Christ.

Missional Art is modeled after God’s revelation of Himself in creation, in Scripture, and in the incarnation. All aspects of God’s revelation are creative masterpieces that originate in the heart of a loving God who wants to be known by those He created to be like Him (“in His image”). One aspect of God’s image in us is the capacity to express ourselves by creating art that is missional. The phrase “Missional Art” is new, the concept is not. And, it is not confined to the West; we can discover it throughout history, in a vast number of cultures.

The first biblical example of Missional Art is when God empowered Bezalel to build the temple in ancient Israel (Exodus chapter 31). According to theologian Francis Schaffer, this is the first time the Bible mentions that the Holy Spirit indwelled someone for a specific purpose “… I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.” The Jewish temple was missional because it was intended not only as a place of worship for the Israelites, but as a witness to all the nations; it is a stunning example of Missional Art.

Throughout history, gifted artists, believers filled with the Holy Spirit, have been creating missional art that is often far more effective than mere words at drawing people towards putting their faith in Christ. What aspects of missional art are important in making it effective? Four key elements of Missional Art are Hook, Honesty, Humanity, and Redemptive Content (The concept of Hook, Honesty, and Humanity are by songwriter Darrell Brown)

Hook is one reason Amazing Grace is such a memorable and well-loved song. A song with Hook “sticks” in the mind, unconsciously it replays itself in your head. Writers of pop music are well aware of Hook but the concept is applicable in other areas, including the visual arts -- the enigmatic smile of Mona Lisa being one of the most famous Hooks in the history of Western art. Art that has no Hook fails to connect, fading from consciousness like a plainly dressed person in a large crowd.

Honesty is hard to define, but critically important. We sense when it is lacking, but it is difficult to articulate what the difference is. Several years ago, I heard one of my female acquaintances sing for a church service. Something didn't sound right, so I asked, "Was that your real voice today?" "No," she responded, "that was my church voice I used my real voice many years ago when I sang rock music with my band, but I don’t use it when I sing in church.” One of the main reasons adults enjoy watching children perform is their transparent Honesty. But, adults who perform without shame or pretense are rare. Johnny Cash is an example of someone with this kind of authenticity; he didn’t have an exceptional voice, he even wandered off key sometimes, but people responded to him, he was incredibly genuine as he sang what was in his heart.

Humanity touches our emotions, what Darrel Brown calls “the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual sides of Humanity. The big themes — the brokenness and the triumph of it all. So people can relate to what I am writing and singing about.” Ironically, many Christians seem to fear being human, calling it immoral; while the Bible abounds with tasteful Humanity; weddings, celebrations, parties, the sweat of Jesus, violence, family dysfunction, drunkenness and yes, sexuality (it isn’t gratuitous, but it IS there). It appears that many of us are more comfortable with the divinity of Jesus than we are with His Humanity. This is one reason for the scarcity of Christians who are creating art that is full of Humanity. Since everyone experiences the human side of life, people of all nations, races, and cultures can relate to Humanity, it is universally understood.

Redemptive Content includes, but in no way is limited to, clearly identified symbols connected with Christianity. Beauty, goodness, metaphors, stories, allusions, abstract forms, and colors can all be redemptive. Makoto Fujimura’s paintings are abstract, most have no explicit Christian content, but they are Redemptive. It would be a huge mistake to understand “Redemptive Content” to mean that a photographer must insert Scripture verses into all her photos. Or, that a dancer has to wear an outfit with a cross on it. There is a place for worship art, for symbols, and for words, but Missional Art does not have to be explicit or obvious to be effective. But, being “clothed” in Hook, Honesty, and Humanity is very important.

Some Christians make the mistake of dictating that Crystal-clear Redemptive Content (the gospel clearly stated or pictured) is the only important criteria for judging art. In their zeal to communicate the gospel, they ignore Hook, Honesty, and Humanity. Art created with the one criteria of Redemptive Content in mind is often created by zealous, sincere people who really aren’t gifted in the arts. What they are gifted in is preaching, and there certainly is a place for that, but it does not mix well with art. The results of the “lets use art to preach” approach are generally unappealing, not even connecting with Christians, and alienating to those who have no knowledge of Jesus.

Examples of effective Missional Art:

• Handel’s Messiah
• The Passions of Bach
• Rembrandt’s “The Prodigal Son”
• C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia
• The Passion of the Christ (Mel Gibson’s Movie)
• The novels of Ayako Miura
• The paintings of Makoto Fujumura
• Black Gospel Music in Japan (Halleluiah Gospel Choirs)
• The Bible Manga Series
• The music of U2

Amazing examples abound of effective Missional Art with clear Redemptive Content that is loved and accepted, even by cultures that reject Christianity. The crucial factor is quality, how it is done is critically important. However, we must never forget that God can work through totally unpredictable and surprising ways to draw people to himself. He can use “sappy” songs that really don’t have much by way of artistic merit. He can take a movie like Sister Act, and make it a means of communicating his love to the nation of Japan. This Hollywood movie is one of the catalytic factors behind the popularity of Black Gospel in Japan and has resulted in large numbers of Japanese paying to sing in black gospel choirs. It is thrilling to witness Japanese singing the gospel, with passion, with movement, from their hearts and hear about a significant number who are meeting Christ.

Missional Art has had a huge impact on the world, and will continue to be one of the primary avenues that people around the world, in a wide variety of cultures, will become aware of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

There is much left to be said on the subject --- I would really like to get input from readers of the Innovation in Mission group on how to improve and expand on this topic. I also want to thank Scot Eaton, Graham Fleming, Jon Hirst, Roger Lowther, Nancy Nethercott, and Robin White for their invaluable input on this paper.

Two Relevant Books:
imagine by Steve Turner
Unceasing Worship by Harold Best

What Comes after the Innovation?

After you innovate . . . then what? Do you break out in a victory dance, fall flat on your face in exhaustion, go on with your life as if nothing has happened . . . really what do you do?

I think it is different for everyone. The reason you haven't heard from me in a week or more is that I just finished my second book project - this time with my wife Mindy. We have been working on an exciting innovation. It is focused on taking a very complex concept presented by Dr. Paul Hiebert and sharing it in a simple yet compelling way. It was a lot of work but the book was handed in last week.

So after our major push, we collapsed . . . if that is possible with three kids. Actually we spent time doing things we hadn't done in a while - watched a movie, took care of the lawn, you know how it goes.

But this highlights a good point. When you reach a key milestone in your innovation work, you need to have a plan. Do you need rest? Do you need a change of scenery? Do you need to go out with some friends? Do you need a vacation on a beach somewhere? Whatever recharges your batteries for the next push . . . DO IT! If you don't, the next idea will be harder to bring to life.

As for our new book - more to come soon. It will be released early 2009.

Do you have an Innovation Sherpa?

New innovations are coming at us quickly these days. With each new one, a whole new set of rules and realities must be digested and understood. That can get overwhelming so easily. In many ways, taking advantage of a new innovation is like a serious mountian climb.

You wouldn't consider climbing Everest without a guide, so why do we try to understand and utilize these new innovations without one? So in the spirit of getting help, I would like to introduce you to the idea of the Innovation Sherpa!

Actually these people are all over. They are those people who love to be on the leading edge. They explore a new innovation thoroughly and then come back to the bottom of the mountain to help others enjoy it as well. These people are like gold if you are a busy person. They will help you find the right trail and identify how this innovation can help you in your ministry.

I would like to introduce you to someone like this today. Chris Forbes runs a facebook group called "Facebook for Pastors" (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18403101472). He is also the founder of his own company - Ministry Marketing Coach.

I would encourage you to join the group and learn from him as he helps church staff to climb the mountain of this particular innovation. You can also download a free E-book on how to use facebook in church ministry: http://ministrymarketingcoach.com/free-e-books/.

We all need guides. The intracacy of life is very tricky and getting help makes all the difference. Learn to identify the key Innovation Sherpas in your life and follow them, or you might just get stuck on that mountain!

Books and Resources for the Innovator

I spoke at a conference recently and shared a list of books and resources helpful in innovation work. I wanted to share them with you as well. I hope they are useful.

Books to Consider
Blink, Malcolm Gladwell
Spiritual Leadership, Henry and Richard Blackaby
Well Connected, Phill Butler
Credibility, James Kouzes/Barry Posner
The Age of Access, Jeremy Rifkin
Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim/Renee Mauborgne
The Innovator’s Dilemma, Clayton Christensen
Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey Moore
Making Innovation Work, Davila/Epstein/Shelton
10 Rules For Strategic Innovators, Govindarajan/Trimble
Small is the New Big, Seth Godin
A Whack on the Side of the Head, Roger Von Oech
Mindset, John Naisbitt

Other Resources to Consider
Fast Company Magazine, www.fastcompany.com
Evangelical Missions Quarterly, www.emqonline.com
Momentum Magazine, http://www.momentum-mag.org/
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

Look where God is Moving!

When we are striving to think innovatively, it can be such a challenge to get past the challenges in front of us. One of those areas that presents seemingly enormous challenges is fundraising for missionaries or for organizations. The world has changed so much and it is easy to get caught in what we can't do.

Recently, Tim Rickel (who heads up Development and Marketing for World Gospel Mission) shared with me a unique approach that his team at WGM took.

What I liked about it was that they got around simply rehashing the struggles/challenges and zeroed in on where God is moving today.

Check out his blog posting about it:http://rickelblog.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/where-god-is-working/

Clutterless Innovation

We live in a world where one more of anything is too much!!

We are overloaded, overcommitted, saturated, innundated . . .

So what is an innovator to do in a world that is crying for people to stop creating new things that they will have to pay attention to?

Here are some thoughts on how to innovate in a full world:

1. Even though people's lives are full, they want solutions to very specific challenges that they feel are a need. If you can identify a true need out there and speak to those people about your solution it will not be seen as more clutter.

2. Gone are the days when one tool works for all. Instead of broadcasting your innovation out generically, you will see better results by finding a smaller niche market.

3. Tie your innovation to something people are already using. If your innovation helps make another established resource more valueable, people will be more willing to add it into their lives.

4. Tell personal stories of impact with your invention. People don't want marketing hype. They want to see that a new idea/product/vision can help them with their daily challenges.

Finally, don't assume that anyone cares. Don't take anyone who you excite for granted. Each person who adopts your innovation is a huge milestone and it takes this one-by-one approach to really grow a new idea.

21 in 21 - A New Generation on Mission

There was an exciting Symposium that happened recently at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. It looked at the 21st Century of missions and what a new generation would bring to it.

One of our facebook group members is a leader at the seminary - David Livermore. See what he said about it and take a minute to check out the presentations:

"At Jon's invitation, I just wanted to mention a symposium we recently convened at the Global Learning Center here in Grand Rapids. With Bill Taylor as our keynote presenter and some 20-somethings of course, we wrestled with the issue of what it looks like to learn from 20-somethings in how they view mission. A great deal of fascinating dialogue ensued. We'll be posting more results from the symposium in the future but for now, you can see some of the presentations at http://grts.cornerstone.edu/resources/glc/symposium"

Some of the presentations include:
- Learning to Listen to 20-Somethings
- Confessions of a Boomer
- Common Ground

This topic is of utmost importance because it is so hard to think outside of our context. We struggle to engage with younger or older generations so many times. However, if you are already in missions, this is the time to understand how a new generation will do missions differently.

If you are one of those 20-somethings (or maybe even younger) who is working through what missions is - be encouraged. Your journey is exactly what missions needs. As you think through the issues, pray about how you will approach it, and innovate with the challenges and opportunities of the day, God is going to use you in incredible ways!

Innovation means digging deep

So many times when we set out to innovate in our ministries we realize that the problems we are seeking to solve have many layers. Just as we dig into the first issue, we begin to understand the many other issues that have lead to this problem.

The tendancy is to stop digging and focus on the solution to the top layer of challenges. We say, "This is a big enough chunck to deal with for now!" There is a problem with this however. So many times the top layer cannot be solved until the underlying layers are dealt with. This is no fun to hear but it is true.

As I have dealt with this issue in the past, I have had no other choice than to keep digging. It is painful and challenging, but as you dig deeper into your particular challenge you begin to understand what real innovation in that area must look like.

You see, when you were working on the top layer, your innovation work might end up only compounding the problem. But if you really understand the depth of the challenge then your innovation work will be informed by all of the layers.

Hopefully this will lead to richer and more comprehensive solutions to the significant problems that face missions. It isn't fun work, but it is the work that we must do if we are to uncover the new ideas that will help us serve Christ in a changing world.

So lets get digging!

Networking - so little time so many options

Have you noticed how many opportunities you have these days to network. Whether it is conferences or networking web sites, they seem to be popping up everywhere. How do you make these choices when your life is already too full?

Here are some tips worth considering:
1. In regards to networking web sites (linkedin.com, facebook.com, myspace.com), each one has a personality and a style. Join all three and watch how the features play out. You will probably find that one or two really fit you and how you operate. Then stick with that one instead of trying to manage 5-6 networking profiles successfully.

2. When looking at a potential conference, the first thing you should do is throw away the promotional materials they send you. There are many good conferences but you won't know it from the materials.

3. When you find a conference that looks interesting, find someone who has gone. Usually these conferences tend to focus on a certain type of person. Some attract CEO-level people and are most beneficial to them. Others attract workers who are dealing with very practical day-to-day issues. You need to know that so that you will understand what kind of networking can be accomplished.

4. The city where it's held is important. Are there other organizations/people you need to meet with in town? If so you can combine the event with other key meetings.

5. The keynote speakers are usually hyped significantly. Think about listening to something they have online via podcast. Or read something they have written. Decide whether hearing from them will help you in your specific ministry/function.

I hope these help you as you wade through the onslaught of networking opportunities.

Crowdsourcing Your Ministry

The concept of crowdsourcing can revolutionize our ministry initiatives. By looking to the crowds of people who interact with your ministry for new ideas and creative strategies, you can seriously expand your potential.

Many times when we are in need of new ideas we look to consultants or other vendors. There is nothing wrong with that for sure . . . outside vendors play a key role in innovation. But what we don't often consider is that the crowd of people around us might play a role as well.

What projects do you need a breakthrough in? What crowd of people might you mobilize today?

The conference you didn’t go to

This has happened to everyone! You open up a magazine and see an advertisement for yet another conference. As you scan the list of speakers and seminars, you get more and more excited. Then you see the details. Yes, its in Switzerland. Yes, the cost per attendee is huge. Yes, the only hotel you can stay at cost 150.00 per night. “Oh well, so much for that opportunity,” you say as you flip the page.

Well, this time the story will be different. I would like to introduce you to one of the premier conferences in the area of innovation. And the good news is that it is FREE! Well, better said, the conference is insanely expensive but all the content is uploaded to the internet for everyone afterwards.

TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a unique event that brings together innovators from these three areas to produce a very exciting event. The speakers are the top innovators and thinkers. This is a great opportunity for you to access some of the newest thinking and apply it to your ministry context.

I would recommend you start with these:
Hans Rosling brings life to data and helps us apply it practically - http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/view/id/90

Paul Bennett shares how to innovate with design –
http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/view/id/40

Jeff Bezos from Amazon talks about innovation online –
http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/view/id/101

Robin Chase, founder of Zipcar, shares about practical conservation –
http://www.ted.com/index.php/speakers/view/id/101

If you are reading this from somewhere in the world where high-speed Internet is not yet your reality, don’t worry. You can also get much of the concepts and ideas through the TED blog: http://blog.ted.com/ .

I hope this resource will help you engage with new ideas and apply them creatively to missions.

Today was a good day

Today was a good day. You know those days when the ideas flow, you get resolution and you feel like all that hard work is paying off.

Today was a good day. It was one of those moments when the idea I have been struggling with for weeks became clear. For no apparent reason, today it was like looking at a vivid picture with every detail.

Today was a good day. That ongoing discussion I have been having got resolved. I didn't even expect it to happen, but with one short meeting things fell into place.

Today was a good day. Those hours of detail work finally came to a close and I was able to move on to a new stage.

But I ask myself the question, "Why was today a good day?"

It was a good day because yesterday wasn't.

Yesterday my ideas were stuck in a hole so deep I couldn't even see them. I tried to dig for inspiration, but all I got were words and ideas flying around in my head.

Yesterday was full of conflict. People not agreeing, confusion, and miscommunication ruled the day.

Yesterday was the detail work that never seemed to end. It was all those little things that don't seem to matter but they do when you add them up.

Yesterday was not a good day.

But because I kept working yesterday, I arrived at today. Thank you God for the strength to survive the yesterdays and I pray for the humility to take advantge of today.

Innovation Highlight - A Media Combo

I have the privilege of introducing another innovator to you this week. He is working with Campus Crusade’s Family Life ministry in Australia. His name is Eric Skattebo.

Eric responded to the blog entry I wrote about Innovation Combos (the idea that we could create new innovations by combining various traditional ministries in new ways). Eric is working on a very promising media ministry combo that I think you will enjoy reading about. Take a moment to read what he sent in and feel free to connect with him through our facebook group.

RADIO AND WEB MINISTRY IDEAS - Eric Skattebo
How can a radio program, website and online follow-up ministry work together to form one cohesive evangelism strategy? Well, let’s start at the end and work backwards.

1.ONLINE FOLLOW-UP MINISTRY
TruthMedia is an example of a follow-up ministry that connects people who are seeking spiritual truth with Christian mentors who correspond with them. The ultimate aim is for them to lead non-Christians to the Lord and disciple new believers. This ministry is having wonderful success – leading 2,000 to 3,000 people to the Lord each month (or to rededicate their lives).

2. WEBSITES
But how do you get religious seekers to contact you in the first place? One way is to design “seeker sensitive” websites that can be found easily when “seekers” do web searches (on Google or Yahoo etc.). These websites provide information along the lines of “What is the purpose of life?,” “Does God exist?” or “What is truth?” etc.. “Seekers” come to these sites and are given opportunities to contact the site and be assigned a mentor.Another way is to design a website using the “Bridge Strategy.” Basically, this means that you select a topic that is of interest to non-Christians (like sports, movies or hobbies etc.) and you design a website around this topic. The topic becomes a “bridge” to spiritual content.On all of these websites, visitors are given opportunities to contact the website (i.e. “For Prayer, Click Here” or “Questions About God, Click Here” etc.).

3. RADIO PROGRAM
But how do people find your website besides finding it through a search or stumbling upon it? The answer is by making it known to as many people as possible (i.e. advertising or publicity). This can be done in a variety of ways: TV commercials, billboards, posters, T-shirts etc.One way of making a connection with people is by establishing a relationship with them through a radio program. Radio is unique in that it can provide companionship and have the listeners feel as if they “know” the hosts and guests. This “personal” medium, if done right, can earn the right to be heard on spiritual issues.Once again, a “Bridge Strategy” can be used to attract non-Christians and “bring them over” to spiritual content. Examples of “Bridges” being used are: teaching English as a second language, advice on family issues or finance and news/cultural insights.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
This can all be brought together by having a radio program that is designed to attract non-Christians (with topics like: family advice, movies, culture, cultural insights, human-interest stories, current events etc). This type of program would “bring listeners over” to spiritual topics (i.e. the “Bridge Strategy”).Listeners would be given ample opportunities to contact the program directly or go to its corresponding website. Once at the website, listeners would be able to find out more information on the topics covered and also spiritual information. The website would also provide opportunities to ask questions or make comments and interact with the program/website.Whether the listener contacts the program directly or goes to the website, they would be put into the follow-up program and contacted by a trained mentor. Thus, providing personalized contact. The Lord willing, this will result in a discipling relationship and another member of the Kingdom of God.The goal would be to have this program played on as many radio stations as possible and, thereby, expose the maximum amount of people to the spiritual content of the program, website and mentoring emails.

Is Innovation Inspired?

As we have been having innovation discussions with people around the country and around the world, one question keeps popping up and I think it is pretty important to think about it.

Here it is, "Is innovation mandated by God?" I think that the question has been asked for good reasons. Our society has put innovation on a pedestal and so many people who are looking at their ministry wonder whether God cares if we are innovative.

Innovation is a product of progress. As modernity took off on the wings of scientific discovery, innovation was heralded as the spark that made the whole enterprise possible. So we began to view innovators as a special group. We also began to put our hope and trust in them to solve some of the greatest problems that our generations faced. This is the context for innovation.

Now lets look at the Bible. What does God care about in relation to innovation?

God values effort: "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powefully works in me." Colossians 1:29

God values sacrifice: "Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more ito the treasury than all the others.'" Mark 12:43

God values perserverance: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

God values faith: "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." Hebrews 11:39-40

In the end innovation is a result - not a command. The more I see innovation within ministry, I see it being the result of people who are striving for Christ, perservering for the sake of the Gospel, sacrificing much and above all believing in the God of the universe and his plan for this world.

So don't look at your ministry and get discouraged if you don't see innovation. Instead, ask God to strengthen your heart, your determination, your understanding of His ways. Out of that will come innovation!

World's Most Innovative Companies

As we search for the innovations that will drive this century of mission work, we have to look everywhere. The next great missional idea might come from the most unlikely place - a business, a government program, a friend, a small group discussion.

So in the spirit of looking deep, you need to check out FastCompany's Fast 50. This is their list of the 50 most innovative companies. Just reading this list will give you many new ideas.

Enjoy!

Combo Meal Innovation

Many times people get the idea that innovation has to be a brand new idea that never existed before. We build up the innovator and imagine that without years tinkering in that garage, we could never create innovation in our work. That idea has kept many from understanding the true nature of innovation.

Holistic innovation is all about creative solutions to real problems. Sure it involves research and testing, but it can be quickly applied and lessons can be learned.

Another way to be creative as you innovate is to combine things. Sometimes a challenge in front of you doesn't need one brand new thing as much as it needs a few old things combined in a new way - an Innovation Combo Meal.

Let me give you an example from the organization I work with - HCJB Global. For many years HCJB Global had two key ministries - global radio and local healthcare. These ministries have done some exciting things and blessed thousands of people. However, for the majority of the last 75 years, these ministries operated seperately.

Recently, we have redefined our vision around an innovation. HCJB Global is combining media and healthcare in places like Africa to create more impact. This combo was a direct response to a challenge on the ground. As our partners started radio stations around the world with our help, they began to be the center of their community. Their role in information sharing, made them very influential. That influence brought the needy. People came from everywhere and many needed physical help. So our partners began to integrate healthcare services into their media work.

So as our partners began to innovate in this area, we also joined the effort. By integrating media and healthcare strategically, we are now finding many new ministry opportunities that we would have never had before.

Back to your work and ministry. As you look for ways to innovate in your context, think about some of the work you are involved in and how it might be combined to create new solutions and answers to new challenges!

What Innovators Love

On Valentines Day it only seems appropriate to write about love . . . however on an innovation blog it seems a bit out of place. So here are some things that innovators love:

• Innovators love change because it is a sign that they are having an impact.
• Innovators love people because through new relationships they expand their ability to find creative solutions.
• Innovators love dreams because every innovation starts with a dream.
• Innovators love risk (some more than others) because only when they take a big risk do they see the big rewards.
• Innovators love managers because it means there is someone to hand off their new gadget/gizmo/idea/process to.

What are some other things innovators love?

Using and Innovating

One of the misconceptions that I see out there about innovation is related to using innovation vs. creating it. Many people will take a new innovative tool, use it and claim that they have innovated. What they have done is very good and admirable, but it is not innovation.

For instance, our Communications team at HCJB Global was one of the early ministries to really embrace YouTube to share videos. That was a good move, but not an innovation. That was using someone else's innovation.

The key to innovation is that you have to take a challenge/opportunity and apply a creative solution. It gets messy because it can look many different ways.

Let me give you another example. While our early use of YouTube was not innovative, we soon realized that the true power of YouTube for a mission agency was not in showing videos from our YouTube Channel as much as it was creating a video repository for our many missionaries/staff to use.

Once we changed our strategy and began to feed video to dozens of blogs, web sites and email campaigns, our use of YouTube became innovative. We had a challenge: How do we help missionaries and departments share what is going on visually? We developed a new solution: Turn our YouTube videos into a repository designed to help missionaries and departments repurpose it for their own audiences.

So as you understand what true innovation is, take the opportunity to stretch your mind and use existing tools to create new solutions for the ministry challenges in front of you.

Innovation Highlight - A Missional Company

As a way of encouraging you and also sharing what God is doing, I want to take every opportunity to share innovations out there that will benefit missions. I met an innovator recently through our facebook group (take a minute to join if you haven't already).

JC became passionate about connecting with unreached people groups and sharing the Gospel. But the big question was, "How could he engage these people when many of them lived in restricted places?"

Like a good innovator, JC started where he was. He looked around and saw his parent's fiber processing business as a potential open door to some creative access countries. So then he began to dig deeper and see if fiber processing had potential in other parts of the world.

"I decided that for me and my family a great commission company was the best way to create that kind of a "portal vehicle". So I partnered with my parent's fiber processing business and have been training myself in how to be an "incarnational manager" . . . In the meantime, I have discovered that fiber processing is an "old world" concept that has been around for centuries and in and of itself is a great portal concept. It's a way to get into the heart of a culture if you're good at providing the resources they need for their craft or skill. It's been great developing this model here in the states and seeing how it works amongst my own people group."

Good innovators identify a problem, look around them at what resources they have available and then apply those resources to the problem. JC has found a creative way of doing this that could have significant impact for the Kingdom.

The next challenge for any innovator is to prototype the idea. Pray for JC as he is working towards launching fiber processing plants in areas where traditional missions is not an option.

Connect with JC and share your ideas on the "Innovation in Mission" facebook group or visit his websites:
- http://teote.wordpress.com/
- http://www.morningstarfiber.com/

The Courage to Ask the Question

So many times when we think about the challenges of innovation and creative thinking, we get focused on the brain power that is necessary or the creativity that will be required.

But what about the courage just to ask the question. Some of the questions that you have to ask if you are to innovate are scarry. They are revolutionary . . . silly . . . ridiculous . . . outlandish even. But that is how innovation happens - when you are brave enough to ask the questions no one else will ask.

In the Innovation in Mission book, Sam Chaing of TWR dared to ask the question, "How do we get Bible software to Chinese pastors?" When he first asked that question, it sounded impossible, but the asking was what opened the door to the innovative solution.

So what questions do you need to be asking today???

Innovation is a Discussion

We just launched a facebook group about the book Innovation in Mission and it has reminded me of one important lesson. Innovation is understood and celebrated through discussion. As I talk with the people signing up on the group, I am finding that they have so many great ideas and creative solutions.

It is exciting to see how God is using people to innovate. The other side to the discussion is the discouragement. Many times people get stuck in a rut or have a challenge so big they can't get their hands around it. These situations need discussions as well.

I think one of the most vital elements of innovation has to be the discussions where we share our ideas and our challenges and get others involved in helping us to find solutions.

Looking for Missions Podcasts?

If you are looking for some people who are using podcasting actively in missions, check out some of the links below:

- http://www.missionarytalks.com/
- http://mnnonline.org (Mission Network News)
- http://www.woh.org/podcast/ (Words of Hope)
- http://www.hutchcraft.com/podcasts.html (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)
- http://www.hcjb.org/missionalhands (podcast for Urbana 06)

YouTube 50

If anyone is really interested to see what missions is doing - there is no better place than YouTube. I run a Missions directory on YouTube and we just hit a milestone of logging 50 international ministries that are publishing videos.

Take a minute to check it out: http://ministrytube.blogspot.com!

The Goal of Innovation

In Philippians 3:14 Paul writes about pressing on towards the goal. To an innovator, this is a great passage. It speaks to all things INTENSE! You get this idea of someone straining against the weight of all their obstacles and crossing that finish line in an impressive style.

The challenge for all of you Type A innovators out there, is to keep reading in the verse. After the pressing and the pushing, Paul qualifies the context when he says, "to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

This last statement sounds noble, but what does it really mean? It is putting our victory in perspective. First of all, God is defining the goal. That means that God defines success not us. This is hard for innovators. We have an idea of what success is in our context and culture and we are driven to make that a reality. Whether that be an invention, a solution to a significant social issue or an idea explained, we want to set the rules about success. But that is a non-negotiable. God is clearly setting the goal line and defining the end of the race.

Secondly, the goal pales in comparison to our heavenward trajectory. Innovators are driven by the challenge of solving great challenges. We frame them in our minds and then we make them the ultimate goal and vision for our lives. But this verse is putting our earthly goals - even though they are defined by God - in perspective. They are really nothing compared with our ultimate goal of what we will experience and do in Heaven. That is exciting but probably a little frustrating for some innovators - they want to be about the big stuff now. We must learn patience and trust in greater measure!

What would a God-centered innovator look like? What would they do differently? How would you know that they were driven by God's great wisdom and direction? I'm sure you would see it in millions of little ways.

Thinking and Motivating

When you go to brainstorm with your teams, your first challenge is not the soft and hard thinking. Your first challenge is getting your team to the table. The key to a good brainstorming session is the attitude that your team comes to the table with. If they come with their guards up and a skeptical attitude you will not see the creative open discussion you are looking for.

So as you prepare for your brainstorming sessions, here are a few tips:
1. Meet with your team and give them the big picture outside of the brainstorming session
2. Establish an environment of participation by affirming that their input will count
3. Differentiate between good critical thinking and a negative critical attitude
4. Show a timeline and milestones that can show the pathway to success

A Thought About Thinking (Hard or Soft)

As we have been engaging in this idea of hard and soft thinking at our office, I have noticed what it can create. As you begin to think in different ways and talk about it, your thought pallette becomes a bit more discerning.

You become a consosure of ideas! What a thought. Essentially, the more thinking tools that you have on your belt, the more you develop the ability to discern between the many ideas that come your way.

For innovation this is critical. You can invest in every idea and be no better for it. Or you can shun all ideas and be stuck in the past. Both are bad. When you can discern between ideas and grab the good ones, you are on your way to some exciting innovations.

Maybe we need idea testers like we have taste testers at the fancy restaurants. Then, maybe that's what all of these bloggers and columnists are :)

Soft Thinking / Hard Thinking Part II

One of the misconceptions about soft thinking is that it is easy. How many of you roll your eyes at another all day strategy meeting where there is lots of talk and lunch is catered. We tend to think that the soft thinking is the easy part and the execution is the real work.

Now if you really think about it, you know that isn't true. But that is our perception. So how do we get to a place where we value the soft thinking? Well we need to ask ourselves a few questions:
1. How important is a creative approach to this problem?
2. Where are we going to get the ideas to execute?
3. Why isn't anyone else being innovative in this area?

In the end, soft thinking is as much a discipline as hard thinking. It just looks radically different. Discipline in the soft thinking is the structuring of the creative time, the transcribing of the ideas, the narrowing of the field, the analysis of the data in front of you.

So the next time you are called into an all day Strategic Meeting - look at it as an opportunity to discipline your soft thinking skills.

Innovation Meets Christmas

Holidays usually aren't about innovation. In fact it is the opposite - they are about tradition. They epitomize the way things have always been done and that is what we love about them. When I think of Christmas, I think of the bread my mom always makes or the certain Christmas music we always listen to. But in the midst of all of this tradition and nostalgia, there is room for innovation.

One of those areas really comes out in your stage of life. Depending on where we are in life - single, married without kids, surrounded by kids, empty-nesters or seniors - we will celebrate Christmas differently. We will take those traditions and apply them in new and creative ways to make them relevant and meaningful.

When I think about innovation in the context of Christmas, meaning is the word that resonates. I am always looking for new and creative ways to capture the meaning of what God did by sending His son. We do that with our children by celebrating Advent - which is a complex process of songs, stories, snacks, blowing out candles and placing that day's character on the advent calendar. It is further complicated by the turn taking and tracking that is required. But in that whole process we are finding new and innovative ways to share with them what this holiday is all about.

How are you innovating in your efforts to bring meaning to this season?

Hard Thinking / Soft Thinking

Today I gave a presentation about this topic and people seemed to respond very well to it. The idea is this . . .
Soft Thinking is the creative, macro-level, brainstorming that allows people to work on new ideas and be innovative.
Hard Thinking is the actionable and measurable thinking that gets a project done.

I think that we tend to glorify the one that comes easiest to us. Those people who are creative and big thinkers love to sit around and dream. Those who are practical doers love to get the job done well.

The challenge is that both things are critical. You have to have a dynamic integration of soft thinking and hard thinking to really create innovation. Because a genuinely new idea is no good without follow through and on the other side good follow through on a boring idea gets no traction.

Unfortunately, the leader of a project, department, or organization usually surrounds themselves with people who think like them instead of the opposite. So if a leader is a soft thinker they tend not to bring around them hard thinkers to help them make their ideas come about. Innovation in non-profits will only happen when we are thinking about how we think and pulling the right people together to be effective.

Overcoming Fear

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. - Marie Curie

We live in a time of fear. Whether it be identity theft, international terrorism or new technology . . . much of modern society is shrouded in fear.

Innovative solutions and ideas have an opportunity to break that shroud and to give people hope. What a great purpose to be about . . . casting out fear!

Innovation Doesn't Need Technology

If you have been reading this blog you will notice that many posts about innovation talk about new technology breakthroughs. If someone where looking online to understand the definition of innovation they might get the idea that if it didn't have 1's and 0's then it could not meet the criteria.

But that just ain't so! Innovation leans towards technology because our world has been digitized at so many levels. So what does an innovation look like that has nothing to do with technology?

Hmmmmm . . .

Another powerful are of innovation is in the study of ideas. Philosophers, theologians and the like come up with ideas that truely change the way we understand the world. These ideas might have to do with our epistemologies, worldviews, theologies or other key areas of study. Over the next few months I will try and highlight some of these innovations that are not focused or driven by modernity and the progress of technology. We will see how it turns out

YouTube, GodTube and the art of imitation

I didn't expect it but should have . . . soon after YouTube became very popular out came a Christian version www.GodTube.com. At first no one noticed . . . but as online video distribution has shot through the roof, it is getting some press and attention from the Christian audience.

This Spring I was speaking to a group of journalists on innovation and a Christian journalists asked me why we at HCJB Global weren't using GodTube instead of YouTube. More recently I have had people who question some of the advertised content chastize me for putting things on YouTube.

So where does a site like GodTube fit in to the innovation picture. Along came YouTube and did something incredible - they made video available to the masses in a viral form. This was a true innovation that has impacted many areas of our modern world. Of course now there are many other people who are doing it. YouTube has many competitors including GodTube. But is GodTube innovative? For the most part it looks and feels just like YouTube only with a lower quality experience.

So what is GodTube? Simply put it is marketing. When you have a tool that does the job and someone creates another tool that looks very much like it, the main purpose usually is to focus on one audience in specific. This is not bad at all . . . it is niched marketing. But it is not innovation.

So as you look to create a strategic plan for your video as a ministry, church or personally, what do you put where. It all comes down to audience. If you are looking for a strong evangelical audience go to GodTube. If you are looking for a general audience go to YouTube.

BUT beware . . . usually the audience specific products cannot afford to provide as good of service because they do not have the sheer numbers. So lets say your audience is Christians, you may still engage more of them through YouTube because they are looking for that high quality experience.

Now lets look at the flip side. Because the content is much more controled, if you are looking to market video content to young families, GodTube may be a much better bet because parents will not want their children potentially exposed to some of the negative material on YouTube.

Never let someone convince you that one tool is always better than another. Each has its place. So enjoy the new era of online video - the potential to innovatively deliver your message to people around the world is huge . . . but please think about your audience as you go about your delivery.

Everyone else is writing about facebook so . . .

It only seems right if you are writing a blog on innovation to talk about facebook. It is an amazing tool that connects people in exciting new ways. But I want to focus on how we use it and what is truely innovative.

Sometimes people think that just by using the "cool new tools" they are being innovative. The issue with that is this - if you are simply using the features and tools designed by someone else the way they envisioned them being used, you are enjoying their innovation - not making your own.

But, you can be innovative with someone else's tool. You just have to come up with a new way to use it that solves a key problem/ministry need.

For instance, when we started using YouTube at HCJB Global, the first few videos were very much just getting a feel for the tool. We were enjoying their innovation and how it could help us to share what God is doing.

But then we decided to get more creative. Instead of only using YouTube as a channel for viewing, we made it into a virtual repository focused on feeding video to our missionaries' blogs. That was an innovation. All of a sudden, the purpose of the video was not so much that it was on YouTube as it was feeding dozens of other sites of people who had no way to get their hands on video content or to make it available to their donors/family/friends.

As you look into using facebook, myspace, YouTube and the like here are some good steps:
1. Set up an account and emerse yourself in the tool - figure it out.
2. Understand the community and the culture it has created.
3. Look at your goals and objectives in your ministry.
4. Try and use those tools in creative ways to meet those objectives.
5. Have fun with it - someone can really tell when you are doing it because you have to or because you don't want to be left behind.

The Green Mom Challenge

Innovations can be very small things. They don't have to change the world - in fact the really good ones sometimes look very insignificant. But we have to realize that one small thing can begin a process that will change lives.

Mindy has just started a blog called The Green Mom Challenge. This is a great example. It's whole focus is on small things that mom's can do every day that will care for our planet. Who knows, maybe some innovations will sprout from those simple ideas!

Are you getting impact from the small innovations or are you lost in the big ideas?

How do you find innovation?

Everyone innovates differently. Each person is searching for answers and is defining solutions as they research and then prototype those ideas. Share how you innovate . . . scroll down and answer the poll on the left side of the page.

Innovation Requires Input

I am in Minneapolis this week conducting focus groups at a local university. Why are focus groups important?

Any time you try to innovate you need input. You need to understand what those you are trying to serve think. Innovation isn't just about someone going into a garage and coming out with an amazing new idea.

Innovation comes when you marry unique ideas with a laser focus on your audience.

How are you understanding those you serve today? Are you being proactive? Are you letting your audiences help you innovate?

Innovation from a Hospital Bed

So many times we try to be innovative sitting in our office chairs. We sit there . . . and we sit . . . and we sit some more. Somehow we are sure that if we sit long enough, talk fast enough, and think hard enough that the amazing ideas will flow.

Paul Bennett, a designer from Ideo, shares another perspective in this video. Here's how it goes - get out of your chair and get into the shoes of your audience. In this video he talks about design solutions for big problems. The thing that stood out to me and was so exciting was that they searched for solutions by becoming the recipient. So when asked to study the customer experience in a hospital, their staff layed in a hospital bed and videoed the ceiling!

What a concept. But innovation is proven when you get out of your chair and jump into the shoes of those who are in need of a solution. Watch the video and then think about how you can put yourself in the place of those who recieve your services or who give to your causes. How will that change how you communicate to them, connect with them, engage them?

Innovation on a Friday???

Fridays are tough. Its the end of the work week and we are all ready to move on to something else. Usually we have fought our battles, we have pushed through on deadines, we have made our presentations and we are ready for a rest.

But I think we are missing something. Friday is also a great INNOVATION DAY! Why is that? Well think about it. Friday is the culmination of a whole week's worth of lessons, ideas, failures, brainstroms, etc. It is the synthesis day when a new idea is very likely to come together.

In fact, because Friday is a bit more laid back there is even more of a chance it can be a condiut for innovation. Many people have casual dress on Fridays. Most people are feeling a bit more light hearted.

The tightly wound work world has taken a breath.

If you harness it, that moment can be a powerful force of innvation. At HCJB Global we have worked on this in our Communciations Team. On Fridays we do 2 things:
1. We hold our team meeting to review the week, brainstorm and plot out the next.
2. We have 2-3 hours of learning time every Friday Afternoon where everyone in the team is working on some sort of learning activity.

These two simple things are producing exciting results. We are coming up with new ideas and then are ready to use them as we jump into the next week.

So many people write off Friday's from a productivity standpoint, but if you position them right, they can be your main force for innovation!

Innovation Shrunk

In a recent Fast Company blog posting, they were talking about Walmart's announcement that they achieved their goal to sell 100 million energy-saving light bulbs. They did it with a bunch of fan fare - why? Very simple. Each bulb had a positive impact on the environment, and their ability to sell so many of them meant that they were creating real environmental impact.

You see, the small thing has huge impact on the larger ecosystem. That is the same in our organizations. By innovating in the smallest ways you can cause big change. Simply by changing the layout of the cubicles, redoing your office schedule, creating some innovative staff interactions, etc.

So don't be intimidated that innovation requires something as huge as the invention of the lightbulb - it can be as small as selling the environmentally friendly ones.

Innovation Insight

Recently I was at a conference where we did some team activities. One of the activities really shows impact of assumptions. The leader of the excercise gave four groups of four people a card with an assignment. All he said was, "Each of you represent an office and you must answer the question on your card." He also said that the team that finished fastest would get the largest bonus.

Each of the offices jumped into their task with excitement. But as each group looked at their cards, the question was not answerable - we didn't have all the information. But because we thought we were competing for bonuses, we did not even think to ask any other office.

Well, lesson learned, the answer to our question was on the card of another office and the same was true for each office. The lesson: any space at all (even only a few feet) creates seperation.

Innovation requires that we break down walls of seperation. This is hard because we put them up everywhere we go and we struggle to think about our world in collaboration. But that is the only way we can do innovative thinking in the nonprofit world. Because we lack resources of major corporations, we have to use the resources at our disposal - our networks, friendships, partners.

Sin Spurred Innovation

"Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'" - Mark 2:3-5 (NIV)

The people of Israel were amazed that something good could come out of Nazareth. The Disciples were amazed that the Holy Spirit came to the Gentiles. Today we are amazed when a Chinese pastor prays that we in the west will experience persecution.

Sin has some interesting side effects, doesn't it? We are all too familiar with the downward spiral of sin that traps people and claims their souls. But there are other side effects to sin as well.

In Mark 2, four men are confronted with the result of man's sinful nature - disease and sickness. Now I am not saying that this man sinned and was punished with sickness, but his sickness is itself a part of the fallen world.

As I was saying, these four men were confronted with this imperfection in their friend. They knew Jesus could do something but they could not reach him. They were too late. But then they got an idea. I can just imagine how this might go. One of them might have said, "There isn't anyone on the roof - lets go that way!" I'm sure one or two of them looked at him and laughed, but what the heck! So they put some of that first century math to work and figured out where Jesus was probably sitting. Maybe they cheated and looked into a window to get their bearing.

Either way, they got their friend to the Savior - they innovated in the face of sin's dramatic effect.

Sin can lead to innovation in our lives as well. As we come up against sin's evil results and ask "WHY?", we have a chance to look for a solution. We can look for another approach . . . another idea . . . another perspective that will break the power of sin and point back to Christ and His love.

One great example is CoventantEyes.com. Whoever spearheaded this service saw the aweful temptation of pornography on the internet. So they created this service called CoventantEyes that uses an innovative approach. The person who is concerned about the temptation of content online downloads a program and selects a few accountability partners. This program records every site the person goes to and sends it to the accountability partner. The email records which ones are considered concerning.

This is an amazing innovation in accountability in the Internet Age - a side effect of sin that is helping thousands.

When you come up to sin in your life, do you let it engulf you or do you innovate and apply God's strength and creativity to combatting it?

Innovation in Small Groups

I read an excerpt on ChristianityToday.com about a new innovation in small groups that Mike Lueken (Oak Hills Church in Folsom, CA) is developing.

They are creating what they call "One Thing" groups. These groups focus on a specific area that a set of people want to tackle and engage. The idea is that if you are trying to fix everything you will never get to any of them - so why not have groups developed around specific challenges.

This is so simple but it is a great example of holistic innovation. It takes an existing idea and rolls it out for a new purpose - spiritual formation and accountability.

When I talk with people, they usually have decided that innovation is something big that only the brainiacs can do . . . this is a great example of the fact that innovation can be done by anyone.

Enjoy innovating today.

Innovation is a Matter of Timing

We want to see innovation happen but then there was the issue of timing. It's a killer for a few reasons:

1. If you have urgent problems that you are seeking solutions for, innovation does not have time to work. You need a solution long before the innovation process can hope to succeed.
2. Innovation can take a long process, with the turnover in nonprofits today it is hard to keep an innovation champion in place long enough to see the results.
3. Sometimes the alignment of money and resources for innovation do not come when you need them. This means that you are delayed in your innovation for lack of funds.

The biggest issue is that we tend to put off solving hard problems. They are too big and we have other matters that seem more urgent. If we deal with problems through innovation with the proper lead time, there is a chance for the innovation to provide a solution. If not the timing of it all will get us every time

An Idea Deffered

In today's Fast Company Blog on Innovation they talk about how Corel, the software company, is helping people throughout the organization to share their ideas.

One of the most interesting things about this blog is the question "What is the cost of an idea deffered?" I think the cost is huge. Every time we say, "We don't have time to think it through." or "I don't know who to share this with." We are loosing out on an opportunity to share ideas, learn and innovate.

What is the cost of the deffering the idea you have in your head today?

Slipping through the cracks

Innovation is a very purposeful and intentional process. It involves research, soft thinking, hard thinking and follow-through. We are real good at talking in the nonprofit world, but follow-through is a bit tougher.

One of the great challenges is that our days slip away from us. They just disappear. We get wrapped up in all the daily activities of our children, our job responsibilities and our church and we don't leave time to innovate.

I think we sometimes just assume that the innovation will come to us in the shower and we will be instantly on the road to a solution.

I just did a podcast on the reality check of our disappearing day. Check it out.

Innovation through Suffering

Many times innovation comes out of suffering. We are presented with an insurmountable challenge and we look for solutions. Many times the challenges impact us very personally and it drives our creative juices. We are hit with a loss and we don't know what to do. So we take that frustration and sorrow and focus in "fixing it."

We are a culture that loves to fix things. We identify problems and throw all our energies towards the challenge. So many of the times the motivations for innovation are very personal. We are struggling with somethings in our heart and out of that pain comes innovation.

What are the things motivating your innovation today?

Your Chance to Review Innovation in Mission

As you read the Innovation in Mission book and interact with the concepts, we would love to have you review it. Here are a few places you can submit a review:

ReviewScout.co.uk

Amazon.com

Christianbook.com

We will look forward to your thoughts!

A Source for Innovation

One of the greatest sources for ideas on innovation comes from Fast Company Magazine. They also run a great BLOG on innovation. It is definitely worth bookmarking.

Brigada Promo

Check out what ran about our book in Brigada.org:

EXAMPLES OF INNOVATION IN MISSION -- Are you looking for inspiration in your ministry? Jim Reapsome (retired editor of EMQ) and Jon Hirst (Director of Communications at HCJB Global) have just launched a book that showcases the innovations of thirteen mission practitioners. Whether you want to learn about how TEAM launched e-learning, how Olive Technologies integrates business as mission, and how Link Care and YWAM are re-imagining member care in the developing world, these quick case studies provide a great workshop to help you innovate within your ministry context. Read more about the book at http://www.authenticbooks.com/search/isbn/1932805761 and http://www.innovationinmission.com

Innovation takes People

One of realities to the innovative success of Google, Mac, Pixar and others is a simple resource . . . people. Sometimes we are tempted to think that outsourcing our work or using a slimmed down staff can produce the same results.

But in the end, it is the creative dynamic and varied skills of a team that make innovation happen in the world today. It is different cultures, different cities, different personalities engaged in tackling the same problem.

In missions we don't use people resources very wisely. Many times if our staff raise their own support we fail to even count their time as a resource. That is a big mistake. Missions will not innovate until they start to look at their people resources strategically and invest in them wisely.

Drawing from Within

When you hear the word innovation you immediately think of new and creative things. That is natural - you wouldn't call an old idea "innovative." Or would you?

We are just getting over our facination with progress. It was the momentum that drove the 20th Century. But at the same time, it assumed that the "new" and the "next" were always better.

Now lets consider what is within us. I wonder if some of the most creative innovations are not ideas that already exist but are reimagined. Those ideas that have been ripening in us over time and then we pull it out of the back of our brain and apply it to a new challenge.

Many of the innovations in mission happening in the Global South seem to be things that the Apostle Paul did so effectively. When I was in a South Asian country recently, I spent some time with a ministry who is mobilizing hundreds of church planters and each one must get a business model approved. They are innovative because they have families to feed. But that's not new. The early church did plent of that.

Another example in the world of mission is online learning. Just like Paul's letters represented an informal style of learning, we are now using new communications tools to help teach missionary staff and hone their skills.

I wonder if a key characteristic of a mission innovator is to unite new opportunities with the wellspring of history and create relevant solutions. I think that it isn't so much about having something truely new as it is about having something truely engaging.

Review on www.davidmays.org

If you would like to see a missions mobilizer's take on the Innovation in Mission book click here.

It has some great pull out quotes from the book and gives you an overview. In one of his comments David says that it is a bit too in depth for the casual reader and a bit too general for the practitioner. Point taken, but consider that most people involved in missions today sit somewhere between the casual bystander and the expert. That is the person that will get the most out of this new resource.

Thanks for the review David and hope everyone enjoys his comments.

Book Review by EMQ

In the latest issue of EMQ (Evangelical Missions Quarterly) John Orme reviewed the Innovation in Mission book. Make sure to check it out! EMQ's web site is www.emqonline.com.

Business as Mission Highlighted

One of the chapters in our book was recently published as an article in Momentum Magazine. Joseph Vijayam's chapter on Kingdom Business can be viewed here.

Joseph does a great job in this chapter of helping create a healthy model of using business in conjunction with missions. He speaks often on this topic and runs a very successful business in Hyderbad, India. Check out what Joseph is doing at www.olivetech.com.

Review of Innovation in Mission

Be looking for a review of Innovation in Mission on www.davidmays.org.

Thanks David for reviewing the book!

A question to consider

What if you didn't live in a hyper-aggressive world focused on the next best thing? What if you didn't spend every second of every day fighting off the constant attack of messages and changes?

If that wasn't your life, then think about how you might answer this question:

"What would be innovative to you without any context or understanding of the word innovation?"

Defining Innovation

One of the biggest challenges in a world where innovation is used to describe almost everything, is to get beyond the clutter to a clear understanding of the word. One of the key publications talking about innovation is Fast Company and in one of their blogs they are talking about just this topic.

The concept is that innovation must lead to something "good" - that is defined loosely :). The concept is that if it is not good for the environment, if it doesn't inspire and move forward society, then it really isn't innovation, even if it is. Did you get that???

So can we moralize innovation or is it just what it is?

Check out the post and tell us what you think.

Innovation Books To Read

There are so many books on Innovation so it can be hard to pick. Here are some you can't miss:

Made to Stick

Making Innovation Work

Tipping Point

Blink

The Innovators Dilemma

Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators

Execution

Podcasting Prayer

A new innovation in sharing prayer time just launched in April. One Way Ministries launched a "prayercast." It is a mix of music and prayer that you can subscribe to and join in times of prayer.

Definitely a innovative application of the podcasting concept.

MissionalTube Directory

A Directory of Mission Agencies, Ministries and Missions Staff on YouTube

Mission Agencies and Ministries
Compassion International:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=CompassionIntl

HCJB Global:
http://www.youtube.com/hcjbglobal

International Teams:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=betolson
http://www.youtube.com/user/iteams

Jews for Jesus:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=jfjweb

Salvation Army Communications Bureau:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=CommmunicationBureau
SIM International:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=siminternational

SIM USA:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=SIMUSA

World Venture:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=WorldVenture

People in Ministry
George Verwer's Vlog:
http://www.youtube.com/nigelbarham

Communications Director from WEC International:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=1dickdavies

Director of IT/Marketing for Teen Mania Canada:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=davidwmeckmier

Salvation Army Staff:
http://www.youtube.com/artnickel

Christian Publishing Reaches Beyond Itself

Christians can get too comfortable communicating only with other Christians. We see this in the Christian publishing world, where books often target only Christians--even in places where the vast majority of readers are far removed from the church.

So, I'm excited about the upcoming Europe Publishing Forum, because the theme will be "Publishing for the General Market." This is the first time our training ministry has devoted an entire conference to this focus.

Some 50 Christian book and magazine publishers from East and Central workshop will gather April 25 to 29 in Austria to explore ways to get books with a Christian message into the general marketplace (http://www.littworld.org/).

We'd appreciate prayer that God will use this conference to equip and energize European Christian publishers to communicate Christian truth in compelling, winsome ways that "connect" with the unchurched reader.

John Maust - CEO of MAI and Innovation in Mission author
Chapter 5 - "Innovation in Training Writers and Publishers"

Church Marketing 101

In the Innovation in Mission book, we have a chapter dedicated to how churches and missions relate. Ellen Livingood - Catalyst Services - did a great job sharing how some new churches are looking at this dynamic.

One of the realities of innovation between churches and missions goes back to how the church views marketing and connecting with their community. In fact, I would say that if you understand a church's marketing strategy, you will understand their approach to missions even better.

Why is that????

Simple, if marketing is a dynamic part of a church, then they will be designing their missional focus around the felt needs and passions of the community. If marketing isn't even on the horizon, then they may be doing the same things they were doing years ago but without much interaction or buyin from their community.

So if marketing really drives how churches look at missions, then lets understand church marketing. And there is no better innovator in this area than Richard Reising. He has just come out with a new book - Church Marketing 101. Check it out and think critically about how it changes your missions relationship with your churches.

Courage + Obedience = Peace

As we take a serious look at innovation, we can't help but look long and hard at the courage of those who have followed Christ throughout the centuries. COURAGE is a big word that few of us live up to. In fact, we do more than not live up to it - we run from it. Courage is hard, it looks foolish and it looks very dangerous.

I have been studying one individual who is an excellent example of courage - Caleb. And as I have studied, I have found out that courage is just the beginning. Courage is not the end result but the launching pad to something much greater.

Take Caleb
Caleb showed great courage when he stood up to all of Israel and to the 10 spies who said that they should not go into the promised land. That courage was the glue that held him together as he wandered the desert with the other Israelites suffering for a crime he did not committ.

But here is the incredible thing - when he finally got into the promised land, he drew from that courage to do the thing that God had originally asked of him - to take Hebron and the giants that ruled that rich and fruitful place. His courage was what helped him to rely on God and be obedient.

So what is the result of this courage that leads to obedience? It is peace. Most people don't read on in Joshua, but in Chapter 20, God lays out a new concept - Cities of Refuge. These are places that you could go if you were framed or if you accidentally killed someone. These cities were places of justice and protection so that the tribal revenge killings would not spiral out of control. And guess which city was a City of Refuge. You guessed it - Hebron.

Caleb showed courage in the face of giants, followed up his courage with obedience to God's call to take Hebron and he was rewarded by the people of God who made his city a place of safety and justice.

Innovation Application
When we are striving to be innovative in our ministry settings, courage will always be required. Many times we see courageous innovators. The problem is many times that innovation is not followed by obedience - and so it dies.

Only when we courageously innovate and obediently serve will we find peace and rest in new ideas and new strategies that create significant Kingdom Impact.