Mike 
Several months ago, my family went bowling. I’ve bowled occasionally since I was a kid, and as a result, I have a distinct recollection of bowling alleys. They were places where people came to bowl. Everything else, from the food to the decor, was unimpressive. As long as the lanes were maintained well, all was fine because the patrons were there to bowl. But on our recent outing, the script was flipped. The environment was clearly designed to attract people, regardless of their interest or aptitude for bowling. Even though the mechanism for clearing and setting the bowling pins was occasionally inaccurate, that didn’t seem to matter. The place was packed with customers having a good time.
What I experienced was a major innovation in an old form of entertainment. It caused me to wonder about innovation (or lack of) in churches and ministries. I know that the obstacles to innovation and change can seem insurmountable. So what can a ministry leader do to create an environment where innovation is possible?
- Clarify your purpose. The bowling alley had to decide if their purpose was entertainment or serious bowling. It’s obvious that they chose the former. When churches are clear that they exist for people outside their walls, they often find that they need to make changes in how they do ministry.
- Get out and explore. I could have read an article about changes in the bowling business, but my first-hand experience is what opened my eyes. In the same way, ministry innovation often begins when we get tangible glimpses of what is possible by seeing it in other places.
- Take others with you. If you’re the only one who has a vision for something new and different, the headwinds of resistance may be hard to overcome. So find ways for others to experience the same kinds of innovation that you’ve seen. Those “others” should include key leaders, including ones who are likely to cling to old forms of ministry.
- Try small experiments. Wholesale, sudden change in an established institution is often disastrous. It’s better to innovate on a small scale so that early successes can become the fuel for more innovation.
