It was a county-seat first church — the largest United Methodist church in the growing university town. There had been a worship attendance plateau of 300 for about three years. The pastor knew the literature on the subject. If the plateau wasn't addressed, the trend would begin to move into a steady decline. What to do?

Britannica Online defines creativity as "the ability to make or otherwise bring into existence something new, whether a new solution to the problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object."

We who are called to discipleship by our Lord; we are called to serve a God and Lord who delights in creativity. In Genesis, our God hovers over the darkness and brings forth a new created order. In Judges, our God gives Gideon a military plan that vanquishes the militarily superior Midianites who had been oppressing the people of God. In Jesus, we find one whose creativity takes old teachings and remakes them to ring with new truth, who brings health out of illness, who brings the dead back to life, and whose cross and resurrection offer Spirit-filled living to each of us. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Revival, created a movement on he fly, so to speak, responding to the emerging needs of the movement as they came to light. Creativity is grounded in our understanding of God revealed in scripture and the risen Lord we meet every day. The gift of creativity is offered to the church and to every disciple of our Lord to build up his body.

Pastors and church leaders can enhance the creative process in two ways.

1. By blessing an idea that has potential for the creative solution to a problem the church faces. Without the blessing of the pastor or appropriate leadership, the potentially creative solutions generally die. In the case of the church attendance plateau above, the pastors and church leaders met to discuss the situation. A layperson suggested that we meet with a consultant to try to get some handles on the situation. Discussion ensued. It was agreed. A consultant with whom many were familiar was contacted. A consultation was set up and completed. The consultation led the church to add a third service featuring a rock band, video, and a casual format aimed at folks uninterested in the two traditional Sunday morning services already offered. The new service moved the church off the attendance plateau and onto a new stage in its mission and ministry.
2. By establishing parameters. This helps those involved in the process to have a clear idea of where to go in their creative wanderings. The parameters of exploration in the case of the church on the worship attendance plateau included the agreement on the use of a consultant, the name of the consultant to be used, a budget, and how the consultation process would be put into motion. Parameters were important for the successful resolution of the plateaued church.

The creative process is a process with deep roots in our United Methodist tradition, and it can serve us well!

Doug Cain is Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church, Natchitoches, Louisiana.