Emotional Creativity

Church of the Suncoast is a really creative place. Each week we try to enhance the message by using various forms of media and the arts. We are a new church start with a new church starts budget so we have to be even more creative at times. There are so many other places out there doing creative ministry well that I by no means fell like we are on top of it. A lot of it is trial and error. But one thing I have noticed is that if the creative element does not stir up some sort of emotion it is wasted time and energy. I was at a church recently where they had gone all out by transforming their stage into the theme for that series. It was done very well. I liked it. But, as our launch team de-briefed one person said that it was a lot of work and it really didn't add anything to the experience. As I thought about that it began to hit me that even though I liked it and thought it was "cool" as a pastor it didn't connect with the audience because there was no emotional connection there. Now please don't think I am saying we need to manipulate people into making all sorts of emotion-driven decesions. All I am saying is that if you have a tight budget like us and are sold on the idea that we need to be creative in everything we do then make it connect with the emotions. Make the element one that will engage them to laugh, cry, get angry, whatever. We tend to remember things attached to an emotional long after a 25 minute message. Try to get your main point across in a creative element that will stir the emotions of your people and see if they won't connect more with your services. After all we are given emotions by God for a reason. We need to feel alive. Help your message come alive by connecting on a emotional level with your creative elements.