God is the ultimate innovator and we are created in His image to see
through His eyes as we carry the Gospel to an ever-changing world.
Many books promise the secrets of success to help businesses and
ministries improve. But few capture the true purpose. We innovate to
glorify God.
Innovating is not simply coming up with ideas—that is creativity. It
is not just bringing those ideas to life—the act of invention.
Innovation is creating new value. It is making something new
that people want or helps them in some way. Innovation is both
creativity and invention applied in the right direction.
In this book, you will learn seven perspectives of a ministry
innovator. We will explore being a kingdom builder, philosopher,
beginner, storyteller, culture maker, host, and learner. These
perspectives are foundational to understanding and effectively
practicing innovation. This book is all about the way we see.
Green Sky is the title because we typically think of the
sky as blue and the land as green. But if the foundation we stand on
is in heaven, then our point of view should be upside down as we look
at the world from God’s perspective and with His vision.
My goal is not to give you magical solutions that will solve your
ministry’s problems and guarantee success. Rather, my desire is to
shape you into the kind of innovator who can create innovative
solutions for yourself and others. By embracing these perspectives, we
can grow the strength of the Church in the area of innovation so we
can spread the Gospel in new ways.
Ministry is the highest application of innovation because we have the
most valuable message for the world. Creating new value around the
Gospel means making better and easier ways for people to encounter the
Good News and embrace it. Ministry innovation is the practical work of
making disciples of all nations as Jesus commanded.
Ministry innovation is the practical work of making disciples of all
nations.
Innovation might not be new, but new skills are needed. When Solomon
was preparing to build the Lord’s temple, he wrote to the king of Tyre
for help. There were many things Solomon needed, including the timber
to construct the temple. But the first thing he asked for was someone
skilled (2 Chronicles 2:7).
In the letter that King Hiram wrote back he said, “I have sent a
skilled man, who has understanding, . . . He is trained to work in
gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and
crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and
execute any design that may be assigned him with your craftsman” (2
Chronicles 2:13–14). The Bible says this man “was full of wisdom,
understanding, and skill” (1 Kings 7:14).
Because Solomon was wise, he recognized how great the task was in
front of him and knew he needed help. He needed an innovator skilled
in many areas to direct the work and practically carry it out.
The temple was a physical building—“a house for the name of the Lord”
(2 Chronicles 2:4) —where the people of Israel would make their
offerings. Innovating that building was an act of worship and a
testimony of the Lord’s fame to the world. Today we live in a new
reality. Every believer is a temple who bears the name of the Lord to
the world (1 Corinthians 6:19). We as the Body of Christ testify to
the great message of redemption and victory Jesus won for us on the
cross.
The Church around us needs innovators as much as Solomon once did. The
tools of our trade are different—no longer the hard skills of metal
work, dyes, and engraving needed for physical buildings. Now we need
the soft skills of kingdom building, storytelling, learning, and
culture-making. We need the seven perspectives described in this book
and probably many more as our work continues to grow and change.
Solomon’s craftsman applied his skills to construct a physical temple,
but today we build into the people, processes, and projects that carry
the Gospel to a waiting world. We build the Body of Christ and invite
all who do not yet know Jesus to join us in God’s kingdom.
Innovation is the natural result of reflecting God’s infinite
creativity and sharing in His tireless pursuit of the lost.While our
calling has not changed, the world around us looks different every
day. Navigating it with excellence requires Spirit-led understanding
and a willingness to change and improve our methods.
My prayer is that we will be people who are skilled, wise, and
ready—innovators who answer the call to build God’s Church.
