Building Your Church Creative and Strategic Process
If there's anything that has helped me lead a creative ministry — and honestly, just ministry in general — it's understanding that an actual creative process is essential not just for graphic designers, social media managers, or worship teams, but for every ministry: kids, students, small groups, outreach — all of it.
Creativity isn't a "department." It's a way of thinking. It's the engine that drives innovation, problem-solving, engagement, and ultimately, effective ministry.
Over the years, I've developed a simple yet strategic process for creativity that aligns directly with The Working Genius model: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity. These six "geniuses" provide a beautiful roadmap for transforming a raw idea into a finished, executed plan.
This blog will walk you through it all — plus, I'll include some practical examples, meeting ideas, and bonus tools that I use to bring teams together and get things done.
Let's jump in.
Why a Creative & Strategic Process Matters
Too often, ministries either run on pure adrenaline, rushing from one event to the next, or they get stuck in "the way we've always done it." Without an intentional process, teams either:
Burn out and produce low-quality experiences, or
Settle into mediocrity and miss the opportunity for real growth and impact.
Your creative process needs to serve three main goals:
Ideation: Find fresh ideas.
Activation: Rally your team and resources.
Implementation: Execute with excellence.
With that in mind, here's the six-part Working Genius framework and how it applies to a well-developed Creative and Strategic process.
1. Wonder: The Space to Dream
Every good idea starts with asking great questions. This is the part where you stop doing, slow down, and think.
It's time to ask questions like:
What are the possibilities?
What could be better?
What problem are we actually trying to solve?
Pro Tip: One of my favorite "wonder" meetings pull together 5-6 people from different departments. We gather and ask three questions:
What should we NEVER do again? What should we ALWAYS do again? What should we RECONSIDER doing differently?
(Hint: They can't repeat each other's answers!)
This approach creates a broad, diverse perspective — and it gets you out of the "this is how we’ve always done it" trap.
Related Read: The Power of Asking Better Questions
2. Invention: Let the Ideas Fly
Now, it's time for true ideation. This is the blue-sky moment. Invention is where you throw out every idea — the good, the bad, and the crazy.
Give your brainstorming team some guidelines. By bringing the problems you uncovered in the Wonder phase, you can ask your team: "How might we solve these?"
Rules: No judgment. No filtering. No, "but we can't afford that." I believe that during a blue-sky brainstorm, no idea is a bad idea.
Tools: Whiteboards, Post-it notes & blank walls, markers — whatever gets people moving and dreaming.
Games: I love throwing in "Crazy Eights" at this stage! (Learn how to run a Crazy Eights session)
Key reminder: Provide context before the meeting — problems to solve, not just "let's brainstorm."
Related Resource: IDEO's Guide to Creative Ideation
3. Discernment: Make Strategic Decisions
This is where so many ministries skip and then pay the price later. Discernment is about taking all the ideas and asking:
Is this idea right for us?
Is it right for right now?
Can we realistically pull it off?
Pro Tip: Invite outside voices into this stage who have "nothing to lose" by challenging the idea.
One tool I love to use when discerning ideas is the I.C.E. Method, created by Sean Ellis at Growth Hackers. Rate each idea on a scale of 1-10 in three areas:
Impact: How big of an IMPACT will this have?
Confidence: How CONFIDENT are we that this will work?
Ease: What is the EASE to execute this idea?
Total the points. A "perfect idea" score will land close to 30.
My personal rule: anything under 24 points needs reconsideration and most likely not an idea to move forward with.
Related Resource: Sean Ellis Talks I.C.E.
Related Resource: Airfocus Breakdown of I.C.E. Method
4. Galvanizing: Rally the Team
Once you have your idea(s), it's not enough to know what to do. You have to get everyone moving in the same direction.
Cast vision.
Get people excited.
Assign clear responsibilities.
If you hear comments from your team like: "nobody told me" or "who made that decision," you missed this step. Galvanizing is so important. And missed way to often.
Bonus: Identify your natural "galvanizers" — those who can help spread vision and momentum within team
You can galvanize in different ways:
All-Staff Vision Meetings
Department Breakouts
One-on-Ones with Key Leaders
Whatever it looks like, make it intentional.
Related Resource: Storytelling Like Jesus - Vision Casting
Related Resource: Five Stages of Vision Casting by Stephen Blandino
Need support implementing your Creative & Strategic strategies?
Schedule a free discovery consultation today with Story & Stone!
We are here to help your church or organization grow and develop healthier processes.
5. Enablement: Build the Execution Team
Your enablers are the "yes" people. They aren't mindless; they are intentional helpers. They WANT to make the vision succeed.
Give them:
Clear tasks
Regular encouragement
Ongoing communication
Important: Don't just "cast vision" and walk away. Enablers need relational check-ins. Lunch, coffee, texts, quick hallway conversations.
Pro Tip: Build "small wins" into the process so enablers see visible progress and stay motivated.
Related Resource: A Fun Video on Teamwork
6. Tenacity: Finish Strong
Finally, it's time to get it done.
This is where your tenacious people shine. They want to work hard. They want to finish the project the right way.
How to support your Tenacity types:
Keep check-ins short, respectful, and focused. (15-minute standing meeting)
Ask: "How are YOU?" not "Did you finish the list yet?"
Trust them. Micromanaging kills tenacity energy fast.
"Trust but verify" works here — trust them to own it, but set clear timelines and deliverables upfront.
Related Resource: Some Encouragement on Building Leadership Tenacity
Bonus Section: Creative Meetings
A Few More Types I Love
Here are a few quick meeting structures to spark creativity:
Crazy Eights: Mentioned earlier. Rapid-fire sketching ideas = 8 ideas in 8 minutes. Crazy Eights is a favorite for creative teams.
Brainwriting: Instead of shouting ideas, everyone writes silently first. Great for introverts.
SCAMPER: A method to modify existing ideas (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other uses, Eliminate, Reverse).
Idea Market: Post all ideas around a room and "shop" the best ones.
Mix these into your Wonder and Invention phases to get fresh energy!
Final Thoughts: Why This Matters
When you build a real, creative, strategic process, you create:
Better events
Smarter ministry plans
Stronger teams
Healthier leadership culture
You stop flying by the seat of your pants. You start executing with intentionality and creativity. And let me tell you — your staff, your volunteers, and your congregation will FEEL the difference.
If you're ready to take your creative and strategic process to the next level, reach out to us at Story & Stone. We'd love to partner with you and help your team unlock its full potential.
Related Articles:
Stay creative.
Stay strategic.
And always…keep moving forward.
Need support implementing your Creative & Strategic strategies?
Schedule a free discovery consultation today with Story & Stone!
We are here to help your church or organization grow and develop healthier processes.