A presentation given to a group of nonprofit field workers needing to learn how to innovate in their area of focus. The day-long seminar was based on my book "Innovation in Mission" and helped give these field workers innovation tools they could apply in coming up with creative solutions.

1. 1
The Adventure in
Changing Plans
Opening doors to new ministry

2. 2
Session 1
A Context for Innovation

3. 3
“Worship is standing on our
tiptoes to see the kingdom”
Leonard Allen

4. 4
Seeing the Harvest
• The setting:
– Growth of the church in China
– Growth of Internet/computer usage
– Growth of urban churches
• The opportunity:
– Thousands of pastors/leaders to be trained
• The innovation:
– FirstLIGHT:
• Delayed-date pop-up (Day planner software)
• First text editor for Bible software in China
• First tool with integration of animation, text, music, pictures
• Bible software with concordance and ability to print

5. 5
It starts with courage . . .

6. 6
The Story of Caleb
• A journey through the desert
• The moment of truth/testing (Numbers 13)
• A voice of faith and conviction (Numbers
14:1-9)

7. 7
Courage + Obedience = Peace
• Caleb followed his courage with
obedience
• 40 years later he was just as focused
(Joshua 14)
• He took Hebron and the area and saw
God’s promises fulfilled (Joshua 20:7)

8. 8
Endurance Sees Solutions
• Courage confronts the problem
• Obedience does the hard work
• Peace is the result of a honorable
innovation
• WARNING: God’s solutions are different
than our solutions

9. 9
A Prayer of Vision

10. 10
Disturb us to Dream
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well
pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have
come true because we have dreamed too little,
when we arrive safely because we have sailed
too close to the shore.

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Disturb us to Thirst
Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of
things we possess, we have lost our thirst for
the waters of life; having fallen in love with
life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and
in our efforts to build a new earth, we have
allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.

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Disturb us to Venture
Disturb us, Lord to dare more boldly,
to venture on wider seas where storms will show
your mastery;
where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back the horizons of our
hopes;
and to push into the future in
strength, courage, hope, and love.
Sir Frances Drake

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What is Innovation?
• What it isn’t
• Technical meanings
• The cult of innovation
• Legitimate innovation:
– The combination of insight and invention
• Holistic Innovation
– Understanding the fundamentals
– Engaging in practical application

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Why do we need to innovate?
• The ministry landscape is constantly
changing.
• There are so many competing
ideas/concepts that we need
breakthroughs to make progress
• We live in an information saturated world
that forces us to modify our methods
regularly

15. 15
Why we need to innovate
• We live in a world of doubts and spend our
lives searching for those truths that are
certain.
“If a man will begin with certainties, he shall
end in doubts; but if he will be content to
begin with doubts he shall end in
certainties.”
Sir Francis Bacon

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Barriers to Innovation
• In nonprofits we have some significant
barriers:
– Barrier 1: Lack of value for our people
– Barrier 2: Dramatic swings in decision making
– Barrier 3: Capacity for risk
– Barrier 4: Suspicion of creativity
– Barrier 5: Transition in our funding models

17. 17
Overcoming Barriers
• Motivate people and lift them up: “God is not unjust; he will not forget
your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people
and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10
• Pursue godly wisdom and act on it: “Blessed is the man who finds
wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than
silver and yields better returns than gold.” Proverbs 3:13-14
• Trust God enough to risk failure: “Then Caleb silenced the people before
Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we
can certainly do it." Numbers 13:30
• Celebrate creativity: “Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have chosen
Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him
with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts-
to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set
stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.”
Exodus 31:1-5

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Activity 1
• Groups of 3-5
• Pick one barrier to discuss
• Answer these questions?
– How have you seen this barrier hinder
ministry?
– How did you respond to this barrier?
– Did you find the key to unlock it?

19. 19
Creating an atmosphere of
innovation
• A few basic tactics:
– Encourage new ideas
– Develop listening skills
– Hold staff meetings regularly
– Practice regular prayer
– Keep the main thing the main thing

20. 20
Innovative atmosphere cont.
• The roles of leaders
– Authentic
– Transparent
– Dynamic
– Value balance in life
– Value time away
– Patient leadership

21. 21
Are you positioned for
innovation?

22. 22
Session 2
Learning to Innovate

23. 23
Opening Our Eyes

24. 24
Millions of People
• Every day we see people . . .
– At the grocery store
– On the roads
– At work
– In our neighborhoods

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What do you really see?
• What do these people really look like?
– Obstacles on the road
– Overly needy neighbors
– Objects with a function

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Our First Reaction
• Is to take a person and turn them into an
object . . .
– To meet my needs
– To complete a task
– To get out of my way
– To give me my sandwich

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An Example
• How did the people suffering in Kenya’s
political unrest really look to you?

28. 28
The Change
• When someone moves from an object to a
person in your mind . . . Everything
changes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSdP6PqsbJY

29. 29
The Change
• Sarah Groves probably looked at people
suffering in Africa as objects before she
went
• But when she . . .
– Heard their dreams
– Saw them sacrifice
– Saw their passion
• They changed from objects to people

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Closer to Home
• Is this something we struggle with in our
ministry?
• When you start your day, how do you see
people?

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How did Jesus See People?
• Mark 7:24-30
• Jesus saw this Gentile as a person
• He took time to interact
• He took time to heal her daughter

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The Difference
• When objects become people we . . .
– Stop thinking so much about ourselves
– Smile more
– See opportunities
– Deal with tough issues compassionately

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People Open Doors
• Objects produce . . .
– Products
– Systems
• People produce . . .
– Innovation
– Vision
– Impact

34. 34
Tools for Innovation
What tool will you use when you
come up to a new door?

35. 35
Soft Thinking – Hard Thinking

36. 36
Thinking is Important
• We live in a knowledge economy
• We buy, sell and trade ideas
– Take the example of this conference:
• Idea Bazaar
• You see people sharing ideas, bartering for information,
trading concepts
• But the question we will address this morning is
this: “Are there different kinds of thinking?”
• The DANGER: We need to move beyond black
and white with these ideas. We also need to
realize that every kind of thinking has its place

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Soft Thinking
“Make no little plans; they have no magic to
stir men's blood...Make big plans, aim high
in hope and work.”
Daniel H. Burnham

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What is Soft Thinking?
• It is unclear, undefined, open-ended
• It is changing, morphing
• It is searching, discovering and learning

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What do you use Soft Thinking for?
• Innovation
• Exploration
• Creativity
• Vision

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Requirements on us as people
• High level of Ambiguity
• A creative perspective
• A drive to find new solutions
• Enjoys the journey

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Value to the Process
• Explores new areas
• Finds creative ways to look at old problems
• Identifies new challenges early on
• Floods the environment with new ideas
“Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never
regains its original dimensions.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes

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Hard Thinking
“Unless commitment is made, there are only
promises and hopes... but no plans.”
Peter Drucker

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What is Hard Thinking
• It is specific
• It is solution-focused
• It is measurable
• It is actionable

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What do you use
Hard Thinking for?
• Planning
• Management
• Measurement
• Execution
• Evaluation

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Requirements on us as people
• A decisive nature
• Ability to act quickly
• Ability to analyze information
• Follow marching orders effectively

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Value to the process
• Drives ideas into action items
• Measures results and makes judgments
• Helps me know what to do today
• Breaks down complex ideas into
manageable chunks

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Activity 2
• Situation: You are brainstorming about
how to reach out at the Beijing Olympics
– Side 1: Based on the shape on your page,
finish the drawing showing an Olympic
ministry activity
– Side 2: Write down five facts about this
ministry activity

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A Time and A Place
• The greatest challenge is to use these two
types of thinking at the right times.
• Many soft thinking brainstorm sessions
have been ruined by hard thinking
• Many key planning meetings have been
ruined by soft thinking.
• Define setting use vocabulary

49. 49
Mastering Assumptions
Using Brainstorming

50. 50
“To acquire knowledge, one must
study; but to acquire wisdom, one
must observe.”
Marilyn vos Savant

51. 51
Thin Slicing
“Thin-slicing is not an exotic gift. It is a central part
of what it means to be human. We thin-slice
whenever we meet a new person or have to
make sense of something quickly or encounter a
novel situation. We thin-slice because we have
to . . . Lots of situations where careful attention
to the details of a very thin-slice, even for no
more than a second or two, can tell us an awful
lot.”
Malcolm Gladwell (Blink, 43-44)

52. 52
Utilizing Brainstorming
• A safe place to consider anything
• A group of people with different
perspectives
• A creative time for soft thinking
• A baseline of ideas to consider when hard
thinking

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Asking Questions
• Reframing questions in new ways
• Asking hard questions
• Asking questions repeatedly
– Imagine the world when . . .
– How would we handle . . .
• Asking questions of different people
– Pull out ideas from shy team members
– Manage the most talkative members

54. 54
Actionable Thinking
– Once you have had the creative time . . . don’t stop!
– Take new ideas and put them through an actionable
process
– Such as:
• Is anyone else doing this?
• What resources would it take to accomplish?
• What relationships do we have that would make this
happen?
• What would be the first steps to launching this?
• How many people should we involve?
– If you don’t move to actionable thinking (hard thinking)
soon after the brainstorming you loose the freshness
of the idea and the creativity is not applied.

55. 55
Circular Thinking

56. 56
Mind Traps
• We are so involved in a situation that we
can’t let go of certain information
• We put up walls that only exist in our
context and then try to force new ideas
around those walls

57. 57
Kingdoms to Protect
• Old solutions are owned and protected
• Failures are remembered
• Limit the new ideas to be considered

58. 58
Example:
How do we get
New donors?
Old connections
are disappearing
We can’t afford
To get new donors
New ways
Cost
Too much
We don’t have the money
Because we don’t have new donors
Break the Cycle

59. 59
Activity 3
The Problem
Mind Trap 1
Mind Trap 4
Mind Trap 2
Mind Trap 3

60. 60
Intuition/Data/Tools
A Balancing Act

61. 61
Intuition Person
• Knows what needs to happen but not why
• Relies on gut instinct
• Comes to conclusions and then works
backwards to rationale
• Example: Intuition says that China’s
wealth is increasing exponentially.

62. 62
Data Person
• Knows all the information about the problem but
not what to do with it
• Sees valuable information in data
• Enjoys the detail and nuance
• Example: Data person finds:
“The projected wealth of China in 2015 could mean it
producing 27% of all the wealth in the world, if the
economic trends established between 1975 and 2002
continue for another 13 years.”
Source: worldmapper.org

63. 63
Tools Person
• Knows how to put something in action but
not the rationale
• Likes to organize information
• Likes to get things done
• Example: A tool person develops this:

64. 64
Territory size shows the proportion of worldwide Gross Domestic Product
measured in US$ equalised for purchasing power parity to be produced
there in 2015. (http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=164)

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Bringing Them Together
• Everyone has a tendency to appreciate
one of these three more
• We need intuition to know where to dig
• We need data to know our subject deeply
• We need tools to create action
Integration in Action – Hans Rosling

66. 66
Listening is Key
• If an idea is good enough it will withstand
outside input
• Input from those who will use your idea is critical
• Focus Groups
• Surveys
• Refine the ideas before they go any further
• Catch significant holes or areas where there is
no felt need

67. 67
Do you listen?
• Do you ask questions and listen to the
answers?
• Do you focus on people and their ideas in
meetings?
• Do you seek to understand what your
audience is thinking/feeling?

68. 68
Session 3
Understanding Your Idea

69. 69
Clarity vs. Certainty

70. 70
“The significant problems we
have cannot be solved at the
same level of thinking with which
we created them.”
Albert Einstein

71. 71
“Clarity of mind means clarity of
passion, too; this is why a great
and clear mind loves ardently and
sees distinctly what it loves.”
Blaise Pascal

72. 72
Incarnation of an Idea

73. 73
The Origin of the Idea
• Where do ideas come from?
– How we answer this question says much about how
we view inspiration and innovation.
1. If you are a behaviorist, an idea is formed out
of our response to our circumstances.
2. If you are a modernist, an idea is formed
through a process of reason of which we are
all capable.
3. If you are a mystic, an idea is formed through
the convergence of spirits and based on your
ability to connect to a deeper self.

74. 74
Idea formation in faith
• Defining Incarnation:
– “As a biblical teaching, incarnation refers to the affirmation that
God, in one of the modes of His existence as Trinity and without
in any way ceasing to be the one God, has revealed Himself to
humanity for its salvation by becoming human. Jesus, the Man
from Nazareth, is the incarnate Word or Son of God, the focus of
the God-human encounter. As the God-Man, He mediates God
to humans; as the Man-God, He represents humans to God. By
faith-union with Him, men and women, as adopted children of
God, participate in His filial relation to God as Father. (Holman
Bible Dictionary)
• Incarnational ideas are:
– God breathed
– Let loose on the world through humanity
– Our task to take action in obedience

75. 75
Key Verses
• Psalms 139:2-4
• Psalms 94:11
• 1 Corinthians 2:11-13

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Steps in Incarnational Thinking
• Visioning (1 Chronicles 28:9)
– God gave David the design
– Some believe that it is the predecessor to
Greek Architecture
– David passed it on to Solomon

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Steps in Incarnational Thinking
• Launching (1 Kings 8:17-19)
– God brought the temple about in a way David
did not expect
– David was obedient to the incarnational idea
within him

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Steps in Incarnational Thinking
• Reaffirming (Ezra 3:10)
– Key Question: As you seek God’s will in your
life, are you considering the source of your
idea? Can you discipline your heart to search
for the incarnational ideas and cling to them?

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I have an innovative idea!
NOW WHAT??

80. 80
Understanding the Opportunity
• What has brought about this opportunity?
• How long will this door be open?
• What people/governments/organizations
have a stake in this opportunity?
• What makes you uniquely equipped to
walk through this door?
• Example: Indonesia Radio Planter
engaging his audience

81. 81
Understanding the Challenges
• Every opportunity has its nemesis
• Define the locks and barriers:
– Are they cultural?
– Are they a lack of resources?
– Are they political?
– Are they organizational?
– Are they personal?
• Example: Winning the heart of those
bus/taxi drivers

82. 82
Understanding the Audience
• Who is on the other side of this door?
• What do they eat, wear, dream?
• How will they perceive the opportunity?
• More importantly, how will they perceive
someone who walks through that door?
• How will this opportunity allow you into the
lives of the people you are trying to reach?
• Example: The potential of winning fuel
was a stronger incentive than anything
else

83. 83
The Results
• How will you define success?
• What milestones will help you know if your
innovation is on target?
• What is your threshold for risk?
• Example: New listeners and new followers
of Christ

84. 84
SWOT Analysis
Relationship
with
Innovators
Inspire
Ministry Staff
No Prior
Published
Works
Not
Marketable

85. 85
Stories and Lessons
• Problem: Who wants to watch that old
ministry video?
• Urgency: We need to engage new
audiences with our message
• Innovation: YouTube
• Holistic Innovation: Ministry YouTube
Page as a distribution mechanism for
global distributed staff

86. 86

87. 87

88. 88

89. 89

90. 90
Session 4
Pathways to Solutions

91. 91
Key Mindsets
• John Naisbitt outlines some key mindsets:
– While many things change, most things
remain constant
– The future is embedded in the present
– Focus on the score of the game
– Understand how powerful it is not to have to
be right
– See the future as a picture puzzle

92. 92
Key Mindsets cont.
• Don’t get so far ahead of the parade that
people don’t know you’re in it
• Resistance to change falls if benefits are
real
• Things that we expect to happen always
happen more slowly
• You don’t get results by solving problems
but by exploiting opportunities
• Don’t forget the ecology of technology

93. 93
Key Trends in Missions
• Small is the New Big
• Declaring and Demonstrating Christ
• God’s Global Talent Pool Shines Brightly
• Sustainability is Understood
• Reengaging the Church/Mission
relationship

94. 94
Learning Together
• The garage inventor unveiled . . .
– They had help
– They had friends
– They had inspiration
– They had accountability
• Find people to learn with
– Learning groups
– Conferences
– Co-workers

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Holistic Innovation
• Holistic Innovation
– Value Conceptual Innovation
– Value Pragmatic Innovation
– Unite them in Holistic Innovation

96. 96
Rapid Prototyping
• Rapid Prototyping
– Don’t think forever
– Don’t act without thinking
– Think clearly and act quickly
• Rapid Prototyping Provides:
– Quick validation of an idea
– Flexibility of budget
– Information on what needs to change
– Results to share with management

97. 97
Example of Holistic Innovation
• Security Model for Communications

98. 98
Make Action Accountable
• Motivations
• Rollout
• Results

99. 99
Innovation in Content
Management
An Example of Innovation

100. 100
Step 1
• Confirm the your organizational
commitment to developing a foundation
for your content:
• Is your organization committed at the:
– Core Value Level
– Admin Asset Level
– Outsource Dependent Level
– No Buy-in Level

101. 101
Step 2
• Invest in understanding how your
audiences use content:
– Survey Users
– How much customization do they want?
– What formats do they prefer?
– What intellectual property is most valued by
your users?
– How do they use your content practically?

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Step 3
• Creating a Content Inventory:
– Helps make strategic decisions based on
what you have.
– Provides content developers with guidelines.
– Provides Litmus Test for content partnerships
and investment decisions.

103. 103
Step 4
• Defining Your Foundation:
– You must select a standard
– You must make decisions about the tools that
you will use to develop, manage and present
your content

104. 104
Step 5
• Develop a prototype (Rapid Prototype
Development):
– Test your foundation
– Gain momentum and tackle greatest need
– Begin your repurposing strategy with a
flagship concept
– Test possible technology tools
– Small wins are important!

105. 105
Step 6
• Define Strategy Documentation and
Requirements:
– Utilize reaction to prototype to solidify and
finalize your repurposing strategy.
– Decide on content formats and the tools you
will use to manage and deliver content.
– Make final changes to your Content Strategy.

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Step 7
• Develop your documentation and RFP
– Specify functionality set
– Develop easy to understand Use Cases
– Develop a clear startup budget
– Develop a clear annual program budget

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Step 8
• Create Data Conversion and Content
Development Strategy:
– Go back to your content inventory
– Plan out what it will take to move your content
into the form necessary to launch your
strategy
– Prioritize your content

108. 108
Internal Marketing
• The launch/marketing/change
management strategies are critical to
adoption and success.
– Utilizing Innovators
– Equipping Early Majority to educate the Late
Majority

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The End Result

110. 110
“Surely every medicine is an innovation; and he
that will not apply new remedies, must expect
new evils; for time is the greatest innovator; and
if time of course alter things to the worse, and
wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the
better, what shall be the end?”
Sir Francis Bacon, Of Innovation

111. 111
Limited Good / Scarcity Mentality
• We have been trained to see limited good
• Scarcity based on our personal limitations
• God is not limited
• Our identity in Christ allows us to think
much bigger

112. 112
Unleashing Innovation
• Starts with our identity in Christ (John
15:4-5)
• Understanding our role in the incarnation
of ideas
• Courage
• Obedience
• Peace in God’s Results

113. 113
What idea will God entrust you with?