A Resolution for 2026: Choosing Creativity as a Spiritual Practice
- Invite Welcome Connect
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
I am convinced that we are being called to remember and cultivate the power of our imagination and creativity as we build God’s church.
—Mary Foster Parmer, in Invite Welcome Connect: Stories and Tools to Transform Your Church Forward Movement
January has a way of nudging us toward promises. Some are quiet. Some are ambitious. Some last until the first hard week of the year. But every now and then, a resolution has the potential to reshape not just our habits, but our imagination.
As churches look toward 2026, perhaps the most faithful resolution we can make is this:to embrace creativity as a spiritual practice in our ministries of invitation, welcome, and connection.
Creativity is not decoration. It is not novelty for novelty’s sake. And it is certainly not a personality trait reserved for artists, designers, or “ideas people.” Creativity is woven into the very fabric of who we are as people made in the image of a creating God.
Creativity Begins with God
Scripture opens not with a rulebook, but with a poem of creation. God imagines, speaks, shapes, delights, and calls what emerges “good.” When we engage creativity in ministry, we are not inventing something foreign to the life of faith. We are remembering who God is and who we are created to be.
In the work of Invite Welcome Connect, creativity shows up whenever a congregation asks fresh questions:
What might hospitality look like here, with these people, in this moment?
How can we communicate belonging in ways that feel genuine rather than scripted?
Where is the Spirit already at work, inviting us to notice and respond?
Creativity is not about abandoning tradition. It is about allowing tradition to breathe.
Why Creativity Matters for Ministry Right Now
Many congregations feel stuck not because they lack faith, but because they are relying on inherited patterns that no longer connect. “We’ve always done it this way” can quietly become a barrier to welcome, especially for those who do not already know the unspoken rules of church life.
Creativity invites us to see our ministries through the eyes of newcomers and long-time members alike. It helps us notice where our practices communicate warmth and where they unintentionally communicate distance. It opens space for experimentation, learning, and holy risk.
Importantly, creativity gives permission to try something, reflect on it, and adapt, without labeling the effort a success or a failure. In ministry, that freedom is a gift.
Creativity Is a Practice, Not a Performance
One of the most persistent myths about creativity is that it requires brilliance. In reality, creativity grows through attention, curiosity, and willingness.
In congregational life, creativity might look like:
Reimagining how stories of faith are shared, not just from the pulpit, but across the community
Experimenting with new ways of inviting people into worship, small groups, or service
Designing moments of welcome that reflect the culture and context of your neighborhood
Listening deeply to what people are experiencing, then responding thoughtfully rather than reflexively
Creativity flourishes best in environments where people feel safe to offer ideas, where leadership values learning over perfection, and where collaboration replaces control.
A Creative Resolution for 2026
As the calendar turns, consider what it would mean for your congregation to make a collective resolution:
To notice where God is inviting something new
To approach ministry challenges with imagination rather than fear
To see creativity not as extra work, but as faithful attentiveness
To trust that the Spirit still delights in doing new things among God’s people
Creativity does not guarantee easy answers. But it does open us to possibility. And in a time when many are searching for meaning, belonging, and hope, that openness may be one of the most welcoming gifts the church can offer.
In 2026, may our ministries dare to imagine, experiment, and create, not for the sake of change itself, but for the sake of love made visible.
Creative Idea Generation for Invite Welcome Connect
Creative Idea Generation has always been central to Invite Welcome Connect. At workshops around the church, participants engage in free-wheeling sessions using multi-colored sticky notes to document ideas for improving their ministries of evangelism, hospitality, and belonging.
On our website, and in On Demand sessions, we offer the digital equivalent of sticky notes, with participants around the world sharing their ideas together in online forums. There are separate online spaces for ideas around Invite and Welcome and Connect. You can find that tool in the Free Resources section of or website, or below.
Invite Idea Collaboration Tool
Use this space to brainstorm and collaborate ideas around "Invite." Use the "Like" button to upvote your favorites, and use the "+" button to add your own. Want to see the board in its own window? Click here.
Welcome Idea Collaboration Tool
Use this space to brainstorm and collaborate ideas around "Welcome." Use the "Like" button to upvote your favorites, and use the "+" button to add your own. Want to see the board in its own window? Click here.
Connect Idea Collaboration Tool
Use this space to brainstorm and collaborate ideas around "Connect." Use the "Like" button to upvote your favorites, and use the "+" button to add your own. Want to see the board in its own window? Click here.
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