In an earlier post, (February 19, 2024), I wrote, “To me, innovation is not an idea but a process. Innovation is not the introduction of a new idea. It is the ability to take the bold steps to bring that idea into reality. Everyone dreams, but few innovate.” Since then I have written four posts about innovators and opportunity seekers. Here is one more with steps to unleash the innovator in you and your church (organization).

Innovators usually break through the norms of the day and most often are criticized for it. This is a fact of life. When you are an innovator, you are reaching beyond what everyone else is doing. Innovations are implemented to improve something or to overcome an obstacle. Most people will talk and talk about an issue without ever attempting to overcome the obstacle. Then they will criticize someone (church) that is innovatively combating the issue and in many cases overcoming the obstacle.

Today’s innovations become the norm of the next decades. But how? How do you become an innovator especially with limited resources?

1, Pray! Our God is the God of all resources. You do not need the resources of the mega churches to be God’s fruitful source in your community. God has given you resources that you are likely not fully utilizing. Ask Him to guide you and your church in using them for his glory in his way. Pray for outside the box ideas.

2, Seek out the true strengths of your church. Do you have good cooks?, Is there a group in your church who have a passion for children and could volunteer within the school system in various ways. Do you have handymen in your church? Every church has strengths that can be used for God’s glory and fulfilling The Great Commission.

3, What are the needs in your community in which you are particularly gifted to assist? Here are three questions to ask, door to door, in the office of mayor, schools, police chief and others. 1) in your opinion what are the two greatest needs in our community? 2) How could a church help meet those needs? (do not use the name of your church, say “a church”) 3) How can we pray for you right now? – If they allow you to pray and give you a prayer request, follow up in 30 days saying, “You told us last month about______. We’ve been praying, how’s that going and how can we continue to pray?” This is where gospel conversations begin because you have demonstrated that you truly care.

4, Connect the dots of your strengths and the needs in the community. – They will connect. That’s God’s purpose for you and your community.

5, Brainstorm and work with your leaders and congregational groups to implement a course of action within your God-given means– even if it sounds far-fetched and has never been done before. Implement and follow up. That is innovation.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Walking across the church parking lot Sunday, a couple pulled in and the driver rolled down his window to say, “I’ve got something to talk to you about.” Pastors know this is not always a good sign. This one turned out to be great. Getting out of their vehicle, he handed me a piece of paper and said, “We didn’t want to steal your thunder, but let me show you what I did.”

He proceeded to show me that he had taken the Easter card our church was handing out, to a local advertising company and had them separate it into four specific events to create an electric billboard ad for each event we had scheduled for Easter.

He and his wife both repeated the statement, “We didn’t want to steal your thunder…” Steal my thunder? That’s not stealing anyone’s thunder. That is taking what God had given me as a business card idea and putting to use their God-given abilities to shine His light on a much bigger scale – billboard sized. I was thrilled and filled with joy!

If you’ve been around me much, or you have heard me speak, you have likely read or heard the statement, “Don’t copy models, capture principles.” I could also say, “Don’t be a copycat, be an innovator.” God is a creator, an innovator. When God created you, He created an innovator.

History repeats itself time and again revealing that spiritual innovators did not follow the rules of the day. We see it in fruitful churches today and we see it throughout history. Billy Graham filling stadiums worldwide, Jonathan Edwards regional revival, John Wesley outdoor preaching, Martin Luther getting the Word of God to the public, stating the common man was spiritually mature enough to read and discern the Word.

We see these innovators throughout history. Yet, none was quite the innovative as Jesus Christ. By the standards of the religious leaders, Jesus was a failure, because He failed to do things their way. Yet, this exactly what made Jesus a fruitful innovator. According to the religious leaders Jesus failed. According to God Jesus became the Savior of the world.

The world does not need another savior, we have one. What is needed is for you and me to become the innovators for which we were created. How do you become a spiritual innovator? Dare to be different. Follow God’s will for you and you will become an innovator.

God has given you gifts, talents and abilities to use for His glory. We are to develop and understand how to use those under the guidance and influence of His Word and His Holy Spirit. Not to fly off on our own, but to use His giftings to align with what He is doing around us. For some it might be a journey around the globe or across the street to share of God’s love. For others it might be something like a billboard. We are all called to be His billboard somewhere to all nations. Dare to be different, be God’s innovator.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Is it possible that many churches are declining because they do not believe they have what it takes to be fruitful? Two of the most heard reasons for churches fruitlessness is 1) “We don’t have any creative/innovative people.” and 2) “We don’t have the financial resources to…”

I believe and have written that I believe that every church has exactly what you need to reverse declining trends and to be the fruitful, productive church God created you to be. You may not have what the mega churches have, but you have exactly what you need to begin your turnaround. When your church is faithful at employing all that God has given you, God will add what you need as you grow and as you need it. And the glory will go to Him alone.

Think on this; where will God gain the most glory, from your church receiving a one-million-dollar inheritance from a now deceased, long time member, or from your church providing ministry out of your meager resources? God is the God of miracles. Yes, we would all like to receive that inheritance, but we know the greater satisfaction (in Christ) and the God moments happen when we allow God to demonstrate who He is in His power and His resources through our weakness and our meagerness.

If your church receives a million dollars, great! Let God multiply it like the lunch of a little boy to bless many more than a million. But the reality is most of our churches will never receive anything like that. This allows God to show up and shine through the church as only God can do as, Christ did with the one lunch of that small boy.

Stop fretting over what you don’t have, and start praising God for what you DO have, and ask Him to show you how to allow Him to shine through your church (the people) to a lost and dying world currently separated from God.

In Acts chapter 3, Peter tells the beggar, “Silver and Gold I have none, but what I do have, I give to you.” I believe Peter had no money on his person. If he had money and had given the man a couple dollars to get something to eat, would the outcome have been the same? Would the crippled beggar have been healed? No, he would have a couple bucks. He would not know the healing power of God.

Peter gave what he had, and it was more valuable than a million dollars. You have exactly what you need to be the fruitful, productive church God created you to be. Are you willing to give all to Him as He has given to you as an individual and as a church? Trust God and see what He will do with what you consider your meager portion.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

In the church as well as the corporate world, the fruitful or successful ones of the day are always the ones who sought change to move beyond an issue. People and organizations become fruitful by seeking better opportunities than a current issue is presenting.

Too often in churches (and other organizations) we talk and complain about the issues of the day. We look to blame outside sources over which we have no control. When we do this we are spending our time on the negative of the situation, not attempting to overcome the obstacle presented by the issue.

The leading (fruitful) churches of the day, like any other organization, have chosen to be opportunity seekers. These organizations have chosen not to dwell on the negative of the issue, but to seek opportunities to overcome the obstacles. We must become opportunity seekers, not problem dwellers.

Opportunity seeking organizations embrace needed change. Fruitful churches embrace needed change in their methodology without compromising the message of Christ. Not even one century ago most churches were community churches. Across much of our nation we can see the land dotted with church buildings looking much the same in structure. Back then with only ten families, you could fill a church of 100 plus. Many of those buildings now are empty buildings or housing less than thirty people on any Sunday.

From there with increased availability of transportation, we saw the rise of regional churches. The came mega churches. With the advancement of technology, we began seeing multi-site campuses and today even internet churches. Each of these have had their place in the history of God’s church. The leaders of many of these were innovators, thinkers, willing to seek God’s next opportunity. Some were copycats. Some made the fruitful change, some did not.

Copying models does not equate to success. “Do not copy models, capture principles.”

William Pollard is quoted as saying, “Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.”

Every innovation is a solution to an issue with an obstacle. Issues are not problems to be feared, but opportunities to be embraced. As culture changes around, let us embrace the opportunity to share God’s story in ways that are interesting and relevant to those we have been called to reach. What is your first step in overcoming an obstacle in front of you with an opportunity to rise above?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Good is the enemy of Great. When we settle for good, we never strive for the greatness for which we were created. With this being true, would not comfort be the enemy of success or fruitfulness?

In the life of any organization (church) when comfort sets in, we begin to settle for good, and our fruitfulness begins to wane. Even in the most fruitful of ministries we’ve seen this happen. Often without realizing it we put the organization (ministry) on autopilot.

Instead of continuing to push forward with the same drive that earlier produced the desired fruit, leaders and members alike become distracted. The guard of staying focused on the main thing (that which God has blessed) is dropped. The focus now becomes either; 1) multifaceted – trying to do many things with a mindset that one worked, how much greater can five produce? Or 2) We’ve had a great season of harvest, now let us rest for a season.

The issue with the first one is no one can be great at five or six different things. Good or mediocre maybe, but not great. Fruitful organizations (churches) maintain a focus on what is/will produce the best results. There may be a shifting in that focus from time to time, but not such a diversification that brings a loss of focus.

The issue with the second reason comes in not staying true to God’s calling. For instance, in the church when a church is truly pinpoint focused on God’s plan, the fruit being produced will continue growing and producing more fruit. God does not give until you burnout. God gives to bless. Burnout can only come when the organization has lost its focus and members or leaders are operating out of their own strength.

Do you have a personal and organizational focus? Are your mission and vision statements clear concise, and brief and in alignment with God’s desire and calling on your life? Answer these two questions to begin your journey back to a clearly focused pathway that only God can give, and He will bless your focus and grant you passion to be fruitful beyond your human limits.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

“Dan Junna and his wife, Elizabeth, met in high school while working in the drama club together. Fourteen years later they are married with a nine year old daughter. Dan and Elizabeth still love the theater and with their daughter have joined a local theatrical group as a family with the distinct intent of building relationships to honor Christ and introduce other thespians to the saving grace of His gospel. One husband and wife couple from the theatrical group has joined Dan and Elizabeth on two occasions for worship in the first two months since making their commitment to serve Christ in this fashion.”

Innovation: while some dictionaries define innovation as “a new idea, method, or device” I believe those definitions fall short of true innovation. Another definition found in dictionaries is, “Introducing something new.” Again, this falls short of true innovation. There are many dreamers who can introduce new ideas, but few bring those ideas to fruition.

To me, innovation is not an idea but a process. Innovation is not the introduction of a new idea. It is the ability to take the bold steps to bring that idea into reality. Everyone dreams, but few innovate.

Fruitful churches, ministries, and organizations have leaders and members who are driven with a passion to be innovative. The greatest of these have a spirit of “whatever it takes” to make it happen (in God’s design).

God is an innovator. He not only dreamed of an earth. He created the earth and everything on/in it and the heavenly bodies as well. He went beyond dreaming by making it happen. He created you and me, mankind in His image. That means we all have the ability to be innovators, not only dreamers.

The Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all people so that by all means I might save some.” (I Corinthians 9) To put Paul’s thoughts into today’s vernacular he was saying, “I went to Alabama football games with Alabama fans, and I went to Auburn games with Auburn fans with equal interest. I went to UK basketball games and cheered them on, and I went to UofL games and cheered them as well.” The Apostle Paul rode his Harley Davidson donkey with the other Harley Donkey riders. He hung out with people that many in today’s church would abhor.

Paul never compromised his faith or His message, God’s message. But he did not hide out in the church building either. Instead of saying, “We’ve never done it that way.” Paul set his sights on reaching people through whatever means and situation he found himself in.

Near the end of the book Turnaround Journey many of the 4C’s church members became innovators. Some joined bowling leagues or the local community theater with the intent of sharing Christ. And it happened. Others started sportsman outdoor and scrapbooking groups and much more with the intent of sharing Christ. And it all happened because the leadership decided to create a culture of innovators.

Do not settle for dreams when God, your Creator gave you the gift of being an innovator.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

The first paragraph is from Turnaround Journey, SonLight Publishing

Is your church focused on the already persuaded or on the pursuant? When churches become comfortable, they plan and program for the already persuaded, those who are already members of the church. We give names and descriptives to appear we are outward focused, yet with little reaching out to those pursuant to a relationship with God.

Many of these churches claim loudly that they are God’s New Testament church, yet their baptistries are filling only with dust. Things may appear stable when they are likely shrinking little by little each year. Perhaps stable in appearance, yet spiritually stagnant.

The New Testament church as we read about it in the book of Acts says God was “adding to their number daily those who were being saved.” If God added only one person per day for the next year to your congregation, how many more would you have? It is not a trick question, 365. That is four times the attendance most of our churches see on any given Sunday. This is something to get excited about. Do we even believe God can do this today?

When your church is focused on the already persuaded instead of those pursuant of a relationship with God, you are likely not seeing people come to faith in Christ, baptisms are not happening, and church life is more routine than God experiences. When this is happening in a church, the church has lost focus on those who are far from God.

Research has stated that when a person has been a member of a church for seven years it is likely they have no genuine relationships with lost people outside the realm of the church. Yes, we are to grow together in Christ, we are to have relationships in the church to encourage and to build one another up. Yet, the commission we have, The Great Commission, tells us to go “Go”, into a lost world, a world that does not know God.

Ask yourself and your church members these questions.

• How many conversations have you had this week with the intent to share about Christ?
• When was the last time you spoke about your faith story to someone other than a church member?
• Who are you building a relationship with so that you can gain their trust to share the gospel with?
• What are the names of the people far from God whom you prayed for today?

When your church begins praying and asking themselves this type of questions, God will change the church focus and bring lasting fruit in and through your church.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

It is February. Some consider it the Love month. If February is the love month, what do you do with your spouse the other eleven? Do we really need a special month acknowledging Love? I do not believe we need one. But then my wife and I do not celebrate Valentines, Day, Sweetest Day or any other Hallmark holiday. (I realize Hallmark did not create the holiday.) Isn’t love a year round 24/7 concept and practice?

In these United States we use the same word to show our enjoyment of a steak dinner as we use for our commitment to our spouse. We love good food, on a hot day we love a glass of cold lemonade or iced tea, we love our spouse, we love our cat, we love…it is the same word and often the same expression for all of the above. Have you considered whom you love deeply?

In the gospel of Mark, chapter two begins with a story of four men carrying their paralytic friend to Jesus. The house was so crowded they could not get in carrying their friend to see Jesus. But these men loved their friend so deeply, they climbed the stairs carrying him to the roof of the home and cut a hole in the roof large enough to lower their friend on his mat so that he would end up right in front of Jesus. Jesus did indeed heal the man.

Whom do you love enough to carry to Jesus? For whom would you go to such extremes to bring people to the Savior? Does your heart beat for those outside the family of God?

You can give chocolate candy, flowers, and Valentine’s Day cards if you so choose, but do you love deeply enough to share Jesus with those same people? What are you doing to aid in his/her spiritual walk?

The house that night was full to overflowing. Some were there out of curiosity, some were wanting to see a miracle. Others were hoping to prove Jesus was a phony. Out of that large crowd, at least four men got it. They understood who Jesus was and what He was capable of. Four men loved deeply enough to go to extremes to bring their friend, their loved one to the Savior. What would God have you do to bring your loved ones to the Savior? Whom to you love deeply enough…?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

It is common knowledge that in ministry we are to be Kingdom Focused. That kingdom being God’s Kingdom. Indeed, we study and preach the Bible. We attempt to live as the Bible teaches us, and as Christ demonstrated. That is Kingdom focused, right?

I would say, that depends. Do you consider the churches around you, even your own denomination, to be your allies or your competition? Do the members and leaders of your church see the successes (fruitfulness) of other churches as a victory for the Kingdom or as a threat to your church’s survival. When you hear of another church in your town having a great number of baptisms, do you rejoice with them, or do you think and perhaps verbally share, they must be preaching a “feel good gospel”?

I understand there are times when that may be true. Yet, I believe they are more rare than we expound. It is easier to downplay and even scorn the actions of others when they exceed those of our own church.

When you ride past another church that you know is only surviving with fewer people than your church, are your thoughts similar to, “I’m glad we’re not like them.” or “I’m glad we’re not that small.”? If so, have you not checked your kingdom focus at the door?

When we consider other churches as “the competition” or we piously hold our church as higher than another, we are indeed being something other than Kingdom focused. Should we not fear that God would remove our lampstand for such worldly thinking?  Being Kingdom focused is being totally concerned about His Kingdom not my kingdom. It is all about Jesus, not how big we can grow.

Jesus Himself in Luke 11:17 said, “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” It is enough that the world and worldly culture is against the Kingdom of God, we are to be unified for Christ and the Kingdom of God.

Four things you can do to be more Kingdom focused:

Ask God to remove any competitive Spirit that would keep you (your church) from being completely Kingdom focused.

Pray asking God to mold you and the leaders of your church to be more focused on what God is doing everywhere rather than in your own church.

Ask for God’s forgiveness for all times you may have allowed your kingdom to displace God’s Kingdom focus.

Pray for other churches in your area. As you pray for others, God will open your eyes to opportunities in serving Him. Your church will be blessed.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

This past Sunday (Jan. 21) we recognized Sanctity of Life Sunday. The phrase “sanctity of life” reflects the conviction that because people are made in God’s image, human life has an essential sacred attribute that should be protected and respected at all times. The very first chapter of the very first book of the Bible states in Genesis 1:26,

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

The sanctity of human life is not due to the fact that we are such wonderful and good beings. The only reason the sanctity of life applies to humanity is the fact that God created us in His image and set us apart from all other forms of life.

Although that image has indeed been marred by sin, His image is still present in humanity. We are like God, and that likeness means that human life is always to be treated with highest dignity and respect – from the moment of conception to the last breath on earth.

The sanctity of life should motivate us to combat all forms of evil and injustice that are perpetuated against human life. Abortion, violence, abuse, bullying, oppression, human trafficking, self-infliction, & many other evils are all violations of the sanctity of life.

On one social media platform I recently copied and posted a meme that read, “Satan’s strategy is simple…make sin look normal and make righteousness seem strange. Do not be deceived. Every single one of us is being transformed either into the image of Jesus or into the image of this world.”

One person took odds against that first statement and contested that sin is normal. I disagree. Sin is only normal to the unrepentant sinner. Sin is common, not normal. To believe that sin is normal is to say God is a sinner. I am created, WE are created in God’s image. God cannot sin. Therefore, since we are created in God’s image, sin cannot be normal. Sin is only common.

We are all sinners, as the person contesting the above statement also asserted. We live in a fallen world; therefore we are born of a fleshly body and we are all sinners. On that we agree. Yet, we do not need to stay there.

Satan is the one who makes sin look normal and wants you to believe it is. Yet, the Bible speaks clearly, the opposite. If one does not believe the Bible, even morality speaks against sin, because it hurts not only the sinner but others as well and causes others to fall believing “sin is normal”. Satan laughs and some will call it normal.

As another person commented on the same post, “Jesus welcomed all sinners. So, He could point out their sin and implore them to go and sin no more. He accepts sinners, but not sin. Sin is never justified by the fact that we all sin.” May we recognize and observe sanctity of life and not the sanctity of sin. God never sanctifies sin.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.