Steve Jobs on Innovation: Churches pay close attention.

The church is all about innovation. We know that the life changing message of Jesus Christ does not change. However, the method in delivering that message changes with time and culture. (Look at the teaching style of Jesus!) Changing the method or methodology requires great creativity or one would say innovation. In my opinion Apple is the master when it comes to this! From a new Interview with Steve Jobs in Businessweek:

Q: How do you systematize innovation?

A: The system is that there is no system. That doesn't mean we don't have process. Apple is a very disciplined company, and we have great processes. But that's not what it's about. Process makes you more efficient. But innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we've been thinking about a problem. It's ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea. And it comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don't get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We're always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important. Right on Steve! Did you get that? You must say NO… not once, but thousands of times. This will prevent you from doing too much or the wrong thing. I know this is overused but I am going to use it anyway. “Say no to the good things, so you can say yes to the great things.” –Jim Collins, Good to Great. A great resource on this topic is Ed's Leadership Uncensored entitled “It’s The Weekend Stupid!” I highly recommend downloading the mp3. Also, another awesome resource on relevant environments and changing your methodology but not Theology is a talk from Andy Stanley. Link>