Ripples of Creativity

Have you noticed how creative ideas and events inspire other innovations? And the more you pay attention, the more you see? We have! And we’re excited to make it an intentional practice that spreads the joy far and wide. 

Ripples of Creativity, the second section of the Canadian Unitarian Council’s Call & Response blog, will explore ways that people are responding to “this moment,” creating or adapting projects and practices that combine the wisdom of experience with an emerging vision. Our hope is that these pebbles, dropped into the blog pond, send out ripples of encouragement and inspiration. 

Whether you’re looking to enliven or support an existing community, or you’re dreaming about something new and different, this is the place to share. We want to know what you’re doing … the lessons you’re learning and the challenges you’re working through … as you envision a thriving future. 

And let’s be real. This is a challenging moment. Faith communities worldwide are experiencing decline, while the broader cultures of connection, technology, and meaning making are continuously shifting. With anxiety on the up-swing, trying something new or different feels more urgent and more precarious.

Organizations are wondering: “Will we be like Blockbuster – and fade into the archives? Or will we shift like Netflix – and find fresh ways to be relevant?” And then sometimes whisper: “Do we have the bandwidth to even try?”

At the same time, change and innovation surrounds us. It always has. The invitation of this moment is to identify what is needed, along with available resources, and to combine the two into a meaningful opportunity. 

Social Enterprise expert Shaun Loney reminds us that the things we’ve previously labeled “problems” may in fact be key elements to the solution. “People struggling to find work” is actually “an available labour force,” or “fruit rotting on trees and bushes in residential yards” is “an abundance of free raw material.” The goal is to combine available resources with a need the community is eager to fill. 

Here are three great Canadian Unitarian Universalist (UU) examples. They are centered around congregational challenges, but they have lessons transferrable to multiple contexts.  You’ll see how each one builds on the enthusiasm of what came before. Collaboration is not a new idea, but the eager adoption of new initiatives is a growing trend.

• • When small congregations were struggling to provide summer worship services, the UU minister in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan coordinated a Western Canada “summer service collective.” Instead of each group providing nine services over the summer, they provided one or two services, which they shared with the other congregations on Zoom. No congregation had to fill a full summer slate, and every Sunday had a fresh new service. Two added bonuses: attendees were connecting with people beyond their local area, and volunteers got a well-needed vacation. New practices were experienced, workloads were eased, and relationships were started or strengthened. This practice has continued over multiple years, expanding to include more congregations, including larger ones.

• • Two congregations, one in Calgary, Alberta and one in Vancouver, British Columbia, hoped for a series of adult workshops and Sunday Services themed around World Religions. The cost and effort were considerable, both to pay guest speakers fairly and to organize the programming. Rather than each fronting the full expense, they joined together and shared costs for the speakers, whose presentations were recorded and presented in each groups’ Sunday Services. The adult education portion was delivered to one collective group, online. People from beyond the two congregations were invited to join those workshops, and the resulting registrations generously funded the entire project.
    

• • Building on the success and outreach of these collaborative series, a more ambitious project emerged. Small congregations reported struggling to fill their Sunday Services roster, with the cost of professional guest speakers being prohibitive to tight budgets. The congregation in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan designed another new opportunity called “Meaning Making in Liminal Times.” Congregations could join, on a variable rate scale, and receive six full services, each led by a different UU minister. They could attend the service (in person or online) the first Sunday of the month, or use all or part of the recording in their own setting on the second Sunday. Additionally, individuals could sign up for the six corresponding Saturday adult education programs, led by the same guest speakers. Fifteen Canadian congregations – of varying sizes – have joined the program, and this time they span from coast to coast!  

Excitement and enthusiasm inspired by these projects continue to ripple out, including inquiries from Religious Educators about how they might add to such a program, and influencing broader conversations about other ways small congregations might share resources, easing common burdens and increasing shared opportunity. 

Here are three tips for embracing creativity, as you ponder options in your setting – whether it’s a congregation, a community, a social enterprise, or some other initiative.

1. Take stock and get curious. Consider how your “problems” could actually be your “opportunities.” Each of these projects was born out of a desire, and a seeming lack of money or volunteer resources. By working together, all the needs were met.
2. Seek the lessons. Watch for inspiration in the work of others – and learn from their insights and their challenges. We can benefit from one another’s experiences and save ourselves unnecessary effort or missteps. Plus, people love to share their stories!
3. And especially … Be prepared to adapt. It’s not about repeating exactly what someone else did. It’s about noticing what worked … and applying those lessons to fit your location and your circumstances.

We all want to do good work, have meaningful experiences, and serve others with our efforts – without breaking ourselves in the process! With a curious mind, an appetite to learn, and a willingness to adapt, we can join the wave of innovation.

Let’s take our independent efforts … share them with one another … and create ripples of creativity.

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Call and Response, the Canadian Unitarian Council’s new blog, is a forum for sharing ideas, tools, and resources with people and organizations who want to create a more loving, just, and equitable world. 

Anne Barker is the Congregational Life Lead for the BC and Western Regions of the Canadian Unitarian Council. She’s been an active UU Minister since 2008, serving in congregational, national, and community settings. Her passion is helping people connect to ideas, practices, and rituals that light them up, serve the world, and manifest love. 

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