Redefining Failure
One of the best books I’ve read this summer is Creativity Inc., a book about the movie company Pixar. The book has a great chapter on the subject of failure, including these great quotes:
“Mistakes aren’t a necessary evil. They aren’t evil at all. They are an inevitable consequence of doing something new (and, as such, should be seen as valuable; without them, we’d have no originality).” (Kindle Locations 1717-1718)
“Failure is a manifestation of learning and exploration. If you aren’t experiencing failure, then you are making a far worse mistake: You are being driven by the desire to avoid it. And, for leaders especially, this strategy— trying to avoid failure by out-thinking it— dooms you to fail.” (Kindle Locations 1733-1735)
“If we as leaders can talk about our mistakes and our part in them, then we make it safe for others.” (Kindle Locations 1757-1758).
“Being too risk-averse causes many companies to stop innovating and to reject new ideas, which is the first step on the path to irrelevance…To be a truly creative company, you must start things that might fail." (Kindle Locations 1870-1873).
What great quotes! Someone has called church planting the R&D (research and development) department of the church. This means that church plants try some new things, and yes, they sometimes fail. But not always! In fact, some of the most successful church planters have long records of failure, but because they keep trying, they eventually find a way to succeed.
Pray for us, that we will keep trying new things. It’s a crucial part of church planting!
Movie Night
This past Sunday, we partnered with World Vision to hold a movie night in the Liberty Village Park. Ali Matthews performed gave a concert; our city councillor Mike Layton brought greetings. We then watched the excellent movie Girl Rising about the importance of educating girls around the world.
Attendance was lower than we had hoped, but it was still a good opportunity to connect with the community around a common cause.
We’re planning more events for this Fall, although they will likely be indoors. Please pray that we will continue to make good connections in the community.
Keep in Touch
We’d love to come share what we’re doing in your church, or to talk to you and your friends about church planting. Both Darryl and Nathan are available on Sundays to share about Liberty Grace Church.
Please continue to pray for us, support us financially if you are able, and keep in touch! We are grateful for you.