Nov 30, 2014
In handlettering and calligraphy heaven. #cfwconference @davidchang89 (at Metropolitan Pavilion West)
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In handlettering and calligraphy heaven. #cfwconference @davidchang89 (at Metropolitan Pavilion West)
Newness, Imagination, Innovation
Even though I don't go to church as much as I would like to, each year I do my best to attend the Center for Faith and Work's annual conference. The intersection of faith and work is just too good to pass up, and previous conferences had introduced me to other Christians working in public policy, city government, social media and marketing—really valuable connections.
This year's theme was "Making All Things New," injecting imagination, innovation and creativity to faith and work. The expo conference structure and intensely esoteric talks lent a tech, design and entrepreneurship feel to the event. Some of my favorite moments and learnings included:
Margaret Newman, executive director of the Municipal Art Society of NY, and Tim Keller, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, comparing changes in New York City's built and spiritual environment since the 1970s. Both agreed that affordable housing was one of the key challenges today, and also that the traditional church needs to keep adapting and innovating in order to survive and thrive.
Tim Keller describing how limits are the basis of creativity; for instance, 1) rules of jazz allow improvisation, 2) routines and rigor of exercise allow testing and expansion of the limits of the human body 3) following the Word of God enables freedom in the Christian life.
NYT's David Brooks discussing the conflict of a person's "resume virtues" vs. "eulogy virtues," and how a man of character finds stability between the two—marked by consistency over time, being firmly attached or rooted to something, and having solidity, self-control and discipline.
Creation is the first-ever creation...God is the original creator.
Conflict, constant edits and collaboration make for a better product and are critical to the innovation process.
Guided prayers are incredible. Better than your yoga class.
The conference also featured original works of art, and I was especially moved by Adam Wade's performance, a 20-time Slam Champion at The Moth who was clearly an expert storyteller. (Check out his Tumblr about his landlady.) A faith hackathon session with speakers from NASA's data science team gave examples of how tech could be used to tackle the world's problems through a church lens (think SMS communication for groups being persecuted for their beliefs, or Abide, a Soundcloud-like app to play, share and send prayers to one another). And a demo by a Chinese Christian chef showed how taking the time to taste and appreciate healthy food—identify and savor the flavors—was aligned with "Kingdom-minded cooking." Oh, I also crafted and made a holiday card by hand.
There's a lot to keep thinking about but I want to keep moving in the direction of these elements: storytelling, humor, food, tech, public good, health, crafting/DIY and where that leads me.
How can you bring newness, imagination and innovation to your work?