Zach Kennedy is the Minister of Creative Media for First Baptist Church of Springdale and The Church at Pinnacle Hills. Zach and his family recently took on an unusual assignment. They packed up their family of six and headed to Malawi, Africa to help get Esther’s House Orphanage started. We hope you enjoy this peek into their life while in Africa.

Life in America is tough. Life in Africa is tougher. I don’t know if that is proper English, but truth rarely fits into neat grammar.

For the last two months, my family of six lived and worked in the African nation of Malawi. With a life expectancy of 37 years and an AIDS pandemic that is unrelenting, Malawi is tougher. However, it took me a while to admit it out loud.

At first, everything was an adventure. From driving on the wrong side of the road to learning which hole-in-the-wall grocery store had the cleanest chicken, our days were filled with new experiences and perspectives. We learned a lot about what we take for granted and what luxuries we don’t ever notice. For instance, when our hot water tank went out for the second time, we thought we learned a valuable lesson about the luxury of hot water. Then, the city ran out of water. Literally. Our faucets ran dry. Suddenly, hot water seemed like a silly concept and running water became our new standard of luxury.

Somewhere along the way, the adventure wore off and the reality set in. I am not sure what caused the transition, but I certainly didn’t want to admit it. Adventure was fun. Reality wasn’t. Reality was four funerals for teenagers in the small village of Madzanje during our short time there. Reality was a 16-year-old orphan caring for her 14-year-old sister. Reality was a mother withering from AIDS while her young boys watched. Reality was not adventurous. It was life.

It wasn’t until my Mom and Dad came to visit us that I was able to say it out loud. I think it was because my Mom said it first. “This place is hard,” she said through tears. I have heard it said that the most comforting words you can ever hear are “me too.” To hear someone else share your fears, worries, and temptations makes you realize that we are all in this together. When my mom affirmed that it was indeed a difficult place, it gave me permission to admit it as well. To say, “me too.”

“Me too” is the unique power of the gospel. Hebrews 4:15 says that we don’t have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one that can say “me too. I have been there and done that and I know.” (Zach Paraphrase)

In times that you feel like there is no one else who understands what you are facing, rest assured that He knows. He has faced it before. Because our God became flesh and dwelt among us in order that He might be able to say, “me too.”

I have asked Zach Kennedy, the Minister of Creative Media at the First Baptist Church of Springdale, to be my guest blogger today on our subject for the week, “Leadership.”

Leading With Creativity

I am often pegged as a “creative,” as if there are some that are and some that just don’t have it. However, I suggest to you that we are all creative. You may not be an artist or a filmmaker, but if you are created in the image of the Creator (which you are), then you are creative.

Your imagination may be expressed in other avenues besides the arts. For instance, developing a business plan based off a new idea is a creative act. Landscaping your front yard each spring requires imagination. Getting four kids in the mini-van and keeping them entertained during the long summer days demands creativity.

One of the most common questions I get asked is, “How do you come up with new ideas all the time?” If I could answer that question, I would have a NY Times bestseller on my hands. There are, however, some simple things you can do to foster more creative thinking.

Most great ideas don’t come when you are trying to think of a great idea. Go ride a bike, take a walk, or drive through the countryside and often the creativity will begin to flow. For me, most of my ideas begin in the shower, so my gas bill is REALLY high when I need new ideas.

Write it down. Keep a notepad handy in the places where ideas most frequently come. My friend Matt Slaughter suggested opening a Jott account for this very reason. Simply call Jott and they will transcribe your idea and email it to you, all for free.

Bring other people in to make an idea better. Before you hit the ground running, show the plan to several other people who you consider to be creative and see if they have better ways to solve the problem.

You are creative. God designed you that way. Thank Him for the new ideas that come your way today.