Color Outside the Lines

Hendricks, a student of walt Disney, takes you on a journey to becoming more creative. If you are looking for a good read on increasing your creativity, this book is for you!

COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES BOOK REVIEW Throughout the book, Howard Hendricks focuses on the importance of creativity as a necessary component of education. Yet, Hendricks transports this creative priority outside the traditional bounds of educational circumspection and infuses the subject with an intensity that necessitates immediate implementation. He continually underscores his deep convictions that modern Christians must find new and fresh approaches for sharing the Good News in the "language" of the 21st century. Numerous local churches, he laments,are experiencing "spiritual dry rot." They are in desperate need of a revitalized vision that meets the needs of its congregation and ministries. Fortunately, Hendricks convincingly communicates the situation is not hopeless and promotes creativity as the primary conduit for the solution. Thus, the heartbeat of the book pulsates with practical principles that will foster and cultivate creativity within the body of Christ. The primary supposition of the book (which he states several times) is Hendricks' belief that a significant portion of creativity can be learned. He thus kills the myth that people are born into a creative "caste" which portions each with a finite capacity of creativity that cannot be increased. While it is true that certain individuals are especially gifted with the ability to be creative, Hendricks postulates that all people can develop a useful creative perspective that provokes thinking and initiates new reasoning patterns. This creative thinking, however, must be exercised and disciplined so the user knows "how to distinguish a God-given creative thought from a castle in the air." Thus, "creativity is not just an instrument; it is an environment" that must be intelligently constructed and evaluated. In fact, Hendricks warns that useful "creativity arises from a sense of security, from freedom within boundaries that define a person and community welfare." Creativity must be channeled into relevance and application. Despite his non-traditional approach, Hendricks beliefs about the impact and role of creativity are rooted in the fundamental nature of God. He reminds the readers that the emphasis on creativity is not a new trend or educational fad. Creativity is the medium of life itself. Nature and creation reveal God as the highest standard for creativity. In fact, the Sciences, with all of their "discoveries" and inventions, in reality collectively give a standing ovation to the magnificent artistry and innovative design of God's handiwork (unfortunately, most scientists are too self-centered to hear this heavenly-aimed applause!) Naturally, since humanity was created in God's image, Hendricks then extrapolates this creative attribute of God to include man. He quotes Ryken (pg 31), " Human creativity is rooted in divine creativity. Artists create because God created first." Since the main aim of the Christian walk is to develop a Godly image

Dr. Hendricks has produced a marvelous book that captures an all too often missing ingredient from the skill sets of today's leaders: creativity. In the author's words, this book is about "the newness of life in Christ, the creative, redemptive side of our salvation." Since The Fall, man has been steadily drifting farther and farther away from God. Along with this distancing is the decline of creativity as stale thinking replaced an awareness of God's creative essence. Armed with this recognition, the author illustrates the fact that every creative act ultimately points toward God as The Creator. Hendricks' desire is to produce churches and leaders that are aware of the gift of creativity so they might become fully alive in Christ, ever-growing, driving change within the church, flexible, and unsatisfied with the status quo. Color Outside the Lines neatly divides into three parts. In the first part Hendricks defines and examines the many facets of creativity. Part two introduces the creative problem-solving process and offers many techniques to accomplish it. Part three concludes the book with several chapters that focus on the application of creativity. The value of this three-step method is its completeness. Hendricks does not stir up a longing for creativity inside the reader, only to leave him to his own devices. At the conclusion of each of twenty-two chapters is a series of short exercises designed to awaken the reader's God-given creativity. By the time the reader arrives at the last page he has come full-circle along side the author's creativity. Not only did the reader participate in a discussion of creativity, he discovered his own repressed creativity, and was given a charge by Hendricks to allow this now awakened creativity to consume the his life.

Long-time leader and professor at Dallas Theological Seminary has written a volume that takes church leadership to new frontiers. . Pelted with quotes by notables (Drucker, Bennis, Nanus, et al), the author, with characteristic lightening flashes, tackles subjects such as personal and organizational creativity, leadership and family principles. Let this generation of Christian leaders rise up and call Hendricks blessed!! Five Stars!!!