I was speaking with my pastor earlier today and he mentioned something that I've been thinking about for a while; it just hadn't materialized yet. He said,

I want RiverTown to be focused on strong teaching and quality worship, not the flashiness that you might find at some other newer churches.

Of course, that's a paraphrase, but you get the gist.

What Danny was saying is that he wants RiverTown to be known for something more powerful and meaningful than production tricks and a stage show. This doesn't negate high quality music and purposeful creativity. Rather, a wariness of flashiness helps us focus our creativity and passion for excellence on those things that really help our people grow in their faith, meet with God in sincerity, and connect to other people in a meaningful way.

When our creativity is focused on that goal, we see more fruit, greater excitement for Sunday mornings, an increased commitment to our church, a greater willingness to invite friends/family, and a readiness to serve. It's spectacular.