The Brainstorming Breakthrough
How to Run Creative Sessions That Actually Work (And the Collaboration Framework That Unlocked Our Team’s Best Ideas)
The Creative Team’s Superpower (or Achilles’ Heel)
So, apparently, you want to buy me a coffee and sit and have a chat about leadership, creativity, and faith. HOW FUN COULD THAT BE!!!!!! 😉 At least that’s the feedback after last week's post, and we are loving hearing your stories and questions as they pour in.
I do love a good Latte and a chat!!
So, in the interest of helping creatives, we are going to open the “Help Desk” again today.
The Question Everyone’s Asking…
This week, two worship pastors reached out with the same question:
“How do you actually run a brainstorming session that works?”
Pastor (Brisbane):
“Sometimes we struggle in coming up with creative ideas or inspiring our team to be creative. I loved your session at Renaissance! How do you structure a brainstorm so it’s open, but also realistic?”Pastor (USA):
“We’ve drifted toward isolated work. How do we get back to authentic, face-to-face creative connection?”Collaboration is a creative team’s greatest superpower, or its biggest Achilles’ heel.
Get it right, and you unlock:
wild ideas
deep connection
and true innovation
Get it wrong, and you end up with:
group think
awkward silences
or the same tired ideas on repeat.
Post-COVID, it’s gotten harder. Many teams are still stuck in “isolation mode”… squeezing creativity into 45-minute Zooms or relying on AI prompts instead of real, face-to-face dreaming.
Why Most Brainstorming Sessions Flop
Let’s be honest, most “brainstorms” are just regular meetings with a new name.
The loudest voices dominate.
The extroverts often take the gap.
The best ideas get shut down too soon.
People play it safe instead of dreaming big.
We let the limitations loose too early in the process.
This is a crazy fact:
Traditional group brainstorming can actually produce fewer ideas than individuals working alone, unless you add structure and safety.
But when you do, group creativity skyrockets.🚀
The Collaboration Framework That Changed Everything
After years of leading creative teams, here’s the framework Rich and I use to run brilliant brainstorming sessions - whether it’s for worship, services, conferences, events, team consulting, or dreaming up the next big thing.
1. Set the Stage for Safety and Wonder
Make sure the right people are in the room (and add some “wild cards” too).
Side note: At breakfast this morning, I met with an incredible creative leader, and she said, “I know what I can imagine, but how do I find the people I need and want to help me?” So that may have to be a post in a later edition.
Pray together as you start the session.
Invite God to lead.
Remind everyone (and mean it!):
“There are no bad ideas in this room.”
Set a playful, experimental tone.
“Let’s see what God could do, as we really dream together.”
Create a “no tech” zone - phones down and hearts open.
Try putting a phone bowl in the center of the table, but have a device available to show ideas on.
Cheats are allowed: if people think of amazing ideas and need to access their phone, breaking your own rules is okay 😊.
2. Make Messaging Memorable
Clearly articulate what you are there to do and what the outcome should be.
Think about what the event, moment, service, or conference is meant to do.
Ground it solidly in scripture or a message you want people to leave with.
And remember: Purpose produces precision.
3. Use the “Three Chairs” Method
Chair 1: The Dreamer (Green lights - all ideas are go)
Every idea is welcome, no matter how wild. Use prompts like “What if…?” or “Imagine we had unlimited resources…”Chair 2: The Realist (Orange lights - get ready to slow it down)
Now ask: “What could actually work here?” Group similar ideas, spot patterns, and start narrowing down.Chair 3: The Builder (Red lights - start to lock in what to do and make a commitment to proceed)
Choose the top ideas. Ask: “How could we make this happen? What’s the first step?” Assign action points and owners.
To clarify, these aren’t specific chairs, but rather ways to navigate the process and ensure there are three distinct phases to work through. We have always wanted to use different rooms (with specific styling) for each of these steps, but often, you need to do them all in one meeting, so practicality wins out. Maybe one day!!
4. Guardrails for Greatness
No “devil’s advocate” in the Dreamer phase.
Every voice matters - go around the room so everyone has a chance to share, and invite people by name to contribute. As the facilitator, part of your role is to create a safe environment, see everyone, and invite them to be part of the team, not just observers. Sometimes, the best ideas come from introverts or those who sit quietly, waiting to be asked.
Celebrate the process, not just the outcome.
Some of the best moments we've had have been in these sessions, with rooms decked out for Christmas, cookies, and fairy lights to help us get into the mood. Not to mention the music playing, and crazy Christmas sweaters in July to set the tone.
The Jesus Model: Collaboration in the Bible
We all need language to explain what we are doing when we collaborate and how it reflects our faith, so here you go…
Jesus rarely worked alone.
He sent disciples out in pairs (Luke 10:1).
He invited everyone to bring their “loaves and fishes” (John 6). No contribution is too small.
The early church thrived on shared leadership and collective creativity (Acts 2:42-47).
Key lesson:
The Kingdom is built on collaboration, not competition. Harness what God has given you and put it in play.
5 Quick Tips for Your Next Brainstorm
Set the atmosphere for creativity. Start with a story. Show how in the past God has used creativity to impact someone in the church - be a keeper of stories and a seeker of wonder.
Have a ready-made library of testimonies on hand to remind the team what can happen when creativity is in play.
I have a notes file on my iPhone - every time someone tells me about a healing during worship, a family member coming to church with them, a song that resonated, or how that harvest table or prop made them think differently, I store it for safekeeping.
Use time limits: 20 minutes for wild ideas, 20 minutes for refining, 20 minutes for building. Assign a timekeeper to ensure things move forward and stay disciplined. Rich is often that guy in our world, although he’d hate me saying it.
Mix up the group: Different ages, backgrounds, and roles spark new ideas.
Visualize it: Draw, map, or show ideas - bring a lot of different Pinterest boards, albums, songs, art, music, posters, video, and things you have seen to the table. Write things up on the whiteboard so later you can sort and sift ideas.
Record it: Once you’ve landed on some ideas, pitch them on video and keep a record of it. This way, when you start creating briefs and workflows from the meeting, you'll have the right language to refer back to.
End with prayer: Thank God for the ideas, and for each other.
Text people afterward to thank them for specific things they shared or key points you noticed in the meeting.
Your Challenge
Next time you gather your team:
Try the Three Chairs Method.
Invite God in.
Set the stage for wonder.
Watch what happens when every voice is heard.
Want the full step-by-step guide, tool kits, PDF brainstorming templates, and cheat sheets, including our favorite brainstorming prompts, ie, the exact words to say to your team and how to handle “idea killers”?
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