“Change” Article: First Draft

Thanks for the feedback on my initial thoughts regarding the article I’m writing on the topic of change. Here’s the first draft of the article. Let me know what you think.

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When I was working in local government, I used to have it displayed on the wall in my office at City Hall. For the last seven years, it’s been hanging over my desk at home. It’s just a simple statement that I framed to be a regular challenge for me in my leadership. What’s hanging on my wall is this quote from Sir Francis Bacon: “If we are to achieve results never before accomplished, we must expect to employ methods never before attempted.”

It’s so true, isn’t it? Yet churches, in particular, have a rich history of hoping (and even praying) for different results while clinging to the same ministry approach they’ve used for years. In some places it’s church circa 1950. In others, the church is stuck in the 80’s and it’s considered “contemporary.” Of course, if you’re going to be stuck in any decade, the 80’s are a pretty good place to be stuck. After all, it’s the decade that gave us break dancing, parachute pants, and the mullet hairstyle. Those were great days.

The fact is—change is hard. Even if it’s a good change, change is hard. Without working through the difficult challenges of pursuing positive change, though, we’re missing out on the opportunities that might bring something new to our churches—new families, new faith, new hairstyles.

God loves the fresh and the new. As an example, he promised us in Isaiah that he has new plans for our lives and our ministry: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands” (Isaiah 43:18-19, The Message). I love serving Jesus in the church because I know he’s always ready to do something new…if I don’t get in the way.

So, what does it take to encourage an environment that fuels innovation? How do we develop a culture where positive change is both expected and embraced? It begins by shifting what we value. Churches that embrace change value some things over others. For example, I believe organizations that are constantly on the cutting-edge of innovation:

• Value mission over methods — It’s about fulfilling purpose rather than preserving traditions. We can’t be married to the ministry methods. The message doesn’t change. The mission shouldn’t change. The methods must always change; otherwise, the church becomes irrelevant to people’s lives.
• Value people over programs – Instead of filling the calendar with programs and events, churches will ask: “How can we help as many people as possible move into a vibrant relationship with Jesus and then help them share life with other Christ-followers?” Relationships require time. Rather than taking people’s time, the church may have to stop some programs to focus on what’s most helpful for allowing people to move into healthy relationships both inside and outside of the church.
• Value innovative breakthroughs over incremental improvements — Incremental improvements are good. But if you solely focus on getting better or more efficient, you’ll always do what you’ve always done. In other words, you can’t just focus on efficiencies. You need to ask: “How can I get people’s attention so that my message will be heard?”
• Value risk over safety — We have to give people the freedom to fail. In reality, an organization that never changes and always tries to keep people comfortable and happy is ultimately far more susceptible to failure. We need to reward people for taking risks…even if they sometimes fail.
• Value superteams over superstars — A team generates better ideas and delivers better results every time. There’s a lot of power in “we.” And, when it’s “our” change, it’s easier to implement. Never do ministry alone. You need other people to listen to your cool ideas and make them better.
• Value empowerment over control — Change will flow naturally when we empower people to create rather than telling them what to do. When that filters throughout the entire ministry organization, look out! It’s amazing what happens when people stop looking to the top of the organization waiting for direction and start looking out of the organization and ask, “How can we help people experience life change through Jesus Christ?”
• Value action over analysis — We can spend so much time trying to develop the perfect solution or strategy (or more likely focus on all the reasons why it won’t work) that we never actually move forward. Just try it. If it doesn’t work, stop it. Analysis still has an important place in every ministry, but we need to find the right balance between facts and faith and let God lead us into uncharted waters.

Are you ready to achieve results never before accomplished? I think that’s what God has in mind for us. He’s ready to do something new in our lives and in our churches. We have the opportunity to impact our communities by offering people a transformed life through the grace and love of Jesus Christ. There’s power in that message of hope, but it won’t be heard and people will not respond if we’re unwilling to change how we deliver it.

God has given us a new teaching (Mark 1:27) and encouraged us to use new wineskins (Matthew 9:17). If we want to experience something new and different in our churches, then we need to employ methods never before attempted. We need to be willing to change.