It's an all-too-oft-told story – the church invites a new pastor to come and welcomes them to "change things up" pastor changes things up. The church doesn't like the change. The pastor needs to find a new church. And the cycle continues. Organizational change is inevitable. Unfortunately, it's not easy. The true test of any leader is their ability to lead change in an organization.
Pastors must lead change. They must lead it well. Here are five things you can do to lead change well.
Create a groundswell on the thing that needs to change. If you see something that needs to change, start by talking about it. Start with the mission of the church (Matthew 28) and then address the change through that lens. Get other people talking about it. Change is easier when people think it's their idea.
Form a coalition of the willing. Get the buy-in needed from key influencers in your church. Figure out who needs to manage the change and get them on board. Please don't make the change until you have a small group of people who have worked it through and are ready to make that change. Often times this is where leaders get caught, they've only got one or two with them, and even then, they are not the key leaders to manage the change. This is a key part of making the change.
Overcommunicate. Make sure to minimize the need to overcommunicate the why behind the what. Spend time communicating with key stakeholders before the change is made. Bring others with you so it won't be misconstrued as "your idea." Focus on the positives of the change and always bring it back to the mission. Remember, your critics can help you. Just because someone criticizes the change doesn't mean they're not for it. Listen and learn. Communicate often.
Plan for the losses. Every change brings a loss. We often forget that, in order for someone to embrace the new thing, they have to grieve the loss. Don't neglect this aspect of leading change. Our tendency as leaders is to brush past this part in order to focus on what lies ahead. If we don't adequately grieve the loss, it will come back to haunt us later, even when the change has already been established. This is a must-do for major changes in your church.
Celebrate! A big part of every change is celebrating the past, present and future. The more you celebrate the things that the church has done and is doing, the more momentum you create to explore "what's next?". Churches get stuck when they forget why they exist. Celebrating wins and moments helps reminds the church who they are and what Christ has called us to do. Scheduling regular celebrations and reporting is a key way to create a culture of change. The more we celebrate, the more we want to celebrate. There ain't no party like a kingdom party cause a kingdom party just rocks!
Working these areas over and over and over again is a great way to exercise your change-leading muscles.
Jeremiah works as an Effectiveness Coach with the ABNWT District of the PAOC. He is a passionate and creative leader who believes that the church is the hope of the world. He uses collaboration, innovation, and inspiration to challenge churches and their leadership to engage in the only mission Jesus ever sent his church on: making disciples.