Confession time. Nine months ago, I took on an interim pastoral role at a church and implemented sweeping changes on day one. We changed our format and service style within 24 hours. In some ways, it went well. But in other ways, I could have done it better. Whenever we implement change, we can either underestimate or overestimate how complicated it can be.
Either way, we must change. We are agents of change. For the church to stay where it is, it will eventually decline.
Change is hard because only some people are on the same page. This is a lesson I learned in my first four weeks. I thought we were on the same page, but we weren’t. I tried to meet with people and explain what we would do, but in the end, many felt we had changed too fast. Implementing change takes as much time as it takes to get as many people on the same page as possible. When people are unsure about the “why” behind the change, they will resist it; however, taking the time to get key stakeholders involved in the upcoming change and its reasons will help you make the necessary changes.
Change is hard because not everyone agrees with the “why ." This takes you back to laying the foundation for “why the church exists." You will always encounter people who want to leave things the way they are because they’ve lost sight of the church's true mission. Jesus Christ gave us the mission in the Great Commission and commanded us to “go and make disciples.” This is the “why” behind why we do what we do. It’s not easy to convince people that methods need to change, but the message remains the same. However, it would help if you started with why and then constantly hammer home the “why” as you navigate the changes.
Change is hard because you need to create consistency in the chaos. When you make the change, you need to do as much as possible to create consistency in that new change. You can’t go back and forth or have different representations. The mistake I made in my changes is that I was there one week and gone the next. In those weeks I was away, the changes didn’t stick or make sense to the people. I needed to consistently lean in and drive the bus for a few months. Change brings chaos. We don’t know what it’s really going to look like until we begin to execute that change. However, we can do our best to plan to stay the course as we navigate through the rough waters of change.
Change is hard because we grieve loss more than we think we do. One of my mentors told me that people don’t resist change; they resist the loss that comes with change. We are changing all the time. People are used to change. What they don’t like is the loss that comes with change. For every new thing you introduce, an old thing goes away. This is why we get nostalgic. We long for the days when it was simpler and gas was cheaper. This is grief. People need time to grieve and come to terms with the loss so they can move to something new. For some, this won't be easy. For others, it will come in due process. Remember to manage the losses and give people time to grieve.
What changes are you planning in the future? Don’t stay where you are. Keep moving forward. Make sure that as you change, you navigate through some of these challenges in a healthy way.
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.