7 Takeaways from Leading Through Change

What I know for sure is: whatever change you make will change you.

One of the best resources we relied on, next to the Bible, was John P. Kotter’s book Leading Change. We suited his change process to our own needs and followed these eight steps.

I discovered that pastors are not leaders just because they are a pastor or the chairman of the Board. Leaders are leaders.

Change should be the one constant in your church and ministry.  Pastors are in the business of change. 

In growing churches, one leadership quality that appears time and time again is teachability.

At times, God intends not to advance the kingdom by a direct order impressed on our knower. There are times for a mature leader, schooled in the New Testament Pattern, when there is something that needs doing, something that ‘is not yet but could be’ and God lets us coalesce the passion to chase it as a result of our faith aspiration.

Everything has a life cycle; from birth to death.  Humans only have one life cycle.  A church, however, can have multiple life cycles.  From birth to maturity, to decline, to death, a church must be able to intercept the life cycle at the peak (maturity) in order to gain new life and new momentum.

What are you clinging to from your past? Is there an idealized part of the glory years that your church is trying to recreate?

We gathered in Banff, Alberta for our annual Ministers Gathering and District Conference.  This is always a time of connection, inspiration, information, and vision.  This year, there were four distinct calls that went out to the ministers in attendance. 

Missional vitality is one of the PAOC’s desired outcomes for its churches and ministries. We have been in a serious, ongoing evaluation of the status of that vitality as it relates to the health of our churches and their ability to multiply.

A series of hardships in ministry such as cancer, members leaving, and the inability to grow as a church left me feeling bruised and beaten. My frustration was compounded because I thought I knew what we needed to do, only to find there was little fruit to show for it. I thought I was a good pastor, but I could not figure out what needed to happen to get us where we needed to go.

If revitalization is to be a possibility, leaders of growing, as well as struggling, assemblies need to humbly invite assessment.

We’ve been empowered to reach those who are far from God. This is a vital mission in our world. We must not lose courage in being a distinct people called to a unique purpose.

How can we temper our tendency to overcomplicate when it’s important to keep things simple? Better yet, how can we nurture a vision for our church’s future when the complexities of running a church are so intense? 

Prior to change of habit comes a change of heart. If you want to vitalize your church, understanding this change of heart is crucial for you and your congregation.

In order to cheat the law of church life cycle, a church must biblically “recatalyze” when it encounters or is about to encounter plateau. Then it can overcome the impending inertia and press forward with another chapter of growth.

Why do church leaders hit the wall in ministry? There are multiple reasons, but one clear factor is the pressure of self-imposed expectations.