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| Credit: Creative Commons (Jesse Wagstaff) |
I'm glad we made the change. We still have a LOT to figure out, but this was a step in the right direction. But it wasn't easy, and it wasn't a decision I made lightly. While I believed it was a good decision, I knew that it wouldn't be well-received by everyone, because significant change is hard for people, even those who are on board with the reasons behind the change. Here are some lessons I took away from the experience:
Don't be a Lone Ranger when making decisions. When I first floated the idea of eliminating Wednesday nights, not everyone in our youth ministry or in our church leadership was so sure it was a good decision. So, I tabled the idea for a year (i.e. continued to put everything I could into Wednesday nights) and in the mean time had conversations with those who had reservations about it. Sure, not all decisions can wait a year, but for the most part, I've found that it's better to wait when people have reservations about a change. Of course, we can't wait until EVERYONE agrees with a decision before pulling the trigger, or else nothing will get done. But if a leader makes a decision no one is on board with, he or she will find himself without a team.
Listen to push back. The students who attended Wednesday nights really liked it, and were bummed when they went away. I listened to what they had to say, and tried to offer an explanation and paint the big picture. For the most part, people who will push back will stick with you if you take the time to listen to them. And they just might have a point that you need to take into consideration, so have a teachable attitude.
Remember to communicate the vision behind the change. Our primary reason for canceling Wednesday nights was to encourage more students to be a part of a small group. For the most part, the students going to Wednesday nights weren't in a small group, so it was natural to help them replace Wednesdays with a small group. If we make a change without giving people a vision behind the change, they will likely be confused, which may even negate the positive aspects of the change.
Evaluate the change. After one semester, our small group ministry is tons healthier and more effective than it was during the last school year. That's a huge win and probably one of the brightest spots of our past semester for me. Some students still miss the connection that happened being able to get together as a larger group mid-week, so we're trying to figure out if there's a way we can continue to build community without meeting as a large group twice a week like we used to. Make sure you evaluate the change you made to see if it accomplished what you had hoped, or if another change is necessary.
Change is hard, but it's necessary, because as Mark Driscoll has said, "Jesus is the only thing that we promise will never change."
QUESTION: What changes have you made in your church or ministry that were difficult at first but had a positive outcome? Did you have any bumps along the way?
