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| Credit: Creative Commons (Robert S. Donovan) |
Change is hard to accomplish, people generally don't like it, and it takes a lot of courage to enact it. In the church, change sometimes feels next to impossible. (If you doubt me, try consulting Google about denominational "How many ____________ does it take to change a light bulb?" jokes.)
But change is necessary in ministry. Everything around us changes--the culture we serve in, the people who go to our church, the people who live in our communities, and the way people think. They all change.
Yet within the Church, change is often resisted. This is why it's important to create a culture of change within our churches and ministries. If that sounds like a great way to tick a lot of people off and get you fired, let me explain: If we really take Jesus seriously that he instructed his followers to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19), then that mission is what we need to fiercely hold onto. Not buildings, not programs, and not even your favorite event that your church has been doing for six decades.
The idea is that we--and the people we lead--would understand, Hey, we're not here for my comfort, but to see as many people as possible changed through a relationship with Jesus. If that's our mission, it's okay that we might do things differently than we're accustomed to from time to time. Ideally, the people in our churches will be more committed to the mission than to familiarity. When we are committed to what we are familiar with, we will be less committed to the mission Jesus left us with. A church that is committed to seeing people come to know Jesus and grow in a relationship with him will have a culture of change. Everyone will be more committed to the mission than to keeping things the same.
Now, understand that this doesn't mean change for change's sake.
Some are desperate to give the appearance that their organization is moving forward--and even experiencing momentum--and so they will continually change things. Chaotic change isn't good for any organization, let alone a local church, and such changes rarely have a positive affect. Chaotic change can even be a sign that the leadership isn't really sure what to do, so they just keep trying things that they've seen other people do, figuring that at some point in time they'll stumble onto something good.
Instead, a faithful leader will shepherd his flock wisely by seeing that while the mission stays the same, how we pursue that mission will change from time to time, by necessity. A wise (literal) shepherd knows that his sheep cannot remain in the same pasture for a long period of time. All the grass will eventually get eaten, and some areas are only safe and nurturing during certain seasons of the year. If the goal is to keep the sheep out of danger and well-fed, then a change in scenery is necessary. The goal stays the same, even when the particulars of the plan change.
In the same way, we need to help the people in our churches and ministries to understand that if we are to be committed to our purpose--to glorify God by proclaiming Jesus so that people will know him and grow in him--then how we go about it will necessarily change. And the only way for this to happen is if we and the people we lead and care for all agree that the mission is more important than the methods we use.
