Countless leadership books and articles give advice on strategies to make changes in our organizations. Many of these resources are quite valuable, and we would do well to heed their wisdom: they remind us that change is necessary for growth.
Experience also teaches us that sometimes change is needed just to survive. Most congregations in the U.S. are still trying to adapt to new realities and lean into new opportunities, as post-Christendom is upon us and our beloved church buildings are aging.
We may know what needs to change. The challenge is that most change efforts fail.
Let’s be honest: change isn’t easy. Whether new plans are hampered by institutional or individual opposition or a lack of resources, change is often extremely difficult. When change doesn’t happen, we may think we know why: “Obviously, people just don’t like our ideas.” That might be true, but perhaps there’s more to the story. Understanding the issues that complicate change can help us avoid common mistakes and have a better chance of seeing ministry flourish.
One reason congregational change falls flat is a lack of effective communication. For instance, doing ministry in a hybrid environment makes communication even more challenging — and even more important than it was before the pandemic. Key stakeholders may not be consistently worshipping in person to hear the pastor’s remarks from the pulpit, so change initiatives must take into account how leaders will keep multiple groups of members informed in different ways.
Many other factors can sabotage our change efforts. When we don’t expect and prepare for resistance, and when we don’t have a solid strategy to guide the work, being an effective change agent is going to be difficult. Avoid those common pitfalls and, with God’s help, you’ll be on your way to seeing God do a new thing.
