There’s a very good chance you’re trying to change something in your church or organization.
There’s even a decent chance some of you are trying to changeeverything.I’ve been there.
Just because God never changes doesn’t mean your church shouldn’t.
In fact, the most effective churches change constantly. Effective churches never change the mission or the message (those are eternal).
But they always change the methods to make sure the mission stays alive and the message gets heard.
And that means change.
Change is at the heart of leadership because a leader’s job is to take people from where they are to where they need to be. You can’t do that without ushering in change.
And yet, trying to engineer change can be one of the most difficult things you’ll ever do as a leader.
How do you know when your church is simply so resistant to change that it isn’t going to budge? How do you know the problem is so deep that radical intervention is required?
Here are 7 signs your church is never going to change.
1. You keep having the same conversation over and over (and over) again
Ever have that feeling like no meeting is ever a new meeting—that you’re talking about the same issues month after month, year after year?
Far too many church leaders have that feeling, actually.
Without getting into specifics, I worked a report on church growth 15 years ago for a church group experiencing decline. Last year, I saw the same group of people table an almost identical report addressing the exact same issue. By all accounts, they had made no progress on the issue despite studying it for a decade and a half.
The only thing that changed, of course, is that now the problem is far worse than it was before. The attendance decline they were experiencinghas morphed intoa free fall.
Talking about an issue—eventalking passionatelyabout an issue—and doing nothing about it is a complete waste of time.
Awareness doesn’t solve problems.
Discussion doesn’t solve problems.
Insight doesn’t solve problems.
Action does.
In my book, Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations That Will Help Your Church Grow, I devote an entire chapter to how to lead your board through a productive conversation that leads to actual change.
2. Every time someone raises a new idea, someone lists 3 reasons it won’t work
Of course the reason you have the same conversation, again and again, is because every time you raise a new approach, someone liststhree reasons it won’t work.
You know what won’t work for you long term?
Coming up with reasons why it won’t work.
There are a thousand reasons innovations won’t work. Until they work.
In 1876, cash-strapped Alexander Bell offered to sell his new invention, the telephone, to Western Union for $100,000.
They rejected it. This, by all accounts, was their report:
We do not see that this device will be ever capable of sending recognizable speech over a distance of several miles. Hubbard and Bell want to install one of their telephone devices in every city. The idea is idiotic on the face of it. Furthermore, why would any person want to use this ungainly and impractical device when he can send a messenger to the telegraph office and have a clear written message sent to any large city in the United States?…Ignoring the obvious limitations of his device, which is hardly more than a toy. This device is inherently of no use to us. We do not recommend its purchase.
Take that to your next board meeting.
3. Fondness for the past exceeds passion forthe future
A sure sign thatpeople will never change is a deep love for the past that eclipses any enthusiasm for the future.
How do you know this might be you?
It’s simple: monitor your language. When most of your stories (and even your verb tenses) are in the past tense, it’s a sign you’re looking backward, not forward.
If all of your cultural references (songs, movies, shows) are rooted decades in the past, it’s a sign you’ve lost touch with the presentand the future.
When your fondness for what you used to do is greater than your passion for what you’re going to do, you’re in trouble.
Bottom line? When allof yourexcitement isaboutthe past, you haven’t got much of a future.
4. Small things always become things
As a leader, you’d love to solve some big issues.
But the challenge when you lead a group that won’t change is that you never reach any big things because the small things always become big things.
You know what I’m talking about.
The debate on whether you should have carpet or hardwood lasted six months. And then they decided on carpet. Which itself then became the two-month discussion on what colour the carpet should be. Which then became the four-month debate on who should install it.
You know what you should do when you face a leadership stalemate like that?
Break in one night and install it yourself.
I’m kind of only half kidding.
Or call an audible and say something as direct as “Hey, we’ve been talking about this for FOUR months. We have tostop and move on to make progress. Why are we stuck like this?”
When small things always become big things, you’ll never tackle any truly big issues.
5. People are still complaining about the last thing you changed
You know you’re leading people who don’t want to change when they’re still complaining about the last thing you changed.
And that was five years ago.
I don’t know what else to say about this except…that was FIVE YEARS ago.
Really? Stop already.
6. “We’ve never done it that way before”has become a theme song
It’s easy to get smug and think “only super traditional churches fall into traps like this.”
But not really.
Successful, growing churches struggle with this tension too.
Why? Because effectiveness, once experienced, is something most leaders don’t want to jeopardize.
As leaders, you become so afraid of breaking what’s working that you resist change.
Even success creates barriers to innovation. The greatest enemy of your future success is your current success.
7. Your leaders don’t bring unchurched friends with them
A sure sign that people have given up onchange is that no one in leadership is actually investing in people who don’t currently attend church.
When you’re not praying for, investing in or hanging out with unchurched people, your leadership conversations become about personal preferences, not biblical principles.
And when your church becomes all about your personal preferences you lose the mission.
What To Do?
If this is you, what do you do?
Three things.
First, as a leader, callthe situation for what it is.
Maybe start by personally owning your resistance to change. We all resist it, and your resistance might be born out of fear.
Or maybe, out of frustration, you’ve just decided your church will never change. In which case, if you believe that as a leader, it won’t.
So confess that, and own it.
Second, repeat the process for your leaders. Share your fear of change and your attitude with your leaders and apologize. Then ask your leaders to talk about their fear of change.
Have an honest conversation. Perhaps it will lead to a place where your leaders look in the mirror and say“Houston, we have a problem. And it’sus.”
That wouldbe a breakthrough moment.
And finally, just realize that—contrary to the title of this post—change IS possible because noteveryone is actuallyopposed to change. We justfeellike change is impossible and everyone is opposed.
As I talk about in my course,The Church Growth Masterclass, rarely are more than 10% of people opposed to change at any given moment. It’s just that the opponents are loud, and we often confuse loud with large.
If you doubt thateveryoneis deeply opposed to change, write down the names of the vocal opponents on a sheet of paper. Chances are you will have trouble identifying more than 10-20% of your congregationby name.
Don’tlet the 10% of people who are opposed to change determine the future of the 90% who aren’t.
What About You?
Maybe that will give you the courage you need to lead the change you need to make.
It’s never as hopeless as you think. And even your died in the wool traditional church can change. As I outlined here, I led three very traditionalchurches through the process.
As someone deeply immersed in the realm of organizational leadership and change management, I can attest to the challenges and nuances involved in steering a church or any institution through transformative processes. Having studied and worked extensively in this field, I recognize the importance of aligning strategies with the dynamic nature of the environment while maintaining the core values and missions that are often deeply rooted in tradition and faith.
The article highlights several key concepts related to managing change within a church or organization. Let's break down these concepts and delve into the insights provided:
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Continuous Change for Effectiveness: The author emphasizes the idea that effective churches are those that embrace constant change, not in their mission or message, but in their methods. This approach ensures the relevance and resonance of the church's message while adapting to the evolving needs of its members and society.
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Identifying Resistance to Change: The article identifies signs that indicate resistance to change within a church community. These signs serve as indicators for leaders to assess whether their organization is open to innovation or entrenched in traditional ways.
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Repetitive Conversations without Action: The repetition of discussions without tangible action signifies a reluctance to implement change. The author underscores the importance of moving from awareness and discussion to meaningful action.
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Negative Response to New Ideas: The tendency to immediately list reasons why new ideas won't work is identified as a hindrance to progress. The article challenges the notion that dwelling on potential obstacles prevents positive change, citing historical examples of innovations initially met with skepticism.
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Fondness for the Past: A deep affection for past practices at the expense of enthusiasm for the future is highlighted as a barrier to change. The author suggests that a disproportionate focus on the past can impede an organization's ability to adapt to present and future challenges.
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Fixation on Small Issues: The article warns against allowing minor issues to dominate discussions, preventing leaders from addressing more significant challenges. This fixation on small matters can hinder the organization's ability to tackle substantial issues.
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Persisting Complaints about Previous Changes: Lingering complaints about past changes, especially if they persist over an extended period, indicate a resistance to adapting to new circ*mstances. Leaders are urged to address and overcome this resistance.
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Fear of Jeopardizing Success: The success of current practices can create a fear of jeopardizing what works, even if innovation is necessary. The article suggests that success itself can become a barrier to future progress.
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Lack of Outreach to Unchurched Individuals: A focus on personal preferences rather than biblical principles, especially when leaders do not actively engage with unchurched individuals, is identified as a sign that the organization has lost sight of its mission.
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Leadership's Role in Facilitating Change: The article concludes by offering practical advice for leaders facing resistance to change. It encourages leaders to acknowledge and address their own resistance, engage in honest conversations with their team, and recognize that opposition to change is not universal within the congregation.
In summary, the article provides valuable insights into the challenges of leading change in a church setting, emphasizing the importance of proactive leadership, open communication, and a willingness to confront and overcome resistance to change.
