Some Thoughts on Church Revitalization--Part 6
Last month resumed our series on church revitalization that we began last year. Here is our next point:
8. Revitalizing churches must implement effective strategies for change. Church revitalization always involves change. There are, however, numerous approaches a church can take to implementing change. It takes God-given discernment to determine which approach will work best in a particular church. All change strategies work best in an atmosphere of revival. All effective change strategies must have features that catalyze new action, focus decision-making, and mobilize people to implement the changes. The following is a brief discussion of a few of the more common approaches to congregational change:
The Incremental Approach. The incremental approach, probably still the most common strategy for church change, seeks to establish a pattern of slow, small changes over an extended course of time. No single change is so great that it disturbs the status quo or disrupts the fellowship of the church body, but the cumulative effect of many micro-changes can significantly improve the church's vitality. Many churches, however, simply cannot implement piecemeal changes quickly enough to see things turn around.
The Leadership Change Approach. This, by far, is my least favorite approach, but it has been common in Baptist life for a long time (remember the annual call?). Just get rid of the pastor (or staff member), find a new one, and start fresh. Churches usually do make some worthwhile changes in the interim period and during the new pastor's "honeymoon." This approach, however, has obvious risks for the church's unity, spiritual integrity, and public credibility.
The Total Makeover Approach. In this approach, a coalition of key leaders, typically using a strategy planning process, develops a comprehensive package of recommendations for approval by the congregation. These changes are then aggressively implemented. The dramatic pace of change can sometimes destabilize things, and it is not unusual to hear of churches losing members in the wake of a total makeover. If the church can survive the storm, a period of growth usually follows.
The Force Field Approach. In this approach, there's no need to push changes and new ideas. Just remove the barriers or forces that are resisting change and/or maintaining the status quo (people, policies, programs, practices, etc.), and beneficial change will inevitably occur. Eliminating change resistance, however, can be extremely difficult and dangerous. In the meantime, "hard-chargers" advocating change can become frustrated and leave.
The Continuous Improvement Approach. In this approach, a church regularly and systematically identifies its one area of greatest weakness or need and applies available resources to make improvement in this one area. Although this approach probably won't work for churches in highly transitional areas or in long-term decline, it is a simple and do-able strategy for healthy, stable, churches.
The Missional Ministry Approach. Church revitalization experts such as Bill Easum, Dan Reeves, Ed Stetzer, (and even Whoopi Goldberg) have all suggested that one of the fastest ways to "unfreeze" a church is to get people outside the church walls doing ministry in their communities. As members encounter people and needs in the community, they will naturally implement changes to enable to church to minister more effectively in its context. The real challenge is to get a struggling church with a survival mentality to do ministry or outreach in the community.
The Organic Approach. The organic approach focuses on three basic dynamics: disciples making disciples, leaders developing leaders, and groups creating new groups. Every member is challenged to win people to Jesus and to disciple them. Every leader is encouraged to reproduce himself by cultivating a new leader. Every group or ministry has the objective of starting a new group or ministry within a specified period of time. Permanent change in the church happens as a byproduct of God's adding new people and raising up new leaders.
What approach is best for your church? Here are some important questions to ask: How dynamic is our church culture? What has been the church's approach to change in the past? What is the overall spiritual atmosphere of the church? Are people spiritually ready to follow God's plan for the church? Who or what are the potential barriers to change? How much change is needed to see things turn around? What approach best fits the church's culture and philosophy of ministry? What is God saying to our church?
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