Change – The Acid Test of a Leader
Hey Friends,
This last week I sent out a tweet that was a quote from Coach Pat Summitt: “Some people say they experienced change and yet all they did was get a haircut.” This gets at the heart of the issue as only the Coach can do.
Change is the acid test of a leader. If you can lead change, you are a great leader. There has been no place where change and innovation has been cursed more than the church. That means if you are a leader in the Church of the Living God, you must improve your leadership so you can lead change - or die. For us, to die means people go to hell.
I think while I was reading Pat’s book I found the reason why the church challenges change. “When you make a change, it’s tantamount to admitting, ‘I can do this better.’ For that reason, some people feel that change is a sign of defeat.”
THAT’S IT! When we try to lead change in the church it says to those who are resistant that what they were doing, or did, was wrong or sub-standard. So, they fight it. This could not be further form the truth! We are in great debt to the previous generations. We build on what they did. Most have forgotten the innovations of the past generations.
Thanks for what you guys did, yet we must change methods to reach the culture we now face. Remember, methods change but the message remains the same.
So, can you lead change? Can you do it without dropping the A-Bomb? Let’s celebrate those that went before us and build on what they did in sacrifice for the King. Remember, we must be able to reach our current culture just as they did before us.
Just a thought,
Pastor
3 Comments
I’m involved in a ministry where I am not seeing a lot of growth,yet when you talk about changing things up a little you do get some resistance.I’ve been asked many times how come I have the only group in this ministry that is growing and producing leaders.The answer is first of all, its not my group its Gods,secondly I’m not affraid to step out side the box snd try something different.If your doing the same thing over and over and not experiencing growth try something different! I like what you said pastor Chris about how culture has changed but the” Word” remains the same.When I look at Gods word I see that Jesus was not affraid of change,He simply did what He had to do to reach the lost and the hurting!I’ve seen many churches and ministries that are stuck and have failed because they feared what others might think,or that they might offend someone.Jesus offended people daily and look at what He accomplished.Pastor I love your boldness “keep it up”.
How absolutely you described so many of our failing churches today, Pastor Chris! Trying to keep everyone ‘happy’ is not the spiritual guide to growing followers, and definitely not the way to win new ones. Our guide is our Lord and His word, and to me it’s as fresh and culturally pertinent as it must have been 2,000 years ago. A friend of mine from another church I visited described the limits of growth without even knowing what he was saying: we have to keep the elders happy. I thought to myself, what about keeping God happy? Culture comes and goes, fluctuating wildly, but like you say, the word of God remains the same. Praise the Lord for innovative, visionary leaders to lead us and forge the way. I read an email recently that had this sign in front of a church: You are not too bad to come in, but you are not too good to stay away. Something to think about….
Great blog. I was recently part of a church that went through change from a blended service to two services (one traditional, one contemporary). The resistance of that change was amazing from some of the more established church members. They felt offended that “their” church was changing the way it did business. I think that told the bigger issue — it was never “their church,” it was God’s. And if it wasn’t, then there’s a bigger problem than a measly change in delivery. The church made it through and is operating a year later, but the full acceptance has never been achieved.