This is the year to lead your church to embrace change
You are tired of hearing it by now: 2020 was a year of constant change. Whether you called it innovation on the fly, pivoting, or some other creative variation, the truth is that every church changed significantly in 2020. While for many churches this was overdue, the truth is that churches struggle with change, especially when it is done rapidly. That's why 2021 is going to be a year of leading your church through the changes.
You may be saying, "wait... we've already made the changes, why do I need to be leading people through them?" I'm glad you asked.
2020 was, for the most part, a year of reacting to the events of the day. We made changes based on what was going on in our city or county, adjusted procedures based on the information we had available at the time, adjusted staffing and budget levels as needed, and changed our programming based on what we were seeing. All of that was done quickly, and for the most part, done well.
But now we are coming into a different season. With vaccines going into people's arms, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. I recently heard a doctor suggesting that things could be back to "close to normal" by the end of the summer. This is something to both celebrate and prepare for... because with the return of normalcy, people are going to expect that your church returns to what they remember.
That's why we need to be taking advantage of this opportunity to lead our congregations through change. It is time to redefine normal and help our congregations understand why this is where God is taking us in the season ahead. The work will be hard, slow, and frustrating at times, but it will help lay the foundation for our church to thrive in the years ahead.
This is why I am so excited about Chemistry's partnership with Mike Bonem. Mike is an experienced executive pastor and church coach (he wrote the book on executive pastoring), and he is going to be sharing his wisdom on leading a church through change with a small group of church leaders. This group will be meeting weekly to share their experiences and learn together as Mike guides them through areas that we need to master as we lead our congregations through change:
2020 was, for the most part, a year of reacting to the events of the day. We made changes based on what was going on in our city or county, adjusted procedures based on the information we had available at the time, adjusted staffing and budget levels as needed, and changed our programming based on what we were seeing. All of that was done quickly, and for the most part, done well.
But now we are coming into a different season. With vaccines going into people's arms, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. I recently heard a doctor suggesting that things could be back to "close to normal" by the end of the summer. This is something to both celebrate and prepare for... because with the return of normalcy, people are going to expect that your church returns to what they remember.
That's why we need to be taking advantage of this opportunity to lead our congregations through change. It is time to redefine normal and help our congregations understand why this is where God is taking us in the season ahead. The work will be hard, slow, and frustrating at times, but it will help lay the foundation for our church to thrive in the years ahead.
This is why I am so excited about Chemistry's partnership with Mike Bonem. Mike is an experienced executive pastor and church coach (he wrote the book on executive pastoring), and he is going to be sharing his wisdom on leading a church through change with a small group of church leaders. This group will be meeting weekly to share their experiences and learn together as Mike guides them through areas that we need to master as we lead our congregations through change:
- Building trust and a change-ready coalition: I often wish I could snap my fingers and make change happen perfectly (don't lie, you do too). The truth is, change only happens when you have a group that trusts one another, recognizes the need for change, and has the skills to implement it. Mike will help you develop this in your church.
- Dealing with resistance, disappointment, and sabotage: I realize that this never happens in your church, but it is not uncommon for change implementation to go sideways. Mike will talk through how to guide your coalition and your congregation through setbacks of all kinds.
- Building resilience in your congregation: If 2020 taught us nothing else, it taught us the need to be resilient in the days ahead. As part of our discussions, we'll work through how to develop a culture of resilience in your church body.
2021 is going to be a pivotal year for the Church in this country. With all that is going on around us, resiliency, and the ability to adapt and embrace change is going to be more important than ever. My prayer for you is that you will set aside time to lean into developing your ability to lead through change, whether it is through our Change Management Lab experience, or through your own private study... your congregation needs you to sharpen these skills for the year ahead.
Learn more about Mike Bonem's Lab: Leading Healthy Change by clicking the link below.
Learn more about Mike Bonem's Lab: Leading Healthy Change by clicking the link below.
I'm rooting for you this year!
Matt
P.S. This is the time of year that churches begin to launch their staff searches. If you are looking to make a hire, I'd love to talk. This link will help us find time that works for both of us.
