At some point, every church experiences transition, change, and\/or crisis. It could be a relatively minor transition, like moving to a new worship space, or a more major change, like a doctrinal or denominational change. Churches can also find themselves needing to address crisis situations, like acts of abuse, sickness and death, or church splits.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Because times of transition, change, and crisis are fraught with difficulty, it\u2019s vital for pastors and other church leaders to exercise a specific kind of steady, intentional leadership during these \u201climinal\u201d times in a church\u2019s life.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
There are all kinds of normal transitions churches may need to go through:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
When leading a church through a transition, don\u2019t go into it haphazardly. It\u2019s important to anticipate what will be difficult about the transition, and prepare for those difficulties as best you can.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
For example, the church I co-pastor<\/a> recently moved to a new building for worship after being in the same location for four years. The move represented a longer drive for several of our families, so before making it official, we talked with each of the affected families to gauge whether this would be an issue for them. They all felt deeply cared for simply because we checked in with them before moving.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Of course, you can never anticipate every<\/em> challenge you\u2019ll face, but it\u2019s important to anticipate as many challenges as you can foresee, so you can plan for ways to address those challenges.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Make sure you clearly name and communicate what a successful transition will look like, and how you\u2019ll recognize that you\u2019ve achieved it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For example, when we moved to our new building, our goal was that every semi-regular attender of our church would know exactly which Sunday we were moving, what time we were meeting, where the new building was, and how to get to the worship space. We didn\u2019t want anyone to show up at the old building on the Sunday we moved.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Another one of our goals is that everyone would have a chance to weigh in on how this transition was affecting them (e.g., longer drive), so everyone felt seen and heard.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u2019s often hard to tell immediately if a transition has been a \u201csuccess,\u201d so it\u2019s important to be patient and give a transition time to settle before deeming it a success or failure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n After we moved to our new worship space, it took us several weeks to figure out how to inhabit it in a way that felt natural to us, but after a few awkward weeks, it felt like our new home.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Finally, once the transition has been completed, make sure to create time to review what went well, what went wrong, and whether the transition was a success. It\u2019s important to review both the process<\/em> of the transition and the result<\/em> of the transition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In addition to the normal transitions mentioned above, sometimes churches find it necessary to embrace more substantial changes, such as:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n When leading a church through a change like the ones above, communication is key. Make sure you\u2019re communicating early and often with other church staff, leaders, and congregants. If you find yourself tired of saying the same things over and over, you\u2019re probably getting close to communicating well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u2019s also important that your communication is clear and honest. Don\u2019t hide behind jargon or vague statements. Communicate in a detailed way about what you know and what the process will be. Always be forthright and honest about things you don\u2019t know yet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u2019s also vital for everyone in the church to know exactly how they can offer their feedback about the change, and how that feedback will be received and integrated into the decision-making process about the change.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Some people will be able to share immediate feedback in the context of a conversation or meeting, but others will need time to collect their thoughts. Some people prefer written communication over verbal communication, and vice versa. It\u2019s important to provide a structure for everyone to offer their perspective so everyone feels heard and understood.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n When leading change, it can be tempting to try and get everyone \u201con board\u201d before taking a step. This impulse is rooted in compassion, but it gives an inordinate amount of power to the person most resistant to the change.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Of course, you don\u2019t want to callously make decisions and tell people to fall in line or get left behind, but you also can\u2019t please everyone. The tension to manage when leading change is to stay connected to the most resistant people while continuing to move forward.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Instead of seeking unanimity, prioritize clarity about what it is you hope to achieve through the change, and make space for everyone who is willing to keep moving in a posture of discernment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If your church is going through a transition or change like the ones mentioned above, we invite you to check out Gravity Congregational Transformation (GCT)<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n GCT is how we help leaders move through all kinds of change and transition by providing custom research that reveals hidden contextual challenges, as well as opportunities for mission and spiritual formation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The aim is not merely to fix perceived problems, but to help your church move toward transformative practices that cooperate with how God is at work in your church. Check out Gravity Congregational Transformation<\/a> today, and reach out to see if it\u2019s a good fit for your church.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In addition to minor transitions and major changes, there are also times when churches go through full-blown crises, such as:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The first and most important part of leading a church through a crisis is to make sure any victims are safe, and that their wishes for how to proceed are heard and prioritized.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n There have been far too many examples lately of churches failing in this most basic step when confronted with abuse allegations. Over and over, it seems, church leaders prioritize the institution over the victims, which compounds the harm done to victims and makes real healing and transformation that much more difficult.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Jesus came to lift up the \u201cleast of these,\u201d and as his followers, we must also prioritize the care and dignity of victims first of all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Some tragedies are no one\u2019s fault, but often, church leadership has at least some responsibility for failing to provide a safe space for everyone. When this is the case, it\u2019s vital for leaders to acknowledge their failure, seek to deeply understand how it impacted victims, and make restitution when possible.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n When leaders respond with repentance instead of defensiveness, it helps the whole church move toward the possibility of healing and transformation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Crisis often feels unbearable, and it can be tempting for church leaders to try and \u201cmove on\u201d as quickly as possible, so as not to dwell on the unpleasant memories of the past. In doing so, we act like the unfaithful leaders that the prophet Jeremiah spoke against, who \u201ctreat the wound of my people as if it were nothing: \u2018All is well, all is well,\u2019 they insist, when in fact nothing is well\u201d (Jer 6:13).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In times of crisis, leaders need to make time and space for the church to lament and grieve what has been lost, as uncomfortable as it may be for some. Most of us aren\u2019t accustomed to lament, but it is a vital practice<\/a> if we are going to move through crisis and find healing on the other side.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Taking extra time for prayer is important in the midst of crisis, both for spiritual nourishment and guidance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u2019s also helpful to create extra space for listening to staff, leaders, and congregants who may be able to help, and whose perspective may be invaluable.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As much as possible, leaders should take whatever actions necessary to ensure the crisis won\u2019t be repeated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n For example, implementing a more comprehensive child safety policy, while not being able to guarantee<\/em> that children won\u2019t be abused, can help to drastically lower the likelihood of it. It\u2019s important for leaders to take responsibility for creating a safer environment as the church moves forward from crisis.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Leading a church through transition, change, or crisis demands a non-anxious, humble-yet-confident, spiritually mature leadership posture that can\u2019t be learned overnight.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSet a Goal for Success<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Give It Time<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Review<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Leading a Church Through Change<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Types of Church Changes<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
How to Lead a Church Through Change<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Communicate Early & Often<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Provide Structure for Feedback<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Prioritize Clarity Over Consensus<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Help for Churches Going Through Change<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Leading a Church Through Crisis<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Types of Crisis in the Church<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
How to Lead a Church Through Crisis<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Ensure the Safety and Dignity of Victims<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Repent<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Take Time to Lament<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Listen and Pray<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Move Forward<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Leadership Coaching for Pastors & Church Leaders<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n