We usually have the best intentions.
We're starting in a new church, inspired by our bishop or by the church's administration to make changes for the good of the church.
Oh yes, we're going to make a real difference here! But very quickly, those valiant efforts can turn into confusion and frustration, with sometimes disastrous implications to the bottom line numbers you were so inspired to improve - namely the number of members and the financial picture of the organization.
I've seen it happen time and again, and it all comes down to this key message, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" John is the new pastor at a church.
He took over from a previous pastor who had been there for more than 10 years and left on very good terms.
The church had a membership of about 150, and John was asked to consider membership growth as one of his key priorities.
Fast forward 18 months, and membership at John's church is down to just 35.
What happened? John's most critical mistake was to ignore all of the things that were in place - the things that were working well.
Congregants were happy - they were ready for change, they were ready for growth, but they were also happy and engaged in what was going on already.
But John changed it all.
From the music, to the readings, to the way he handled his office hours, he tried to duplicate what he had done in his last church.
After all, it had worked there.
Everyone wanted the same outcomes of growth and success, but instead of working with his congregation and starting where they were, he tried to force them to carry out his own version of what makes a successful church.
It was a case of too much, too soon.
It was jarring and uncomfortable for the congregants.
Not only that, but when John changed everything, they felt he was criticizing and devaluing what they liked about their church, and some of them took that personally.
And they left.
A new minister is change enough, without making other big changes right away.
Even with the clearest picture of what success will look like, and no matter how far that is from today's reality, you still have to start where the people are and bring people along with you.
In John's case, this wasn't the Titanic; the church wasn't going down in flames or facing imminent closure.
He was just asked to take a good thing and make it better.
But he did it in a way that took things from good to worse.
Because he tried to fix what was already working.
We're starting in a new church, inspired by our bishop or by the church's administration to make changes for the good of the church.
Oh yes, we're going to make a real difference here! But very quickly, those valiant efforts can turn into confusion and frustration, with sometimes disastrous implications to the bottom line numbers you were so inspired to improve - namely the number of members and the financial picture of the organization.
I've seen it happen time and again, and it all comes down to this key message, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" John is the new pastor at a church.
He took over from a previous pastor who had been there for more than 10 years and left on very good terms.
The church had a membership of about 150, and John was asked to consider membership growth as one of his key priorities.
Fast forward 18 months, and membership at John's church is down to just 35.
What happened? John's most critical mistake was to ignore all of the things that were in place - the things that were working well.
Congregants were happy - they were ready for change, they were ready for growth, but they were also happy and engaged in what was going on already.
But John changed it all.
From the music, to the readings, to the way he handled his office hours, he tried to duplicate what he had done in his last church.
After all, it had worked there.
Everyone wanted the same outcomes of growth and success, but instead of working with his congregation and starting where they were, he tried to force them to carry out his own version of what makes a successful church.
It was a case of too much, too soon.
It was jarring and uncomfortable for the congregants.
Not only that, but when John changed everything, they felt he was criticizing and devaluing what they liked about their church, and some of them took that personally.
And they left.
A new minister is change enough, without making other big changes right away.
Even with the clearest picture of what success will look like, and no matter how far that is from today's reality, you still have to start where the people are and bring people along with you.
In John's case, this wasn't the Titanic; the church wasn't going down in flames or facing imminent closure.
He was just asked to take a good thing and make it better.
But he did it in a way that took things from good to worse.
Because he tried to fix what was already working.
Source...