Change Happens: Part 2 – creating change
Creating change is is not easy, that’s for sure. However there are some key questions that you can ask yourself as begin to create change in your particular situation. For the sake of this conversation, I will be looking at the idea of creating change within a church ministry setting since that is my particular context.
1. Why am I creating change?
As I posted last week, the question “why?” is the most important and foundational question we can ask because it gets to the heart of what we are looking to do. It helps us examine our motivations and practical rationale for introducing change. For me practically speaking, this might mean me asking why it do I want to create a particular new ministry. Is it because I feel there is a need that is not being met? Is it because other people are telling me that I should start the ministry? Is it because I think it would…Once you know the “why,” You will be more focused when it comes to identifying the specific change and how it is to be implemented.
2. What is my context?
Not every change is good in every context. When it comes to churches, we are very good at simply adopting a new program or ministry that we learned about in a book or at a conference. However, my context may not be right for that particular program. I may not have the right leadership, finances, overall ministry model, or even the right demographic for that program. Just because an idea is good, does not mean that it is good for you. Meaning that, just because something works in one context does not mean that is will necessarily work in yours so make sure you evaluate the context you are in.
3. Where have we come from?
Knowing the history of your particular context is important. Often times there will be influencers in your context who have been involved for a long time and you will do yourself a disservice by not acknowledging them and the decisions/sacrifices they have made to get you where you are today. When it comes to churches, you might have people who have been involved for decades and at one time they were the main decision makers. If you fail to acknowledge their efforts you will alienate the people whose shoulders you now stand on, preparing to make the next important decision.
4. Where am I going?
Although this ties into the idea of “why,” it is important to specifically recognize where you’re going. If you do not have a clear direction, your changes will lead you down a variety of different paths that may eventually lead you to your destination, but not in the most effective or efficient way. In a church setting this might mean identifying some long term goals for the particular area of ministry in which you are making a change. This will give you a target to shoot for and will keep you heading in the right direction.
5. Is this God?
When making change, it is important to thoughtfully and prayerfully consider whether or not the change you are making glorifies God or you. It is incredibly easy to make decisions that will make you look good but I believe the best decisions are those that are not about me but about carrying out God’s will. Even in a church there are times when an idea for change may come up that seems great, but after further discussion and prayer it becomes clear it is about my desires, not God’s desire for us as a congregation. So make sure your idea for change is from God, not from your own selfish ambition.
Although many of these questions are common sense they are important to ask.
Which question do you need to spend more time focusing on when creating/implementing change?
Make sure you stop back by tomorrow because we will look at how to communicate change effectively!
*I want to give a big shout out to my friend @loranlichty for sharing some of these thoughts with me. Change is an important part of life and it’s always good to get fresh insights on how to implement it.
Posted on April 19th, 2011 by David | 10 Comments »
Again, great stuff, David (and Loran).
I think my biggest problem has been #1 because I would do things either impulsively or because I felt that I had to, like people telling me I should do or be something. Right now I feel like I’m in a season of discovery and doing which leads to #5. Are the things I’m exploring of Him or not?
#5 can be a tough one because sometimes we don’t always feel as though we are hearing from God. Sometimes in those situations I think you have to really examine your motives and ask yourself what is the condition of your heart? Do you truly believe that you’re trying to honor God or do you have ulterior motives.
I think “Is this God?” is the most important question. The Bible says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths”. change for the sake of change is not really a good way to go about it. Will God direct my path in this transition? This is where it’s at.
Amen. I shared a prayer with Adam in a comment on his blog by Thomas Merton that I try and cling to when I’m trying to make difficult decisions.
Here is a link to that prayer.
http://davidnmiles.com/2010/02/10/a-prayer-for-when-you-feel-lost/
That’s a great prayer. Thanks David.
You are very welcome Moe. I have found that prayer to be incredibly helpful.
Question #5 for me as well. Great insight!
Hey Leah, #5 is definitely a hard one. I think a lot of leaders (myself included at times) fail to really ask that question and yet it’s a fundamental question that we all need to consider.
Thanks for reading the blog, I appreciate it!
I agree with the rest right here. It is so easy to ask the other questions sometimes (because they affect me, where I’m going, what I’m doing, etc), but then often forget that I need to be asking about God just as much. Good post, David!
There is no doubt about the fact that we are so easily caught up in ourselves and asking the technical questions that we often forget the most important question of all and that is, “Is this what God would have me do?”