{"id":132,"date":"2016-01-14T15:16:16","date_gmt":"2016-01-14T15:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wwv.group.com\/whengodleftthebuilding\/?p=132"},"modified":"2016-01-18T21:46:39","modified_gmt":"2016-01-18T21:46:39","slug":"how-to-be-a-change-agent-without-killing-yourself-or-the-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/whengodleftthebuilding\/2016\/01\/14\/how-to-be-a-change-agent-without-killing-yourself-or-the-church\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be a Change Agent\u2013Without Killing Yourself or the Church"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><span style=\"font-size: 36px\">How to Be a Change Agent\u2013Without Killing Yourself or the Church<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>James knows his ministry needs to make some changes. Without these changes, the ministry may falter and fall. But James also fears if he makes the changes, some people may be upset. So James chooses to do what most do in this situation. Nothing.<\/p>\n<p>At my organization, Group, we talk with hundreds of pastors and ministry leaders every week. Many of them sound just like James. Their fear of necessary change has paralyzed them. And I\u2019m afraid their stories will not end well.<\/p>\n<p>Fear of change plagues organizations of all types\u2013large and small. One of America\u2019s large and iconic companies declared bankruptcy in 2012 after failing to make necessary changes. The leaders there too were crippled with fear. The company? Kodak. We profiled Kodak\u2019s fears in our film <a href=\"http:\/\/wwv.group.com\/whengodleftthebuilding\/\">When God Left the Building<\/a> (now available on DVD). In this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=AR5GVgOdixs\" target=\"_blank\">short clip<\/a> you\u2019ll see a former Kodak leader, followed by a pastor facing a similar state of paralysis.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Is this our Kodak Moment?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AR5GVgOdixs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Kodak\u2019s leaders squandered their opportunity and responsibility to effectively shepherd change in their organization. We can learn from their mistakes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>STEPS FOR HEALTHY CHANGE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In today\u2019s challenging times, most ministry leaders sense the need for change. But they often don\u2019t know how to encourage change. Here\u2019s an approach to organizational change that works.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Accept your role as change agent<\/strong>. Good leaders lead change. They do not abdicate this responsibility. They lead. Even though it\u2019s uncomfortable. Even though some other people will be uncomfortable\u2013and critical.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Don\u2019t procrastinate<\/strong>. Too many ministries and entire churches are collapsing today because people want to \u201cwait until next year\u201d or stall until all the information can be gathered. That day will never come. Claim a sense of urgency.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Share the bad news<\/strong>. Help everyone see the realities of the present situation, and the likely deterioration if present trends continue. People need to understand the current environment and begin to appreciate why change may be necessary.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Work with a small team<\/strong>\u2013perhaps comprised of open-minded staff, lay leaders and members\u2013to analyze the current situation, brainstorm possible changes, and propose solutions. Generate enthusiasm and support for the coming changes within this team.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Pray<\/strong>. Seek God\u2019s guidance as you look to the future. Pray individually, with your teams, and with your entire membership.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Keep mission in mind<\/strong>. Evaluate possible changes on the basis of your true mission, rather than on lesser priorities. For example, are you more interested in reaching your community, or in satisfying members\u2019 desires for nostalgia?<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Focus on gains rather than losses<\/strong>. When confronted with change, most people default to thinking about what they will lose. Leaders help them see what they will gain. Paint a picture of the promised land. Show the future, using all communication vehicles. And do it repeatedly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Act<\/strong>. Once you\u2019ve explained the situation, demonstrated the gains, and garnered core support, begin implementing the plan. Be transparent and honest. Do not dabble (a big mistake that Kodak made) or attempt to sneak in changes under the radar.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9. Communicate and celebrate<\/strong>. Tell your people, repeatedly, the changes taking place, their purpose, and their outcomes. Celebrate your progress. Thank God.<\/p>\n<p>Fear not. Embrace the change within your heart to make the change you\u2019re called to make.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Be a Change Agent\u2013Without Killing Yourself or the Church James knows his ministry needs to make some changes. Without these changes, the ministry may falter and fall. But James also fears if he makes the changes, some people may be upset. So James chooses to do what most do in this situation. Nothing. At my organization, Group, we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Be a Change Agent\u2013Without Killing Yourself or the Church - When God Left the Building<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, nofollow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wwv.group.com\/whengodleftthebuilding\/2016\/01\/14\/how-to-be-a-change-agent-without-killing-yourself-or-the-church\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Be a Change Agent\u2013Without Killing Yourself or the Church - When God Left the Building\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How to Be a Change Agent\u2013Without Killing Yourself or the Church James knows his ministry needs to make some changes. Without these changes, the ministry may falter and fall. But James also fears if he makes the changes, some people may be upset. So James chooses to do what most do in this situation. Nothing. 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