Managing the Church
For council chairs, trustees, and others with
gifts of administration
Getting from here to there
By Jeff Steckley
One of my first major purchases as a youth was a simple 12-foot sailboat. I vividly recall my first outing. The sensation of the tug of the wind and the effortless gliding of the boat across the waves felt marvelous' But the exhilaration came to an abrupt end as I realized that I was at the other end of the lake, needing to go against the wind to return home. As a rookie sailor, I quickly learned how to tack or zigzag my way to a destination when the wind wasn’t blowing in my favor.
The winds of change are blowing in many of our churches as we seek to understand and embody what it means to live as a missional people. For committee chairs, pastors, and others of us who lead congregations in decision-making, how do we navigate in the direction God is leading?
Like sailors, we may need to chart rather circuitous routes in helping congregations become missional in character. Seasoned sailors know well this technique of tacking. It is messy, and at times seems to run counter to what feels right. Applied to congregational life and witness, the challenges unique to each church make it impossible to provide one single, proven recipe for change.
But there are some key considerations all of us can keep in mind that can help us as we seek to guide change in a way that is both faithful to our congregational journey and keeps our destination in focus.
1. Be aware of your own response to the changes and issues your church is facing. As leader, others are counting on you to guide so that all perspectives are welcomed and honored as a means to discovering the wisdom you need to go forward. Take note of the people and ideas that trigger unhelpful, personal responses, and thus hinder the discernment of the group. Be judicious as to when and where you share your own fears, anxieties or opinions on the issue or question your congregation is working with.
As you speak with care, you’ll be communicating that you seek the well-being of the entire group, rather than only aligning with those who hold your own personal views. Attention to your own response to the change or issue means that you’ll be less likely to be “hooked” emotionally to a point that your ability to lead with objectivity and thoughtfulness is compromised.
2. Understand the underlying dynamics of your congregation. Listen carefully to the spoken and unspoken clues to your congregation’s readiness for change. Be aware of when it is helpful to introduce new ways of being and doing and when your proposals might call for too much change, too fast. Know your congregation’s history and the way it might influence the group’s response to present issues and challenges.
3. Listen to the informal leaders in your congregation. They may not hold an office, but they have views and opinions which others hold as credible. Find ways to get them involved and to tap into their wisdom so that they’re not inclined to sabotage the work of appointed leaders.
4. Determine the key congregational issues. When changes are afoot, anxiety can spread, giving rise to additional concerns or issues. Distill the many concerns to the point where you are able to articulate the most critical and current issues for your church. If possible, form a carefully crafted question which reflects the core of each issue. For example, ministry to youth is often a point of anxiety. The key issue may not be about youth at all, but about the ways in which those who raised the concern are experiencing or not experiencing support and nurture in the congregation. You may want to shift the question from being about the effectiveness of a church’s youth ministry program to exploring the ways in which the congregation offers support and nurture at various life stages. Be sure to test the question you are posing with others to confirm that it points to the key issue.
5. Clarify the “real work” of the congregation. Given that you’ve identified the key issues, determine what you might do to address each of the issues or answer the questions which you’ve posed. If the support and nurture of folks at various life stages is the key congregational issue, be certain that your action plan supports ministry to all generations. The “real work” in this case might be to fashion a number of cross generational events, rather than planning more age-specific events. Be certain that you’re investing your energy into those actions that will truly make a difference.
6. Invite congregational ownership through a conversation. If the congregation is to truly embrace change, it is important that as many as wish to do so are involved in determining what the changes will be. When inviting others to join the conversation be sure to communicate why you are doing this, how you will do this, what will happen and what the end results will be.
7. In communicating how you will do this, state the assumptions
around congregational conversation. A set of explicitly stated
assumptions might include the following:
• We are open to hearing and responding to God’s call, and we wish
to align ourselves with God’s purposes.
• We need everyone’s wisdom for the wisest result.
• The wisdom of the whole group is greater than the sum of the parts of
the group.
• Everyone gets to hear and be heard.
• There are no wrong answers; what each person brings to the process is
recognized as authentic.
Beginning with a clear statement that we seek to align ourselves with God’s
purposes, this set of assumptions goes on to emphasize our commitment to dialogue
with one another. Dialogue means that our individual perspectives might change
as we hear the views of others. When you gather, it may help to read aloud
these assumptions as a statement of shared commitment. In order to help the
group to honor these assumptions, structure time for small group, as well as
whole group conversation.
8. Accept conflict as a normal part of the change process. Times of change will likely bring out differing perspectives on the same issue. Encourage the conversation to remain focused on the issue at hand, rather than be directed at people. Emphasize the importance of speaking for yourself and letting others speak for themselves. Understand that hearing a variety of perspectives helps in illuminating the issue. Remember that the more ticklish the issue or greater the change, the greater the resistance will be.
9. Communicate frequently and clearly. Your congregation can’t be supportive if they don’t know what’s happening. Anticipate and answer the questions that folks are asking so that the “buzz” about what’s going on remains informed and positive. Use a different colored paper for any communication related to change initiatives or dedicate a particular space in the church’s weekly bulletin.
10. Sustain implementation through clear support and accountability The best of plans can go awry without clear expectations as to what will be done, and who will do it. When you sense the group converging on a decision or plan of action ask the following questions. Who will do what, by when, and at what cost (time, resources skills, money)? Exactly what concrete outcomes will show that the plan is faithful and successful?
11. Celebrate and acknowledge successes, however small. Future success builds on earlier successes. Celebrate and acknowledge the seemingly small initial steps leading to the changes you have been called to implement . Doing this will create the required momentum when the challenges become more substantial. If you’ve decided to use a wider variety of music in worship, remind folks of that decision at the point when you’re learning to sing a new song. This communicates your faithful follow-through on the decision made. If you’re starting a new community-related project, regularly include a church bulletin announcement, detailing what has been accomplished and what is yet to be accomplished.
--Jeff Steckley is Giving Project Consultant for the Mennonite Church Eastern Canada