Change Can Change Everything

by Reba Collins

As I said in last week’s blog, watching children grow and develop reminds us that change is a constant presence in our lives, and it is necessary for growth. While God may be the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we and our world are not. That includes our churches.

Change is God’s birthplace for new visions to emerge within us or through us. When you sense the need for your church to change because conditions have changed around you, it’s time to re-envision the future.

You can begin your own Re+Visioning process with:

1. Taking a break. Gather a group of leaders to pause and pray. It might take a month, two months, or a year before God’s path becomes clear. But cut through the chaos of busy ministries to discover how God has used change to change your church.

2. Getting some good information. Your church community and the community around your church are changing. Every. Single. Day. The problem is that most of it is so incremental that you’re not aware of its effect. Take the time to assess the changes that are out of your control before deciding how to respond to them.

3. Find an objective observer. Fresh eyes see you differently. They aren’t carrying around the extra change of your organization and can be an unanxious presence in highly emotional environments. And don’t kid yourself, change is personal for those who care. Every. Single. Time. A neutral third-party sees things you can’t, and says things you won’t.

Each change has the potential to bring a new perspective of what’s possible for us, for those we love, and for the organizations in which we experience life. This is where new visions are born.

Is it time for you and your church family to change your vision of what’s possible? Is it tomorrow yet?