In Great by Choice, Jim Collins and Morten Hansen make
this observation:
“Conventional wisdom says that change is hard. But if change is so difficult, why do we see
more evidence of radical change in the less successful comparison cases [in the
research study]? Because change is not the most difficult part. Far more difficult than implementing change
is figuring out what works, understanding why it works, grasping when to
change, and knowing when not to.”
This is a significant finding and one that those of us in
the church should reflect on! We realize
that change is necessary at times, especially if something is no longer
effective. Too often we spend time
propping up things that no one really wants to support. But if something is basically sound,
productive, and has a committed core of support, we should not rush to change
it.
A pastor friend once proposed that his church cease
Sunday night services because only a few people showed up and the service
required several hours of staff preparation each week. He had a visit from a delegation of upset
church members urging that the service continue. He asked the group, “Will you come regularly
if we continue this service?” The consensus
reply was, “We can’t make that kind of commitment.” The pastor then asked, “Then why should we do
this service?” One person summed up the
group’s attitude:”Well, we just want to know that it’s there if we decide to
come.”
We don’t need to continue those things that have outlived
their usefulness and in which people are no longer invested. This is not a matter of numbers but of
effectiveness. There are things that are
going well in our churches and some that would go even better if we tweaked
them a bit. Adjustments in time,
leadership, format, or preparation could make a great difference.
Perhaps the key question is, “Is this building up the
kingdom of God?” If the answer is “No,”
it is time to change. If the answer is “Yes,”
let’s get on with it and do it well.
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