Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church – One of the biggest barriers to change in our local churches is fear of the unknown future. So even when we know change is needed, everyone is afraid. Fear makes us cling to what we have always done. We create sacred cows out of things that are not really sacred: the color of the carpet, the church furniture, a dusty hundred-year-old plaque of the Lord’s Prayer… Nobody likes change! Yet people don’t realize that to survive, we must change.
God says, “Behold, I am about to do something new” (Isaiah 43:19). One question many local churches wrestle with is: does the church need to change, and if so, what? The gospel message never changes, but the way we communicate and serve may need renewing to reach today’s generation. Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB).
Nobody Likes Change
When people say they like change, what they often mean is, “I don’t want to be changed by someone else.” Everyone likes changing other people and things, but nobody likes being changed.
Most people complain loudly when Facebook gets a new layout or changes its policies, or when Apple introduces a new charging port for iPhone and iPad and everyone has to replace their accessories.
When Marvel introduced Miles Morales as the new Spider-Man, many were disappointed that he wasn’t Peter Parker. And when rumors spread that Idris Elba might play James Bond, people were upset because Bond had always been portrayed differently.
Why do people react this way? Because nobody likes change! And they don’t realize that to survive, we must change.
One reason many churches are declining is their inability to change or adapt to a changing culture. Some United Methodist churches in America feel like time machines: step inside and you are instantly back in the 1970s and 80s. I believe the gospel message is eternal and timeless. But we cannot share God’s Word with the same style, forms and methods people used in the 70s, 80s or even 90s. How can you lead young people in singing 1980s camp songs? Why do we cling to so-called “traditions” and still call our worship service “contemporary”?
To survive we must change, but change isn’t easy because it often frightens us. Change confronts us with an uncertain future. If everything changes, the familiar, safe, comfortable things I once had will be gone. So what is left for me?
Like Israel in the Wilderness
One negative effect of fear is that we cling to what we have already done and make sacred cows out of things that are not sacred. It reminds me of the Israelites after they crossed the Red Sea.
“If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” the Israelites said to them. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!” (Exodus 16:3)
The Israelites preferred slavery in Egypt to freedom with an uncertain future, even though God was with them and leading them, and they had just experienced the miracle of crossing the Red Sea.
They complained, “At least in Egypt we had food.”
I find it interesting how easily they remembered the food (meat and bread) but never mentioned that they were slaves there.
An unknown future often frightens people more than being stuck in the past, however awful the past was, because at least they are used to it. They would rather face the “enemy” they know than a future that might be hopeless.
Instead of focusing on the promised land flowing with milk and honey, they couldn’t see beyond their present circumstances. So they wanted to go back.
Leading the Church Through Change
I wish I had a simple answer for churches that grumble like Israel when change is needed. Like many of my colleagues, I am trying to manage the tension and fear between past and future, and many days I still don’t do it well.
I am reminded of Andy Stanley’s point that a right vision is always contagious.
A clear, concise vision and mission matter greatly for a church, but it is just as important that everyone, not only the pastor and leadership board, moves toward that vision and mission. Our task is to aim for the greater purpose God has planned for the church and keep reminding people that God is faithful. It is up to us leaders to discern when to be gentle and when to nudge members firmly (with love and grace, of course) toward the purpose and mission God wants us to fulfill.
God provided for Israel because He is always faithful.
May God, the Source of all things, give you strength, courage, wisdom and grace as you lead your people to live out the vision He has entrusted to you.
Changing With Wisdom
When we ask whether the church needs to change, we must distinguish what must never change (God’s Word, the gospel, core doctrine) from what can be adjusted (methods, forms, programs).
Every change should begin with prayer, listening and clear explanation to the church. Change carried out in love helps everyone walk together instead of dividing.
You may also like: How Leaders Talk and Church Small Groups.
Prayer
Lord, give our church wisdom to know what to hold firm and what to renew. Help us not to fear change, but always to remain faithful to Your Word. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Article: Đài Trang
Adapted from: MinistryMatters.com
About the Author
Joseph Yoo lives in Santa Barbara, California, where he enjoys the beauty of God’s creation: fresh weather and beautiful beaches. He serves at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. Learn more at josephyoo.com.
Read more articles in Leadership, or find a church near you on our Locations page. Contact the church office: 0942 248 688 (Zalo available).
