This is a challenge I once heard from Chick Yuill. ‘Embrace change’ was the catch-cry.
A healthy church can try something new, and be ok if it fails. A dysfunctional church can find change too threatening. Or maybe the church is happy with the status quo – with how things are.
Now, if a church is not making new disciples of Jesus Christ, and the church is not reaching the poor and advocating for the injustices in our society, then it needs to ‘embrace change’. By continuing on with the same programs, the same attitudes, the same ‘Church services’ and expecting things to change by themselves is naive. They need to embrace change.
Its hard to change a culture of an organisation. Maybe its harder in a ‘volunteer’ church organisation. In the corporate world you just sack the volatile people, or the people with the wrong attitudes. In the church, we love and accept and grow together. It’s about building community together.
Decisive action does need to be taken to be honouring God with what matters, and if we are not in that place, we need to change. I pray a blessing upon church leaders in that position right now, and ask God to give you wisdom and understanding, endurance and patience (Colossians 1).
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Good post, Pete!
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