I received an e-mail from someone whose church has seen some decline.  He and the pastor want to implement some changes, even a new set of by-laws, to reorganize the church.  I am going to share some of my response here as many churches are at this crossroad.  Either you make changes or you continue to decline and perhaps die.

Before trying to implement change, especially change that affects the church’s culture or DNA, you need to first lay the groundwork, to cast the vision for it.  What I have found is that people tend to get more involved, or participate, when there is a reason to.  They need to see that the church is going somewhere and how they are needed as a part of that process. 

People need to brought onboard, to have a sense of understanding and ownership.  The worst thing you could do is to simply tell people what they must do or what changes you will be making.  — First Things First:  Make Sure You Lay the Groundwork

Ask yourself these questions:

What do people need to understand in order to come onboard?

What means can we use to help them gain that understanding?

How can we consistently communicate that understanding?

Some of that will come through teaching but much needs to come through the example of leadership as well.  There should be a consistency between what is communicated formally and what is observed informally.  So, first make sure all leadership in the church is on the same page and then move out to getting the people onboard.  — First Things First:  Make Sure Leadership is Onboard

And, of course, all of this needs to be enveloped in prayer.  You undoubtedly are looking at the need for heart change and not just behavioral conformity.  That requires divine power.  If you fail to get beyond behavioral conformity, you probably will not have lasting change.  Pray in the planning stage.  Pray as you lay the groundwork.  Pray in the implementation stage.  — First Things First:  Make Sure You are on Page with God

Too often we skip these first steps.  Then we wonder why change is so difficult or why it doesn’t last. 

The order of what I have written above should actually be reversed in the actual process:
   1)  Make sure you are on page with God.
   2)  Make sure leadership is onboard.
   3)  Make sure you lay the groundwork with the people.

Once you have done what needs to happen first, then you are ready to start implementing change.  Below are pages that might help.  They are from the church purpose section of the site but can be applied to other areas.

Tips about the process

Dealing with obstacles

Directing a ministry is similar to running a company in some ways.  Liken dealing with customers and vendors to working with volunteers and other ministry leaders.  Do you know what I have found?  Everybody makes mistakes, including me.

Just recently I’ve made changes to the phone system.  The company I changed to made a couple mistakes in how it was set up and missed the promised date.  I could have let them have it verbally but I didn’t.  They were very apologetic and proactive in rectifying the errors.

By nature I am a person of principle but I have learned through the years that it isn’t so much that people make mistakes but how they deal with those mistakes that makes the difference.

In the church, your pastor will make mistakes.  Ministry leaders will make mistakes. You will make mistakes if you are involved in the ministry in strategic ways.

• How will you react to mistakes you see others make?
• How will you handle mistakes you make?

Many church conflicts and splits could have been avoided if a little grace had been applied.  And, it would have been easier for people to exercise that grace had those at fault handled their mistakes with humility, grace, wisdom, and understanding.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.  (Ps. 103:11-14)

October is National Clergy Appreciation Month in the U.S. with the second Sunday of the month being Clergy Appreciation Day (perhaps also known as Pastor Appreciation Day or Ministry Appreciation Day).

If I were to take a poll asking people what they think about their pastors, I’d probably get a mixed review . . .

from quite happy to very disgruntled with the pastor.

The reasons behind those responses would vary, even if people marked the same level of satisfaction.  Some would be reporting objectively while others subjectively.  Hence, some could be based on reality and some on false perceptions.  Personal preferences and biases can enter in.

So, perhaps the question we need to ask is what God thinks.  A verse I have often heard used for Pastor Appreciation Day is 1 Thessalonians 5:12 –

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

But, where does that leave those of you on the more disgruntled side … especially those who are basing your perception on reality because the pastor truly isn’t doing a good job or has made a series of poor choices?  Let’s keep going in 1 Thessalonians 5 to verses 13 – 18.

1. Live in peace with each other.
2. … warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
3. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
4. Be joyful always.
5. Pray continually.
6. Give thanks in all circumstances.

… for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.