But...We've Never Done It That Way Before

Change is hard.  Ministry is hard.  And trying to implement change into ministry can be incredibly difficult.  One of the biggest mistakes that people can make in ministry is to change lots of stuff all at once.  Even if you've been at the same church for ten years...change it not easy.  People expect some change when a new person comes into the department.  I've talked about that in this previous post.  But you may decide to implement something brand new long after you are no longer "new" and that has it's own challenges.  Below are a few suggestions that you might find helpful.


Why was it not changed before now?
I like trying new things, and if you are talking about something small, then it may not matter.  After all, if you're church has had chocolate chip cookies for snack at VBS for the last 30 years then maybe it's time for a change.  However, sometimes even those small things carry way more baggage than you might realize at first glance.  Perhaps the reason those cookies are always made is because Sister Cook's-A-Lot made them every year for 25 years and when she passed away she left the recipe and the funds to cover the making of said cookies for the next 20 years in her will.  Trying to change that tradition will be more difficult...after all, now there are funds literally set aside for those cookies that you would have to find elsewhere if you decided not to make them.  I know that is an extreme scenario, but it's not really out of the realm of possibility.  I once had someone absolutely irate at me to the point of not talking to me for quite some time over where we were going to purchase chicken for a dinner.  Make sure you know why something has always been done before you change it.  A little research can save you a lot of grief.

Is it needed?
I am not saying that it's not good to change things up from time to time, but if you are making a major change (and the definition of major changes differs from church to church), be sure you can explain why you feel the change in necessary.  "Because I want to" probably isn't going to work very well.  Have a well thought out explanation for what you are trying to change and why it you feel it is necessary. 

Include your Team
Big changes often take a lot of planning and a lot of work.  Don't decide to revamp the entire way you are doing children's church without talking through it with your team.  You may be the one who makes the final call, but they have to help you implement the plan.  If you are adding all sorts of work to their duties, changing what they will be responsible for, or even adding an extra piece to the service structure, make sure you include them in the conversation.  If they are on board, half the battle is over, but if they are not with you, you are sunk before you begin.  Plus, they will have insights that you might not have noticed or thought about in your planning phase.  They are on your team for a reason...include them in the process.   

Cover Everything in Prayer
Make sure God is the center of whatever changes you make.  If it is His plan, it will prosper...if it's your plan and He's not leading, it will fail.  It really is that simple.

Sometimes changes are necessary, but if you use these few suggestions, walking through those changes, it can make the path much smoother.

Until next week!   

Implementing Change

Change is often necessary, but hardly anyone likes change.  We may say we do, but most of us, when push comes to shove, are pretty happy with doing things like we always have.  It's comfortable.  It's known.  But, change is a part of life and especially when you go into a new place of ministry, change is inevitable.  No, doubt the people you are working with will need to implement some changes, but you must be willing to change too.  And if you implement change in the wrong way, you can ruin your ministry even before it begins.  So, here are a few tips that have proven useful for me.

Change very little in your first year.
In one of my ministry classes, this was taught as a key part of church leadership.  If you come into a new place and start to make big changes right away, you have already driven a bit of a wedge between yourself and your new congregation.  In fact there is an old pastor's saying (no idea who came up with it) that says, "If you make two big changes in your first year of ministry, the third change will be you."  And this is indeed a true statement.  We like to come in and make everything work the way WE like it...after all that means that WE won't have to change.  But, it is really much smarter to wait to implement change.  After all, for the entire first year of your ministry, you are doing everything for the first time in your new location.  You need to see how things have been done in the past before you know what is working and what is not.  That's not to say that you can't put your own spin on things, but there is no reason to fix things that are not broken. Take note of yearly events.  What is working?  What needs improvement?  Then the next time that event rolls around implement those improvements.  But don't just change things because they are different than what you normally do.  You have to see the perspective of your people before they will be interested in your perspective.

Change only what is necessary.
If you move into a new ministry position and find that there are no safety procedures in place, that is something that needs to be changed as quickly as possible.  If you see that there is not a sign-in/sign-out area for the department, that is something that needs immediate change.  Or perhaps you find that the curriculum in use is not actually teaching the correct theology for your denomination (it happens more than you might realize), that would be a necessary change.  But if it is not a detriment to safety or the spiritual learning and growth of the children, it is probably a change that can wait. There are exceptions to this, of course, but choose wisely about what is necessary and what it simply a preference of yours.

When change is needed, do so slowly, prayerfully, and with your Senior Pastor's support.
Any change you make, will probably cause some sort of ripple in the department.  Sometimes it's positive, sometimes not so much.  Make sure you pray about any big changes before you implement them.  Is this what the Lord is leading for this church?  Or is it simply what you want?  If it is the latter, your chance of failing is pretty much off the charts, but if God is behind it, you are already ahead of the game. However, when you find it necessary to implement changes, make sure your Senior Pastor is supportive.  More than likely, if folks don't like the change, the Senior Pastor will hear about it before you do and you want him or her to understand, and be able to explain the changes people are seeing.  You need their support, so keep them in the loop.  And when you do make a change, you need to be able to explain why it was necessary.  "Because I like it better this way," is not going to be a good enough reason and neither is, "We did it like this at my last church and it was great."  You need to be able to show your people why, at this church, this change was needed.  If they understand the reasons, they will be more likely to embrace the change.

Make sure your Children's Council is on board with the changes.
These people are the backbone of your Children's Ministry and if they are not on board with any changes, no one else will be either.  Talk to them.  Get their advice.  And once you have come up with the strategy to implement the necessary changes, let them help you institute it.  They are also a great way to hear what others are saying.  Complaints (especially those about you or something you are in charge of) will often go to your team but not to you.  So, make sure your team knows that you want to know what they are hearing...good or bad.  Then be sure to listen to that feedback and make further adjustments if they are needed.

Change is never easy, but if you take your time, are prayerful in your decisions, and listen to those around you if can be done without too many problems.