This is that point in the life of a congregation where a decision has to be made. Things cannot stay the same. It is now - or never. Whatever choice is made it has to begin with asking where God wants the congregation to be in 5,10 or 20 years. What purpose does God have for this particular body of Christ?
Choices:
1.Stay the Course. Bring no substantive change to bear on the situation. Keep things just as they are. This is essentially a decision to not make dramatic changes and hope that circumstances will develop in your favor. Normal practices of worship, fellowship, and outreach will remain as they are. The physical demand on the congregation will be largely the same. The downside is that the statistical profile indicates a negative future in almost all cases unless something does - swiftly and decisively - change.
2. Intentional Transition. Explore new options for relationship. Would a merger work? A Cooperative relationship with another church or agency? Allow a larger, growing church to make the congregation and building a satellite of their ministry? Begin the dialogue and how the changes might be implemented. This path would take a church down the road of conversation about transitioning their current state into a relationship characterized by one of the above terms. This would be a process of research, conversation, and negotiation. It would require a willingness to surrender self-interests to a greater good. It could involve loss of the distinct identity the church currently has in favor of something brand new. The dangers include the possibility of a post merger atrophy.
3. Radical Reinvention. Assess strengths and weaknesses. Encourage buy-in to a 'break us down and rebuild us in a better model' approach. Develop a clear, detailed strategy. Assess costs. Implement and assign commitment (who is going to do what and for how long?) Evaluate and adjust as you go along. Radical Reinvention will require total commitment by the congregation. It will require brutal honesty as to what works and what does not. It will require a completely open attitude to change, innovation and experimentation. Familiar features may disappear and new expressions appear. The prioroty would be evangelism, outreach and relationship with the community.
Know These Things to Be True:
A church reestablishing its mission and purpose - at whatever level will see people leave. They will leave because change is not happening, they will leave because change is being talked about and they will leave because they feel their place of power or authority is being lost.
As a church decides to reinvent itself and chart a purpose that is clear and disciple-making , people will leave but God's Holy Spirit will begin to send people to take their place and share the mission God has for the ministry of the congregation in its setting.
Churches go through cycles of development: the are grow, the achieve, they sit back and rest on past glories and then - unless they refine their mission and purpose - they begin a downward slide into eventual organizational death. That is when churches close.
Churches at the Crossroads of Change should engage in intense individual and corporate prayer for vision, should walk their community to really see where the needs are and what is going un fulfilled, and then they should make a decision to change in order to keep the ministry flexible and the purpose of the church healthy and moving forward for Christ.
The Church should never rest on past accomplishments, should never plan in such a way they lock themselves into any style, form or character. Growing things change, constantly, and God wants His Church to be more than brick and mortar but a living thing that is able to quickly reshape itself to meet new challenges and opportunities.
Dr. Marvin J. Hudson
