Too Risky to Change?

We spent the past two days in all-day planning meetings with our senior team, discussing the future at Granger Community Church.

I recounted the following story to them...

About ten years ago, a consultant (we'll call him Bob) was meeting with us at Granger and challenging us to consider changes for the future. We quickly jumped on some of his ideas, and began talking about how to implement the new direction. We were running about 1,500 in attendance at the time.

Bob was surprised at how quickly we were ready to adopt change. He told us how he had spent the previous 15 years at one of the largest and most innovative churches in the country (at that time). He said our openness to change reminded him of their early days when the church was smaller. But this church had grown to more than 10,000 in a short time, and he said it was now impossible to get them to consider any big change. Everything was just too risky, too expensive, or chanced losing too many people. So they would talk issues to death and make incremental changes...but never considered anything significant.

Our senior team then considered: Have we become that church? Are we too afraid to make sweeping changes, if necessary, to catapult us into the future? Are we more concerned about our exposure and the number of churches watching us than we are about figuring out our next step? Do we ask What does God want? before or after we ask How much will it cost? or How many people will we lose?

Our answer was as resounding in its' unity as in its' confidence.

• We will not be the team that is afraid of risk.
• We will not be the team that doesn't listen to the voice of God because we are too tuned in to the whining of people.
• We will not be the team that leads a church so big and flabby that it is impossible to move.
• We will not be the team that misses the wave of God's Spirit because we are conducting a risk management assessment ad nauseum.
• We will not be the team that keeps waiting for the right time to lead the church to the next challenge.

And then we spent the next two days talking about some REALLY radical ideas!

Comments

[adam mclane]

Tim, I totally admire that about your team. It's an awesome example of how you guys want to be innovative... so much so that you've built innovation into your culture.

But I wonder... when it comes to sweeping changes, where does stewardship come in?

[Marc Buwalda]

Thanks for the encouraging post Tim. Our church is on the precipice of some (exciting) possible changes, but I definitely see our staff cringing at the idea of losing people. I'll be sharing this post with them and we'll see how it goes as we move forward in the decision making process. Thanks again.

[Tim Stevens]

Adam -- not sure I understand your question. Can you explain?

[aaron escamilla]

Love the post Tim. Our Pastor is leading our Pastoral Team through what the next five years will look like at our church. These are questions that we need to bring up and look at. Thanks so much for sharing it is awesome to know that other churches are in the same boat. Also that you are making a commitment to not become a church resistant to change.

[ekklesia]

Somewhat related: Another blog (pyromaniacs) did a non-review of your book "Pop Goes the Church" by simply urging their readership to read yours alongside David Well's "The Courage to Be Protestant" and "let the best man win." I happen to have been in the process of reading Well's book and find it very compelling as an accurate presentation of what and who the Bible calls us to be as a church. The pyro crew clearly imply that you present quite an opposite take on the situation than does Wells. Not being familiar with you or your writings, I'm curious if you have read Wells and what your reaction is. I'll be at the Whiteboard Sessions and I hope there will be a time for honest open dialog and critique.

[Tim Stevens]

Ekklesia - I have not read the book by Wells. If you do end up reading both, I'd love to hear your comparison thoughts. See you at Whiteboard.

[Marla Saunders]

I love your list of "We will nots".

I believe that churches need to continually take risks and get out of their comfort zones in order to grow deeper and become what God has planned for them. The church is like a body, and like a body sometimes things need to be eliminated. If a few unhealthy people leave with your changes, do not fret. It's just the body's way of rejuvenating itself. You are following God's vision, that's all that counts.

[HEATHER]

God's gonna turn those "will-nots" into "can-do's." Good for you guys! Can't wait to see what he's gonna do up there in the Hoosier state!

[Amber Cox]

Tim! I love the "will not" list. I'm pumped. This is really exciting stuff!