People, by virtue of their personalities, their life experience, and their work, have different dispositions to change. The four categories that you can see on this chart are a useful guide: - **Radicals**, for example, love change; it's exciting! Let's get rid of the past—let's do it now.
- **Progressives** like new initiatives; change is exciting, but they prefer slower rates of change. - **Conservatives** can see the need for some change, but they advocate for careful, minor change, done gradually. Progressives and conservatives are used to talking to each other in business and the profession, so they understand each other.
At the other end of the extreme are the **traditionalists**. By nature, they're against change; radicals are dangerous—let's get back to the good old days! Now, the emotional climate at either end of the spectrum is hot.
You’ll get your best feeling for change from the middle group, from progressives and conservatives. They are most disposed to manage change, and it's important to get support from this group of people. Another point that's worth noting is that at either end of the spectrum, the noise or the comments are loud, but they may not represent the majority of people.
So it can be quite noisy around the radical end and around the traditionalist end, but it may not mean that these are the majority. Acceptance of change takes time—usually more time than the change agent allows. Typically, the change agent has been thinking and working in his or her own mind for some time about the ideas, and then they begin to promote the ideas to somebody else.
But typically, they think that everybody ought to be at the same point as they are in the learning process. But of course, they’re not; it takes time for people to catch up to where the change agent is. Remember also that change agents and leaders in situations of change will experience a lot of stress.
They often become the focal point of dissent; conflict, anger, and anxiety tend to increase in times of change. The leader will need support and care, as well as an objective advisor from outside the change environment, to meet with regularly. The leader must also be careful not to amplify the anxiety that develops in the system; the leader must reduce it, try to react calmly, and not personalize opposition around individuals.
Leaders are like an electrical transformer; they can increase or decrease the anxiety in an organization by their own reactions. Be calm, absorb the tension, don't overreact, use humor, and be proactive and positive. The fourth clue is that we need to recognize that there are different approaches to change, and each approach may be useful or necessary in particular circumstances.
The first approach is what we might call **parallel development**, where we add something to what already exists without removing the old. For example, continuing an existing traditional service and adding a contemporary family service at a new time. The second approach is **gradual change**, where we slowly and gradually bring about change inch by inch; this gives people a chance to adapt.
Then there's **radical restructure**, where we remove the existing and replace it with something entirely different—something entirely new. This is the most difficult, of course, and the most risky. Sometimes it's necessary; a church may have to completely relocate, sell its old plant, and buy new land because the existing site is too small.
But it's always difficult to make a radical restructure. The fifth clue is that the whole process of change needs to be soaked in prayer. Create lots of opportunities for people to gather to pray: prayer nights, prayer vigils, prepare special prayer diaries, plan regular specific prayer on the issues in your public services.
Prayer does three things: firstly, it opens us up to God's direction; secondly, it opens us up to the Holy Spirit, the great change agent; and thirdly, it opens us up to one another, maintaining love and unity, which is so important in the change process. The sixth clue: practice the principles of constructive change. Remember, destructive change is easy; constructive change requires more thought and care.
The following principles are cast in the form of advice from people to their leaders about the change process: - **Principle One**: The leadership must provide an exciting and inspiring vision—a dream, a hope for the future. We won't venture out of our comfort zone and our safety without an inspiring vision. - **Principle Two**: Celebrate our past as you initiate the change.
Recognize and celebrate the past achievements, the significant stages and events of our church's history, and the significant people—the heroes and heroines of the past. Value our past as you seek to move forward to the future. - **Principle Three**: Remember, this is a process; it takes time for us to see and grasp the vision.
We also want to be involved, consulted, and to participate in the process of it. This will involve information, education, and knowledge. This can be communicated through sermons, through studies, through discussion groups, and through the small group process.
In all of these ways, we are involved in thinking through the issues involved. Remember, this may take many months; it can't be done quickly. It also involves experience; we need to get a taste of the possibilities that this change will bring.
In this phase, we have a lot of questions that need answers. Our fears need to be voiced, and we need dialogue and discussion about the change. Let me suggest a format for a meeting for the discussion of a new idea or change.
When holding a meeting to discuss a new idea or a proposed change, make it clear that the meeting is only for discussion, not for decision-making. That will alleviate the tension. Any documents you produce should have "DRAFT" written clearly across the top of them to ensure that everyone can contribute and that the meeting is not dominated by one or two individuals.
People divide the group into groups of six, have a leader and a recorder in each group, and allow people in those small groups to discuss the various ideas and the changes, making sure that everybody's contribution is recorded. The first thing should be to outline the idea as simply and clearly as possible to the whole group, then divide people into their smaller groups for discussion. Make sure the recorders record all the information, give people adequate time to discuss the ideas, and then draw them back into the main group again.
Ask each group recorder to read out the findings of the group. Someone should then record these on an overhead transparency or large sheets of white paper so that it's clear that everybody's contribution is being recorded. Then, explain to people that these ideas will all go back to a working party that will work further on the idea, modify it, develop it, and enrich it from the contributions of the meeting.
You may have to hold one or two of these before finally sending the final ideas back to a decision-making group; it may be your church's board, or it may be a final congregational meeting. By that stage, though, people are much more ready to decide, and the discussion of the ideas will be much more relaxed in a meeting where people do not feel they have to make a decision at the end.
