If you are a leader in your church or organization, you often have the challenge of leading change and finding resistance; that is, people don’t want to change. Church Growth leaders are telling us the institutional church is failing. What type of change is needed? How should this be led? It reminds me of the tension between the institutional religion in Acts 4 and what the Holy Spirit was doing as it called the Church into action. Here are eight basic rules for a change agent today.
- Start where people are.
- A change agent does not cause change for the sake of change. There must be a vision, goal, passion, and calling.
- Change agents must be supported by communities.
- Creativity and ideas are not enough. In today’s world experience is needed. Involve experienced people in the change.
- The end does not justify the means.
- The change agent must develop win/win strategies. Avoid win/lose strategies.
- All strategies and goals must have an absolute to which decisions can be referenced. For the Christians, the Bible is the absolute reference.
- The Holy Spirit is both the envisioner for the community as well as the source of its power. Trust the Holy Spirit for the vision and power.
For more on these eight principles of a change agent, see http://www.creatingnewworlds.org/changeagent.htm
