I made a joke on stage last week that we’ve added another “C” to our initials ECCC. We are Eastridge Constantly Changing Church. Many laughed. Some smirked. A few silently boo-ed.
It’s not just on the outside either; we’ve been making internal changes among the staff and with procedures and actual physical locations of staff offices. Change is hard. Change is necessary.
I’ve been contemplating all of the changes lately..I still think they are all needed and appropriate. And the timing seems just right. I even backed down on a couple of changes I had in mind..again, probably for the greater good.
Nevertheless..I have found comfort in Tony Morgan’s recent post about change. I’ve copied his list below:
- It’s a lot easier to embrace change when you’re the one initiating it.
- When we decide change is needed, it’s a lot easier for us to receive it.
- Change without vision is chaos.
- Change to fulfill vision is a lot easier to understand when it’s shared through stories.
- Many times the most successful or positive changes also produce the most criticism.
- Change doesn’t happen unless someone is responsible to deliver it.
- It’s easier to embrace change when we see it rather than when we hear about it.
- Change, even the best kind of change, will always generate some measure of fear and anger and sadness.
- In other words, someone will always despise the change and let you know about it.
- It’s almost impossible to change a change that previously worked.
- Test-driving a change is a lot easier than fully committing to the unknown.
- Change is more likely to take hold when it’s followed by an immediate win.
- When you think you’ve communicated enough about the change, you need to communicate more.
- Organizations that don’t change die.
- When change happens, it always gets personalized–it always ends up being about “me.”
- Slow change is rarely positive change.
- Change without metrics is foolishness.
- If the change is easy, you’re probably not changing enough.
- Resistance addressed appropriately makes change better.
- If everyone already recognizes the need for change, you’re obviously not the leader.
Since I was sixteen years old, I’ve had a life motto that says, “I want to be a catalyst for change in people’s lives by ____________________.”
The fill-in-the-blank has changed as my stage of life and circumstances have changed. But the heart of it remains the same twenty years later. I want to be someone who encourages others to change. I want to be someone who helps others by encouraging them to change who they are. I want to continue to grow and change!
What are your thoughts on change?
Do you perceive change as a good thing?
believer, husband, father, musician, worship leader, executive pastor, social media socialite, novice blogger
