Congregational Change: Why it’s hard, why it’s necessary and what to do

How can the wildness of the Wild Goose become more a part of our local congregations? Why is bringing needed congregational change so hard? What are the essential components of a healthy change process? What kinds of pushback and struggle are inevitable, what are avoidable, and is it worth it in the end? Anna and Brian will talk about the challenges that make change a matter of survival for our churches, and we’ll spend some time in personal reflection and interaction about our experiences as change agents in the past and present. But honestly, we’ve also learned some important things over the years about instituting such change, so we’ll take a few moments to summarize and discuss the literature and lore of congregational change. Most importantly, let’s look at a template for change and discuss simple and adaptable options for guiding your congregations or organizations through a change process.