A New Direction for the Changing Church
The Church cannot escape what is happening in all of society. Things are changing!
Warning signs were posted long ago, but few understood their significance. Church attendance dropped. Length of pastorates shortened. The ministry became attractive as a second career more than a life’s calling. Families, the traditional foundation of parish life, were in disarray.
Church leaders are beginning to discover that the methodologies of church leadership taught and practiced for decades are no longer relevant. Leaders are feeling a bit lost. Their earned “expertise” is of less value.
But there is still a way — an exciting way, in fact.
Marketer Seth Godin wrote today in his daily blog, “The map has been replaced by the compass.”
He goes on to explain that detailed step by step management processes are no longer effective. The world changes too quickly.
Knowing what direction you are going is very important… even critical. Throw out the map. Follow the compass.
Today’s leaders in the church must retrain. They are not alone. Many sectors of society are finding their classroom education no longer serves them. They, too, must retool their expertise. The church needs to find ways to get new training to pastors and professional leaders who graduated years ago. Seminarians can no longer expect 20 or 30 years of serving a congregation without ongoing continuing education. Other fields (medicine and education, for example) demand it. The church must, too. Congregations cannot wait for a decade before having the opportunity to find leadership able to meet their needs.
Failure to take steps now means setting up pastor after pastor and congregation after congregation for failure. Expectations will not be met. Conflict will be rampant. Resources will be squandered with vain attempts to right things — the old way.
New professional leaders must be trained for a changing world. Many of yesterday’s tried and true tactics need to be abandoned. Pastors will not need a thick binder of policies as much as they will need a Bible and a compass. This may be harder to teach, but it is necessary if the church is to reach out in mission.
Without a sense of direction, the church will become as archaic as the robes donned for worship.
Let’s get out our compasses and point the church in the right direction. The foundation is laid out in the Bible. We just have to apply the new tools of today’s society.
Learning in the church is truly a lifelong undertaking. It begins with professional leadership.
Are we ready for it?