How you change matters just as much as what you change.

Whether you are new in a ministry position or have been in your role for years, there comes a time to make change. Sometimes it is small changes that need to be made (tweaking curriculum, painting the room, etc.). Sometimes it is big changes that need to be made (the summer camp you go to, how you do small groups, etc.). Also, depending on the context, changes that would be seen as small in one ministry may be seen huge changes in another. While there are some people who love change, most people do not handle change well. How you handle making changes has a direct effect on the success of the changes. Here are five considerations to help you make changes in your ministry successfully:

As a leader, how you handle making changes has a direct effect on the success of the changes.

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1. Know the culture

Before you can really make changes to anything you need to be aware of the culture. Choosing your battles wisely requires you to know your battlefield so to speak. There is a reason Israel sent spies ahead of the battle…they needed to know the lay of the land. If you do not have somewhat of a grasp of the culture (both past and present), you will never make successful changes. The longer you are in a ministry the easier it is to get a handle on the culture. It doesn’t mean you can’t do this earlier on, it just means it is more difficult.

2. Know the why

Know why you need to make the changes. Never change something simply because you want to. When asked why, “because I said so,” doesn’t work. It doesn’t work as a parent with your kids, and it doesn’t work with students, parents, and leaders in your ministry. If you can’t answer why you need to change and why the change is better, don’t make the change.

3. Have a plan

Don’t just change for the sake of changing something. Know what changes you need to make and think through how to change them. Think through the questions and objections you will get. Think through every aspect of the changes before making them. Plan for everything you can think of. If you don’t have a plan you will never be able to do it successfully.

4. Communicate the why early and often

Once you know what changes need to be made, why they need to be made, and have a plan for how to make the changes, communicate that others. I would suggest starting with your Pastor or church leadership. It is essential to have their support for one, and it is never a good idea for them to find out from someone else. Next, communicate it with your team. Finally, communicate it to your parents and students. Communicate all of this early to your Pastor and often to your ministry. Be honest, but tactful. There is not need for, “We are changing the summer camp you’ve been going to since Jesus walked the earth because that camp stinks!” Be ready for criticism and for some fallout as you communicate this. If the changes are really worth making, be prepared to be patient with this for the long haul.

5. Make incremental change

Walk to the final product. If you are able (and most of the time you are) take baby steps. For example, when I arrived in my current position we decided to change the summer camp the Student Ministry had been attending for years. Our process was this:

1. We took our team of adult leaders on a retreat in the spring to the camp that I wanted to change to.
2. The students went to the “old” camp that summer.
3. We held our fall retreat for the students at the “new” camp.
4. We told the students at that retreat we would be coming there the following summer for camp.
5. We took way more students to the new camp the following summer than the church had in the three years prior.

This change was extremely successful for a number of reasons. First, by taking the team first they were able to see the camp firsthand and understand the change better. Second, they were able to help promote the fall retreat to our students with first hand experience. And lastly, the students had already been to and seen a small picture of what camp would be like before we actually promoted camp.

I realize this process may be somewhat limited with camps that are not held at a year round facility, but for us it worked great. The point is this, no matter the change, the principles are the same. Take time to think through the actual process. How can you work toward your end goal?

What would you add? What has been your experience in making changes in the past? Have you been intentional in how you made changes? What changes are you wanting to make now that you can apply these principles to?

Photo credit: beeep / Foter / CC BY-ND