Steps in Transformation

Exploring the Highway to Congregational Health
by Clair Woodbury

Transformation is not about having a balanced budget, people in the pews, or promoting programs. Transformation is about serving and finding the way to do that effectively today. Transformation points to a shift in the culture of an organization. It implies the congregation is reaching for its potential for ministry, and finding that a time of truly being energized and alive.

Some time ago we identified five aspects of the life of a congregation that need to be healthy for true transformation to occur. These are not new. They are all readily apparent when you take a close look at Jesus' ministry. All five ? identity, context, spirituality, leadership, and vision ? are there.

Identity

knowing your identity means knowing who you are as a congregation. Jesus began his ministry with a time in the desert. Am I a political leader, a stunt man, a magician? The answer to each was no. It was in the book of Isaiah that he discovered his identity as a leader:

God has chosen me and sent me

To bring good news to the poor,
To heal the broken-hearted,
To announce release to captives
And freedom to those in prison.
God has sent me to proclaim
That the time has come
When the Lord will save this people
Isaiah 6

Context

A congregation's context consists of the people it is in a position to serve. That might mean those who live in the area around the church. For a church that serves a particular group of people, it might mean a whole metropolitan area.

Understanding one's context means being observant, no strange idea for Jesus' followers:

Jesus said to the people, "When you see a cloud coming up in the west, at once you say that it is going to rain¾and it does. And when you feel the south wind blowing, you say that it is going to get hot¾and it does. Hypocrites! You can look at the earth and the sky and predict the weather; why, then, don't you know the meaning of this present time?" Luke 12:54-56

Leadership

Jesus' very first act when he began his ministry was to call people to be trained as leaders. For those who wish to have a thriving congregation, the priority is the same.

When Jesus sent his twelve disciples (an alternate account says 50) he gave them authority. The best indicator is the end product. Those handful of fisherfolk and ordinary people established themselves as leaders of a movement that was to challenge the Roman Empire and alter history forever.

We are at a time in the life of the church where we need all the leadership we can muster.

Spirituality

Those with the gift of spirituality have a real sense of the presence of God that is contagious. That describes Jesus to a "T". People felt in the presence of God when they were in his presence.

Jesus describes the ideal spiritual person in a passage we call the Beatitudes:

Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!
Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised!
Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully! Matthew 5

Vision

Your vision is an image, a sense, a feel for where your congregation is going¾a picture of the ministries you want to carry out and the congregation you want to be. Nothing is more powerful than a sense of common vision. When we human beings are captured by a vision of how to make our world better, we have all the energy, enthusiasm, gifts and money we need to make it happen.

Jesus said you know you have a vision worthy of the name when people will make any sacrifice and give up other things in order to focus on that one thing and achieve it.

The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man happens to find a treasure hidden in a field. He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has, and then goes back and buys that field.

Also the Kingdom of heaven is like this. A woman is looking for fine pearls, and when she finds one that is unusually fine, she goes and sells everything she has, and buys that pearl. Matthew 13:44-45

Looking Ahead

What are the actions that lead to transformation in your congregation? Here are some possibilities:

• Identify leaders in the congregation you think might share your concerns and/or dreams. These people need to be people with the congregation's respect.
• Contract with Consultants. They can focus on the process while you look after the people.
• Read, research, survey, study. There is no one way or one solution. You have to explore and find what will work for your congregation.
• Stay connected spiritually. Everyone in the process needs to stay connected. This is not about your vision, or someone else's vision, it is searching for what God wants.
• Look for a mentor or mentors who will act as a support team for yourself. Transformation can be lonely, and risky work. A support team keeps you on track and focused, and gives you a place to try ideas or just sound off.
• Draft a plan. It doesn't matter if its perfect or not, but it will focus your thinking and open other's eyes to the possibilities.
• Create form matching function: Create a structure to carry out the plan.
• Most important, make sure it is fun for everyone.
  

Congregational News August 2005 Vol. 11 No. 5

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