The Three Key Factors in Transformation Into Dynamic Ministry

1. Purpose
   Research has shown that congregations that are growing and dynamic ministries almost always have a sense of purpose. This is not just a task to do or centered in the survival of the congregation. It is grounded in a way of being with and before God which owns the call of Christ to live out of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. A vibrant congregation sees these as the purpose of the whole church and finds ways to apply them to the local context in which they find themselves. The Proverb, "Where there is no vision the people perish" is a reality for vibrant congregations.
    

2. Willingness to Change
   Congregations which naturally resist change will invariably struggle to renew and become vibrant again. Only those who see God's renewing purpose as creating the possibility that everything is up for grabs are situated in a position to pursue the adventure of transformation. Those ministries which do the best seem able to be so convinced that their God given purpose is important that they are willing to change whatever it takes to get the job done. Such an attitude is not about a task or technique. It is a state of mind and spirit and a way of being God's people in mission.
    

3. Leadership
   Because systems move only with direction, leadership is a key component. From Moses to David to Jesus Christ himself, God has used leaders to change peoples. The best plan will fail if it is implemented with poor leadership. Yet a good leader may succeed in moving a system with intuitive directions and no concrete plan. A congregation is unlikely to change from a stagnant or declining state into a vibrant one without good leadership.
   
   This leadership is best exhibited in the development of a team. Moses appointed the 70. Jesus started with 12 disciples. While an individual person (generally the pastor) can move a system, the inclusion of skilled, committed and equipped lay leadership from the beginning will result in more change, more ownership of the outcomes by the whole congregation, and a wider range of gifts being utilized for leadership. Congregations that utilize only pastoral leadership in the change process also risk regressing if and when the pastor moves on to another ministry. It is the strength of lay leadership, combined with empowering pastoral leadership, which will be the most effective in congregational change.

A Reality About Change
Dissatisfaction + Vision + Concrete Action = Costs

Dissatisfaction: The primary (but not only) source of urgency, this is the impetus to change based on the inadequacy of what is currently in place. What we are doing is not working - therefore we must change. Where there is too much satisfaction with what is in place, there is little or no motivation to change it. Some people change based on the intensity of what is wrong with now!

Vision: This is the dream that God has placed before us. It is not yet realized but draws us forward into something better. A vision shows us an alternative to what we now experience and draws us forward into it. Some people change based on the intensity of the possibilities!

Concrete Action: This involves the first steps taken that make something happen. These steps create momentum and give glimpses of progress and what could be. For many, especially task oriented people, making concrete progress and creating small wins moves them forward. Some people change by doing something different!

Perceived Costs: These are not primarily financial (but they can include money). Primary costs in churches are the result of change. Old things are lost and people grieve. New things must be put in place and people are in conflict. If the price of change is too high then people will become roadblocks to change. Grief and conflict are realities. If they are not dealt with they will stop change. All people resist change if they sense the price is too high!

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