INTRODUCING & MANAGING CHANGE IN THE CHURCH: CHANGE: FOR THE BETTER OR THE WORSE

Life is continually handing us personal, family, community and national changes. No matter who you are regardless of your country. race, ethnic, language, and disposition – time and change will affect you and your work. We are truly in seasons of change. It will take an informed globally-minded, spiritually sensitive, skilled, educated, purpose-inspired and heavenly minded leader to effectively handle the changes of today and do a great work for the Lord. However, many leaders are not changing for better but for worse today.

A. THE REALITY OF CHANGE Lam. 3:40; 5:20-21

Change means turning, modification, cause a transformation and growth. Change can be gradual, slow, silent, noticeable and sudden. It can also be positive or negative. It can be forward movement or reversal of good things. You can change and turn for good, based on a decision and determination. You can also change and turn for bad based on choice and chances.

B. PROCESS OF TIME AND LIFE:

In the process of time and life, the following changes will definitely happen to us:

1. Change that happens to us – unexpected or anticipated change that affects our personal, family and ministerial lives.

2. Change that happens around us – unexpected or anticipated changes that affects the society, nation and communities that have impact on us personally.

3. Change that happens within us – Changes that affects you physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. This leads to changed messages, changed lifestyle, emphasis, focus and priorities.

4. Change that we create – gradual change that you brought upon others due to your work, life, vision and ministry. Over the years, many leaders have allowed these changes to become negative and bring out the worse in them. They have also brought negative changes to others.

 C. WHY LEADERS CHANGE FOR THE WORSE – II Chro. 26:1, 5,7,8 ,15-21

Over and over again, I have seen church leaders change for the worse in ministry. I have seen them manifest the traits that were once not there. Uzziah was a king that started well but he later changed for the worse. Judas, Demas were all of a kindred spirit. Why do leaders change for the worse?

• Not being thoroughly cooked in the first place.
• Building on charisma and not on character.
• Not allowing God to deal with everything in his life.
• No true freedom from greed, covetousness and carnality.
• Inability to handle the pressures of ministry. Inability to handle operation commendation and condemnation.
• Choosing and moving with wrong friends, fathers and mentors.
• Failure to heed the warnings of the Spirit and word of God.
• The pressure to perform and copying others’ styles.
• Ambition for position, power, prestige and fame.
• Allowing your blessing to become your curse.

I’ve seen leaders change from good to bad; humility to pride; spiritual maturity to carnality and worldly mindedness; preacher of Bible truth to peddlers of error; genuine man of God to charlatans and occultist; saints to sinful, immoral ministers; and from a growing, loving, loyal servant to disloyal, disgruntled, double-faced and destabilising element in ministry.

Recommended Reading
10 Spiritual Keys To Preventing Church Decline
Learning to Live a Life That Pleases God
How To Render Acceptable Service Unto God

Because leaders change for the worse, ministry also becomes worse. What are the changes that has taken place in your life and ministry in the last 10 years? Are they positive or negative? Have you truly changed for the better or the worse?

D. HOW TO TRULY BENEFIT FROM THE FACE OF CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.

Whether you like it or not, you will have to change, and you will have to start with yourself and God. You cannot stop change; its force will always move without your permission.

1. Seek God’s face to change you for the better (Lam. 5:20, 21)
2. Decide to obey the word of God and promptings of His Spirit
3. Let God change your attitudes and characters
4. Change your Associations
5. Change your library and books
6. Let God deal with those inner struggles of yours
7. Change your training and knowledge base
8. Change your skill sets
9. Change your priorities
10. Change your spiritual focus