Ed Stetzer, Change & Foursquare
I just caught this post by Ed Stetzer that included some of his thoughts about the transitional season that the Foursquare Denomination is in. He includes the responses by both of the candidates for President of the International Foursquare Church.
The central issues facing everybody is “change”. How will we respond when circumstances require us to evaluate and adjust or face certain extinction? Business and families alike are dealing with economic and relational change all the time. Whether it is because incomes fluctuate or kids grow up and move away to college change is inevitable.
Too often organizations or churches fail or become irrelevant because they are afraid to embrace change. I imagine that you are facing some kind of change in your life at this very moment. Here are a couple things that guide my thinking process when I evaluate making a change:
- Why is change necessary at this moment in time? JUST because times are tough is not a reason to do things differently. As a Christ follower, my ultimate “guide” is not the economy or my feelings, but instead it is the Word of God and Spirit of God within me. Before I decide on any change, those two “guardrails” must be in place. Any kind of God promised future requires faith following above fact finding. The question is: “Is the Spirit of God driving me to embrace change?”
- Who will be effected by this change? Change does not take place in a vacuum. It might seem simple to determine what change needs to be made, but you still have the responsibility to care for the people involved. You should take more time to communicate and invite input about the change with those who will be impacted the most. This will add time to the process, but will also leave more relationships intact and even strengthened on the other side of change. It’s the right thing to do. The question is: “Who will FEEL this change the most?”
- Does this change strengthen my alignment with God’s mission for my family, church or organization? You must know what your values and mission are and keep them as the target of your change. As faith filled people, we must keep the mission God has handed to us, personally and as a community, as the priority even when it stretches our faith. When we are forced to make changes when we don’t want to, there is often a hidden opportunity to become a better version of what you were before if you don’t loose your focus on what you have been called by God to do. The question is: “How do I embrace change and stay on mission?”
- What does my wife think? This might not apply to everyone. I never make a major decision without talking it through with my wife. I believe that God has called us into a covenant partnership and I need her input. I am often amazed by the wisdom and perspective that she adds to the conversation. If you are a married man and don’t invite your wife to speak into the major decisions you are making – you are a fool. The question is: “WWMWT?” (What would my wife think?)
What changes are you facing and what words of wisdom would you offer about processing change?
