Courageous Change

A cool strategy for leading ministry transitions.
David Burkus

Christian leaders live in a paradox that can produce fear in both leaders and followers. We are called to remain a relevant influence, providing unchanging truth to an ever-changing world. That sometimes means leading our ministry through change. We see this in the example of Christ, who, when founding his church, gave his disciples his core message and then left them to decide how to spread it according to the world they encountered. Yet despite a world that continues to change, the impetus for most ministries and churches remains the same.

Too often, believers confuse tradition with truth, and ministry leaders become afraid to suggest changes for fear of losing followers. This is the fear behind the adage given to many new ministers: "Don't even move the chairs for your first year." But the status quo strategy isn't working, and today nearly 85 percent of churches are stagnant or declining in attendance. Christian leaders must find the courage to lead change despite their fear. Remember the words of Ambrose Redmoon: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." Recall how God used Moses despite his fear of confronting Pharaoh and freeing the Israelites.

Three Phases of Change

Courageous leaders can avoid the realization of their fears so long as they understand and lead their followers through the proper phases of change. Sociologist Kurt Lewin describes how effective leaders bring their followers through three phases of change: by unfreezing, changing, and refreezing. By taking followers through these phases, leaders can implement lasting and influential change.

(1) Unfreezing: Before any change can occur, people must be ready for it. Lewin describes unfreezing as the process by which people begin to realize the need for change and prepare accordingly. Impulsive leaders believe they must begin by casting a new vision of the changed community. But this vision will not be received until the frozen followers have thawed to the idea of change. John Maxwell writes, "People change when they hurt enough to have to, when they learn enough that they want to, and when they receive enough that they are able to." Leaders can aid the unfreezing process by creating a sense of urgency, helping followers recognize that a real problem exists.

Returning to the story of Moses, God created a sense of urgency by commanding the Israelites to hold a Passover meal. It involved baking bread without yeast and eating with cloak, sandals, and staff so as to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. As a modern example, consider the pastor of a prominent but aging church who sought to make changes by adding a contemporary worship service to his church's service schedule. In order to create a sense of urgency about how few young adults were attending, he asked parishioners to stand if their adult children attended the church. Few people stood, and the rest began unfreezing.

(2) Changing: Once the followers are ready, leaders can begin to cast their vision for change. However, spreading a vision is not enough. Leadership expert John Kotter believes that leaders must also remove obstacles and generate short-term wins. Leaders cannot underestimate the obstacles that hinder efforts at change. Often the biggest obstacle blocking such efforts is fear that abandoning tradition will mean abandoning truth. Leaders must take the time to listen to the fears of followers and respond accordingly, separating eternal truths from outdated traditions. Leaders must also seek to create short-term wins by beginning with smaller targets that are achievable. Giving followers the taste of victory will help to silence critics and motivate champions.

When the Israelites were fleeing the pursing Egyptian soldiers, God used Moses to part the Red Sea and drown the Egyptian army. This quick victory helped the Israelites trust God and the changes he was leading them through. One pastor who was leading his church through change in the form of building renovations provides a great example of a quick win. The pastor found that the congregation had desired bathrooms in the lobby for 25 years. He moved the bathroom projects to the top of the list, ensuring a small victory that got the church body excited about the rest of the process.

(3) Refreezing: Often after a change, it's tempting to stop and declare victory. But Lewin says that in order to make any change permanent, it must become part of a group's culture. Refreezing means allowing people to plant roots and grow accustomed to the way things will be. When an organization refreezes, it incorporates the completed changes into its culture. Until changes are rooted in the shared behaviors and values of a ministry, they will be subject to decay once the pressure to change is removed. Leaders can promote refreezing by helping followers see the connection between new behaviors and new success, and by celebrating the people who helped bring about that success.

Consider the second part of God's Passover commandment: to observe Passover every year once his people arrived in the Promised Land. Incorporating this festival into the culture forever linked the beginning of the changes in Exodus with the victory of the Promised Land. One large Midwestern church serves as an exemplary illustration of refreezing change. It recently made changes to its building and staff in order to better influence upcoming generations. After renovations, the leadership team staged an open house to let members glimpse the new youth services and even invited the children's ministry staff to run children's church in the "big service." This allowed members affected by change to internalize the changes and accept them as the new way of doing church.

Christian leaders are called to reach the world despite the change paradox. This means leading followers through change despite their own fears. Leaders can facilitate this change by recognizing the three phases in the change process. By using this model as a guide for leading change, courageous leaders will allay the fears of followers and find they are equipped to lead change in a way that ensures their ministries' long-term relevance and influence.

David Burkus is a leadership coach and consultant who has worked with entrepreneurs, churches, and Fortune 500 executives. He serves as an adjunct professor at Oral Roberts University's School of Business. A graduate of ORU, he holds an M.A. in organizational dynamics from the University of Oklahoma. Reach him at david@davidburkus.com.