How you do you navigate change when your context is really…traditional? Sometimes the very idea can seem impossible.
In today’s interview, Ron Edmondson shares several important principles that have helped him and his team lead significant change at a plateaued traditional church and more than double attendance in under two years.
AND, don’t miss my podcast contest! Make sure you enter today.
Scroll all the way to the bottom to enter this week’s prize—free autographed copy of my book, Leading Change Without Losing It and be entered to win the grand prize: admission to the Orange Conference 2015, plus coffee with me and Jon Acuff.
Welcome to Episode 10 of the podcast.
Guest Links: Ron Edmondson
Ron on Twitter
Ron on Facebook
Links Mentioned in this Episode
Leading Change Without Losing It
Perry Noble at NewSpring Church
Plan B: What Do You Do When When God Doesn’t Show Up the Way You Thought He Would? by Pete Wilson
Empty Promises: The Truth About You, Your Desires, and the Lies You’re Believing by Pete Wilson
3 Things You Can Do Right Away
Change is always uncomfortable. It can be messy and difficult, and that’s in any environment. There’s always a tension involved. Change is most successful when there is a relational trust involved.
- Lead into those relational strengths you already have. Many times you have relationships in church that are built, but you’re not necessarily using them because they may or may not be directly affected by the change. Those relationships actually may be able to help you through change because those people trust you, and they may have voice into the people who are directly affected.
- Embrace the current culture without erasing it. Respect the church’s past and understand its previous transformations. It may feel uncomfortable in the temporary, but in the bigger picture, understand that change is a very common thing, and it makes room for growth.
- Change the conversation in the community, within your church and among members. Get out into the streets and reach out to those outside the church walls. When someone experiences a critical life situation, it’s common for them to seek refuge in a church. Be active in providing that place where they can seek solace and redemption when they need to start over. If your church hosts a lot of activities that invite the community in, keep your messages persistent to draw attendance to Sunday services. Also, have conversations with active church members and encourage them to bring, not just invite, a friend. It’s one thing to send an e-mail asking someone to join you, but asking someone to meet you at church guarantees a better experience overall.
Quotes to Share from Ron
We’ve got to be outside these walls if we want to be a #church today. @RonEdmondson Click To Tweet People want to do life with people. @RonEdmondson Click To Tweet My biggest challenge has been leading with intentional purpose without being self-serving. @RonEdmondson Click To Tweet Don’t store up criticism and think, ‘Look what I’ve done wrong.' @RonEdmondson Click To TweetA New Episode Every Week…Just Subscribe.
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Got a question?
Next Episode: Pete Wilson
No matter how successful you are you, you still struggle. Pete Wilson, lead pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville—a church plant that’s grown to over 5000 on 5 campuses—talks about seasons in which he’s had to overcome discouragement, dissatisfaction and being overwhelmed as a leader. Pete’s insights can help keep any leader going through whatever season they’re facing.
Enter HERE to Win Coffee with Jon and Me, a Ticket to Orange Conference 2015 & More!
Win a prize every week with our first ever listener contest! When you enter by leaving a comment in the show notes of the blog, it’s also your ballot to win the grand prize. This week’s prize is an autographed copy of Leading Change Without Losing It.
The grand prize, which will be drawn a few weeks from now, is a free ticket to The Orange Conference 2015 in Atlanta in April of next year. Not only does it get you in for free, but you get a coffee with me and Jon Acuff backstage!
We are selecting the grand prize winner from all of the comments shared in two weeks so you can enter multiple times by participating each week. And each week one person will win the book of the week. This week’s prize is free autographed copy of my book, Leading Change Without Losing It.
So…enter to win by answering this week’s question –
What has been the biggest obstacle to change you’ve faced, and how have you overcome it?
Scroll down, leave a comment.
Your comment is your ballot for this week’s prize AND the grand prize of a free ticket to Orange Conference 2015 and coffee with Jon and me. Go!
