Pastoral leaders are supposed to help people navigate change. It’s part of the territory.
Sometimes I do it well. Other times I don’t.
But someone said something a few months ago that has stuck with me: People don’t fear change. They fear what they’ll lose in change.
How true.
When you change a church’s structure, some people might lose a ministry they enjoyed.
When you change a music style, others might lose selections that made them feel comfortable.
When you change pastoral leaders, still others lose a person around whom they had grown to feel safe.
When you change a facility, still others lose that sense of “coming home” each Sunday to the familiar and the predictable.
Some leaders discount the very real feelings of loss people feel when change happens. I’ve done that.
Healthy leaders acknowledge the loss inherent in change and become relentless in pointing out what new things will be gained. I’m learning that.