There’s only one good reason to move a church toward change. Because the mission demands it.
This is also the only way to sustain the change in the long term.
This is why, despite all the bad reasons for and against change, the church must constantly be in a state of mission-driven change.
No church has ever made a big change successfully unless it’s an essential part of the church’s overall mission. But when it is tied to the mission? It’s amazing what can happen.
Author
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Karl produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of four books on church leadership. His fifth book, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, releases on April 2, 2024.
He also hosts a bi-weekly podcast,The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry. Episodes feature in-depth interviews about the topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context.
Karl has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience. He and his wife, Shelley have three children and two grandkids.