church transformation and leadership

BIRTH DEATH

Church TransformationAcross the Life Cycle

Church TransformationAcross the Life Cycle

The Life Cycle Without InterventionThe Life Cycle Without Intervention

BIRTH

GROWTH

STABILITY

DECLINE

DEATH

Four Organizational PrinciplesFour Organizational Principles

Vision

Mission

Dream

Energy

Purpose

Core Values

Relationship/ Inclusion

With others and with God

Evangelism

Assimilation

Discipleship

Program

Ministries

Worship

Outreach

Activities

Education

Management

Administration

Policies

Resources

Decision-making

Organizing Principles and Life CycleOrganizing Principles and Life Cycle

BIRTH

Vrpm

DEATH

m

Childhood

VrPm

Adolescence

VRPm

Adulthood

VRPM

Maturity

vRPM

Empty Nest

vRpM

Retirement

vrPM

Old Age

vrpM

Infancy

VRpm

Vision and Relationships Program and Management

Two Common MistakesTwo Common Mistakes

BIRTH DEATH

Under estimate level of decline

Under estimate how much change is required to put church on growth side of the life cycle

Dynamics of Early GrowthDynamics of Early Growth

BIRTH

Birth

Vision, mission

Target population

INFANCYInfancy

Clear identity

Assimilation

Ministry

Dynamics of Late GrowthDynamics of Late Growth

BIRTH

INFANCY

CHILDHOOD

ADOLESCENCE

Childhood

Program Development

Use of staff/resources/facilities

New people attracted by programs

Adolescence

Awkwardness

Competing visions

Facilities

Dynamics of Prime/PlateauDynamics of Prime/Plateau

BIRTH

INFANCY

CHILDHOOD

ADOLESCENCE

ADULTHOOD

PRIME

Adulthood/Prime

All four organizing principles fully developed

Highest worship attendance

New members equal those leaving

Spiritual growth throughout congregation

High self esteem, self efficacy

BIRTH

GR

OW

TH

STABILITY

DECLINE

If . . .

A Ministry is not Redefined . . .

DECLINE WILL FOLLOW.

Or Stability Proceeds Uninterrupted . . .

Once a ministry is in decline there is still the possibility

of new life. —

But the cost of newlife is greater.

BIRTH

REDEFINITIONREDEFINITION

REDEVELOPMENTREDEVELOPMENT

REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH

Retirement/Old Age/DeathRebirthRadical change

Levels of Change in the Life CycleLevels of Change in the Life Cycle

Empty Nest/ RetirementRedevelopmentDiscontinuous change

Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change

Adulthood

Adolescence

Childhood Infancy Birth

Degree of ChangeDegree of Change

Redefinition (continuous change) Changes that continue the historic aspects of the congregation. New information is incorporated into old ways of the church.

Redevelopment (discontinuous change) New information is not sufficient. Change does NOT continue the historic aspects of the congregation. Requires a new and different purpose.

Rebirth (radical change) Doing a new thing with new and different people, possibly different location.

BIRTH



REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH





Adulthood

Adolescence


Redefinition (continuous change)Redefinition (continuous change)

Typical timeline: eighteen to thirty-six months

Target stage: Adulthood

Tasks:

•Decrease controlling aspects of management

•Increase rate of change

•Revise same vision or create different compelling vision for new Adulthood

Obstacles:

•Complacency

•Self satisfaction

BIRTH



REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH





Adulthood

Adolescence


Redevelopment (discontinuous change)Redevelopment (discontinuous change)

Typical timeline: three to five years

Target stage: AdolescenceTasks:

•Change leadership and decrease “turf” issues

•Create new programs and relationship experiences

•Reconnect with the neighborhood

•Conversation/creation of new vision

•New management system to support new vision

Obstacles:

•Very stressful for ordained and lay leadership

•Fear that the new will further undermine the church

•Entrenched emotions and attitudes

•Systemic dysfunction

BIRTH



REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH





Adulthood

Adolescence


Rebirth (radical change)Rebirth (radical change)

Typical timeline: eighteen to thirty-six months

Target stage: Birth, Infancy or Childhood

Tasks:

•Change leadership and decrease “turf” issues

•Create new ministries to give sense of hope and bring in new group of people

•Cast new vision

Obstacles:

•Very stressful for ordained and lay leadership

•Grief over loss of congregation

•Fear

•Historic congregation gives up control

A Word About Being in Ordained MinistryA Word About Being in Ordained Ministry

Clergy Leadership for Growing a ChurchClergy Leadership for Growing a Church

Birth and Infancy:

•Entrepreneurial, visionary

•Intensely motivated to reach unchurched

•Comfortable with risk, uncertainty, chaos

•Inspires others, compelling and charismatic

•Deep sense of call

Childhood and Adolescence

•Creates loose order

•Willing to test out various systems and find the ones that work

•Ongoing spiritual growth, deepening vision of God’s work

Clergy Leadership for Prime/Maturity/Early Empty Nest (continuous change)Clergy Leadership for Prime/Maturity/Early Empty Nest (continuous change)

•Deep love for the church, its core structures and traditions

•More conserving, less risk taking

•Good at management, administration

•Deeply immersed in the parish community

•A facilitator, able to “work in the background”

•Pastoral care skills more important than preaching skills

•Major “change” task is to help reweave fragmented visions into master story

•Good at mediating conflict before it escalates

•In Empty Nest, must excite sense of urgency

•Spirituality expressed in deep love for his/her flock and the institutions of the church

Clergy Leadership for Empty Nest/Retirement (discontinuous)Clergy Leadership for Empty Nest/Retirement (discontinuous)

•Strong directive leader with well developed sense of self and ego strength

•Able to bring a stable, non-anxious presence to anxious situations

•Visionary, able to dream of a different future and help others do so as well

•Helps if dynamic preacher to articulate process during difficult change

•Knows how to get “buy in” from the majority of congregation

•Good pastoral skills to help parishioners work through anxiety and grief

•Must have mature and extraordinary faith and help congregants find that level of faith in their own lives

•Must be well connected with outside support system

•Must have strong, ongoing and unquestioning support from diocese

Clergy Leadership for Old Age/Death (radical change)Clergy Leadership for Old Age/Death (radical change)

•Must have attributes of former stage leader.

•Strong pastoral care skills for grief and loss

•Simultaneously generate hope/excitement about new community

•Good project management skills

•Must be able to negotiate agreement with a variety of stakeholders

•Temporarily must be the congregation’s source of hope and trust in God’s future

•Must be well connected with outside support system

•Must have strong, ongoing and unquestioning support from diocese

BIRTH



REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH





Adulthood

Adolescence


Compiled for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of

Oaklandby Michal Anne Pepper, Ph.D.

with materials from

Office of Congregational DevelopmentThe Episcopal Church Center

andGeorge Bullard, D.Min.

Lake Hickory Learning Communities