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Change Cycles: Can Churches and Leaders Grow Together?
By Vinnie MacIsaac | November 2024
LISTEN: Click here for Pastor Vinnie’s narration if you’d rather listen to this article.
Imagine sitting in a worship service, surrounded by familiar faces, singing your favorite songs, and soaking in the comforting vibe of cherished traditions. Suddenly, your pastor steps onto the stage, quoting statistics and talking about the decline in church attendance[i]. He confronts you with the reality that the Christian church in America is in serious decline. Then, he announces a new direction for the church—a shift that challenges everything familiar. For many church members, change stirs deep-seated anxiety and resistance, as it disrupts long-held practices and routines. For pastors and church leaders, however, change feels urgent—an essential step to keep the church vibrant and faithful in a rapidly evolving world.
Both perspectives are real, valid, and filled with passion. Change is challenging, yet essential. It’s not about seeking comfort but pursuing growth, health, and, above all, loyalty to Jesus. The Church Change Cycle framework presents five distinct phases (0-4) that churches typically experience when adapting to change. Each phase highlights the characteristics, challenges, and leadership focus needed to move the church community from resistance to active participation and co-ownership of the church’s mission.
Phase 0: Stagnation – No Transformative Cycles
In this initial phase, the church shows signs of decline or stagnation, potentially even facing closure due to a lack of movement and adaptation. Todd Bolsinger captures this in Canoeing the Mountains, saying, “Nothing in God’s creation was designed to stay the same. Change is inevitable; growth is optional.” When a church resists change, it risks losing its mission, purpose, and vibrancy. Just as in nature, what doesn’t move forward will eventually wither and die.
In stagnant churches, phrases like “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” or “We’ve never done it that way before” become walls that block fresh ideas and prevent innovation. This resistance keeps the church stuck in the past, hindering growth.
Leadership Focus: Leaders must first recommit to the purpose and mission of the church, realigning with Jesus and seeking His guidance. Leadership may need to evolve or step aside, as clinging to comfort can inhibit the church’s potential. Jim Collins emphasizes this in Good to Great, stating, “Good is the enemy of great.” Leaders who settle for “good enough” may stifle the church’s journey toward greatness.
Reflection: If your church feels stagnant, ask yourself, “Are we maintaining comfort at the expense of what’s truly life-giving? Where is God calling us to grow, even if it challenges our current comfort?”
Phase 1: Resistance to Change
In this phase, members resist new ideas, challenge leaders, and cling to the familiar, often out of fear of losing control. While some members recognize the need for growth, they may prioritize maintaining control over embracing the church’s future.
For example, introducing a new fellowship area or coffee space may be viewed as a threat to tradition rather than a welcoming gesture for newcomers. Misunderstandings about the intent behind such changes often lead to heightened resistance.
Leadership Focus: Building trust is crucial. Leaders need to demonstrate competency and reliability while encouraging open dialogue. Listening to concerns doesn’t prevent change but shows respect for members’ voices. In A Failure of Nerve, Edwin Friedman advises, “A leader must remain calm, connected, and confident when others are anxious and reactive.” Leaders must also align changes with the church’s mission, helping members see a shared purpose.
Reflection: For members resisting change, consider, “What fears are driving this resistance?” For leaders, ask, “How can I honor these fears while guiding the church toward necessary growth?”
Phase 2: Tentative Buy-In
In this phase, members begin to release their resistance, albeit tentatively. They offer limited trust to leadership, allowing small adjustments but still holding back from full engagement. This cautious acceptance signals budding trust but lacks enthusiastic investment.
This phase can be frustrating for leaders, as members agree with the need for change but remain passively supportive, adopting a “wait-and-see” attitude. Disconnection from the larger vision often hinders deeper involvement.
Leadership Focus: Leaders must articulate a clear and compelling vision. Carey Nieuwhof writes in Overcoming the 7 Greatest Challenges, “People want to follow a leader who has a clear vision and knows where they’re going.” Leaders should highlight the big picture, helping members understand that the mission is greater than individual preferences. Todd Bolsinger, in Canoeing the Mountains, echoes this: “Leadership is taking people where they need to go, not where they want to go.”
Consistent communication is essential to maintain momentum. Leaders can build gradual engagement by offering manageable ways for members to participate, fostering ownership and direction. Developing people at this stage involves investing in future leaders and modeling vision-driven direction.
Reflection: Leaders, consider how you can make the vision clearer and more inspiring. Members, ask yourself, “Are you willing to let go of personal preferences for a purpose that serves the greater good?”
Phase 3: Invested Understanding
At this stage, members actively support the need for change. They experience a shift in perspective, recognizing how these adjustments benefit the church as a whole. With this invested understanding, members are eager to contribute to positive transformation, yet they rely on leadership to organize and implement changes.
Enthusiasm for immediate results may sometimes outpace leadership’s ability to respond, leading to frustration if expectations for rapid change aren’t met. Brian Moss captures this sentiment in Dream Church, noting, “People don’t mind change as much as they mind loss.” Miscommunication or unmet expectations can spark frustration, often directed at leadership.
Leadership Focus: Leaders should communicate transparently, keeping members informed about plans, timelines, and challenges to manage expectations and maintain trust. Balancing enthusiasm with patience is key. Ronald Heifetz, in Leadership on the Line, reminds us, “The hard work of leadership involves giving people hope while also being realistic.” Empowering co-creation by involving members in solution-building reinforces collaboration while integrating feedback shows that members’ voices are essential in shaping the church’s future.
Reflection: Leaders, can you invite members to be co-creators in this journey? Members, ask yourself, “What talents or insights can I contribute to our shared transformation?”
Phase 4: Full Buy-In and Independent Initiative
In the final phase, members fully embrace change and actively initiate new projects and solutions. They operate as co-creators, working alongside leadership to advance the church’s mission. Their commitment extends beyond mere acceptance—they independently innovate and implement changes that benefit the whole community.
One challenge here is that new members may struggle to find their place within this cohesive environment. While well-intentioned, their integration may inadvertently disrupt established workflows as they adapt.
Leadership Focus: Leaders should focus on promoting an inclusive culture, creating pathways for new members to feel welcomed and connected to the church’s mission. Carey Nieuwhof, in his podcast, emphasizes, “People crave belonging before they believe.” Recognizing members’ contributions fosters a culture of appreciation while encouraging ongoing innovation empowers the community to collaborate effectively. As Edwin Friedman notes in A Failure of Nerve, “Leadership is essentially about influence and helping others go where they wouldn’t otherwise go.”
Reflection: Leaders, how can you foster a culture where everyone feels empowered? Members, consider how you can support and encourage others in their roles to create an environment where everyone thrives.
The Path Forward for Churches Embracing Change
Navigating change within the church is a journey filled with challenges, but each phase in the Church Change Cycle provides a roadmap. This framework reminds us that while change can be difficult, it is often essential for growth, health, and loyalty to Jesus’ mission for His church. Ideally, your church is not at Phase 0, but the reality is that many churches in North America may find themselves there. As you progress through Phases 0 to 4, you will face radical challenges and changes, but the reward is growth and thriving together.
However, after reaching Phase 4, a critical decision looms. As Todd Bolsinger says, “Nothing in God’s creation was designed to stay the same. Change is inevitable; growth is optional.” You cannot remain at Phase 4 indefinitely. You will either return to Phase 1, beginning the cycle anew, or risk stagnating in Phase 0. The choice is clear: embrace reinvention and growth, or risk decline. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life—choose life, choose growth, and keep moving forward.
With Jesus, church members and leaders can navigate the cycles of change together, building a thriving, faith-filled, ever-evolving community.
Endnotes:
[i] According to a 2019 Pew study, the percentage of Americans identifying as Christians dropped from 77% in 2009 to 65% in 2019. During the same period, the percentage of those identifying as religiously unaffiliated (often referred to as “nones”) rose from 17% to 26%. Further research by the Barna Group in 2020 found that church attendance (both in-person and online) has also declined, with one in three practicing Christians (about 32%) having stopped attending church altogether during the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests a significant shift in church engagement that may have long-term implications for the church’s future in North America. These statistics underscore the urgency for churches to adapt, as they face changing cultural attitudes, increasing secularization, and new challenges in engaging communities in meaningful ways.
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