When Ministry Pivots: Embracing the Changes God is Asking For

We have partnered with Dr. Alyssa Serpa, who has completed a recent study at Biola’s Rosemead School of Psychology. Her work on the Initial Development and Factor Analysis for the Healthy Christian Leader Assessment determined that the 25 Behavioural Expressions are valid and reliable. She discovered there are three domains within the healthy Christian leader: (1) spiritual vitality, (2) psychological well-being and (3) transformative leadership. We are exploring transformative leadership in our current blog series. 

Embraces necessary change as a behavioural expression

In the following weeks, we will examine what is required for transformative leadership, beginning with a crucial step: Embracing Necessary Changes.

Embraces Necessary Change is one of our behaviour expressions for a Christian leader assessment. As the old adage goes, change is the only constant in the world. Everything changes, sometimes for better and sometimes for the worse, but change is inevitable and necessary to discover new and better ways of life. As a leader, it is our job to enact positive change. The only problem is… how do we know it will be positive? 

When change is not positive

Leaders are not always honest or virtuous. There are leaders who make choices out of narcissism and greed, who manipulate others to believe they are making this choice in everyone’s best interest. The “Dark Triad” is a psychological framework that describes three overlapping, socially malevolent personality traits: narcissism, machiavellianism, and psychopathy. People with these traits typically exhibit callousness, manipulation, and a profound lack of empathy, often exploiting others for personal power, resources, or gratification. These leaders endanger their communities. 

There are also leaders who are inept and lack foresight, and make bad decisions because they don’t take the time to consider the effects. While these leaders don’t have insidious intent, their poor decisions can impact their community just as seriously. 

Know when change is necessary

Necessary change is not meant to lead to our own personal gain, and if it is, that is something we should question. Rather, it should always be made for the good of the community and God’s work. When deciding if and when to enact change, we can begin by asking ourselves a few simple questions: 

Who ’s asking for change? Will this person benefit while others suffer? Do we trust their motivation?  

Who will the change affect? Think about the community as a whole, and on an individual basis. Will this be for the good of the majority? 

What is God asking of us in this situation? Is this a change that is needed to fulfill God’s work? 

Once the proposed change has been examined and found necessary for the right reasons, the next step is enacting the change.

Three things required to enact change 

Courage : We must be able push forward and take risks, in spite of foreseen and unforeseen difficulties and the possibility of failure. Change always comes with challenges. We can take comfort in our understanding of God’s plan when things seem impossible. Sometimes we need to take a leap of faith and trust that God is at work around us. 

Obedience : We may be faced with changes we don’t like, we might tire of the struggle and want to quit, and we may hear the word no when we want a yes. Even within God’s plans, there are times when we feel confused and doubtful, and question why God is putting us through these struggles. Usually, this is because it is necessary. Jonah faced years of difficulties but his faith won over his doubt. We can do the same. 

Emotional strength : Overseeing changes takes a lot of emotional strength. We need to be able to make tough decisions, think on our feet in the face of unforeseen problems and encourage and inspire those around us to join in the work. We cannot do this if we are depleted. A person who is burnt out won’t have the ability to innovate, or the stamina to push through hardships. So, if we are entering a season of change, first we should take the time to strengthen and repair ourselves. What has impacted my buoyancy? How can I create balance in my life? Who can I talk to about building my emotional strength? 

Reflection:

How do I discern God’s voice? 

How can I build faith in facing the danger?

How can I know when to say no and when to say yes to change?

How will this change impact my community? 

Take a moment to consider: How am I at embracing necessary change? 

The 5 items below contribute to this behavioural expression. Scores show a rating on the 1–4 scale ( 1 Not true of me · 2 Slightly true of me · 3 Mostly true of me · 4 Very true of me)

1.   Despite the challenges, I make changes when needed. 

2.   I find innovative solutions when needed, even when it’s difficult. 

3.   I am proactive rather than reactive when I consider making changes.

4.   When change occurs, I am quick to discern what needs to be integrated and what needs to be rejected. 

5.   I am not afraid of change when it is necessary.