Change. There are probably two basic gut reactions to that word. You either just cringed at what may come next or got excited thinking about the possibility of something new. There may be some in-betweeners, but I think, for the most part, change triggers something in us that makes us want to hunker down and cling to our foundation. Brace for impact.
This is my nature when it comes to change. It is something that I have been working on for more than a decade now and will probably work on till the day I see Jesus face to face. Someone said to me in my early twenties that part of how they no longer fear change or live into anxieties brought by change, besides a lot of prayers, is accepting that change is coming and expect change to happen. When you switch your mindset from anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop to moving towards being ready to catch the shoe, it levels out some of the control battles and puts your mind into a space prepared for what may come.
Now, that is easy to just type out and read but living into it is another matter. Ex. 2020. I am sure we are all over the memes of 2020 and trying to predict what Jumanji level we are on next. We want to see the trailer to 2021 before we buy a new calendar. This year has been crazy. Period. We are six full months in and not sure of a defined end in sight.
Some of you may have found your new routine and rhythm, while others may be struggling to make it through another week.
We introduced a series of questions at the Laity Session of our one-day Annual Conference that I wanted to share with you in a short series. This process has become part of my routine that feeds my nerd side along with my Enneagram 3 personality, type J, all the things, and helps me move forward in decision-making and change. But I feel that this process can also be streamlined for others who don’t naturally find themselves quickly in self-evaluation.
The four-question series are below:
What is one thing that you are doing well?
What is one thing that you would like to improve?
What is one thing you will stop doing?
What is one thing you want to start doing?
How often do you spend time reflecting on things going well in your life, work, or ministry? Do you find yourself overwhelmed when trying to answer that question? Try to narrow down your focus. Focus on the past month, week, or yesterday. Focus on yourself individually or on your ministry context. What were your big wins or accomplishments from the past week? Make a list and try to narrow it down to 3 – 5 important things that you are doing well. From that list, identify the one you are most proud of.
When we take the time to look at what we are doing well and acknowledge it, we tend to become more willing to look at what may need improvement or stop doing.
Next week, we will look into more about what we need to improve. If you are the type of person who likes listening to organizing/scheduling/planning/goal setting type content, you should check out the Focus On This podcast. It is a podcast from the Michael Hyatt Company and while they walk through using their planner system with the podcast, there is so much good information that can be used without using their product. For now, here are some of the responses from the Laity Session when answering what is one thing their church is doing well.
Live streaming services/VBS/extra communication
Keeping the doors open/adapting to pandemic/restoring order/continued connection with members
Faithful giving to the church/extra giving during a pandemic
Outreach/Serving Community/Adopt an elementary school
Food Pantry/Food box/Community garden
Strong children’s program/day school/engaging children of the community
Zooming Sunday School/Meetings/Bible Studies
Strong youth program/Wednesday night meals
Inclusive/Welcoming/Supportive
Missional giving and presence
Collect change/Pay shared giving on time
Prayer Chain/Drive-by prayer every Wednesday
Fixed/Restored facility to better serve the community
Radio ministry
Didn’t stop face to face ministry during the pandemic. Helped members feel safe in transitioning back to in-person worship
Leadership guiding church in the study of Scriptures
Drive thru communion
Supporting children with meals and paying for camps
Christmas Eve Service
Paid off debt
Hosted life recovery group
Hispanic ministry
Added new people and past members after returning from COVID
Community VBS