Create Quick Wins

A major reengineering of a church culture takes four to six years, unless a crisis fast-forwards the process, so this case is fairly typical. In the transition process, people in the church will go through four stages: denial, resistance, exploration, and commitment. Certain leadership actions are appropriate for each stage, and leadership will determine the outcome.

The congregation proceeded normally coming out of denial (characterized by business-as-usual, commitment to the past, withdrawal) into resistance (marked by anger, anxiety, loss of members). A significant breakthrough occurred with the big Sunday night meeting.

The congregation may be stuck in the exploration phase. This phase is typified by a lack of focus, an outbreak of the "crazies" (both people and ideas), and a need to quit doing some things. In the exploration period, the congregation needs some quick wins under their belt to build confidence that their future dreams are realizable. Inserting a vision ...