In This Issue:
•You are the Weird One!
•You Need Help??!!
You are the Weird One!
Trade associations, fraternal groups and other membership organizations are in free fall. Like mainline churches, the majority have seen participation drop and younger members are few and far between. Also like most churches, these organizations need to make significant changes now if they are going to be viable well into the future. Harrison Coerver and Mary Byers, in their book Race for Relevance, offer the following observation about the culture prevalent in most membership organizations:
“[They] have very strong, deeply ingrained cultures. They have profound, long-standing traditions. They have powerful and intricate political dynamics. They are manipulated by influential and formidable personalities, including, in many cases, a bank of opinionated past presidents. They often value the status quo. Most are reactive rather than proactive. Quite frankly, most associations are hostile environments for change.”
These words ring true for the vast majority of struggling congregations with which I have worked. They are so used to doing things a certain way that they not only call it “normal” but they also call it “right”. When someone – the pastor, a new member or an outside consultant – suggests a change, the system immediately begins to work against it. Reasons are given why “it won’t work here” and the person suggesting the new idea can be viewed as a threat to the existing system. If you suggest the change, no matter how much it could help the church, you are the weird one.
We now confront a conundrum – the very churches which most need to change in order to experience new life and reach new people are the ones most resistant to making those changes. The window in which they can introduce change and experience turnaround is closing. Time is running out for them. Either their lay and clergy leaders will fight against the established culture and embrace new things or thousands of these churches will close over the next decade. I pray for the former but I have watched many churches choose the latter. What will you do?
You Need Help??!!
People who wear glasses are weak. People who use crutches when they break their leg are wimps. People who take antibiotics when they have an infection are fragile. People who have surgery to fix their torn ACL need to toughen up. People who go to counseling are emotional babies.
You would never say any of these things. They are offensive and inappropriate. Glasses, crutches, antibiotics, surgery and counseling are all good things which are very helpful when needed. We do not look down on people who use appropriate things to help them be whole.
Why, then, do so many find it hard to admit that they need help in some aspect of their personal or professional life? We could all use help in some area – relationships, work performance, dealing with our past, parenting, caregiving, habits, etc. Do what it takes to get the assistance you need. Go to the doctor, take your medicine, schedule time with a therapist, hire a coach and or bring in a consultant. Do you need help? Of course, that just means you are human. Are you going to get help? If so, that means you are on a path toward wholeness.
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