Leading Through ChangeSample

Let's discover the first of four principles we can learn from how the Apostles led the Church as it began the radical change of accepting non-Jewish people into the congregation. 

Recall that Jesus had given the Apostles the mission of being Christ's witness in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the Earth. While the Church had a clear foundation in Jerusalem, and the Gospel was spreading in Judea and Samaria, the Church did not have a clear path forward to reach the rest of the world (Acts 10). To do this, the Church would need to do something different - something would have to change radically. The Church would need to begin accepting gentiles (Acts 10:47-48).

This change was not easily accepted, and the Apostles would need to diligently lead the Church to see how the change maintained the mission that Jesus had given them. In defense of the shift to accept gentiles, James pointed back to Amos 9. He wanted to ensure that the Church understood the change was needed to advance the mission and that it was still rooted in unchanging truth (Acts 15:13-18). In his defense of the change, Peter would remind the Church of Jesus's teaching and how God had moved at Pentecost (Acts 11:15-17). 

In both cases, the leaders understood that leading change needed to be connected to a higher purpose to which they were called. The change was necessary for the mission to be advanced.

APPLICATION/ REFLECTION:

The first principle we see from the Apostles is to understand if the proposed change is needed for the mission to be advanced.  

At times people may suggest change and be met with defensiveness. You and I may even feel defensive if the change is directed at practices or methods we developed or implemented. We may even feel the proposed change as a declaration of failure or of past efforts. This resistance to change can place pride above purpose and leave us crippled to advance the mission.  

Conversely, we may be running toward change while running away from purpose. Sometimes, as visionary leaders, we see opportunities and run headlong into them without considering our alignment with the mission. Sometimes referred to as mission drift, this kind of change can lead to numerous potential issues.

We can avoid either error by simply asking:    

• What change is needed for the mission to be advanced?