CIRCLES OF CHANGE
Knute Larson
October 1, 1987
At a recent conference I got a chance to ask Lyle Schaller, my favorite church-studies guru, a question that has long been bugging me: "Why is it that people accept change with such hesitation?" "Let me suggest something that I think will answer your question," he said. "When you return home from this conference, sit at a different seat at the supper table." "How do you know I sit in a specific seat?" "Just try a different chair." He winked. A few evenings later, I got to supper early enough to switch seats. My daughter Elise came into the kitchen, stopped, and stared at me. "What's wrong, Dad?" Daughter Alison was right behind her. She took one look and protested, "Dad, that's my chair!" I stayed put, and we have remained in the new arrangement. But this little experiment refreshed my memory: Change is hard. Hard for the church. Hard for me. If I am going to lead a congregation through the natural difficulty of change, it will take patience and a clear strategy that will make the process of "switching seats" a bit easier. Over the years I've picked up a plan that I think has saved my life. It starts with me and gradually includes more and more people until the entire church is involved. I picture the process as moving outward through four concentric circles. Circle one: The co-manager
The first thing I do is talk with the "main man," the person responsible for the area to be changed. Let's say it's a change in the bookkeeping system or the way the offering envelopes are marked. The co-manager is probably the head of the stewardship committee. For a building program it's going to be the chairpersons of the board and the building committee, and perhaps somebody else who's strong in the area of vision. Changes are no time to stand ...
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