Dealing with Change and Conflict in a Congregation

There are always changes and conflicts. We always have to deal with them. Here is a guide to working through change and conflict in a congregation.

The image of the body is used over 37 times in the Bible. It states that the body is a whole, but it is made of different parts.

There are three ways to to "heal" wounds (change or conflict). The first is to prevent them from happening. Preventing change is not going to help. Preventing conflict will usually help, but sometimes it is good. Then, a symptom (change or conflict) will arrive. If nothing is done, then there is a gaping flesh wound.

Whenever change or conflict appears, it is time to ask questions:

1. What is one thing going on that is a change?

2. What are the processes?

3. What are the key things that you'd like to explore?

For things to change for the better, there must be participation from the congregation. Get the congregation excited about inviting young people to ministry. Have people who usually do not help with youth talk to confirmation and Sunday School classes.

Along with change, comes transition. No matter what, change is always happening.

Let your feelings guide you in change. Ask yourself, is there even one little thing letting you know that something is off kilter?

Do not follow the "life cycle theory." This is letting a congregation "die" in order to start anew. It is important to not let death happen in order for change to take place. Congregations must ask how they can keep this from happening.

A congregation will get stuck if they try to recreate what they had before. Changes need to be new.

Congregations should try to stay at the "symptom" stage. It is good to have change, transition, and renewal.

When there is conflict over change, a congregation is going to be in the gaping flesh would stage. Debate is not going to help, although many people are going to want to debate. If a congregation reaches this point, it needs to acknowledge that things are out of control. Civil discussions need to take place in order to get back to a constant state of change.