Every Church Changes. It's Inevitable.

How can churches thrive in a world that's constantly evolving? What if the secret to staying relevant lies in embracing change rather than resisting it? Join me, Todd Rhoades, co-founder of ChemistryStaffing.com, on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast as we tackle the necessity of change within the church. With nearly four decades of ministry experience, I've witnessed transformations that demand attention—from the subtle shifts in worship styles to the abrupt pivot to online services during the pandemic. This episode underscores the importance of innovation and experimentation, arguing that adaptation is crucial for churches aiming to stay connected with their communities.

Let's explore why adaptability is a hallmark of a healthy, thriving church and how to foster a culture open to new ideas without compromising core values or the gospel mission. Drawing from a recent Barna study, we delve into practical advice on encouraging your congregation to embrace change, highlight the risks of stagnation, and discuss how churches willing to innovate are more likely to attract and retain members, especially younger generations. Tune in for an essential conversation that could redefine how modern ministry meets the needs of an ever-changing world.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hi there, welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. My name is Todd Rhodes, I'm one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom, and today we're talking about a truth that's about as constant as Sunday morning and it's change. Change in the church, it's inevitable, and in life it's inevitable, it's needed. And bottom line for this Monday is you need to adapt right. Change in the church it's not a new phenomenon, a matter of fact, we are living and can I say this, we are living in just an absolutely incredible age. I have not, I've been in ministry for almost 40 years and I tell you what the last 40 years has seen more change in ministry than I think the past 100 or 200 years. I don't think I'm exaggerating, but let me take it a step further. What we've experienced those of us that are in ministry in the past five years, oh my, I've never seen so much change come at such a rapid rate as we have in the past five years. Some changes have been good. Many have not been good or healthy, but change, it is not a new phenomenon.

Speaker 1: 1:24

From the early days of Christianity to the modern church and megachurch movement, all of that the way that we worship and serve and connect has constantly involved. Sometimes it's gradual the subtle shift in worship styles over decades, but even that has changed dramatically in the past, even 5-10 years, but definitely the past 20 or 30. Other times, change isn't gradual. It's more like abrupt, like very abrupt, like the sudden pivot to online services during the pandemic. If I remember right, it all started. The shutdown started on Thursday of that week, in March of 2020. And by Sunday there were hardly any churches in all of America that were meeting in person. It happened overnight. So sometimes we need to pivot and make changes almost immediately, instantaneously.

Speaker 1: 2:17

But here's the thing Change isn't something that we should fear. In fact, it's often the sign of a healthy church and, in reality, a church that refuses to change risks becoming stagnant and irrelevant and disconnected from the community it serves. Now think about it. The world around us is constantly changing. Technology is advancing, culture is shifting, new generations are emerging with different needs and expectations. I tell you, the generation that's coming up now is totally different than the generation of the kids that I raised, and it's totally different than my generation and it's totally different than my parents' and my grandparents' generations. Change happens and if the church doesn't adapt, it risks becoming a relic of the past. Can I say this Many towns in America are filled with churches, church buildings, and sadly, some of them are no longer occupied. I think just about every town has an old church building or a number of old church buildings. You can tell they're a church. They've got a freaking steeple on the top of it. It's a church. It might be a craft store or antique shop now that it used to be a church, but it's not anymore because, honestly, the church didn't change and it became a relic.

Speaker 1: 3:48

Adapting to change doesn't mean abandoning your core values. It doesn't mean compromising your mission. It doesn't mean forsaking the gospel. It simply means that you find new and creative ways to express those values and fulfill that mission to a changing world. Now I'm preaching to the choir here. I know that I'm talking to pastors and church staff members and a lot of times we're the ones that are all man. We're all about change. It's the people in our congregation and our churches, that kind of buck, that change. Other times it's pastors that have a set way of doing things and do not want to change. It's interesting according to a study by Barna recently, churches that are willing to adapt to change are more likely to thrive in the long run. And they found that churches that embrace different innovation and experiment with new approaches and are willing to let go some of the outdated practices of the past are really the ones that are more likely to attract and retain members that's just almost common knowledge but particularly to gain and retain new members from younger generations.

Speaker 1: 4:53

I want to give you a little bit of advice and encouragement here and again. Think through this throughout your day. How can you embrace change at your church? How can you encourage others in your church to embrace change? First is just you have to be open to new ideas. Don't dismiss new ideas out of hand. Be willing to listen and learn and experiment.

Speaker 1: 5:15

I love to read is one of the ways that I get a lot of new ideas and I love books, and not everybody's like me I get it. Not everybody's wired like me, but I absolutely love books. That kind of stretch my way of thinking, even if I don't agree with them. I like to read different viewpoints because it opens my mind to new ideas, new ways of doing things Again, not compromising my theology or the gospel of Jesus in any way, shape or form, but to show me just different ways of thinking about it. So be open to new ideas, and then can you empower your team to do the same. Encourage your staff and your volunteers to think outside the box, to think creatively and to take some initiative, and that will really help people start to open their eyes to change.

Speaker 1: 6:08

And sometimes change can be as simple as letting things go. Sometimes you need to be afraid not be afraid to let things go. Sometimes the best way to move forward is just to get let go of some outdated practices or programs that are no longer effective, and you know what. This is absolutely more difficult to do than to say I totally get that, but sometimes you just have to let it go. So here's the message for today. It's not rocket surgery, I understand that, but change is inevitable. A lot of times, change scares. We'll see what I was going to say. It scares us, ok, but it doesn't have to be scary. Embrace change as an opportunity to grow and innovate and better serve your community.

Speaker 1: 6:54

If you're feeling stuck by some of the challenges of change, man, I'd love for you to reach out to me. I'd love to hear your story. If there's any way that I can offer some personal coaching, some staff coaching, some transition coaching, some help with hiring staff at your church. I would love to be able to do that. Just email me at podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. I'm here to help. However, I can. All right, thanks for tuning in to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. We're here every Monday through Friday a short five ten-minute kind of worth of inspiration for you, so I hope you'll join us again tomorrow. I'll be right back. Have a good one, have a great day.