People of Hope:
Two weeks ago, I shared wise words from Peter Steinke, who coaches congregations as they work through change. He believes healthy change happens in three stages.
- Redefine Problem
- Redefine Self
- Define Specific Changes
First, Steinke challenges congregations to redefine the problem without focusing solely on a person or issue as presented in the original problem. This usually involves seeing the problem as part of a larger system, not just focused on one person or one project.
Second, Steinke encourages congregations to redefine themselves. “Instead of defining themselves against one another, they resolved to define themselves to one another. As long as there is blaming, it is nearly impossible to institute change. Blaming is a sign that people are stuck in their instinctive nature.”
We are likely all familiar with how humans define ourselves against one another. We think in terms of “us versus them,” conservative versus liberal, black versus white, traditional worship versus contemporary worship, or any number of other categories. Stuck in this type of thinking, we blame the other for whatever problems we are facing. We think that, if only this or that person could be removed from the equation, everything would be better. To instead define ourselves to one another, we answer questions about our own hopes, visions, and willingness to be part of making that vision happen. In this stage, Steinke invites congregations he works with to answer questions like:
- What would it look like if you were happy, satisfied?
- What would be your own signs of a healthy congregation?
- Where’s your plan? What’s your vision?
- How would you be willing to invest yourself in making that plan happen?
- How do you understand what is happening here theologically?
Notice that these questions keep the focus on us, not the other. What we might realize when we reflect on these questions is that we actually don’t have our own vision. We might not know what a healthy congregation looks like. We might know only what we don’t want, which isn’t a great starting place for change — because it leads us to be reactionary instead of thoughtful and measured.
As we, the Esperanza community, anticipate the change of a new pastor, I encourage us to let go of what happened in the past so that we can define ourselves to one another instead of getting stuck in blame. Moving forward, one question that intrigues me is “What would be your own signs of a healthy congregation?” If we are able to answer that question, we can reach toward health and welcome the change of a new pastor with grace.
If you have an answer to that question (What would be your own signs of a healthy congregation?), I would love to hear it! Please email me, text me, or let me know in person, and we can begin posting those signs around the church.
With joy,
Pastor Sarah