The real reason you can't change the bulletin.
It's because church is 'stuck'. Here's how to get 'unstuck'...
‘Just change anything - even if it’s really small.’
The vestry had called me in because they were struggling with the direction of the church, and how hard everything was getting. They didn’t have enough members - or money - to keep running the way they were. And they didn’t know how to change.
So I gave them my best advice:
I showed them how they could completely re-imagine their ministry.
I could feel their energy and enthusiasm rise as I was speaking - they were really excited about changing their vision and focus!
But after I finished speaking, there was a silence.
Then they started talking among themselves …
’we couldn’t possibly do this.’
Eleanor started that program decades ago, it would hurt her feelings if we just quit it.’
What would we do without the ‘Weeding Club’?
They wanted change. They just didn’t want to actually change anything.
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I pointed this out to them - the fear of change, the discomfort.
I could see that this might be too much change for them. So I tried something spontaneously:
’What if you just focused on one change? A small one? As small as you can imagine…’
They decided they could change the font of the bulletin.
It was a little hard to read, anyway. They’d find something cleaner. This sounded great! A step into the future…
Then they started talking among themselves…
What about the parish administrator? This would put strain on her
We would have to create a whole new header for the bulletin - we’re not sure we have the tech skills for that
Would we have to go back and change all the old bulletins? This seems like a lot of work…’
In the end, they tabled discussion of the font change until they could gather more information. They put it on the agenda for a future board meeting.
(If you see yourself in this story - and you really are ready for change, sign up for some time and let’s talk about it)
I should not have been surprised.
No one wants to change. And the faithful people left in our pews are the least likely to want to change anything - because the system still works for them. Or at least well enough that they’re still there.
This should be respected.
At the same time, this is how church is stuck.
and it only leads in one direction:
more closed congregations.
The lessons I learned from the spontaneous (failed) change experiment:
#1:
Don’t try to take things away from people
Especially things that mean something to them.
It just makes them hold on tighter - and resent you more for disrespecting their feelings
(I learned this the very hard way when I ripped up the old carpeting in a church once without asking. It was worn and full of holes - and trip hazards! - and ugly. But I did not take into consideration that someone gave that carpet to the church. And someone laid it down with their own hands.)
#2
Offer a new ‘recipe’ for church.
Not taking things away.
Not changing ‘the way you’ve always done it’.
But a way to see ministry in a different light - a new vision for a new future.
How could we get excited to share the Gospel in ways that don’t seem so hard?
The ‘Unstuck Church’ recipe I’ve discovered is an invitation to more ministry JOY.
The next few posts will focus on each of these…
‘Unstuck Church’ is…
Agile: Able to cut things that aren’t working (aren’t helping us grow in relationship with God), able to try things and fail, able to have a sense of adventure in ministry.
Networked: Not ‘silos’ of individual congregations, denominations, dioceses, where everything is done ‘in house’. Instead, online Bible study bridges across many communities, congregations share space/resources, ministers serve very part time at several different ministries. A true, organic, network of interconnected disciples forms.
Technology-based: Not ‘my church has a website and a social media presence’, but a digital core of administration, organization, communication that eases the burden of the ‘stuff’ of church - and connects communities with potential new members.
Focused on Christian practice: Not a set of programs or outreach, but the main work and focus - and most of the time, money, and resources - is prayer, worship, hospitality, discipleship, sabbath. Learning and practicing what it means to be Christian.
… and small worshipping communities: Stop trying to ‘grow’ church. Foster the intimacy and accountability of small church - then adapt the system around them to support that (instead of imagining we’re going to get new members and then be able to pay our bills…)
We don’t have to battle our congregations: ‘change or die.’
We don’t have to try and force people to let go of things they truly love.
We can start with the vision:
Imagine being able to focus on being a Community of Worship and Practice, and not having to worry constantly about money, about getting new members, about how long we’ll be able to keep this up.
That’s where the Future of Church starts.
Is your ministry ‘stuck’?
Ask Father Cathie
Live on the first Wednesday of the month (starting May 6)
3:30pm Eastern
Submit a question below…
P.S.
If you’d love a full church consultation…
but you don’t think you can afford it, and frankly, you’re not sure you’re ready for all the big changes it would bring.
But you’re still ready to rediscover Ministry JOY…
…become a Free Range Priest Founding Member and get week-by-week ‘bite-sized’, practical, church reimagination advice and support, including a yearly 1-1 consult with me - along with paid membership to
Trexo: a gym for your soul (Christian practice for every day monastics)
and
Substack Seminary (support and skills for your ‘cage free’ ministry)
Less ‘trying to save the institution.’ More ‘sharing the Gospel.’
