Pace of Change in Church

I like to go fast.

I like to drive fast, think fast, eat fast, and lead fast. 

If I have what I sense is a God-sourced dream, I want it to come true now--if not sooner.

Churches move sssssllllllloooooowwwwww...

They like to drive cautiously, think thoroughly, extend the feast, and follow slowly.

If they hear a God-sourced dream, they want to savor it and work out all the kinks before diving in.

See a challenge here?

Maybe you're like me. Or maybe you are in a church with someone like me in leadership. 

I'm sorry.

Here's a phrase that I've found helpful in recent years, as I've tried to slow my leadership roll:

Change at the pace of pastoral care.

For example, there's an older couple in our church. I doubt seriously they'll ever read this post, but if they do--great! I didn't really know them at all. I'd been in this ministry role for about 3 years. She was having surgery. It was my turn to go to the hospital. We spent nearly a half-day together, the three of us. I heard their love story. I heard about their health struggles. I met two of their adult children. We laughed. We cried. We prayed. We hugged. It was a better-than-average hospital visit; we connected.

The next time I mentioned a need we had in the church, for something un-budgeted, they were very supportive. 

Change at the pace of pastoral care.

Now, let's check our motives here. I did not go see these folks in the hospital so they would vote for a need in my ministry. That's manipulative. In fact, I'd say it's downright gross. And they didn't support me because they were indebted to me for simply doing my job. That's scorekeeping, something 1 Corinthians 13 says love doesn't do.

I extended pastoral care. They received it. There was a connection at the heart level, experientially. It's simply what is supposed to happen when we pastor people well. 

And the more our hearts are knit together in this way, the more I want to slow down--because my heart is for them. And the more they want to help out--because their heart is for me.

And so if you are struggling with the pace of change in your ministry, maybe the key is to focus on pastoral care instead of change. Find yourself face to face in spiritual care so you can be shoulder to shoulder in spiritual work.

I am so grateful for the ways my pastor, Tim Harris, has taught me this. I sure wish I had been able to learn it 30 years ago!