It can often feel like change is inevitable in churches. Whether you feel the need to change something because it’s not working, or you’re forced to shift tactics because of something you can’t control, the idea of change prompts many reactions—fear, excitement, or maybe caution. No matter how you feel about it, as a ministry leader, you will likely face obstacles or challenges that require you to adapt.
It can often feel like change is inevitable in churches. Whether you feel the need to change something because it’s not working, or you’re forced to shift tactics because of something you can’t control, the idea of change prompts many reactions—fear, excitement, or maybe caution. No matter how you feel about it, as a ministry leader, you will likely face obstacles or challenges that require you to adapt.
As a ministry leader, getting everyone on the same page requires turning intention into action—especially when embarking on something new. Leading through change doesn’t just involve charting a new course for your church; it also means keeping your church on course to where you want to go.
In this course, Ed Stetzer will share practical insight from his own experience leading change in churches and large Christian organizations. In a variety of situations, both hostile to and excited for change, Ed has applied what he teaches in this course and will help you apply it in your church context.
Before you can lead others, you must first lead yourself. Ed will not only identify the most important skills for leading your congregation through challenging circumstances, but also explain how you can grow in your self-awareness and awareness of others.
Based on best practices from both professional settings and church contexts, Ed will provide a method for leading your church through significant shifts. As you walk through each step of this easy-to-implement tool, you will be able to pinpoint not only what stage of change your church is at, but also what needs to happen next.
Christian leadership takes its cues from how Jesus leads his church—sacrificially and humbly. Ed will talk about how leadership rooted in virtue is effective and persuasive in ministry contexts.
from Ed Stetzer.
addressing leading change through crisis.
by Ed Statzer and Losh Laxton.
to guide team conversation or reflect on your own.
Define leadership and learn how to leverage your influence to serve your church.
Understand the difference between leading and managing, and improve your ability to implement your vision as a leader.
Identify potential barriers to change and walk through a step-by-step method for guiding your church through significant shifts.
Gain self-awareness and others-awareness by developing your God-given passions and gifts.
Explore how tools of persuasion can be applied to ministry contexts in a God-honoring way.
Learn a method for shepherding your church through ministry shifts.
Acquire tools to navigate significant crises and learn to respond to dysfunction as Jesus would.
Dr. Ed Stetzer is a teaching pastor and scholar in residence at Mariners Church in Southern California. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; and has authored, co-authored, or edited over fifteen books, including Planting Missional Churches, Comeback Churches, Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches That Reach Them, and Transformational Groups, co-authored with Eric Geiger. Ed also serves as the general editor for RightNow Pastors+.
This course is included in your RightNow Pastors+ subscription. Not a subscriber? Click here for more information.
You can use this course on your own or with other leaders at your church. The written curriculum is geared toward group discussion, but it can also be used individually.
In this six-session course, author and church leader Ed Stetzer teaches you how to lead your church effectively and faithfully through significant change.
Yes, this course is included in a RightNow Pastors+ subscription. Click here for more information.
Plan for an hour to an hour and a half to go through each session, especially if you’re going through the content in a group. The videos in this course range from 14 to 17 minutes, and the discussion questions and activities will likely take up the rest of your meeting time.
This course is six sessions long with an optional bonus session. Feel free to cover the sessions in increments that make the most sense for you and your leadership team. For some, it might work best to go through one session per week. For others, it might be better to cover one session a month. We do not recommend doubling up on sessions.
In its 40-year history, Barna Group has conducted more than two million interviews over the course of thousands of studies and has become a go-to source for insights about faith and culture, leadership and vocation, and generations. Barna Group has worked with thousands of businesses, nonprofit organizations and churches across the U.S. and around the world.
Barna is an independent, privately held, nonpartisan organization based in Dallas, Texas, with offices in Nashville, Tennessee; Ventura, California; and Atlanta, Georgia.
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