| Church DevelopmentYou
Know You Need Change When . . .
By Dr. Roger K.
Swanson
Director of Operation Evangelization
 There
is a lot of talk about change in the church nowadays. Some of our
members are mystified: "Who says we need to change? There’s no
need to change just for change’s sake, is there?"
The answer to the latter is, "No, congregations don’t need
to change just to change." But the need for some substantive
change exists in almost every congregation.
A change in heart would help. Evangelical Christianity has always
held out for the need for conversion, which is almost total change, or
at least a 180-degree turn around.
Here are a few other clues.
You know you need to change when your church
is showing little or no numerical growth or a decline in worship
attendance.
You know you need to change when the same
leadership has been in place for the last six to eight years.
You
know you need to change when pastor and program salaries consume 60
percent of the church’s annual budget or when 60 percent of the
budget is dedicated to building maintenance.
You know you need to change when members
cannot verbalize the church’s mission.
You
also need to change when no change seems warranted.
And how do we know what changes are needed? Pray, study the
Scriptures, and listen to what God is saying to you through the people
who surround your church.
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