Making changes in ANY organization is always difficult. In the last six months three clients (large organizations all) in my tent making job have invested a great deal of time and energy in initiatives designed to "change the way we do things". Our part was to help them through the change with tools, strategy and performance metrics.

I've taken a lot of the key learnings from those clients and thought about change and innovation in the church context. Many of the churches I consult with have the same fondness for "...a new way of doing things." In the midst of the church's generational shift many "young guns" are driving for change, mouthing words like "cutting edge" and "innovative". So it was with great interest that I read the blog by Larry Osborne about innovation in the church. He's obviously had experience with change in the church context. No matter which side of the fence you're on (or even if you're riding the fence) with regard to change, Osborne's blog post INNOVATION'S BLIND SPOT: Is Protecting the Past as Important As Creating the Future? is a definite "must read".

The questions at the end of the blog are useful in providing a much needed corrective balance for those who want to simply charge ahead. His observation about the startup phase and innovation absolutely rings true. The research project for my doctoral work confirmed what Osborne is saying. I worked with two churches. One had just celebrated their 100th anniversary and the other was a church plant. There was a measurable quantitative difference in the way they responded to change.....

What about you? Do you have experience with change in your church? Would Osborne's questions be helpful?