When Change Happens in the Ministry

If I could describe my ministry experience in one word, it would be this: CHANGE.

Change happens in life. It happens so much, we don’t always notice. Kids growing up. Us growing wiser. Friends or family drifting apart or growing closer to each other. Churches dying or reawakening.

Some changes, however, are stark. They’re sudden and surprising. Or they’re so big, we can’t help but notice and watch them unfold.

My earliest memory of a big change in the ministry was when my youth pastor left to plant a church. That was also when someone told me (rather the me that’s part of the youth group) that change happens. It’s inevitable and it’s good. And I learned to accept change.

Not all changes is good though, I would also come to learn. Change itself is good. If nothing ever changes, we never grow or learn. But some changes are not good (like someone developing an addiction), and some of the ways change happens are not good.

Another pastor left to plant a church. Several of the children’s ministry volunteers planned to leave as well, but nobody told me. In the end, the rest of the Sunday School teachers and I had only 1 week to figure out who can teach what class because we ended up short on teachers with no warning.

I’ve also made/facilitated changes in the ministry before. Some were praise the Lord, hallelujah good. Some bad. As in hands-down, terrible, horrible, what-was-I-thinking, I-cringe-thinking-about-them bad.

This year, our children’s ministry is transitioning to a family ministry model. We’re thinking Orange. And I’ve got to be honest with you. It’s exciting and scary at the same time.

This change, I know for sure, is from the Lord. There is agreement about it with the pastor, within the church leaders, and within the ministry. There is a peace about it in our hearts and an excitement in our bellies.

But I don’t want to run ahead of God.

It’s a massive change and I want to do it right. I’m sure I’ll make mistakes and so will my team. But I am also sure that we can follow God’s ways and timing through prayer, patience, and Spirit-led planning.

I am opening the doors and windows into our children’s ministry (we’re called Kingdom Kids) to give you an inside look at how we’re doing with this change. Because change can be tough. Navigating through the changes can be overwhelming. And if this inside look can help you handle the changes in your life or ministry, then glory be to God.

Don’t be afraid of change, especially if it comes from the Lord.

Don’t run ahead of God, but don’t lag behind Him either!

Remember that you have what it takes because God Himself equips you to do His work.