Changing Change (Part Two)
by Steve Argue
What Does Have to Change?
If you’re tempted to change anything… or “everything,” then start with changing you. Ask yourself why you want to change something, and then leave the god-speak out of your reasoning. There are times when you might “feel led” or “God is telling you” or “you’ve prayed about it.” But these types of statements don’t allow for dialogue or understanding. Be careful to not use your position or god-talk language as a cover for power and manipulation.
Good youth leaders don’t change the youth group and volunteers to fit their personality, they learn their context and get close enough to serve within it. This is the essence of the incarnation.
Changing Change
Change must happen “with” volunteers– not “to” them or “apart from” them. If you can’t communicate “your vision for the youth ministry” enough so that others can understand it and articulate it their own words, the group probably isn’t ready for change. To change means to change together, which requires patience, dialogue, and searching for what is best for everyone. This is what it means to be the church.
Everything’s got to change. In fact, because of the resurrection, everything is changing as God is putting the world back together. Embracing this change, demonstrated through Jesus, ignites change in the youth pastor, shared change with the volunteers, and lasting change for the faith community. Change is changed to something much more significant.
[This is the second of a two-part blog by Steve Argue, Executive Director of the Contextual Learning Center at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Steve will be leading a Point Leader Breakout at Shift 2008 entitled Theological Essentials for Missional Leadership.]
What Does Have to Change?
If you’re tempted to change anything… or “everything,” then start with changing you. Ask yourself why you want to change something, and then leave the god-speak out of your reasoning. There are times when you might “feel led” or “God is telling you” or “you’ve prayed about it.” But these types of statements don’t allow for dialogue or understanding. Be careful to not use your position or god-talk language as a cover for power and manipulation.
Good youth leaders don’t change the youth group and volunteers to fit their personality, they learn their context and get close enough to serve within it. This is the essence of the incarnation.
Changing Change
Change must happen “with” volunteers– not “to” them or “apart from” them. If you can’t communicate “your vision for the youth ministry” enough so that others can understand it and articulate it their own words, the group probably isn’t ready for change. To change means to change together, which requires patience, dialogue, and searching for what is best for everyone. This is what it means to be the church.
Everything’s got to change. In fact, because of the resurrection, everything is changing as God is putting the world back together. Embracing this change, demonstrated through Jesus, ignites change in the youth pastor, shared change with the volunteers, and lasting change for the faith community. Change is changed to something much more significant.
[This is the second of a two-part blog by Steve Argue, Executive Director of the Contextual Learning Center at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. Steve will be leading a Point Leader Breakout at Shift 2008 entitled Theological Essentials for Missional Leadership.]
Labels: conference
posted by Steve Argue at 3:33 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home