This week two teleconference dialogues are being conducted by Columbia Partnership. One is on congregational transformation and the other is on change. For each of these dialogues, registered participants are invited to submit questions ahead of time for the presenter to consider. George Bullard is presenting on congregational transformation and John Britt, co-author with Ken Blanchard of Who Killed Change? is presenting on change.
[Register for these dialogues by clicking on the following links: http://bullarddialoguejuly14.eventbrite.com and http://johnbrittdialoguejuly15.eventbrite.com]
So, what questions are they asking?
Congregational Transformation
What question would you like to ask about congregational transformation?
- How do you sustain passion for the journey in the 'flat' times?
- What is the most important element to have in a congregation in order for it to be ripe for transformation?
How can those of us who are functioning in the role of "coach" to congregations in transformation receive appropriate and affordable coach training that will enable us to be more proficient in our work with congregations?
What are the most significant issues you are facing in congregational transformation? What has worked for you? What has not worked for you?
- Riding the wave of huge increases in giving, we expanded our staff for growth, and now finding ourselves having to tighten the belt financially.
- How can we move to a deeper spiritual place without overly threatening the establishment?
- Competition with full service churches. Giving money to the congregation has not helped. Having a fearless leader has worked.
- How to sustain a church's transformation once the process it's using has ended and the coach/consultant is gone.
Change
What are your questions about change and how organizations undermine it?
- How do you help people move "outside the box" from the ways they have always done things --- while they think they are ready for change?
- I am particularly interested in how Vision kills change
- Creating Urgency, sustaining that sense of urgency, learning to be patient!!!
- How can I lead change without loosing the cong completely?
- Best practices when making changes
- Why are we prone to repeating our predictable patterns with predictable results and yet when change is required we balk?
What are the most significant issues you are facing in your congregation regarding change? What has worked for you? What has not worked for you?
- People are exhausted by the process of a necessary change due to sluggish outcomes and budget. How do I help them move beyond what was and see the possibilities that lie ahead when the change has been a forced change --- not one that they chose to have happen?
- To help them sense the urgency of it.
- Resistance by one powerful individual.
- This cong was declining and near death when I arrived. While there as been growth in the last year there is still so much that needs to be done. How do I lead the continuing changes that need to be made?
- Moving toward turning the leadership reins over to the next generation .
- We are finding it hard to connect with any young person who did not grow up in our congregation. I have been part of using new worship to relaunch a church, but my present congregation launched a new service with no strategy to reach anybody before I arrived (and found nobody). How do you fix a busted up effort?
What are your questions about congregational transformation or change? To respond post a comment or send an e-mail to seminars@thecolumbiapartnership.org.
