BIRTH DEATH
Church TransformationAcross the Life Cycle
Church TransformationAcross the Life Cycle
The Life Cycle Without InterventionThe Life Cycle Without Intervention
BIRTH
GROWTH
STABILITY
DECLINE
DEATH
Four Organizational PrinciplesFour Organizational Principles
Vision
Mission
Dream
Energy
Purpose
Core Values
Relationship/ Inclusion
With others and with God
Evangelism
Assimilation
Discipleship
Program
Ministries
Worship
Outreach
Activities
Education
Management
Administration
Policies
Resources
Decision-making
Organizing Principles and Life CycleOrganizing Principles and Life Cycle
BIRTH
Vrpm
DEATH
m
Childhood
VrPm
Adolescence
VRPm
Adulthood
VRPM
Maturity
vRPM
Empty Nest
vRpM
Retirement
vrPM
Old Age
vrpM
Infancy
VRpm
Vision and Relationships Program and Management
Two Common MistakesTwo Common Mistakes
BIRTH DEATH
Under estimate level of decline
Under estimate how much change is required to put church on growth side of the life cycle
Dynamics of Early GrowthDynamics of Early Growth
BIRTH
Birth
Vision, mission
Target population
INFANCYInfancy
Clear identity
Assimilation
Ministry
Dynamics of Late GrowthDynamics of Late Growth
BIRTH
INFANCY
CHILDHOOD
ADOLESCENCE
Childhood
Program Development
Use of staff/resources/facilities
New people attracted by programs
Adolescence
Awkwardness
Competing visions
Facilities
Dynamics of Prime/PlateauDynamics of Prime/Plateau
BIRTH
INFANCY
CHILDHOOD
ADOLESCENCE
ADULTHOOD
PRIME
Adulthood/Prime
All four organizing principles fully developed
Highest worship attendance
New members equal those leaving
Spiritual growth throughout congregation
High self esteem, self efficacy
BIRTH
GR
OW
TH
STABILITY
DECLINE
If . . .
A Ministry is not Redefined . . .
DECLINE WILL FOLLOW.
Or Stability Proceeds Uninterrupted . . .
Once a ministry is in decline there is still the possibility
of new life. —
But the cost of newlife is greater.
BIRTH
REDEFINITIONREDEFINITION
REDEVELOPMENTREDEVELOPMENT
REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH
Retirement/Old Age/DeathRebirthRadical change
Levels of Change in the Life CycleLevels of Change in the Life Cycle
Empty Nest/ RetirementRedevelopmentDiscontinuous change
Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change
Adulthood
Adolescence
Childhood Infancy Birth
Degree of ChangeDegree of Change
Redefinition (continuous change) Changes that continue the historic aspects of the congregation. New information is incorporated into old ways of the church.
Redevelopment (discontinuous change) New information is not sufficient. Change does NOT continue the historic aspects of the congregation. Requires a new and different purpose.
Rebirth (radical change) Doing a new thing with new and different people, possibly different location.
BIRTH
REDEFINITIONREDEFINITION
REDEVELOPMENTREDEVELOPMENT
REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH
Retirement/Old Age/DeathRebirthRadical change
Levels of Change in the Life CycleLevels of Change in the Life Cycle
Empty Nest/ RetirementRedevelopmentDiscontinuous change
Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change
Adulthood
Adolescence
Childhood Infancy Birth
Redefinition (continuous change)Redefinition (continuous change)
Typical timeline: eighteen to thirty-six months
Target stage: Adulthood
Tasks:
•Decrease controlling aspects of management
•Increase rate of change
•Revise same vision or create different compelling vision for new Adulthood
Obstacles:
•Complacency
•Self satisfaction
BIRTH
REDEFINITIONREDEFINITION
REDEVELOPMENTREDEVELOPMENT
REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH
Retirement/Old Age/DeathRebirthRadical change
Levels of Change in the Life CycleLevels of Change in the Life Cycle
Empty Nest/ RetirementRedevelopmentDiscontinuous change
Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change
Adulthood
Adolescence
Childhood Infancy Birth
Redevelopment (discontinuous change)Redevelopment (discontinuous change)
Typical timeline: three to five years
Target stage: AdolescenceTasks:
•Change leadership and decrease “turf” issues
•Create new programs and relationship experiences
•Reconnect with the neighborhood
•Conversation/creation of new vision
•New management system to support new vision
Obstacles:
•Very stressful for ordained and lay leadership
•Fear that the new will further undermine the church
•Entrenched emotions and attitudes
•Systemic dysfunction
BIRTH
REDEFINITIONREDEFINITION
REDEVELOPMENTREDEVELOPMENT
REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH
Retirement/Old Age/DeathRebirthRadical change
Levels of Change in the Life CycleLevels of Change in the Life Cycle
Empty Nest/ RetirementRedevelopmentDiscontinuous change
Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change
Adulthood
Adolescence
Childhood Infancy Birth
Rebirth (radical change)Rebirth (radical change)
Typical timeline: eighteen to thirty-six months
Target stage: Birth, Infancy or Childhood
Tasks:
•Change leadership and decrease “turf” issues
•Create new ministries to give sense of hope and bring in new group of people
•Cast new vision
Obstacles:
•Very stressful for ordained and lay leadership
•Grief over loss of congregation
•Fear
•Historic congregation gives up control
A Word About Being in Ordained MinistryA Word About Being in Ordained Ministry
Clergy Leadership for Growing a ChurchClergy Leadership for Growing a Church
Birth and Infancy:
•Entrepreneurial, visionary
•Intensely motivated to reach unchurched
•Comfortable with risk, uncertainty, chaos
•Inspires others, compelling and charismatic
•Deep sense of call
Childhood and Adolescence
•Creates loose order
•Willing to test out various systems and find the ones that work
•Ongoing spiritual growth, deepening vision of God’s work
Clergy Leadership for Prime/Maturity/Early Empty Nest (continuous change)Clergy Leadership for Prime/Maturity/Early Empty Nest (continuous change)
•Deep love for the church, its core structures and traditions
•More conserving, less risk taking
•Good at management, administration
•Deeply immersed in the parish community
•A facilitator, able to “work in the background”
•Pastoral care skills more important than preaching skills
•Major “change” task is to help reweave fragmented visions into master story
•Good at mediating conflict before it escalates
•In Empty Nest, must excite sense of urgency
•Spirituality expressed in deep love for his/her flock and the institutions of the church
Clergy Leadership for Empty Nest/Retirement (discontinuous)Clergy Leadership for Empty Nest/Retirement (discontinuous)
•Strong directive leader with well developed sense of self and ego strength
•Able to bring a stable, non-anxious presence to anxious situations
•Visionary, able to dream of a different future and help others do so as well
•Helps if dynamic preacher to articulate process during difficult change
•Knows how to get “buy in” from the majority of congregation
•Good pastoral skills to help parishioners work through anxiety and grief
•Must have mature and extraordinary faith and help congregants find that level of faith in their own lives
•Must be well connected with outside support system
•Must have strong, ongoing and unquestioning support from diocese
Clergy Leadership for Old Age/Death (radical change)Clergy Leadership for Old Age/Death (radical change)
•Must have attributes of former stage leader.
•Strong pastoral care skills for grief and loss
•Simultaneously generate hope/excitement about new community
•Good project management skills
•Must be able to negotiate agreement with a variety of stakeholders
•Temporarily must be the congregation’s source of hope and trust in God’s future
•Must be well connected with outside support system
•Must have strong, ongoing and unquestioning support from diocese
BIRTH
REDEFINITIONREDEFINITION
REDEVELOPMENTREDEVELOPMENT
REBIRTHREBIRTHDEATH
Retirement/Old Age/DeathRebirthRadical change
Levels of Change in the Life CycleLevels of Change in the Life Cycle
Empty Nest/ RetirementRedevelopmentDiscontinuous change
Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change
Adulthood
Adolescence
Childhood Infancy Birth
Compiled for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of
Oaklandby Michal Anne Pepper, Ph.D.
with materials from
Office of Congregational DevelopmentThe Episcopal Church Center
andGeorge Bullard, D.Min.
Lake Hickory Learning Communities
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