First Steps to Navigating Change

430 Morgantown Avenue,Fairmont WV 26554

18 March, 2023

Description

Agenda for the Day Session 1 – Your Changing Community – Allan Copenhaver Your community is different! What do the changing demographics mean for your church?. We'll explore how our understanding of community continues to shift as our lives become increasingly digital. Who is your neighbor and how do you fulfill Christ's command to love them? 10:45-11:00 Break 11:00-12:00 Session 2 – Your Church and Change – Bill It is unrealistic to think that changes in culture and community will have no impact on the church and its approach to the mission. Change is necessary and can create significant tension if handled unwisely. In this session we will outline a stepwise process that will help leaders navigate change in the local church in ways that facilitate healthier times of transition. Change inevitably gives rise to real challenges, particularly in an established church. However, a team of leaders working together to facilitate change with an appreciation of the past, a firm grip of the present, and a clear vision for the future will maximize the potential for healthy transition and life-giving change. 12:00 – 12:45 Lunch 12:45- 1:45 Session 3 – The Pastor and Change – Chad Mugrage Shepherding God’s people through change is seldom easy. Doing so in a culture that encourages tribalism and “cancels” voices of dissent is particularly demanding. Changing culture and leading change in a congregation will impact the demands on a pastor. In this session we will look at the “pastor and change” from two perspectives – the view from the pastorate and the view from the pew. There will be ways in which the pastor may need to grow personally and professionally to lead the church effectively. The church family may need to grow in certain ways as well, particularly in their commitment to praying for and working together with their pastor. This session will help both pastor and parishioner prepare for change together. 1:45-2:00 Break 2:00-3:00 Session 4 – God Knows Change – Ed Rogers Foundational to change that is mission-driven, life-giving, and of lasting impact is choosing to invite God into the process. He knows the changes that need to be made and will provide the resources needed for His Church to fulfill its mission in every community. This session will encourage God’s people to consider what He has been doing around and within them – in the Church as a whole, in individuals in the church family, and in the community the church serves. Ideas will be shared and helpful guidance offered on ways the local church can discern a path toward renewal that strives to be God-led and specific to the immediate context.