5 Strategies for Creating Lasting Change

What is something you have recently tried or wanted to change?

Maybe you have aimed to eat healthier, exercise more, learn a new skill, or tackle a project you have been putting off. Change can be hard. Our brains are wired to favor the familiar and routine over the unknown. We see it in our personal lives when we make goals for ourselves or try to form new habits, and we can see it happen in our churches.

It’s understandable to feel apprehensive about change because it can feel overwhelming. We have to shift our mindset to not see all change as bad. In fact, change can be very good. But how do we create lasting change? Let’s look at some strategies and ways you can create lasting change.

Strategies for Creating Lasting Change

1) Implement one small change at a time. People often resist change when it comes too suddenly, or it’s too radical or different from what was there previously. Making small changes over time instead of big changes all at once helps people to adjust better. It takes time for change to stick. This requires a lot of patience, but you will have more success and transformation if you focus on making changes gradually and one step at a time.

2) Create buy-in and establish trust. Change is hard, especially in churches for reasons. People hold tightly to tradition. We have an emotional connection to people, places, and things. When there is an emotional attachment involved, it’s always harder to produce change.  People do not buy into change if they can’t see how it will benefit them or how it will benefit something close to their heart.

Lovett H. Weems Jr. says in his book Take the Next Step, “Lasting, transformational change grows out of the congregation’s current sense of its story and its mission. Transformational leaders know how to build on the church’s identity, making new ministries the natural extension of what has gone before. In other words, they know how to make the story of change the next chapter in the book of the congregation’s life, rather than throwing the book away and trying to start over.”

In theory, it sounds good to start over or start something new and wipe the slate clean, but coming through with a sledgehammer to your church programming won’t help. You must get buy-in. You are never going to please everyone, but as much as possible, get buy-in from others. Trust is essential in creating change. We need to be able to trust someone to believe the change they want to make is a good one.  When envisioning changes for your church, it’s tempting to want to charge forward with well-intentioned plans. However, doing so without first fostering buy-in and trust risks undermining the change before it even begins.

3) Make people a part of the change. This helps ease any feelings of uncertainty during times of transition. People will feel more empowered because they have some knowledge and investment in what changes are happening. Withholding information can make people go on the defense. Be as transparent as possible about the changes you want to make and the reasons for those changes. People are much more likely to embrace shifts or changes, even difficult ones when they understand the reason for the change and their voices are heard.

4) Understand that change must be flexible. When it comes to creating change, it’s important to remain flexible and open to how God may be leading the process. Change can be difficult, even when we know it aligns with God’s will and plans. But we must trust that the Lord’s timing and methods are perfect, even if they don’t match our expectations. Being flexible and open to change is important because circumstances are constantly evolving around us. We must be able to adapt and willing to change our plans as the Lord leads. This helps in addressing resistance, adjusting plans based on feedback, and ensuring that the change is sustainable and effective.

5) Set realistic goals. The process of implementing change can feel overwhelming for us, and that can make it hard to start. Be specific in your goals. Clearly define what you want to accomplish. Use S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. goals are goals that are Specific, Meaningful/Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. This structure provides the clarity, tools, and commitment needed to fully work through the process of implementing changes in a measured, sustainable way.

It’s important not to give up when you try something new. Remember, real change takes time. Our culture is inundated with instant gratification, and it can be difficult not to get results quickly, but remember, you aren’t just seeking change, you are seeking transformation. Change that lasts and is transformative takes time and cannot be rushed.

When you want to create change, whether personally, professionally, or in your church or organization, ask yourself:

• What is the purpose, outcome, or goal of this change?
• What action step are you willing to take to make the change?
• When and how will you do it?
• Who can help you or keep you accountable?
• What obstacle could possibly hold you back?
• What will you do when you reach your goal?

Change is inevitable. Rather than something to be feared, change can be embraced as an ever-present opportunity for growth. The reality is that nothing stays the same forever, and the world around us is ever-changing. As believers, we can rest in knowing that despite the change happening to us or around us, God is unchanging. We must hold our plans with an open hand, willing to release them when God makes His desires clear through scripture, prayer, wise counsel, and the circumstances He ordains. He may initially lead in one direction, only to pivot us in a completely new way we couldn’t have foreseen.

Change can create uncertainty, but we can have certainty that our unchanging God is in control. He promises to instruct us and teach us in the way we should go (Psalm 32:8). True, lasting change takes time. Be patient with the process. Be patient with people, with yourself, and trust that God will work it out if He has arranged it.