Change. Change. Change.

I really like this recent blog entry from Ed Young at Fellowship Church in Grapevine.
Liked it so much, I decided to post it on my blog.
Enjoy!


EdYoungBlog
Change. Change. Change.
Posted: 07 May 2009 12:20 PM PDT
If it ain't broke, break it.

In other words, change. Just to change. That may sound like an odd statement, but it's vital. Why? Because change is the guts of creativity.

We all want to be creative. But to do that, in any venue of life, we have to be willing to change. Something. Anything. And we have to do it before we need to do it.

One of the biggest pitfalls we find ourselves in is the inability, or unwillingness, to change. We lock ourselves into a style, a look, a time zone. And after a while, everything we do and say looks and sounds like circa 2002.

When you drill it down, the lack of change is all about fear. Many people and leaders resist the need to change because of the resistance of change. But there's a spin cycle of success when it comes to change.

Change. Conflict. Growth.

If you want your life and your leadership to reach the level God wants it to, you have to change.

At Fellowship Church, we change all the time. There's a running joke that FC stands for "frequent change." But it's true. We've discovered over the past 18 years that when we change, yes, we face conflict. Yes, people do the push back. Yes, some people even leave the church! But as we stick through the changes, we also discover tremendous growth on the other side.

So what does change really look like here?

Change Your Preparation
I don't always prepare my messages the same way. I vary the books I read, the articles I research and the people who help me craft the weekend messages. I even change the places I study.

If I stick to doing things the same way, I fall into a rut. And there's no less effective place to be than in a rut.

Change Your Worship
Over the years, we've blown up the entire dynamic of our worship department. And not just once.

This is one of those areas that, when it's "working," people are afraid to change. But it's one of the greatest ways to keep the church on its feet with its arms raised in worship rather than folded in familiarity.

Change Your Style
I'm not talking about just your clothes (though, yes, please change those as the years go by). I'm talking about the style of your leadership. In other words, change the people you have in leadership positions.

Even as I write this, we're in the process of changing the entire leadership scheme of Fellowship Church. Because we've discovered that new perspectives, new viewpoints help elevate our church to heights we never dreamed possible.

Don't be afraid of change. Instead, be afraid of what could happen if you don't change. Be willing to face the conflict change will bring. And get ready to experience the growth on the other side!

Come Home - part 2

Just a quick update on my previous entry. This afternoon around 3:00 the two teens who were missing were found hiding here in town. They are both safe and sound.

Thanks to everyone who prayed for these kids and their families. Please continue to pray for the families as they work through the past 24 hours.

Nothing's Too Hard For God!

Come Home

Did you ever stop and think about how great God's love is for us?
I always love reading and teaching from Luke 15:11-32, the Parable of the Lost Son.
I always get choked up talking about the part of that story where the Father runs to his son and welcomes Him home.

Last night as I stood outside the home of a family whose teenage daughter had ran away. I couldn't help but think of that story. I watched as the desperate Father kept looking down the street, waiting for his daughter to come home. She never did. We're still looking for her and a friend, believing they are both safe and will return today! Please keep these two family's in your prayers.

Anyway, as I ministered to this family, watching as they were waiting and watching for their lost child to come home. I couldn't help but wonder what it must do to the heart of our Heavenly Father when we walk away from Him. He loves us so much. Scripture tells us that "while we were still sinners Christ died for us". John 3:16 reminds us that God has so much love for us that He gave His One and Only son for us. That through his sacrifice on the cross,we might have eternal life.

We're still waiting for these two teenagers to come home. And if you've wandered away from home, your Heavenly Father is waiting for you to come home too!

Stop running. Go home. He loves you. He created you, not because He had to but because He chose to create you as an expression of His love!

Think there's no way you could go home? Think you've done too many things, carry too much baggage? He's waiting to welcome you home. He offers forgiveness to everyone who asks.
Stop running away, turn around and run home. You Father is waiting for you!