Assignment
Submission: Plan for Church Change
Completion requirements
Change is one of the most challenging and critical aspects of church leadership. In this assignment, you will create a practical, well-reasoned plan to lead a significant change initiative in a church or ministry setting. This can be based on your current church, a past experience, or a hypothetical church scenario.
Your goal is to think and write like a ministry leader presenting a thoughtful and actionable strategy to a church board, leadership team, or ministry stakeholders.
In 600-800 words, your plan should address each of the following areas:
Briefly explain the change you are proposing. What needs to change, and why?
Examples:
- Shifting from Sunday School to small groups
- Introducing a contemporary worship service alongside a traditional one
- Launching a community outreach ministry
- Redefining staff roles or governance structure
Explain the rationale behind the change:
- Is there a problem to solve?
- A missed opportunity?
- A vision to pursue?
Use John Kotter’s 8-step model for leading change as a framework. Clearly outline how you will approach each step:
- Create a sense of urgency – What compelling reason will help people see the need for change?
- Build a guiding coalition – Who needs to be on your leadership team to help guide this change?
- Form a strategic vision and initiatives – How will you clarify the vision and define measurable goals?
- Enlist a volunteer army – How will you communicate the vision to gain widespread support?
- Enable action by removing barriers – What systems, structures, or mindsets need to be adjusted?
- Generate short-term wins – What quick successes can help build momentum?
- Sustain acceleration – How will you keep the energy going after initial efforts?
- Institute change – How will you embed the change into church culture and structure?
For each step, provide 1–3 sentences describing how you would implement it in your specific setting.
Identify 2–3 likely obstacles you may face in leading this change:
- Resistance from long-time members
- Leadership fatigue
- Budget constraints
- Theological concerns
Then, provide a brief plan for how you’ll address each challenge:
- Who will you need to listen to or engage differently?
- What compromise or adaptation might help?
- What supportive structures or messaging will help move things forward?
Draw from Chapters 8–9 of The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner, which emphasize collaboration and empowerment. In 1–2 paragraphs, explain:
- How will you create ownership of the change among your team?
- How will you encourage collaboration, shared leadership, and build confidence?
- How will you affirm and celebrate contributions along the way?
Finish by providing key logistics to show you’ve considered the execution phase:
- Communication Plan: How will you share updates and keep people informed?
- Leadership Roles: Who is responsible for what? Will there be task teams?
- Evaluation Points: How will you know if the change is working? What checkpoints or assessments will you build in?