This week I have the chance to co-teach an intensive at YS National Youth Workers Convention with Brad Griffin on Sticky Faith. In the intensive, we’ll spent the first six hours talking about what needs to change to build long-term faith in teenagers. Then we’ll spend the last hour discussing the harder question: how can we make these changes in our youth ministries and in our churches?

I love sharing with churches that want to make change this leadership principle: people tend to support what they create.

As we’ve seen with over 100 churches who have walked through our Sticky Faith Cohort, when it comes to bringing about a new culture or a new program, we leaders make a mistake when we figure it out on our own and then present it to our students, parents, leaders, and supervisors.

We think they are going to be impressed by our ingenuity.

Instead they feel left out of the process and are more likely to resist the change.

So let me ask you a few questions:

  • What’s the next medium-sized or big change you need to make in your ministry?
  • Who do you MOST need to collaborate with you on that change?
  • How can you involve that person NOW in the planning process?

Not only will you learn from that person’s expertise and the questions they ask, you will be more likely to have a change advocate.

Kara