It's hard to walk together if you're facing different directions.
But that's what often happens when a pastor and a congregation start a new journey together. For his part, pastor can see what is, but finds more excitement in imagining what could be. The people? Well, they want a good future, but their eyes are a bit more fixed on current realities and the needs that fill them. Both views matter, but one often wins at the expense of the other and can even derail the happiest of beginnings. Getting on the same page and choosing a common direction make traveling even the largest map truly possible. For a worldwide mission, it's simply not optional.
Many congregations today are facing the need for change. It's been said that change can be fun...if you get to choose it! But change that's chosen for you is another matter altogether. That's why pastors would be wise to listen to the wisdom their congregations can make available today before leaping toward that longed-for future. In this book, longtime pastor and church consultant Mike Clarensau shares what that wise and listening pastor is likely hear from those who find themselves subject to change.
