Thursday Thinking - Church Relocation Tips

Valley Christian Church is in the process of moving to a new location. Things are going well, but it's a massive and challenging project.

I came across an article with some helpful tips for churches going through this process. Here are highlights from that article.

A few words of encouragement for leaders who are  attempting to lead their ministry through either a relocation or a seismic change of any kind:

1. Accept Uncertainty
Timeline and budget projections are important, but they are, at best, educated guesses. The best advice is to embrace uncertainty with the innocence of a child. Learn to say, “I don’t know” without the biting hint of suggestion that you have been left in the dark.

2. Stretch Your Faith
Relocations will test your faith, so why not leverage that test into an opportunity for spiritual growth? Some days you may find your hand hovering over a panic button because of a frustrating setback in your staff, timetable, or budget.

Immediately turn this opportunity for panic into an opportunity for prayer. Instead of hitting the panic button, hit your knees, and ask God for His favor on your life and ministry.

3. Don’t Commit Mutiny
Every church and organization has early, late, and never adopters. Whether saving millions on utilities or saving more souls, some people can only see the bottom line through a negative lens.

Before you commit mutiny, remember that you are called to be a servant…yeah, a slave. Put down your sword, pick up a basin of water and towel, and get back to work.

“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

4. Embrace a Culture Of Change
Some organizations have a flexible dynamic. They are forward thinkers who are more than willing to do whatever it takes. Although there are endless variations of relocation and change, one common thread to success is embracing a culture of change (a.k.a. culture of faith).

5. Be Grateful
Whether you are leading people through a corporate or church change, take time to consider how boring it would be to serve the Lord in an organization that has no vision. Take time during this season of change to thank God for the opportunity to be on this bus, regardless of how fast it goes or what seat you are in.

Excerpted from "5 Relocation Survivor Tips" by Mark Dance on the the LifeWay Pastors blog.