Speaking of Change

An organization that I belong to is going through a change period. One of the issues driving the change is that newer members don't quite see things the way the older members do, at least, not when it comes to publications and such. The monthly bulletin and bi-weekly magazine are going through a new format to appeal to the younger and newer members. Some of the older members aren't quite accepting it right off the cuff. Some have made the accusation of "watering down", or "dumbing down" some materials.

I wondered for a moment where I stood. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? But I got to thinking about organizational change. Not many people really like change. The church that my wife and I go to is also going through a large change. The building was built in the 1950s for a membership of about 100. Now we have a membership of over 300, two services, and we're busting at the seams. Something had to be done, so after much prayer a 7 acre plot of land fell in our laps and was paid off in a year. Eventually a new building will be put up on it. Some of the membership didn't like the idea of this change. But then again, it took some patience and time to get concepts like small groups and two services past the congregation. Change takes patience.

When it comes to an established membership, it's easy to say that the new members must accept the ancient traditions. Things were going along just fine, so if you don't like it, then it must be your problem. But then it occurred to me that in a lot of cases, this isn't always possible. Consider a family introducing a new baby into the household. We've had two so far. Things change fast. It's not really possible with a baby to say "Look, around here, we sleep ALL NIGHT. OK? If you don't like it, it's your problem. That's how we've always done it. You're just going to have to learn to adapt. " (I can't say I haven't tried.) A family must change for the sake of the newborn. When the next child comes along, even more change must happen, especially on the part of the older children. There's no real way to not change anything for a baby.

And so, in an organizational situation, can change be good? I think so. Some change might not work, but for the most part, when the new comes in, sometimes the old must make way.

And so, just like with my children and my church, I will stand back and see what this change might bring. It very well might be a good thing.