A revolution forcibly overthrows an existing system or structure in order to substitute another. It replaces what presently exists without considering what might still hold value. And in a revolution one side always loses.
A re-evaluation, however, examines something again. Reevaluation allows a congregation to consider change by rethinking, revisiting and reinvestigating. It systematically and selectively preserves valuable elements for re-use.
Prayerfully adding to existing worship practices instead of arbitrarily taking them away could allow churches to initiate needed changes without the unnecessary pain of steeplejacking. Then it’s possible those changes would be approached by all as an opportunity instead of a threat or a cause for celebration instead of a reason to despair.[2]
[1] Heath, Chip and Dan Heath, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard (New York: Broadway Books, 2010), 55.
[2] Craig A. Satterlee, When God Speaks through Change (Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute, 2005),
This article on steeplejacking originally appeared here.
