Congregational Change: Why it’s hard, why it’s necessary and what to do

Fri 1 PM | Greater Things

Brian McLaren & Anna Golladay

How can the wildness of the Wild Goose become more a part of our local congregations? Why is bringing needed congregational change so hard? What are the essential components of a healthy change process? What kinds of pushback and struggle are inevitable, what are avoidable, and is it worth it in the end? Anna and Brian will talk about the challenges that make change a matter of survival for our churches, and we’ll spend some time in personal reflection and interaction about our experiences as change agents in the past and present. But honestly, we’ve also learned some important things over the years about instituting such change, so we’ll take a few moments to summarize and discuss the literature and lore of congregational change. Most importantly, let’s look at a template for change and discuss simple and adaptable options for guiding your congregations or organizations through a change process.

Anna Golladay

Art Director/Creative Guru
Anna is the Sr Director of Communications and Marketing for the Center for Progressive Renewal / Convergence. She thrives on curating creative, spiritual & entrepreneurial possibility.

Via her social enterprise Work of Place she helps urban churches understand how their underutilized facilities can work alongside burgeoning entrepreneurs, often lacking in resource and financing, with the intent of sparking both neighborhood revitalization and an increase in ideators who change their communities. Additionally, she is the Executive Producer of the Inhabit Conference and works in a multitude of other ways with the Parish Collective and their affiliates..

She is a pastor in the United Methodist Church. Her ministry is focused on social justice and any inequity that exists both in and outside the walls of the corporate church. She is diligent in her advocacy of full inclusion of all persons in the United Methodist denomination.
http://www.workofplace.com

Sessions:
335 Creating Congregational Change
336 How Faith Should Influence Equitable Economic Growth
337 Bridging Radical Difference

Brian McLaren

Board Vice-Chair
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. Notable among the many books he has authored are: “A New Kind of Christian”, which won Christianity Today’s “Award of Merit” in 2002; “Everything Must Change” tracing critical ways in which Jesus’ message confronts contemporary global crises; and We Make the Road by Walking, marking a turn toward constructive and practical theology. His 2016 release, The Great Spiritual Migration, has been hailed as his most important work to date. Brian is married to Grace, and they have four adult children and five grandchildren. His personal interests include wildlife and ecology, fly fishing and kayaking, music and songwriting, art, history, and literature. www.brianmclaren.net

Sessions:
209 How did we get here and where are we going
226 Brian McLaren, Topic TBD
278 Gathering The Goose
128 Taking to the Social Streets
87 A Dialogue With Brian McLaren and Reverend Trier
335 Creating Congregational Change

Session #335