By Dr. Franklin Dumond

The first really warm day of late winter/early spring in the lower Midwest sent many of us outdoors.  While the ground was too muddy for much activity the street at our house was passable for a nice walk.  The fields still maintained their somber winter colors of drab brown and dull grey.  Except for the 70 degree air temperature there was little that indicated the arrival of spring anytime soon.

Then I noticed a flurry of activity in the trees, and off in the distance I could hear the distinctive song of a robin.

Returning from that afternoon walk I soon noticed a dozen or so of these harbingers of spring patrolling the lawn, heads cocked with every careful step, searching for the first earthworm of spring to emerge from the still frozen soil.

Snow and cold came back into the forecast but with the arrival of robins and a few other birds of color and song it appeared that once again spring’s warmth would eventually arrive to replace winter’s chill.

These days I focus a great deal of my time and energy to work with churches on turnaround strategies.  Often, like winter’s chill, the signs of decline seem all too obvious while the indications of turnaround remain elusive.

Actual turnaround strategies must be customized for each congregation.  Specific timelines will be shorter or longer depending on local variables.

I have noticed, however, a few features of turnaround that indicate, like the arrival of robins, turnaround on the horizon.  Here’s part of what I have seen as preliminary indicators of turnaround.

1. A new or renewed pastor who has a vision of and strategy for winning people.

2. Folks hang around longer after worship.  One sure sign of decline is an empty building about 30 seconds after the closing prayer!

3. Greater attention is given to the details of worship planning.  When worship is viewed as important enough to prepare for, it will generally be received as important enough to invite someone to attend.

5. Occasional first-time guests begin to trickle into the services and ministries of the church.

4. A few new projects are undertaken with intentionality and confidence.  One factor in decline is doing so much that nothing is done well and everything is done with the motive of “We’ve always done it this way before.”

Have you identified any advance signs of turnaround?

By Dr. Franklin Dumond

I have to give my good friend Dave Kelle credit for a really keen leadership insight.  He made a point during a pastor’s network meeting that in ministry we must be flexible enough to bend without snapping back.

When he made that observation I instantly traveled back to childhood hikes through the woods when a crafty, sneaky hiker could surprise the person behind them by suddenly releasing the branch they had just pushed out of the way.

photo courtesy of Jeff Turner flikr.com/photos/respres

This often resulted in a cry of alarm, a red whelp where the branch landed and a wary watchfulness from that point on with the result that the prank could only be used once during any given hike.  I also seem to remember that these kinds of pranks didn’t occur when a parent was leading the procession!

When it comes to ministry in the 21^st century flexibility and adaptability are essentials.  The pace of life changes so rapidly that to remain technologically and socially current we have to use new language, establish new policies, and master new communication skills to be able to effectively present the timeless gospel in a timely fashion.

There are two dimensions to this flexibility that need to be considered.  First we must be flexible but disciplined, lest the recoil slaps someone in the face unnecessarily.  For example it may feel really good for a pastor to lash out at his people with an angry tirade from the pulpit or to storm out of a meeting in righteous indignation.  While it may feel good, the backlash from that sudden release is never pleasant.  No wonder the apostle Paul requires that believers bear one another’s burdens with the knowledge that what happens to one of us may well happen to another of us (see Galatians 6:2).

Second, flexibility must be built into our operations systems because without it those personal and/or institutional systems may break.  Everyone who has been stopped in traffic on a major bridge while oncoming traffic is moving right along usually discovers with anxiety that this large, imposing, effective structure wiggles and sways a lot!  Part of the reason these bridges maintain their effectiveness is a simple result of the flexibility designed into their steel and concrete skeletons. One key to this needed flexibility again comes from the apostle Paul when he models becoming all things to all people with the goal of winning some (see I Corinthians 9:22).

Here are three ways to improve your personal flexibility:

• Margin—if I have a little extra time or resources I am more likely to gain flexibility.

• Clearly defined expectations—when my tasks are defined I am more likely to gain flexibility since I will know what I am supposed to be doing, when it is to be completed.  Thus like Nehemiah I can keep building the wall while avoiding unnecessary distractions.

• Empathy—seeing people the way Jesus sees people means that I can and will give greater attention to them and their needs rather than to me and my wishes (even when I secretly long for just one hiker’s prank of letting the branch go.)