For the past 12 years I have been working on a model of readiness for congregational transformation. To this point I have focused readiness on four factors, as follows:
Urgency Readiness: This is the presence of a feeling of positive urgency to do something different in the congregation. There exists a strong commitment to take action and do something that will empower the future of the congregation.
Spiritual Readiness: This is the conviction that the best future is God's future for the congregation. It must involve spiritual discernment of the direction in which God is pulling the congregation, and a willing to engage deeply in this discernment process.
Leadership Readiness: This is the presence of capable pastoral leadership, people of passion, and people of position in a congregation to form an enduring visionary leadership community who provide broad-based leadership for continual congregational transformation.
Strategic Readiness: This is the state of having knowledge and the willingness to act in strategic ways that will increase the faithfulness, effectiveness, and innovation of the congregation in areas where intentional action is needed to live into God's future story for the congregation.
I am now prepared to add a fifth sign of readiness.
Financial Readiness: This is the ability of the congregation to reallocate or generate new income to fund the transition and change actions that lead to transformation. Too many congregations do not think about this need until late in their preparation for transition and change. This needs to be addressed earlier.
What do you think about these signs of readiness, and what do you think especially about adding the financial readiness factor?
