Many congregations - maybe yours - are tempted to "play it safe" or "tweak" a little here and there during this time of unprecedented change in our culture and in our various religious traditions. Not so different from many of us in our individual lives, as well, is it? We may be tempted to try to survive the tough times by holding steady, hunkering down, and fending off more change and upheaval - even in the midst of what we may be calling a planning process!

I believe that we are living in times calling us to take the journey not only toward the known, but also toward the unknown. From my perspective, the question is not only "Can just getting by sustain us?" We must also ask "What possibilities are we missing?"

The Why before the How

Our traditions point us to our tendencies to enshrine what we are so used to doing. Remember all the Biblical stories that show how people of faith can be frozen in what is or what used to be-often to their own peril.

Of course, change for change sake is not a worthwhile goal. Whenever we are considering a change in our congregation, we must ask, "Why?"

Sometimes congregations rush into changes and actions before they really have developed a grounded and collective commitment: a "why" before the "how." I have seen this again and again as the reason that most "action plans" do not get off the ground or don't break new ground for the congregation.

Peter Block speaks about this tendency to put the "how" before the "why" in his excellent book, The Answer to How is Yes. It is not that our "hows" (that is to say, our strategies, our actions, our specific plans) are not important, but these should follow an understanding of "why" the change is important. The "hows" should express, not substitute for a commitment within the congregation. So, when you have a plan, always ask: "Are we committed to being what we need to be in order to act in these ways?" If your answer is "yes," you will find energy to move forward. If not, you may want to back up.

Another pitfall of the status quo is that moving off dead center usually takes more than one try. In planning terms, the first draft of an action plan may not necessarily sufficient. Remember that Moses went up and down that mountain a few times before! After you have developed your action steps, ask: "Are these actions going to break new ground and get us to where we are committed to being as a congregation?" If not, back up and ask, "What innovations do we want and need to make?"

Innovating or Stagnating

In strategic planning processes I lead with congregations an important step is the point at which the congregation makes a commitment toward a common-ground vision. At that point, I invite them into "innovation teams." I used to call these "action planning groups." However, I have realized over the years that sometimes an action planning team focuses too much on actions. Action steps alone do not achieve and move a congregation toward its common-ground vision. Instead, the dynamic that will sustain excitement and engagement is the congregation's capacity for continually innovating in the service of its calling and commitment.

I like to invite congregations to include practices, in addition to actions, in their innovation plan. Practices are commitments that we do over a period of time in order to be, ourselves, changed.

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