1. BIRTHDEATH Church Transformation Across the Life Cycle Church Transformation Across the Life Cycle

2. The Life Cycle Without Intervention BIRTH GROWTH STABILITY DECLINE DEATH

3. Four Organizational Principles Vision Mission Dream Energy Purpose Core Values Relationship/ Inclusion With others and with God Evangelism Assimilation Discipleship Program Ministries Worship Outreach Activities Education Management Administration Policies Resources Decision-making

4. Organizing Principles and Life Cycle BIRTH Vrpm DEATH m Childhood VrPm Adolescence VRPm Adulthood VRPM Maturity vRPM Empty Nest vRpM Retirement vrPM Old Age vrpM Infancy VRpm Vision and Relationships Program and Management

5. Two Common Mistakes BIRTHDEATH Under estimate level of decline Under estimate how much change is required to put church on growth side of the life cycle

6. Dynamics of Early Growth BIRTH Birth Vision, mission Target population INFANCY Infancy Clear identity Assimilation Ministry

7. Dynamics of Late Growth BIRTH INFANCY CHILDHOOD ADOLESCENCE Childhood Program Development Use of staff/resources/facilities New people attracted by programs Adolescence Awkwardness Competing visions Facilities

8. Dynamics of Prime/Plateau BIRTH INFANCY CHILDHOOD ADOLESCENCE ADULTHOOD PRIME Adulthood/Prime All four organizing principles fully developed Highest worship attendance New members equal those leaving Spiritual growth throughout congregation High self esteem, self efficacy

9. BIRTH GROWTH STABILITY DECLINE If... A Ministry is not Redefined... DECLINE WILL FOLLOW. Or Stability Proceeds Uninterrupted...

10. Once a ministry is in decline there is still the possibility of new life. — But the cost of new life is greater.

11. BIRTH REDEFINITION REDEVELOPMENT REBIRTH DEATH Retirement/Old Age/Death Rebirth Radical change Levels of Change in the Life Cycle Empty Nest/ Retirement Redevelopment Discontinuous change Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change Adulthood Adolescence Childhood Infancy Birth

12. Degree of Change Redefinition (continuous change) Changes that continue the historic aspects of the congregation. New information is incorporated into old ways of the church. Redevelopment (discontinuous change) New information is not sufficient. Change does NOT continue the historic aspects of the congregation. Requires a new and different purpose. Rebirth (radical change) Doing a new thing with new and different people, possibly different location.

13. BIRTH REDEFINITION REDEVELOPMENT REBIRTH DEATH Retirement/Old Age/Death Rebirth Radical change Levels of Change in the Life Cycle Empty Nest/ Retirement Redevelopment Discontinuous change Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change Adulthood Adolescence Childhood Infancy Birth

14. Redefinition (continuous change) Typical timeline: eighteen to thirty-six months Target stage: Adulthood Tasks: Decrease controlling aspects of management Increase rate of change Revise same vision or create different compelling vision for new Adulthood Obstacles: Complacency Self satisfaction

15. BIRTH REDEFINITION REDEVELOPMENT REBIRTH DEATH Retirement/Old Age/Death Rebirth Radical change Levels of Change in the Life Cycle Empty Nest/ Retirement Redevelopment Discontinuous change Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change Adulthood Adolescence Childhood Infancy Birth

16. Redevelopment (discontinuous change) Typical timeline: three to five years Target stage: Adolescence Tasks: Change leadership and decrease “turf” issues Create new programs and relationship experiences Reconnect with the neighborhood Conversation/creation of new vision New management system to support new vision Obstacles: Very stressful for ordained and lay leadership Fear that the new will further undermine the church Entrenched emotions and attitudes Systemic dysfunction

17. BIRTH REDEFINITION REDEVELOPMENT REBIRTH DEATH Retirement/Old Age/Death Rebirth Radical change Levels of Change in the Life Cycle Empty Nest/ Retirement Redevelopment Discontinuous change Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change Adulthood Adolescence Childhood Infancy Birth

18. Rebirth (radical change) Typical timeline: eighteen to thirty-six months Target stage: Birth, Infancy or Childhood Tasks: Change leadership and decrease “turf” issues Create new ministries to give sense of hope and bring in new group of people Cast new vision Obstacles: Very stressful for ordained and lay leadership Grief over loss of congregation Fear Historic congregation gives up control

19. A Word About Being in Ordained Ministry

20. Clergy Leadership for Growing a Church Birth and Infancy: Entrepreneurial, visionary Intensely motivated to reach unchurched Comfortable with risk, uncertainty, chaos Inspires others, compelling and charismatic Deep sense of call Childhood and Adolescence Creates loose order Willing to test out various systems and find the ones that work Ongoing spiritual growth, deepening vision of God’s work

21. Clergy Leadership for Prime/Maturity/Early Empty Nest (continuous change) Deep love for the church, its core structures and traditions More conserving, less risk taking Good at management, administration Deeply immersed in the parish community A facilitator, able to “work in the background” Pastoral care skills more important than preaching skills Major “change” task is to help reweave fragmented visions into master story Good at mediating conflict before it escalates In Empty Nest, must excite sense of urgency Spirituality expressed in deep love for his/her flock and the institutions of the church

22. Clergy Leadership for Empty Nest/Retirement (discontinuous) Strong directive leader with well developed sense of self and ego strength Able to bring a stable, non-anxious presence to anxious situations Visionary, able to dream of a different future and help others do so as well Helps if dynamic preacher to articulate process during difficult change Knows how to get “buy in” from the majority of congregation Good pastoral skills to help parishioners work through anxiety and grief Must have mature and extraordinary faith and help congregants find that level of faith in their own lives Must be well connected with outside support system Must have strong, ongoing and unquestioning support from diocese

23. Clergy Leadership for Old Age/Death (radical change) Must have attributes of former stage leader. Strong pastoral care skills for grief and loss Simultaneously generate hope/excitement about new community Good project management skills Must be able to negotiate agreement with a variety of stakeholders Temporarily must be the congregation’s source of hope and trust in God’s future Must be well connected with outside support system Must have strong, ongoing and unquestioning support from diocese

24. BIRTH REDEFINITION REDEVELOPMENT REBIRTH DEATH Retirement/Old Age/Death Rebirth Radical change Levels of Change in the Life Cycle Empty Nest/ Retirement Redevelopment Discontinuous change Maturity/Empty Nest Redefinition Continuous change Adulthood Adolescence Childhood Infancy Birth

25. Compiled for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Oakland by Michal Anne Pepper, Ph.D. with materials from Office of Congregational Development The Episcopal Church Center and George Bullard, D.Min. Lake Hickory Learning Communities