Today I answered a question on a youth ministry Facebook group I'm in, which I don't do all that often, about changing the name of a group at a new church.
I wrote that any change needs to follow the old saying of... You never knock down a wall unless you know why it was built.
As understandable as it might be to bring in change to a new ministry, this impulse must be stemmed because the absolute worst thing you can do is "impose" a change and then discover that the previous things had deep attachment to someone/something sacred.
I recommended that any change should wait a semester or two, falling in the shallow end of the timetables given. I think it would, at least, take that long to build trust, discover the backstory and evaluate the culture of a group. Most said to wait one year.
But, I think there are some things you can do to fulfill that change desire and begin to brand something new...
Update the logo.
Freshen the newsletter, programs or web presence.
Revive any areas which could use a touch of paint.
Tweak the PowerPoint backgrounds.
Set up or redesign the office.
Notice... I did not use the word change.
Effective change happens from the bottom up, not top down.
It's only when you've put in the relational work, hearing their history, sharing your lives and painting a future together that you can implement a change.
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