In J.D. Salinger’s modern classic, Catcher in the Rye, Holden, the main character, experiences the angst and pressures of becoming an adult. His world is changing around him faster than he can manage. At the center of his world is a carousel which, like time and the Earth, spins round and round endlessly while securely tethered to its place in the park. For Holden, the carousel is the one thing that is permanent in his world—unchanging, unaging, and solace when all else seems to be falling apart. 

For many people, the church is like that carousel—a symbol of timelessness—the unchanging center at the eye of the modern hurricane world. For them, the church establishes something permanent in an ever-changing world. Perhaps we all long for that sense permanence from time to time, which means we also feel upset when something on the carousel is changed or improved. 

For many people,  I suspect that aging creates an increasing distaste for change—any change. People who relished being agents of change in their young adulthood become resistant to change later on. We like that permanence thing. We don’t want anyone rearranging the furniture or moving our cheese.                                                                                         

I believe you can gauge the spiritual health of a congregation based on how well they tolerate change. To be incapable of change is to be dead already, despite one’s love of permanence. To accept change as inevitable—even desirable—is a sign of one who has a positive vision. 

For others, change is seen as political—that is, about who gets to make the changes. Churches with poor alignment can be seen whenever a change is proposed and a flurry erupts: “Whose idea is this?” “Who said they could do that?” “Why didn’t they ask me?” etc.  Or as I have been inclined to think: “I love change; just not your changes.” This likely speaks for many others as well. 

A healthy church has a more positive approach to change when those changes are not about people but about principles, purposes, and mission. I’ve found quite often that people who first resist change come around later on. These are “late adopters.”  A man in this church who strongly opposed the upgrade of our library into a coffee shop was later heard bragging about the great change we had made. He wasn’t anti-change; he was just a late adopter, which is fine. 

The list of potential upgrades and improvements to First Pres is daunting. There are things that need to be done. Some because they’re emergency repairs, others because they’ve been long-neglected, others to improve safety and security, and others that would make better use of space or make it more attractive. We can’t do nothing. 

Your Session proceeds in good form, giving adequate time, study, and thoughtful consideration to any changes affecting the whole congregation. They oversee the Buildings & Grounds Committee as well as the Board of Trustees.  All new ideas for change, upgrade, or repair remain under their constant review.  They manage the needed and desirable changes according to our mission, principles, and purposes.  Most updates and upgrades—happily—take place pretty well on schedule. 

Having said this, there are things that do not change and can never change, though they may not be the things on everyone’s minds.  Our mission, vision, and values hold steady. Our commitment to respect, honor, and serve the timeless truths of the gospel are unmovable. We are Christ-centered and informed by the authority of Scripture in all things, but we are not a social preservation society, not a branch of the Upland historical society, and not directed by mere sentimentality, as in, “But my grandfather donated that pew!” etc. 

Whether we are early or late adopters, we should all be mindful that change is constant and part of our growth—both internal and external—and that a growing church is necessarily one in which changes take place.  It is, therefore, all the more important that our communications be out on the table, open for discussion and criticism. To that end, I am proposing incremental Town Hall meetings—informal gatherings after church where you can ask questions of the elders, staff, or me, your pastor. It doesn’t matter if it has been in the bulletin, newsletter, or on Facebook—sometimes things are not fully heard until they’re heard in person. We’ll happily make that happen. 

Even antique carousels require maintenance, paint, and mechanical upgrades. I’m sure many have been retro-fitted with computer-based controllers. Despite all such changes, the image is not lost. The carousel—like the Church—spins through history as we ride round and round the planet. The essence will survive, and with the right changes and God’s help, it will flourish, thrive, and grow to the glory of God and to the delight of new generations of Christians .  †