Innovation and Change Second Chapter

A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentialities. Aristotle

All organizations face the dilemma of changing while keeping in touch with past values and future ideas. Every family also faces  difficulties daily, especially as children grow and begin to develop their own values and ideas.

Churches and workplaces are little more than families coming together to work. We bring our strengths, habits and weaknesses with us. One of the ways we can prepare our families and congregations for needed changes is by introducing current issues into the discussions. 

Bible study can be either all theology or all current events. Neither works without the other. The key is to set up a dialogue between the two worlds and apply scripture to life and life to scripture. To only teach the Bible leads to Trivial Pursuit: Lots of trivial knowledge but little or no application to marriage and family life, community affairs and politics.  

An overemphasis on Current Events leads to faddish thinking with no substance. We are not political parties or marriage therapists but we can be informed about the ways spirituality and life intertwine and build on each other. 

When we wisely connect the two worlds together in a dialogue it can lead to a readiness to change by most of the people. We all need, like Peter, "A Vision from God" or we will always choose past habits that are easy and comfortable rather than learning new ways o understand other people. This can be transforming. 

Select leaders that have a proven track record of leading change in business and industry. Have book clubs and film reviews that study current affairs and contemporary messages in them that impact us and our children. 

I am thinking about a friend that wanted to minister to children so she spoke with her church about setting up a childcare center nearby. She hired some workers and put out an ad in the local paper with the money the church allocated to the job. 

Before long they had about 30 kids of nursery age with single moms who dropped them off early in the morning before work. This service allowed them to minister to 30 kids and their moms. It was a tremendous way to draw people to the church ministry on other days as well because they had built trust with their love. 

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