“We Christians, we elders, are so bad at listening.”
This confession from a church elder was a turning point moment in Dr. Jinna Jin’s ministry with a mega-church in Korea. What led to this realization? The simple but powerful practice of Dwelling in the Word.
As an expert in leading congregational change, Jinna was coaching the church’s elder board in this practice of slowly and contemplatively reading Scripture together. Participants are invited to share what they heard, not their own opinions, for just a minute or two. The rest of the time is for listening.
“Listening was one of the most difficult practices for them,” Jinna recalled. One elder, an executive at a major company, became so frustrated that he walked out of the meeting. But as they practiced week after week, another elder had a breakthrough. Not only was Dwelling in the Word improving his listening and relationships at church, but also with his family and neighbors.
“I started to listen to my neighbors and it was my first time to ask some question to my neighbors,” he told the elders. “Whenever I met my neighbors, I was so busy talking about my church, sharing the gospel and giving them a tract. But I never listened to my neighbors.”
Leading Change by Listening to God and Others
This story, which Jinna shared in the latest episode of the Pivot podcast, illustrates some of the key insights Jinna shared about leading congregational change:
Start with spiritual practices. “Without practice, it is almost impossible to discern God and his work, and it is almost impossible to be changed,” Jinna said. She insists any church she consults with commits to spiritual practices, even when they are resistant.
Clarify your identity and vision. Change often raises questions of identity. Congregations need to wrestle with questions like: Who are we, and who do we want to be? What traditions are essential to that identity, and what can we let go of to better embrace new people?
Model peace in the midst of change. Leading change can be emotional, vulnerable, uncertain work. “One of the best gifts leaders could offer to congregations during this time is God’s peace, God’s comfort, God’s faithful love, which is unchangeable and steady,” Jinna said. She added that it’s crucial for leaders to attend to their own mental, spiritual, and relational health so they can be a non-anxious presence.
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Perhaps most importantly, Jinna wants overwhelmed leaders to know they are not alone and it’s not their fault that leading change is hard. “There are so many leaders who are struggling and overwhelmed by the task between church and rapidly changing culture,” she said. “You are a good leader already.”
Her advice? Find a supportive learning community of peers to journey with. “Support itself is really crucial and good. You need to learn how to discern, how to reflect together, and how to learn together. Without these kinds of communities, it’s going to be really difficult to navigate all by yourself.”
Click here to download a free PDF explaining how to put Dwelling In the Word in practice, including suggested texts, and instructions for various contexts.
