| LeaderLines – from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Austin, Texas | Contact Tom Goodman, Pastor |
| Manage Your Subscription – Subscribe/Unsubscribe | Contact Us About Your Subscription |
Hillcrest Church Office
September 23, 2004
LeaderLines is a weekly “e-briefing” providing valuable information and inspiration to those who serve at Hillcrest Baptist Church.
Do you know friends who would appreciate LeaderLines? Just forward this e-mail to them! Have you subscribed to LeaderLines? You can subscribe by logging on to Click here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by
following the easy steps provided with each e-mail.
Here is this week's
“The Four Phases of Change: Commitment”
by Tom Goodman
With this edition of LeaderLines, we conclude our four-week look at the issue of change. Successfully moving a group through change means moving through four inevitable stages: Denial, Resistance, Exploration, and Commitment.
If you have to lead a group to change, you have to know which stage the group is working through, and you have to lead them to the next stage.
In the Denial stage, apathy or fear or a simple lack of awareness leads people to deny the need for any change. To move beyond the denial phase, people need to receive constant information concerning the reality of the situation and the
ineffectiveness of current solutions.
In the Resistance stage, people know they can no longer stay with past methods or habits, but they are not willing to accept change either. People feel anger and a sense of loss. People need a trusting relationship with the
one(s) initiating change at this stage.
The third step toward change is Exploration. Here individuals and groups begin to explore the possibility of new methods and habits. It’s an awkward phase because people are trying new things: Imagine getting on a bike for
the first time in your fifties!
The fourth stage is called Commitment. By this stage people have successfully “crossed the river” from the bank of Denial to the riverbank called Commitment. This stage is characterized by sharpened focus, a heightened sense of
cooperation, and enthusiastic dedication.
Leaders who find people at this stage need to affirm those who’ve “crossed the river” and make sure not to leave behind those who are still working through the process.
Let’s make sure that we deal with others sensitively when folks are dealing with change!
—Tom
Important Notes:
Questions About our “Purpose-Driven Life” Campaign? Keep up with important information regarding our campaign by logging on to www.HillcrestAustin.org/pdl/purposepage.pdf
(requires the free Acrobat Reader).
H.O.S.T. Leader Training. If you’ve signed up to be a HOST leader for our “Purpose-Driven Life” Campaign, come to the training this Sunday evening, September 26, 6:30 p.m. (during the evening service
hour).
Send an E-Card! You can send an