Dealing against the "boomerang"...

by Melanie Ayers, Sterling Wood Church

At Sterling Wood, we used to laugh at what we called the "Boomerang" effect of our change process. We would launch a change and everything would seem fine, then a few months later... BAM! The full weight of the change would hit us in the back of the head. Relationships would be strained, even broken, and we, the staff, battered and bruised from the process would work hard to pick up the pieces. Since we have launched Faithwalking at our church, we are seeing things differently now. We now see our own defensive routines and the ways in which our behavior contributes to the dis-ease and conflict that occurs when trying to implement change, and we are working hard to "try on" new ways of relating to each other. We are also seeing old wounds healed, and a renewed sense of faith and hope emerge. The process hasn't been easy, (looking at yourself rather than blame others rarely is), but the outcome is both humbling and extremely rewarding.