Defrosting the Church: Why Churches Need "Melting" Experiences

I have lived in the same house for almost ten years, and so far, the winter of 2024-2025 is the driest. But it is not the warmest! A friend told me he can't begin his next house construction project because the frost is too deep. Deeper than he has seen it in over forty years. In his book Advanced Strategic Planning, Aubrey Malphurs equates leading change in an established organization (or church) with trying to lay a foundation into frozen ground. You can't. The ground needs to melt to be ready for a foundation, and organizations need a melting experience when we are preparing to lead change.

The people, beliefs, values, practices, and traditions comprise the culture of a church or an organization. Culture dictates how an organization operates internally and externally. As a church, our culture informs how we treat one another and how we talk about and act in our community.  Culture is great unless it's not. Some organizations and churches may get stuck in a culture-rut intent on maintaining the status quo instead of fulfilling their mission or, for the church, helping people find and follow Jesus. When a church is stuck in a culture rut, that church needs a culture change.

Malphurs recommends that organizations need a melting experience before attempting significant culture change. Melting experiences force organizations and churches to respond or act differently—they get us out of our ruts! For churches, melting experiences might include a building program, a capitol campaign, shutting church down for a Sunday to serve the community, an all-church prayer initiative, or simply a new hire. Malphurs's approach suggests leaders leverage the opportunity for culture change following the melting event.

What changes are you struggling to make? Is it because your organizational culture is frozen?

As you survey the upcoming year, are there any melting events or opportunities you need to leverage for culture change?