What Invitation to Change Do You Fear?

What invitation to change is staring you in the face? The last few months, my mailbox has overflowed with catalogs and political ads. The excess of catalogs makes me wonder how many trees paid with their lives for my junk mail. I guess my desire/disappointment relationship with the inviting pages started in my childhood with my introduction to the Sears and Roebuck Co. catalogs. But what has caught my eye lately has surprised me.

Unexpected Response to Reality

John Emery White shared a report from INC regarding a catalog decision by IKEA. The first IKEA catalog appeared in 1951. By 2016, the company had printed 200 million. And then, 

After 70 years, hundreds of millions of copies… it has decided to kill its beloved catalog. 

Times are changing. IKEA has become more digital and accessible while embracing alternative ways to connect with more people. Customer behavior and media consumption has changed, and the IKEA Catalog has been less used. [IKEA has] therefore taken the emotional but rational decision to respectfully end the successful career of the IKEA Catalog, both the print and digital versions—and look to the future with excitement.

Church and Culture, Vol.17, No.3

Invitation to Change

This accelerating season of change confronts us with challenges unsettling to our emotions. Yet, the threshold of opportunities beckons us to open our eyes to our calling to reach today’s world with the gospel. Although we may feel we are following traditional practices, what  if we discovered how little we do has “always” occurred the way we do it today?

Once Christians resisted translating the Bible from Latin into English. Then our forefathers and some of our brothers and sisters rejected any translation but the King James Version.

In the business world, IKEA can drop a highly successful sales catalog to address online sales growth. Do we need to find the eyes and ears of God so we can better understand how he wants us to address today’s world? As rapid reshaping requires adjustments in many areas of life, we remain who we are at the core. In the same way, the message of the church remains the same, even as changes invite adaptations in the methodology we use to convey the message.

We look forward to hearing your comments on helping leaders lead.

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