Home » Thoughts for the Week » Change is constant. Fortunately, so is God.

Change is constant. Fortunately, so is God.

Change is constant. Fortunately, so is God.

Confession time: as a teenager growing up in church, I believed in God, but I found services deeply boring. And now, of course, I’m a Baptist minister! The irony does not escape me. But that teenage experience is partly why I’m passionate about helping churches be as credible, interesting, and relevant as possible.

Looking back, it all seemed very old fashioned to me, although that might well have been my fault. I remember singing the old hymn ‘In Heavenly love abiding’, and though I’ve since learnt to appreciate it, when we got to the lyric ‘For nothing changes here’ I’d look around and think, ‘They got that bit right! Nothing does change here.’

Today, that hymn wouldn’t carry the same misunderstanding for me. Partly because I’ve learnt this line refers to the eternal truths of God, rather than particular church customs and traditions. But also because churches now find themselves in a particular season of inescapable change. At the EBA ministers’ conference this week, we’re considering this particular Time for Change.

The last few years have seen so many rapid shifts occur in so many spheres, including our churches. Search as we might, there is no ‘total reset’ button available, even if we wanted one. And the changes aren’t the same everywhere. Some churches are experiencing growth. Many others are seeing decline. Some are seeing new signs of life in exciting new places. Others are seeing people attend less frequently and step back from serving.

Each church and church leader has their own experiences. Each of us finds ourselves with unique discipleship challenges as well as new opportunities. But at the same time, once we acknowledge that some of our experiences are unique, we can also recognise some common themes.

In this unique season in church history, we’re all considering how to carefully and prayerfully navigate the best way forward, giving the best chance for healthy growth as Baptist Churches in the EBA. In particular, we’re asking what changes we can make to help our gathered church times equip us for our scattered times during the week. My teenage self would have loved that.

And we’re all asking how we can encourage one another to think beyond our existing patterns and programmes in imaginative and creative ways, giving a great chance for fruitful growth.

Today, I’m actually very thankful for the truth that ‘nothing changes here’. When it comes to the eternal nature and truths of God, I need that constancy. But I’m also excited to see where our creative, innovate God will lead us as we seek to navigate this season of change – helping his people grow as disciples wherever they are.

The thought this week was written by Revd Ken Benjamin, LICC director of church relations and keynote speaker at the EBA Minister’s Conference 2023