When It’s Time to Rebuild

By Stephen Carlile

From the editor: When change involves casting a vision, we seldom feel sufficiently equipped to lead it. Read the words of one pastor who takes his church through a major rebuild and lives to tell the story of our faithful God. You’ll be inspired, no matter what your ministry context.

Did you know what you were "getting into", so to speak, from the beginning or did the needs become clear to you over time?  

I had no idea. I knew the church had a small school, but I didn't know the history. Small schools have so many ups and downs through the years. Everyone likes to take the credit when things are going well. I arrived when a lot of blame was being thrown in any direction it would stick. Listening, observing, and asking questions were the key skills I had to use along with a lot of prayer for discernment and wisdom to discover the needs of the situation.

Did you already have experience with pastoring a church school or was this brand new? 

This was brand new for me. I had pastored a large church which was part of a constituency, but was never part of the school board. Occasionally, I was asked to help make decisions in delicate situations.

How have you felt through this process?

I've had mixed emotions throughout. Listening, praying, and allowing the Holy Spirit to navigate the situation was difficult because I knew things needed to change, and I wanted them to change quickly. But, God had other plans entirely. 

How has the church felt?

Not everyone was ready to embrace change, yet at the same time, they weren't satisfied with how things were going, so they didn't know what to do. They had been without a pastor for almost 3 years, and during this time the church had drifted spiritually and relationally. In fact, the division on this issue alone was palpable—you could feel it every time the school was mentioned.  

When COVID hit, it was almost an answer to prayer in regard to the school. We decided to take a year off and rebuild, rebrand, and reboot. Seeing how God walked us through this process strengthened my faith and reminds me that God is with us today when we encounter challenges.

How has the church been (or not been) part of this process?  

The church was not happy about shutting down for a year, simply because most schools that shut down don't open again. At the same time, they knew the school needed it. The church committed to give to the school’s remodel project whatever they were planning to give if the school had a teacher. Many church members came to help with the remodel. They took ownership of the project, which was a really big deal for them, since most of them had poor experiences with the school in the past.

What are some lessons you've learned about vision-casting/transitions that you think are universal for other pastors to apply where they are? 

Be Realistic—Don't try to sell an unrealistic dream. It's easy to talk, but difficult to execute. It's okay to have a big dream, just break it down into digestible phases.

Be Transparent—Let everyone know what your goals are. Share your timelines, budget, and needs. Share miracles, progress, as well as setbacks when they happen.

Be Repetitive—Talk about the vision. Remind people of the vision. Build programs around the vision. Everything you do should surround the vision so everyone knows what it is, and what they can do to help accomplish it.

For a pastor who needs to rebuild a church school, what are your two or three suggestions?  

Be Honest—Don't overpromise and underdeliver. If you say you're going to do something, do it.

Be Humble—You don't know everything. Bring in the experts to help. Surround yourself with people who think differently than you do, and listen! Be open to their ideas. It's also tempting to want to tell everyone that everything is perfect and your vision is flawless, but plans change and you'll need to adjust. Don't cast blame when things don't go your way. It's okay to admit you made a mistake. Own it, fix it, and move on.

Be Proactive Instead of Reactive—When issues arise, (and they will arise) address them quickly, and head on. Don't just hope they will go away or work themselves out. Oftentimes, issues will go underground and you'll think they’ve gone away. However, those issues fester and eventually erupt even bigger than what they were at the start.

When you reflect on this journey, what are you most proud of/excited about?

There are many things throughout this journey to celebrate, but the one that comes to mind the brightest is the first day of school after being closed for a year. Watching students walk through the doors, listening to them express their excitement, and knowing in my heart they were in a safe place to learn and grow made all of the hard work worth it.

Stephen Carlile pastors the Billings and Bridger Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Montana. He is also Communication Coordinator for the Montana Conference.