The sons of Issachar understood the times and knew what Israel should do. How well do we understand our places and the challenges facing them? What are the health priorities? What are the challenges and concerns with our young people? What are the Police concerned about? How do these things shape our prayer for our place. God tells the exiled children of Israel to settle down to build houses and raise children and pray for the place where God has put them. How do we do that? How do we speak peace to the key challenges in our place? God tells them to trust him because he has plans for them to prosper and to pray,
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer 29:13
Mark Sayers describes our current era as the Grey Zone – a time of global changes in the power structures, huge growth in networks, sharp political division, the reshaping of nations through migration, rapid innovation, radical changes in communication and relationships. All the changes create uncertainty, and this impacts us locally creating an anxious generation. He describes our church culture as reflecting the management culture that shaped most organisations around us – one of processes, outcomes and logical managed approaches. There is nothing wrong with these things, but they must no longer be our prime leadership driver. The key drive for today is adaptability.
For church to be an effective witness we need to be aware of the fast changing context we are working in. We experienced rapid change when we saw Sunday Services closed during Covid. Acts of the Apostles shows the capacity of the early church to adapt quickly – an adaptation that led to phenomenal growth. This capacity to adapt was fed by the disciplines of constant prayer, fellowship, communion and listening to teaching.
There are many challenges to leaders as they adapt. Here are some key principles:
- Understand your context. My local political leaders are concerned about rising mental health, financial pressures, large inequalities, street violence, jobs etc.– no church on its own can address all these – but wise collaboration may do.
- Are you as a leader seeking God’s presence, like David in the wilderness are you calm under pressure? In 1 Samuel 30 David faces a horrendous situation when the Amalekites steal his men’s families. He seeks God’s guidance; he brings peace and spiritual authority to a very tense situation. His steps are led by God. Mark Sayers calls it a non-anxious presence.
- Do we equip our churches to be a non-anxious presence? In this time of high anxiety shalom and righteousness are we the counter cultural gift people need? There is a kingdom call to equip all God’s people to bring peace to their workplaces, their neighbourhoods, their schools etc.
- Adapting is unnecessarily hard on your own! Unity movements are more vital post Covid. Prayer is always the key engine but increasingly we need people around us who understand that change is hard, people we love resist us, and we can be misunderstood. A strong unity movement gives honour, time, and strength to each other.
