Spiritual Strategic
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Congregational
Redevelopment
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Revitalizing the Life of an Empty Nest Congregation Overview Empty Nest is that stage of a congregation’s life cycle when it is at first nostalgic, and later angry about the loss of the past. Ultimately the congregation will look for something or someone to blame for the situation in which they find themselves. Empty Nest starts with a spirit of nostalgia. The hope exists that tomorrow will bring a return of yesterday. The stories told by long-term members of the glory years are not recognizable to newcomers as identifying the same congregation. People talk specifically about the way things used to be. Most of the dreams are of events of the past instead of visions of the future. The longer a congregation remains in Empty Nest, the more likely the nostalgia will turn to anger. When this happens, the barriers may not just be ones of aging, but also ones of dysfunction. Empty Nest is that period when relationships and management are dominant. Vision and programs are no longer dominant. Management is controlling the direction of the congregation. Congregations in Empty Nest are no longer living out the vision that God has given them for a congregation that ought to be present in a certain place or target group of people. Programs, which had just finished rising to their greatest qualitative height during Maturity, now are in quantitative decline. Soon they will experience qualitative decline. However, congregations notice the loss of numbers first. They notice that worship attendance is decreasing, and also the attendance in various programs, ministries and activities. Relationships are still happening in the life of the congregation, but not at the rate that is sufficient to replace either the active people who are not longer attending, or the inactive people joining other congregations. Management, which moved into the driver’s seat during Maturity, is now well established in its new lead role. Any hope of a quick return of vision as the driving force is gone, and congregational participants begin to realize this situation. Management tends to keep growing, and not to diminish without intentional congregational effort to want ministry to be more important than management. Too often congregations at the Maturity stage are comfortable and do not have an urgency to change. An Intervention Framework for Redevelopment at the Empty Nest Stage The organizational principle or genetic formula for Empty Nest is vRpM. This is a symbol for when relationships and management are dominant, but vision and programs are no longer dominant. The difference between the formula for the previous stage, Maturity, and the current stage is that programs have joined vision as no longer being dominant. As a result, it will no longer be possible to simply recast vision and expect a redevelopment to occur. It is necessary to engage in redevelopment activities that will change the core day-to-day activities, and help people transition through relationship patterns with which they are co-dependent. The redevelopment formula is vRPm. This means that the primary emphasis needs to be on revitalizing programs and regenerating a movement of relationships. The congregation can affirm and build on existing programs, and also incrementally focus on new programs. Congregations during the Empty Nest stage are moving from feelings of nostalgia to feelings of depression. They are angry that the congregation cannot function as well as it used to. To trigger redevelopment, defining reality is necessary for congregations. They must admit that they are in the Empty Nest stage. Short-term victories that demonstrate that the congregation can still be successful may be a positive first step of intervention. Therefore, casting vision is not the first thing that is done to redevelop a congregation at the Empty Nest stage. First, management, which is now fueling and controlling the direction of the congregation, needs to be diminished. This may happen when the congregation realizes it needs to change, and decides to initiate new flexibility and innovation, and realizes that it must reduce its controllability first. Revitalizing the Life of an Empty Nest Congregation The process theme for congregational intervention during Empty Nest is revitalization. This process involves revitalizing or creating new programs that lead to reaffirmed or new relationships, and that allows for a reaffirmed or new vision to emerge. It is hoped that because of the initial defining of reality as a part of an intervention process, Empty Nest congregations will provide permission for renewed or new things to be attempted. New leaders will be empowered to attempt to renew existing programs, or to attempt new programs. Through these efforts a new spirit of relationships should begin to develop. A key point that will allow for this is when core leaders let go of the past and begin to move toward the future to which God is drawing the congregation. This is a difficult step and will occur only when core leaders believe with their heart, soul, mind, and strength that a better future is emerging than the one that has existed in the past. The destination for revitalization is Adulthood if change that is continuous with the past is attempted. If change that is discontinuous is attempted, then the destination is Adolescence. The key point is to embrace the concept that redevelopment involves going forward to a new partial life cycle. It does not go back. It is always stretching forward to grasp the new thing that God is doing in the congregation. Note on Rate of Change and Transition: The rate of change may be continuous, discontinuous, or radical. Change that is continuous in nature generally deals with natural transitions in things, people, and relationships. Change that is discontinuous in nature generally deals with sustainable changes in things that also require definable transitions in people and relationships. Radical change demands transformation of things, people, and relationships. What are the Redevelopment Steps at the Empty Nest Stage? The strategy is to first diminish the management practices of the congregation that control rather than empower. This can happen by reducing the number of committees, councils, or boards, thus reducing the number of people involved in management activities. Steps to develop and implement decisions can be eliminated, thus streamlining the decision-making process. First, persons who have been in leadership positions so long that they control rather than empower can be moved to new assignment in the congregation. Second, revitalize or create new programs. Third, affirm or create new relationships experiences. Finally, the management systems need to be reengineered to empower the new sense of vision and spiritual strategic direction. The time frame for this redevelopment is 18 to 36 months. The desired end result is a revitalized congregation with a partial life cycle of seven to nine years. The Challenges to Revitalizing the Life of an Empty Nest Congregation Revitalizing the life of an Empty Nest congregation is a challenging experience that is much more difficult than re-envisioning the life of a Maturity congregation. Here are some of the challenges: First, it takes longer. Redevelopment of a Maturity congregation may be accomplished within six to eighteen months. An Empty Nest congregation takes eighteen to thirty-six months to go through the redevelopment process because it must address programs and relationships before new vision can be successfully cast. Second, emotions and attitudes are significant barriers to overcome. Core congregational participants are committed to the past, and cannot define reality with sufficient clarity to move forward. Most fixes call for a recovery of the past. Core participants urge commitment to the past vision and values. Third, nostalgia may have turned to anger and created a dysfunctional atmosphere in the congregation. Dealing with conflict issues and dysfunctional personalities may be necessary before redevelopment can occur. | 
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