I was incredibly fortunate to start my ministry journey under a lead pastor who was ahead of his time. Long before it was trendy, he was committed to creating a relevant, outward-focused church. Some pastors collect old sermon notes—he collected bold ideas. He understood that the church shouldn’t be stuck in the past but should continually evolve to reach people effectively.

A Culture of Change

From day one, I was thrown into the deep end of church leadership. My first weekend on staff, we attended a John Maxwell leadership conference, and my brain nearly exploded (in a good way). Shortly after, we traveled to Willow Creek Church in Chicago for leadership and arts conferences, and I had another mind-blown moment. These experiences changed the way I thought of church. It taught me that change can be good and trying new things can be fuel growth.

Over the years we have constantly changed things from music style to service times. At one point we changed service times ten times in just two years. TEN. If you’ve ever tried telling church people that their service time is changing, you know it’s basically the spiritual equivalent of moving Christmas to July. We survived, though, and what I learned was priceless: The more you implement change the more it becomes the culture of your church or business.

The Evolution of Worship (Or, How Many Times Can We Rearrange the Stage?)

If you had walked into our church over the years, you might have thought you were visiting a different place each time. Worship styles evolved, stage set ups changed, leadership approaches shifted, and creative elements came and went.

We had drama sketches for a period of time.
We went from a full choir to small ensembles to two singers on stage, then back again.
One season, worship was acoustic-driven; the next, it was a full-on electric guitar then another that was synth heavy.
I even learned to play acoustic guitar—because apparently, that’s what all the "cool" worship leaders were doing.

Through all of this, one thing never changed: our mission—to create an experience where lost people can be found, and found people can grow in their faith.

Lessons for Church Leaders

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that change is not the enemy—stagnation is. Churches that refuse to evolve risk becoming museums instead of movements. Here are a few leadership takeaways:

Lead with Vision – Change is easier when people understand the "why" behind it. Keep your mission clear and compelling (and maybe throw in some coffee incentives).
Stay Flexible – If the early church met in homes and we’re still fighting over pews vs. chairs, we might be missing the point.
Invest in Growth – Attend conferences, learn from innovative leaders, and expose yourself to fresh ideas. If you’re the smartest person in every room, you need a new room.
Empower Your Team – A culture of change isn’t created by one person. Build a team willing to dream, experiment, and pivot together.
Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing – Styles, formats, and methods will shift, but the mission of growing people into fully devoted followers of Christ must remain at the center.

Moving Forward (Or, What’s Next? Because It’s Probably Changing Again)

As church leaders, our responsibility isn’t to preserve what has been but to boldly step into what could be. The world is changing, and we must be willing to meet people where they are—whether that means adjusting service times, switching up the music, or simply learning how to use Instagram without looking like someone’s confused uncle.

So, what changes are you facing in your church today? Are you resisting them, or are you leading the way forward?

Dream Again

The year was 1976, and I was in kindergarten—Mrs. Zoozalo’s class. Now, I don’t remember much from that year (it’s been a while), but there are a couple of things that stand out.

First, I really liked Mrs. Zoozalo. Probably because I had a little kindergarten crush on her. She was young, pretty, and in my five-year-old mind, she was absolutely awesome.

The second thing I remember? Dream Time.

Now, Dream Time was essentially just nap time, but calling it that made it sound a whole lot cooler. Each day, we’d grab our little mats, find a spot on the floor, and Mrs. Zoozalo would dim the lights and play soft music. Songs like Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head and Somewhere Over the Rainbow would fill the room, and instead of just telling us to sleep, she’d encourage us to dream.

She’d tell us, “You have endless possibilities. You can be anything you want to be.” And for those few minutes each day, we believed it.

But then life happened.

Somewhere along the way—middle school, high school, college—Dream Time disappeared. Instead, reality set in. People said “no” to our ideas. Our confidence took a hit. We learned to play it safe, and little by little, our dreams got smaller and smaller.

It’s no surprise. Statistics show that we’re most creative when we’re young. The older we get, the less creative we become, and the less we dream. And if we’re not careful, we stop dreaming altogether.

That’s why I feel like this topic is so important. Too many of us have let our circumstances, hardships, losses, or failures steal our ability to dream. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

I believe God is calling us to dream again—to stop settling for the status quo and to believe for more. So today, let’s take a moment to go back to Mrs. Zoozalo’s class. Let’s bring back Dream Time.

Take a few minutes. Play Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Grab a pen and write down your dreams. Maybe it’s a dream for yourself, your family, or a better future. Whatever it is, don’t let the limitations of the past keep you from what God has placed in your heart.

Because it’s time to dream again.

Three Ways to Dream Again:

Make Space for Dreaming – Life gets busy, but we have to be intentional about setting aside time to dream. Whether it’s in the morning before your day starts or at night when the house is quiet, create space to let your imagination run.
Silence the Dream Killers – There will always be voices—internal and external—that tell you your dreams are too big, too unrealistic, or too late. Stop listening to the negativity and start trusting that if God placed a dream in your heart, He will make a way.
Take a Step – Dreams don’t become reality overnight. They start with small steps. Write down your dream, pray over it, and take one small action toward making it happen. Even the biggest dreams start with one step of faith.

So, what are you dreaming for? What are you believing God for? Whatever it is—big or small—don’t let it slip away.

Dream again.

We presented this as a creative element back in 2021 right after Covid. I did a monologue and our team performed the song Somewhere over The Rainbow. You can check it out at 21:30 into the service at this link.

https://youtu.be/AGdXaxm7d8I