Leaders who rise to today's situation will not only need to carry certain qualities and skills, they will need to grasp the complexities of adaptive leadership that brings about lasting transformational change. Charisma may bring energy to a situation, but charisma alone will not bring about transformation. Transformational efforts often fail because they solely relied upon charisma when what was needed was stamina. Lasting transformation that ushers forth an authentic church usually means the incorporation of the following:

Intentional and persistent attention to the church's ancient and authentic story and its implications. Perhaps the question to be asked of the system is this: If we believed with every fiber of our being that God has raised Jesus from the dead, what would our life together look like? What would worship, faith formation, and compassion look like? How would we be organized?

Communicating with clarity, persuasion, precision, lavishness, and with persistence the adaptive move or moves the congregation intends to make.

The multiplying of leaders to infect the congregation with a new DNA. Jesus did not begin his ministry by starting a mega-church. He began by calling a very small group of persons, investing in them, and turning them loose. Leaders in the movement must enlist and lift up others and multiply themselves in them. Any leader trying to bring about lasting transformation through the genius method with a band of followers is harping on a recipe for disaster.

Examining and restructuring all congregational leadership and ministry systems so that the organism is designed not to manage the institution but to spread ownership for the mission among as much of the congregation as possible. It's the team thing.

Being intentional and disciplined with redundancy. The transformational effort is consistently addressed and communicated among all spheres within the congregation. Because of the stubborn hold of the status quo and the weight of the Constantinian baggage, the adaptive movement will need to be repeatedly reinforced at all levels, This is what we are up to. This is why it's important. This is what it all means. Regular evaluations and critical reflection among all spheres are all necessary. Evaluations are not about numerical success but about faithfulness to the envisioned future and the adaptive moves.

A less is more approach to the congregation's life. Movement away from a congregation grounded in consumer relationships towards being an authentic congregation where all are caught up in the congregation's identity and calling will mean the discovery that much of what the congregation does is unnecessary. Intentional focus is then given to what is discovered as the ministry expressions that truly matter. Leaders will then not need to give any energy to the unnecessary. They will feel free to let those programs atrophy or die. The more the congregation leaves the consumer model behind the less the congregation expects others to take care of them or organize activities for them, and the more they own their spiritual formation and the congregation's mission themselves.

Being doggedly determined as well as being patient. Change always creates anxiety. Anxiety creates fear. Fear brings about urges to fight (conflict)

or urges to flee (sit on the sidelines or move on). Congregations who decide to take the courageous steps toward transformation which this book lays out will need to be prepared for some rough seas. It is no coincidence that the context of some of Jesus' most poignant ministry happened with his disciples on rough seas. Do not expect overnight success. If you get such success, you may want to reexamine what you have actually done. Is it authentic, or is it more like Astroturf as identified in the introduction of this book? Most congregations will experience turbulence, perhaps some waning in participation, and maybe even a sense of wait-and-see transitional malaise from many for a period of time - one to three years perhaps - before the signs of being a vital congregation begin to become manifest. There is nothing about the rebirth of the church that is quick-fix.

The uncompromising attribute that leaders need in this age of promise is a right spirit. This is not a one-size-fits-all caricature but rather a presence and style that embody the gospel that grounds the church. The spirit needed for today is not something that one conjures up from within but is made possible by a God who raised Jesus from the dead and has summoned one to leadership. It is possible because the tomb is empty and will take the form for whatever is appropriate in the setting to which one is called.

From A New and Right Spirit: Creating an Authentic Church in a Consumer Culture, by Rick Barger, The Alban Institute, Herndon, Virginia, Winter 2005, pp. 6-11