对于任何组织的领导者来说，管理变革都是一个大问题，对于基督教组织的领导者来说，将变革过程与组织

及其员工的信仰之旅相结合会带来额外的困境。 作为一名前组织发展 (OD) 顾问并且仍然是一名领导者，我自

己也曾为此苦苦挣扎。 在过去的几年里，作为一名教育工作者，我在这一领域面临着学生资源匮乏的问题。
也就是说，直到现在！ 里克·詹姆斯的书恰好抓住了这个问题的症结所在，并在序言中引用了一位基督教非政
府组织领导人的话，“我在 OD 工作了 20 多年，但我从未将我的信仰与信仰联系起来 组织变革。”
他以生动的台词开篇，“如果我们要在教会和基督教组织中经历深刻的变化，我们需要将对 OD 的信仰融入其
中。 基督教信仰对改变有很多话要说——它是如何发生的，是谁使它发生的。 然而，我们经常执行愿景练
习、战略规划、评估和变革管理流程，就好像上帝不存在一样。 我们把信仰排除在外。 充其量我们在功能上
是不可知论者，如果不是真正的无神论者的话”（第 9 页）。
这就是说，他为 OD 提出了一种符合圣经和神学的方法，这种方法在专业上是合理的，但在精神上是有意识
的。 章节结构为：
1. 确保承诺，他测试我们的动机并将上帝带入画面。
2. 获得理解。 组织顾问的正确诊断至关重要，但也很困难——他提供想法和智慧。
3. 创造转型空间。 借鉴他的小册子“为恩典创造空间”，他将悔改、死亡和埋葬（组织、结构和仪式）、恩典、
医治、祈祷和圣经学习整合到改变过程中。
4. 规划变革。 最接近世俗书籍的一章，但仍然认识到基督教组织提供的挑战，其中许多人厌恶计划，甚至“信
任是神圣的，计划是恶魔般的”二分法。
5. 让它发生——实施变革。 这突出了变革实施中的人员问题，但也有助于强调领导者使用有用的工具和想法
领导变革的成本，以检查、解决这个未被认可的领域并为其提供资源。

6. 促进者——自我作为变革的工具。 也许是这些章节中最具探索性的章节，它强调了对协调人的实际但也许
最清晰、精神上的要求。
应用程序。 1 走向合乎圣经的神学改变。 适用于各种设置的有用且开发良好的资源。
然而，精神 OD 不会吸引所有人。 正如 Rick 明确指出的那样，精神 OD 过程对 OD 顾问的要求是苛刻的——要
求生活井井有条，能够正直行事，奉献自己并超越自己的不安全感。 他的“咨询质量标准”（第 123 页）对精
神领导的影响与对组织运作的影响一样多。 他对 OD 顾问可以做什么的责任和他们实现某些目标时的谦逊相
结合，这是一种健康但难以实现的平衡。
我对这本书的批评是微不足道的。 这本书作为精装封面的感觉和布局是一本在不同文化和非英语背景下开发
的书的经典之作：虽然不会降低其价值，但它们可能会因不熟悉而推迟一些。 此外，鉴于其全球相关性，拥
有电子书版本会很有帮助。 但是，由于 Digni 决定免费提供它（之前的建议零售价 15.99 英镑），这是一份很
棒的礼物！

组织变革是关于“邀请上帝的存在和力量来呼吸生命并改变组织状况和关系”。 这是关于提高对上帝的圣灵到
来并激发变革的期望……将对 OD 的信仰融入就是创造“恩典空间”。 对于基督教领袖和组织来说，OD 不应该
再一样了！

Rick James is not nearly as well known in UK as he should be! That is partly because UK Chris an organisa ons have
been slow to see the need for investment in their own development and partly because the Swedes ‘pinched him’
(he has worked with the Swedish Mission Council – a partner in the publica on of the book – for many years). Having
read his earlier and briefer publica on, Crea ng the Space for Grace, I was really keen to see what he could say in a
‘proper book’. I was not disappointed.

Managing change is a big issue for a leader of any organisa on, for leaders in Chris an organisa ons there has been
the added dilemma of combining a change process with a faith journey for the organisa on and its people. As a
former Organisa on Development (OD) consultant and s ll as a leader, I have struggled with this myself. For the last
few years as an educator I faced a dearth of resources for my students in this area. That is, un l now! Rick James’
book hits right at the crux of that issue and opens in the introduc on with a quote from a Chris an NGO leader, “I
have worked in OD for more than 20 years, but I have never once made the connec on between my faith and
organisa onal change.”

He opens with the telling lines, “We need to integrate faith in OD if we are to experience deep change in churches
and Chris an organisa ons. The Chris an faith has a lot to say about change – how it happens and who makes it
happen. Yet so o en we carry out our visioning exercises, strategic planning, evalua ons and change management
processes as if God was not there. We leave faith out. At best we are func onally agnos c, if not indeed atheis c”
This said, he sets out a biblical and theological approach to OD that is professionally sound and yet spiritually aware.
The chapter structure is:

1. Ensuring Commitment where he tests our mo ves and brings God into the picture.
2. Gaining Understanding. Correct diagnosis by the consultant with the organisa on is vital but difficult – he offers
ideas and wisdom.

3. Crea ng Space for Transforma on. Drawing on his booklet ‘Crea ng Space for Grace’ he integrates repentance,
death and burial (of organisa ons, structures and rituals), grace, healing, prayer and bible study into the change
process.
4. Planning for Change. The closest chapter to a secular book but s ll recognising the challenges Chris an
organisa ons offer, with many having an aversion to planning or even an ‘to trust is divine to plan is demonic’
dichotomy.

5. Making it happen – Implemen ng change. This highlights the people issues in change implementa on but helpfully
also goes on to highlight the cost to the leader in leading change with useful tools and ideas to check, tackle and
resource this under-recognised area.
6. The Facilitator – Self as instrument of change. Perhaps the most searching of the chapters, it highlights the
demands prac cally but perhaps most clearly, spiritually on the facilitator.

App. 1 Towards a biblical theology to change. A useful and well developed resource for all sorts of se ngs.

Spiritual OD however will not appeal to all. As Rick makes clear, the demands on the OD consultant of a spiritual OD
process is demanding – demanding of a life that is in good order, able to act with integrity, give of yourself and act
beyond your own insecuri es. His ‘Consultancy Quality Standards’ (p123) speak as much to spiritual leadership as
they do to organisa onal func oning. His blend of responsibility for what an OD consultant can do and humility when
they do achieve some of the aims is a healthy but hard to enact balance.

My cri cisms of the book are minimal and minor. The feel of the book as a hard cover and the layout are classic of a
book developed in a different culture and a non-English context: whilst not diminishing its value, they risk pu ng
some off by its unfamiliarity. Also, given its global relevance, it would be helpful to have an ebook version. But, as
Digni have decided to offer it FREELY (previous RRP £15.99) it’s a wonderful gi !

Organisa onal change is about ‘invi ng God’s presence and power to breathe life and transform organisa onal
situa ons and rela onships. It’s about raising expecta ons that God’s Holy Spirit will come and inspire
change…Integra ng faith in OD is all about crea ng ‘space for grace’. OD should never be the same again for Chris an
leaders and organisa ons!