Conquering the Inevitable: Coping with Change Based on Insights from Nehemiah

By Robin Brumfield

This is a book about change, not only what change is, but also how change affects us, our responses to change, and finally, a biblical model for overcoming change. You may ask, Why a book about change? The reason is that we live in a world of change. Change occurs in our lives on a daily basis. Change is the only thing that is constant. Look around you. Change is everywhere and occurs interpersonally, relationally, constantly (organizations either getting smaller or larger), technologically (increases are at an astronomical rate). Even the focus of the church changes as culture changes (sacred old hymns to contemporary music, and single pastor to multi-ministerial staffs), and on it goes. Change definitely is constant, and change is everywhere.

Robin Brumfield takes us by the hand with a Bible in the other hand, and walks along some Bible trails where change took place and helps us to see a reflection of our own existence in some of these experiences.
Jim Futral
Executive Director Treasurer

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490803654

Robin Brumfield

ROBIN BRUMFIELD is pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Meadville, Mississippi. His education includes a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana Technical University, a Master of Divinity from Talbot Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Rice Seminary. He has written two previous books: The Project Manager’s Guide and Tentmakers Guide to Ministry. Both books went through several publications due to popular demand. He currently lives in Forest, Mississippi, with his wife, Zoe. He has two adult sons, Justin and Michael.

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Copyright © 2013 Robin Brumfield.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0366-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0367-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0365-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013913938

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/9/2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication

With A Foreword By: Dr. Jim Futral

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Expectations and Change

What We Want We Get

What We Want We Don’t Get

What We Don’t Expect We Get

What We Want Is Sinful

Responses to Change

Resisting Change

Welcome Change

Internal Battles Over Change

Nehemiah – A Model For Change

Motivation for Change

Preparation for Change

Identify the Problem

Realize the Solution

Strategy Formulation

Implementing a Course Of Action

Handling Opposition

Recognize Action Complete

Celebrate

Epilogue

Conclusion

About The Author

Bibliography

Author Robin Brumfield has written two previous books: Project Manager’s Guide and Tentmaker’s Guide To Ministry. The Project Manager’s Guide was written for Hughes Aircraft Company when employed by them in the 1980s. The Tentmaker’s Guide To Ministry was written in 2004 and published for the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. Both books were published numerous times, as the supply did not meet the demand. The Project Manager’s Guide is out-of-print. Paper copies of Tentmakers Guide To Ministry are no longer available, but a web copy is available by going to the website www.mbcb.org, go to the Bivocational link on the left of the page, then go to Featured Articles, on this page enter in the Advanced Search: Tentmakers Guide, and then it appears as the first link as Tentmaker’s Guide Material.DOC. A direct link is as follows: http://www.mbcb.org/download/pld/Tentmakers_Guide_Materials.pdf.

DEDICATION

To Zoe, my wife,

And Justin and Michael, my sons,

In whom I LOVE second,

Only to my Lord Jesus Christ

WITH A FOREWORD

BY: DR. JIM FUTRAL

Robin Brumfield has put his fingers squarely on one of the huge problems of our human dilemma—change. The problem is we all love it, and we all hate it. Let me paraphrase Thomas Wolfe: Change is the best of things and it is the worst of things. At times we all desire change. At times we despise change. We wish that it would come sooner. We wish it would stay away longer. We all feel that it is needed, and from time to time we all chafe under its implementation. The fact is change is inevitable.

Several decades ago I saw a study that was very revealing in that its conclusions showed that somewhere around 90% plus of people interpreted change as being bad. The most significant reason being is that it changed something about their life, their pattern, and their approach to daily activity. The average person, who may want change, does not want change that will affect them personally and routinely. Most people would rather deal with their daily dilemma, that they understand and have some sense about, than to go through change that brings uncertainties and unexpected consequences.

I remember seeing a well done sign that someone had made and put over the entry way to the nursery of a church. It said, In these rooms you will find the only people in the church who genuinely appreciate a change. Like I suppose everyone who read it did, I just stood there and chuckled. But like it or loathe it, change will be a part of every day of our lives. The seasons change and the circumstances of life change. Every single day there will be a little more or a little less sunshine than the day before. When you are young, each day you will grow stronger and taller in small increments, and maybe even smarter than the day before. When you grow older, you may still grow wiser, but you may be losing brain cells each day as change takes place.

So what are we to do? Robin Brumfield takes us by the hand , with a Bible in his other hand, and walks along some biblical trails where change took place and helps us to see a reflection of our own existence in some of those experiences. But then he points out both how we can go about dealing with change and how we can be prepared to deal with change, whether it is thoughtfully approached to make change in our lives or whether shockingly bursting through the front doors of our lives. In confidence and faith, it does not have to be a destroyer of our life, of our faith, or of our confidence in God. It may call for a change in your schedule for you to find time to read these pages, but as you will see others and reflections of yourself and hear a Word from God to guide you, it will be all worth the change.

Jim Futral

Executive Director – Treasurer

Mississippi Baptist Convention Board

May 3, 2013

PREFACE

Some people think of the preface of a book as material to be skipped. They say it contains non-relevant information about the book. The reader often just wants to get to the main content and read the book at hand. However, I desire my preface to answer a few questions you may have.

As an author, I write this book with some reservations. First, there are many great authors that are far more capable of writing this book than me. So I write more out of a sense of necessity than of special talent. Second, this book is written because of a need for the material in it. I know of no other book on the marketplace that addresses the topic of change. Thus, I felt a need to write a book discussing this subject.

I acknowledge by debt to many people for this book. To my professors at Talbot Theological Seminary and Luther Rice University, who honed my skills in writing and gave me the theological background to make the writing of this book possible. I am, also, grateful for the many pastors who have influenced by life and ministry. They are too numerous to name. To all the ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I encourage you to stay at your task; you may be the only light some see in a darkened world. So diligently stay at the work