A big mistake that many leaders make is to assume that all friends are allies. In a complex organizational system like a church, this is very often not the case. Friends are those who love you and are loyal to you as a person. When the vote is cast or the initiative has succeeded or failed, friends will still love you. Friendship is so beautiful because it is not connected to accomplishing anything except enjoying and encouraging the friendship. But because churches are about both relationship and mission, friends can find themselves on opposite side of change initiatives. This often creates
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