October 27, 2025
by Greg Henson, Kairos University President and CEO
We have looked at several practices over the past few weeks. Each of them works together to lay the foundation for the final practice, which is to adapt freely. Without celebrating failure and resisting permanence, we fail to cultivate a new way of being. Instead, we fall back into the trap of approaching innovation as a one-time effort. For lasting impact, we must recognize that innovation is not about launching a single program or executing a detailed plan. It is about cultivating a posture of responsiveness, one that is shaped by listening, learning, and adjusting over time. That kind of posture does not emerge from a desire for permanence. It grows out of the conviction that change is ongoing and that transformation is part of the Christian life.
In many institutions, however, the desire for stability can become an obstacle. Programs are designed to last. Structures are built to endure. Success is measured by what remains rather than by what grows. As a result, communities may become hesitant to try new things unless they are confident those things will work. Risk is avoided. Failure is feared. And innovation begins to slow down under the weight of permanence.
To adapt freely is to reject the idea that permanence is the goal. It is to recognize that every step forward is simply the next iteration. Every structure, program, and process is a step forward, not the final step. Our goal is not survival; it is obedience. Our goal is to be responsive to the Spirit and faithful in our stewardship. In this approach, anything we create is for the season it was created to serve. When it no longer serves that purpose or when the community discerns a new direction is needed, it is time to change.
This practice builds on what we have said about discernment. Just as listening to the Spirit invites us to follow direction rather than enforce a plan, adapting freely invites us to treat strategy as something that unfolds. It means creating space for regular reflection. It means analyzing outcomes and learning from results. And it means holding our work loosely, ready to shift course when needed.
That includes the willingness to learn from failure. When experiments do not produce the intended results, we do not hide them. We name them, reflect on them, and celebrate what they reveal. Every failed initiative is an opportunity to gain insight, deepen understanding, and improve our work. As Warner Burke has said, “The change initiative must never stop.” His words are a stark reminder that the work of transformation is never complete. As followers of Jesus, this reality should resonate with us. God is not stationary. Unchanging? Yes. Stagnant? No! We are always in the process of becoming something. This is as true for institutions as it is for individuals and communities.
In that light, failure becomes part of our learning, part of our becoming. It is not a reason to retreat. It is a reason to continue. When we engage with what did not work, we position ourselves to discover what might work in the future. We also model the kind of openness and humility that theological education seeks to form in others. We show that we are not clinging to certainty. We are pursuing faithfulness.
Resisting permanence does not mean rejecting structure. It means being open to change within the structures we hold. It means recognizing that permanence is not the measure of success. Obedience is. When we keep our eyes on the mission and stay attentive to the Spirit, we begin to build institutions that are agile, resilient, and ready to participate in the ongoing work of God.
Come back next week as we close this series and consider the next steps.