What Is Transformation?

The word "Transformation" has become somewhat of a "buzzword" in recent  years, and had taken on various meanings and implications. I remember seeing a television commercial for Kohl's that showed all the different clothes you could buy at Kohl's and then ended with the phrase, "Transform Your Life - Kohl's"

In the Christian realm there are also many different interpretations of the term transformation. My problem comes when we end up settling for something far less than what is God's best because we have experienced a bit of change and we call it transformation.

At the Transform World Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia members of the International Fellowship of Transformation Parters came together to present what they would call, "Indicators of Transformation." Authored not by "hopefuls" but by those who are living IN transformation, this is a litmus test, if you will, of what we can look for to see if our community is experiencing true "presence-based" transformation.

Here are the indicators that these members of IFTP came up with. How does your understanding of transformation compare to what they are experiencing?


Indicators of Transformation

 For the term transformation to be properly applied to a community, change must be evident not only in the lives of its inhabitants, but also in the fabric of its institutions. In the end, it is dramatic social, political, and even ecological renewal that sets these cases apart from common experience.

 In short, a transformed community is:

A neighborhood, city, or nation whose values and institutions have been overrun by the grace and presence of God.

A place where divine fire has not merely been summoned, but has fallen.

A society in which natural evolutionary change has been disrupted by invasive supernatural power.

A culture that has been impacted comprehensively and undeniably by the Kingdom of God.

A location where Kingdom values are celebrated publicly and passed on to future generations.

Community transformation is indicated when:

Political leaders publicly acknowledge their sin and dependence on God (2 Kings 11:17-18; 23:2; Jonah 3:6-9).

New laws, curricula, and business practices are put into effect (2 Chronicles 19:4-10; Nehemiah 10:31).

The natural environment is restored to its original life-nurturing state (Leviticus 26:4-5;       2 Chronicles 7:14; Ezekiel 34:27; 36:29-30).

Economic conditions improve and lead to a discernable lessening of poverty (2 Chronicles 17:3-5; Psalm 144:14; Isaiah 60:5; Amos 9:13).

There is a marked change in social entertainment and vices as Kingdom values are integrated into the rhythm of daily life (Ezra 10:1-4; Nehemiah 8:10, 16; Ecclesiastes 10:17; Acts. 19:17-20).

Crime and corruption diminish throughout the community (2 Kings 12:13-15; Nehemiah 5:6-12; Isaiah 60:17-18).

Volunteerism increases as Christians recognize their responsibility to heal and under gird the community (Isaiah 58:10-12; 61:1-4).

Restored hope and joy leads to a decline in divorce, bankruptcy, and suicide (Nehemiah 12:27-28, 43; Isaiah 54:11-14; 61:3,7; Jeremiah 30:17-19; 31:11-13; Hosea 2:15).

The spiritual nature of the growing socio-political renewal becomes a hot topic in secular media (2 Chronicles 20:29; Nehemiah 6:16; Isaiah 55:5; Ezekiel 36:36; Acts 19:17).

Overwhelmed by the goodness of God, grateful Christians take the embers of revival into surrounding communities and nations (2 Chronicles 17:9; Isaiah 61:6; Acts 11:20-26).

This is a matter of faith, not triumphalism. There is, and will likely continue to be, gross spiritual darkness in the world. Our goal is not to make a new heaven and a new earth, but rather to create salty spots on the earth that stimulate a thirst for God. Like many salty appetizers, these temporal transformations point the way to a larger, more satisfying meal to come.

—Taken from International Fellowship of Transformation Partners, Transform World Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia, May 2005