Each community of faith has its own story, and this is the story of an unexceptional little parish in regional Victoria, in which something remarkable was achieved that people doubted could ever happen. The Vicar led a change project that broke a twenty-year decision impasse and enabled the parish's worshipping arrangements to be updated to create a unified identity. After time in transition, the parish has accepted the changes and displays hopeful signs of reinvigoration. Throughout the project, anxiety related to the changes was managed using FST principles, and as a result, the incidence of observed anxious behavior was low. These principles were: remain clear on the plans and desired outcome; remain curious; be responsible for one's anxiety, and remain in contact with the parishioners. It was noted that the possession of significant emotional maturity is a critical factor required by leaders for the successful implementation of change as there is inevitably some sabotage to be overcome before the project can be considered complete.

The perspective provided by FST permitted the leader to access a new sense of forgiveness for those who caused hurt through their anxious reactivity triggered by a change in the church family system. Appreciation of the parish narrative enabled the leader to make responsible decisions to support the parishioners. FST was applied to enhance the self-differentiation of the leader. When a self-differentiated leader manages their response to anxiety, they can instead focus their energy on leading their community and bringing about proposed change while remaining in contact with the group. This paper provides a model for other faith communities when embarking on their significant changes.