4 things to look for in your church’s culture
I’ve been tracking how the churches I visit on consultation handle the offering. The results are fascinating. I’ve seen:
- The offering plates borne in solemn procession (with organ music) to the ‘altar’ to be lifted high overhead at the foot of the cross.
- People walk up front and drop their offering in a basket that sits on the communion table.
- Announcement of ministry success followed by, “…this is why we take an offering—to fund ministry.”
- Mention of offering boxes on the back wall to receive offerings after the service.
- One pastor said, “As the plate goes by, help yourself if you have a financial need today.”
- Elaborate explanations before offering; others say nothing. Some have music, others have silence.
- No offering taken; online giving and offering boxes are only mentioned in the bulletin.
What is church culture?
A church’s unique rituals reveal its culture. Think of a church’s culture as “the way we do things here.” Culture is a self-maintaining and self-refining system of beliefs (assertions accepted as true), values (relative worth of things), artifacts (useful objects), and behaviors (visible conduct). These components interact to create and sustain a living system greater than the sum of its components.
To see how these components produce culture, note how they result in different worship styles.
Cultural differences between churches are readily seen in the components. Which components are appropriate in a liturgical church? Which are best suited to a church being planted near a university?
Changing culture
Because church culture is a system, change in any component ripples through and changes the whole system. Take a moment and think about how the following artifacts have changed church cultures over the course of your ministry:
- smartphones
- portable baptistries
- electronic Bibles and Bible study programs
- online giving
- podcasts and livestreaming
- drum machines
These artifacts have changed church cultures in profound ways (yes, some good and others not so much). This ought to give pastors a vital clue about how to create a culture of evangelism in plateaued and declining churches!
Church revitalization that leads to conversion growth doesn’t rest solely on the pastor’s preaching to elevate the church’s belief system. Yes, that needs to be addressed in troubled churches, but there may be more effective places to begin the process of revitalization.
Photo source: istock
 | Bud Brown is an experienced ministry leader, writer and educator. He is co-founder of Turnaround Pastors and co-author of the ground-breaking Pastor Unique: Becoming A Turnaround Leader. He brings special expertise to change leadership in the local church, mentoring pastors to become revitalization leaders, training churches how to find and recruit the best talent, and training leadership teams how to achieve their shared goals. Learn More » |
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