Messages: Culture is intentionally shaped as the right messages are consistently and clearly communicated to the staff, church leaders and membership

“We’ll See” – A Cautionary Fable

Toward the end of the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War,” there is told one of my favorite stories. A CIA officer, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, cautions the Wilson character, played by Tom Hanks, not to be too sure they have done something glorious in helping to chase the Soviets out of Afghanistan. To make the point, he tells the fable... Continue Reading

A Feedback Focus – A Church Leader’s Priority

I gained a new understanding of “feedback” when I considered the two words that comprise the word. It is appropriate the word begins with “feed,” as in “feed me.” Appropriate because feedback is a fuel we all need to grow. Management guru, Ken Blanchard, put it best when he said, “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” The second half of... Continue Reading

Restoring Midrash As A Spiritual Practice

The word Midrash is a Hebrew term with several different definitions, but perhaps the most ancient definition is the one that draws my attention. That is when Midrash is used as a mode of scriptural interpretation in which many different exegetical methods are employed in an effort to derive deeper meaning from a text. In this context Midrash is a... Continue Reading

Shared Team Values Exercise

Your church or organization’s shared team values set the tone for your workplace culture. In fact, they are the bedrock upon which your culture is built. Your workplace values are the shared guiding beliefs and principles that are most important to your team about the way you work. They help you choose between right and wrong and guide employee decisions,... Continue Reading

Our Spiritual Language Has Changed, And Not Always For The Better

Our spiritual language changes over time. Read the religious classics and we find these spiritual saints speak of a relationship with God and Christ using a language with which we are unfamiliar. Just in my life time the Christian church language has changed from “having a personal relationship with Jesus” to “studying about Jesus,” from “following Jesus” to “worshipping Jesus,”... Continue Reading

Every Church Needs A Pastor Interpreter

Every church needs a Pastor Interpreter, someone who is seen by staff and members as the one who knows and can translate what the Pastor said, meant, thinks, or wants accomplished. In other words, someone who can interpret to others on behalf of the Pastor. The likely candidates for this role is the Pastor’s Administrative Assistant, Executive Pastor, or Associate... Continue Reading

10 Defining Characteristics of Generation Z

  From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders…..all these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. 1 Chronicles 12:32 NLT There is a new generation on the scene making up 25% of the US population that represents nothing less than a seismic cultural shift.  Born between 1993 and 2012,... Continue Reading

Is There A Difference In Being Spiritual and Religious?

In recent decades pollsters in a number of countries have discerned a clear trend: the word “spiritual” is far more appealing than the word “religion.” For much of our history, the words spiritual and religious meant roughly the same thing. In his book “Spiritual But Not Religious: Understanding Unchurched America” Robert Fuller observes this is no longer true: “The word... Continue Reading

How To Respond To “Everyone’s Saying…….”

If you have served on church staff or in positions of church leadership for any length of time you have heard statements such as: “Everyone’s saying…….” “Everybody thinks…….” “A lot of people are……..” “I’ve had many people tell me……..” “People wish you would……..” “I’ve heard people say……..” “Everyone wants to know……” “Nobody believes that…….” “A ton of people want………” “No... Continue Reading

How Intentional Are You in Building a Healthy Church Staff Culture?

In his book, The Emotionally Healthy Leader, Pete Scazzaro provides a helpful assessment for senior level church staff to get a sense of how intentional they are in building a healthy church staff culture. Below is an adapted version of the assessment with suggested action steps. Next to each statement, write down the number that best describes your response. Use... Continue Reading

Transform Church Culture Through A Keystone Habit

In architecture, a “keystone” is the centermost stone in an arch that supports all of the other stones, yet carries the least amount of weight. In Charles Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit, he introduces the idea of a keystone habit, a habit that helps hold other good habits in place. We all have habits in our lives, but certain... Continue Reading

Don’t Mistake Church Climate for Church Culture

Frequently, a pastor or minister experiences frustration, resistance or lack of acceptance of their change initiatives. Often this results from a failure to recognize the difference between church climate and church culture. Both climate and culture reflect environmental conditions but the climate of the church, like the weather, is dynamic, inconsistent and can change quickly. Church culture, on the other hand, is steadfast,... Continue Reading