Shaping Culture

Organizational culture is extremely important. One of the growth lids most organizations hit is when their organizational culture is contrary to their organizational goals. If your organizational goal is to reward great employees, but your organizational culture doesn’t include discussing, measuring and quantifying employee performance, then there is a problem.

Leaders lead the culture! 

Church leaders, like the leaders in all organizations, are responsible for shaping the culture of the organization. Just as the actual culture of an organization is not easy to define, so too any disconnect between what is intended and what is perceived may be difficult to quantify.

In the church, some of the key positive culture factors are integrity, responsibility, servant-leadership, competency, biblical literacy, authenticity and tenacity. Your organization may have identified similar cultural values or statements that get to the heart of your church’s goals. Likely some may be grouped under the words above, others may be a little more specific to your vision for your organization. 

Sometimes it’s difficult to quantify. 

While it may be difficult to determine if all the employees and members of the church are displaying and rallying around the stated cultural values, it may be easier to spot when the leader is marching to a slightly different beat.

Here are some questions to ask yourself and perhaps ask others that you have given permission to speak into your leadership.

• How have I demonstrated a respect and insistence on integrity in all matters? An integrity test is often called a ‘red-face’ test. It includes both internal and external compliance with a higher calling, a higher standard. 
• Do I give people responsibility or do I often pull it back when I want to make a different decision?
• Am I often accused of micromanaging despite my insistence on letting leaders lead? 
• Am I a servant-leader at heart? Am I known to be the one that ‘chips-in’ and ‘picks-up’ or do I equate being a leader with being ‘up-front’?
• Do I follow the rules or, as one of the rule-makers, am I likely the exception? Budgets, internal processes and systems limitations should also apply to leaders, not just everyone else.
• Do I respect other people’s time? Or am I late for meetings or do I change agendas at the last minute? 
• Patrick Lencioni said in his book “Death by Meeting” that bad meetings are a reflection of bad leaders. 
• What I have done to make meetings better? Am I tenacious? Do I stick to a stated multi-year plan despite setbacks and challenges? It’s often easier to teach on the parable of the persistent widow than personally lose heart and camouflage our frustration with new or modified ministry plans. 

What is described is more important than what is prescribed. 

Many of the above may sound a little simplistic. However, when we examine our own behavior in light of the desired culture, we often find troubling disconnects. While it is not the practice in many churches, senior leaders – including executive and senior staff pastors – need to critically examine their behavior and their leadership style. Culture starts at the top, but in most cases what you describe with your behavior is more important than what you prescribe.

Become a fan of self-examination and reflection. King David was described as a “man after God’s own heart” and while certainly not perfect, he nevertheless was willing to say, “Test me, Lord, and try me; examine my heart and mind.” (Psalm 26:2)

Reprint from Church Executive Magazine September 2012

Collaborate don’t compete

All too often in our local churches when we are putting together agendas, looking to push into new frontiers, recruiting volunteers or putting together annual budgets, we tend to compete with each other.  Regardless of how successful or financially blessed your church may be, there are still more needs and more great ideas than resources. God may have unlimited resources but the local church does not.

Some of the best churches have found ways to replace this competition for resources with collaboration, and it’s a huge improvement in planning as well as in execution.

When one ministry competes with another ministry or department at a church for volunteers, dollars or space, the leaders are at best looking to come out on the top of a “win-lose” outcome. Some ministry wins and the others lose.

On the other hand, collaboration between and among our ministries and departments strives to find the “win-win” outcome.

Opportunities rather than problems …

One of the best ways to collaborate and look for win-win outcomes in programing and recruiting and sharing resources is to communicate. The words we use may also be problematic in communicating well. For example, as a ministry leader and pastor I make sure that when we address issues, we typically don’t want to communicate that we have “problems,” but instead we have “opportunities.” This is not just a substitution of words but also a substitution of viewpoints.

Even if the local church has the resources, facilities or the space to do multiple things well, it’s unlikely the intended audience or participant can be in two places at the same time. Most successful churches intentionally limit the amount of opportunities that the congregation is exposed to in order to allow them to be able to choose wisely and be focused on those that are the best experiences.

Where there is no clarity, people perish …

One of the best things that senior leaders can do in the church is to bring clarity to the implementation of the vision that God has given them regarding the local church. If I were paraphrasing Proverbs 29:18, I’d likely state it this way, “Where there is no clarity, people perish.” Often, the senior or lead pastor will be able to clarify that there are great opportunities for the entire church to be involved for a season in a particular endeavor. That may be a call for people to get involved in small groups or the church may decide that it is calling everyone to a fast. Other times, it may be a time for people to choose their area of interest and let people literally vote with their participation. If the ministry leaders understand and bring clarity on where and how God is leading, collaboration flows naturally and everyone wins.

Milestones are reasons to celebrate …

For years I’ve heard churches say they want to celebrate more, but so often they actually celebrate less. While we are on a journey we rarely believe we have time to celebrate. However, God gave Moses very clear instruction on making sure that all of Israel would pause from time to time to celebrate. Israel was told to celebrate the Feast of the Passover; the people were told to celebrate the building of the Temple. Nehemiah told the people to celebrate the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem.  These were milestones that would only be passed once but could be celebrated often.

In the same way, churches should be celebrating that which God values. When we celebrate lives being dedicated to Christ, people being baptized, successful building or mission projects, we draw everyone’s attention to particular milestones.  Celebrating the wins and achievements automatically help prioritize all of our future plans and opportunities.

When we collaborate, the Church wins.

Reprint from Church Executive Magazine, July 30, 2012 

Extraordinary, Never Ordinary

I am aware that we often encourage people by letting them know that God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways. It’s a good sentiment and I can relate, as I’ve been humbled often how God is able to do much more through me than I thought possible.

At the same time, we are not ordinary people, we are actually beyond extraordinary. We are not even mortal but once born, are now immortal. God is the only one that is truly eternal and immortal meaning that He has no beginning and no end. However men and women have been created in His image and are not like any other creature as they are immortal.  Jesus speaks of eternal life often and since the Third Century the creeds of the Christian faith speak of eternal life both for those that are saved and will be eternally with Christ as well as those that are without that hope. In John 10:26-27 Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me”

Understanding that we are not mere mortals should change our perspective in life. It’s unfortunate when we are taught in our schools that our life is a result of mere chance and evolution; that somehow mankind is just one of many earth specie. In reality, we are the product of a loving God, designed and created to be like Him in that we are also creative and can have a relationship with Him.

The 20th Century novelist C.S. Lewis is quoted as saying, “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.

Don’t be ordinary; understand you are extraordinary. Extraordinarily loved, created, purposed and designed to live forever with your Creator and your Redeemer.

God's Blessings are Conditional

I wonder if watching the Olympics is as much fun in some of the other countries. 

The US, China, the United Kingdom, Korea, France, German and a handful of other countries are winning most of the events. 

Gabby Douglas, the 16 year old nicknamed the 'flying squirrel" won the Gold in the gymnastics all-round and became the first African-American gymnast to be an olympic champion.    She testified of her accomplishments, "I give all the glory to God.  It's kind of a win-win situation. The glory goes up to Him and the blessings fall down on me". 

Blessings from God.....but conditional on commitment, performance and perseverance. 

The US swim team has dominated this Olympics, winning a majority of the events.  Michael Phelps with his record 22 medals continues to amaze all of us with his accomplishments.  Phelps was a product of a huge United States competitive swimming program that trains young people and provides opportunities for them to test themselves and compete on a national level.  Phelps starting swimming at age 7.  He has parents that supported him and encouraged him and he had a personal coach, a special diet and a scholarship to the University Michigan that provides an environment of academic and athletic excellence. 

In the very first verses of Deuteronmy 28 God says, "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God twill set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

Are we carefully observing all His commandments?   Just as these Olympians carefully listed to their coach we need to listen to what the Word of God says to us today.   These accomplished athletes, competing at the highest international venue have dedicated their very lives to their cause.   Their discipline to embrace those things that benefit the cause and avoid those things that are a distraction was the reason for their success.  They have been blessed but their blessing was conditional upon their observing the voice and the words of their coach. 

What will it take for us to be blessed?   When will be be careful to observe all that He commands so that the blessings of God literally overtake us?   Then we will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. 

But the Sabbath was made for man

Jesus helped clarify a lot about religion. We now know that it’s not about rules and regulations but about a relationship with God. Many times, the Pharisees criticized Jesus and His disciples, claiming they were breaking the rules including the Sabbath. He said to them “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Today, we continue to keep a vigilant watch over creeping legalism in our churches, as it’s easy for the symbol to replace the substance.

Our churches have gotten bigger!

As our churches have gotten bigger, we’ve added some new roles including the roles of the executive and administrative pastors.  Men and women who in addition to a calling to ministry also had extensive business training and experience filled these roles. They were instrumental in adding processes, systems and procedures that helped the church grow larger. Glass ceiling lids were broken as many churches grew beyond 500 and 1,000 to over 5,000 in attendance.

These new processes, systems and procedures came often from business and industry where multimillion-dollar budgets are common and where government and public scrutiny require exactness, full disclosure and a good paper trail.

A little bit of control goes a long way!

For years I’ve championed financial accountability, transparency and good governance for both nonprofits as well as churches.  At the same time, I’ve cautioned both nonprofits and churches to be careful to have only enough controls in place to provide proper management reporting and appropriate governance without being overburdened with time-consuming and expensive financial, system and procedural controls.

A little bit of control and procedure goes a long way.  Churches with a few million dollars or less in contributions and 40 to 50 employees should be cautious about embracing systems and controls designed for multimillion-dollar and multinational corporations.  Often there are compensating and more appropriate controls for these churches that don’t require the extensive and expensive systems.  Even smaller churches can still be managed very successfully with a little separation of duty and a simple spreadsheet.

The sayings of Jesus are ever appropriate, even in this situation.  The Church was not made for financial controls and systems, but financial controls and systems were made for the Church.

Reprinted from ChurchExecutive Magazine.  July 2012 http://churchexecutive.com/archives/but-the-sabbath-was-made-for-man

Belief in Heaven

I was recently counseling a couple that had lost a loved one and as I was talking with them about the memorial service it became apparent that their view of Heaven was not Biblical.

There had been some Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW) influence in the family, which was unfortunate.  Unfortunate for this couple was now a little unsure about the Biblical teaching of Heaven.  This JW religion that they had been exposed to is one of the more harmful cults competing with Biblical christianity.  Jehovah's Witnesses appear and even claim to be Christian but are spiritually bankrupt.  In many ways they are the poster child for 2 Timothy 3:5, “having a form of godliness but denying its power”.  Paul finishes this verse in his letter to Timothy with good advice with respect to our dealings with those that adhere to Jehovah’s Witnesses teaching, “Have nothing to do with them!”

I believe that our belief in and about heaven has an impact in and how we live our life on earth.

For example, how are we to deal with trials and suffering?  The Apostle Paul said, "For momentary, light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison" (2 Cor. 4:17).

In essence the Apostle tells us that the knowledge of the glory of heaven provides a remedy to the trials of life.   Rather than grieving like the unbeliever over loss of property, relationships and life itself, we are to encourage one another.   We are to believe and act on the belief that there will be a time when the Lord Himself will bring in a grand finale that will usher in a time of being together with the Lord and our loved ones and those that have gone on before us.

Finally and in direct contrast to the teachings of the JWs, when we leave our bodies, when we die, we are immediately present with the Lord.   Paul was torn between two realities.  If he died, he would be with Christ (immediately, not after some undetermined time of soul sleep) which would be “better by far” (Phil. 1:23) or he could remain in his body and be of good use to those in his flock.

Understanding the reality of heaven and a faith and forever being with the Lord will change both our attitude about and our appetite for the things of this world. 

Love leads to unity

Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul spoke often of unity.   Jesus prayed, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (John 17:21) 

Unfortunately, for over 14 centuries, the way that unity was expressed in the church was not in a oneness of heart but a fierce enforcement of the same teaching.   This was most unfortunate because the sword often enforced this type of unity.  You were either ‘in-step’ with the teachings of the church or you were killed. 

At the beginning the 4^th Century, Christians went from being under horrible persecution to seeing in 380 AD, by a decree of the Roman Emperor the Catholic church become the official and only sanctioned religion of the Roman Emperor.   Looking back, the earlier persecution was probably better; fewer believers were killed and their love for each other was stronger. 

While things have changed, we in the church haven't always understood what unity was truly about. However, more and more we are seeing it. Today, we know that people are more likely to be attracted to the church because of how we act out or exemplify our love for people and the Gospel than what version of the Bible we read.  Non-essential matters like the type of music used in worship or whether we believe in a pre, mid or post-tripulation of the church or our definition of election are best left to the theologians rather than something we put on our calling card or our church vision statement. 

The Apostle Paul said in his Letter to the Colossians (Col 3:14) that love is the perfect bond of unity.  If we love deeply enough we will work together and not be so concerned about issues that tend to divide.