Shaping Your Ministry Culture around Disciple-Making

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Culture

Culture is “the whole way we do things around here”, the complex and deep-rooted matrix of belief, practices, shared language, traditions and preferences that a group of people have developed over a period of time.The culture will usually shape what people actually do in any given circumstance, often more so than their stated beliefs.

Church Culture

The culture of a church or any organization is a heavy and powerful drag against any attempt for meaningful change.There is little point teaching some new convictions or initiating some new kinds of vine work [disciple-making] unless you’re also prepared to reform and optimize the trellis [ministry structure] that supports it and gives it structure and shape.

Problems in Church Culture

The two main problems nearly every church culture faces are:• Lack of shared clarity on core convictions (i.e.

We don’t all have a clear shared understanding of who we are and what we’re trying to do together under God)• Lack of alignment between convictions and

practices (i.e. A bunch of miscellaneous things happen around the church that no longer reflect our convictions, if they ever did; or worse, that reflect and reinforce different convictions)

Changing Church CultureYou cannot change the culture by working on the culture, because culture is a description of what you have become.What you can work and change are the elements that produce culture:• The deeply held beliefs and convictions that drive

and underpin your culture (not all of them always openly expressed)

• The activities, practices and structures that express and embed those beliefs at every level of church life

Five PhasesShaping Your Ministry Culture around Disciple-Making

How can I change the whole culture of our church in the direction of disciple-making?

Phase 1Sharpen Your ConvictionsDig into the Bible and its theology to clarify what you believe about disciple-making and ministry.Five convictions related to ‘discipleship’ and ‘disciple-making’:• Why make disciples?• What is a disciple?• How are disciples made?• Who makes disciples?• Where to make disciples?

Phase 2Reform Your Personal CultureMake sure that your convictions have penetrated the culture of your own life; that you are demonstrating your conviction by how you live and minister to others.This step is so often skipped but so vital because:• The true convictions is not just concepts and

content but a way of being and living.• We must also live them if we are to teach them to

others.

Phase 3Loving & Honest EvaluationUndertake a clear-eyed thoughtful examination of everything that happens in your church to see how well (or poorly) it accords with your convictions: in what areas does your culture best reflect your convictions, where is it weakest, and where is the greatest potential for growth and change?

Phase 4Innovate & ImplementWork out what you want to stop doing, start doing, and keep doing; plan new pathways for disciple-making and work out how to implement those over time.Four key areas:• Your main gathering (Sunday gathering)• Pathways for rest of your church life• Your long-term plans for growth• Your communication and common language

Phase 5Maintain MomentumMonitor and review how the project is unfolding; look at obstacles and work out how to overcome them; build momentum and keep it rolling.Turning an ocean liner around takes hefty quantities of both energy and time. But once you’ve put your energy and time, and established a new direction, the momentum can work in your favour.

Five Phases

• The phases follow each other and build upon each other.• Do not skate past any of the phases too quickly, but

take the time to do the work thoroughly and thoughtfully.• Different churches and ministries will work through

these phases at different rates.