Acts 2:42-47; Chapters 7-9 in Dream Like Jesus
You may not realize this, but all churches are not alike. They may all share certain features: for example, they all have a pulpit or lectern, an altar, an organ or piano, candles, pews or chairs facing the front. But they also are very different: they are not all the same shape; some are rectangular, but others are circular or oval. Some use paraments, and others don’t. In some churches, the pulpit is in the center, and in others it is to the side. Some churches have stained glass windows, and others have clear glass panes. Some churches are wooden and others are brick.
But it is not only in appearance that churches are different. They are different in how they worship: some are more traditional in their music and liturgy, while others use praise bands and no fixed order of service. Some churches have images projected on a screen and others have no screen, but use paper bulletins. In some churches, the pastor preaches from behind the pulpit, and in others the pastor comes down close to the congregation. Churches are different in how they make decisions, how they handle money, how they welcome visitors, how they grieve and how they celebrate, how they pray and how they take care of Christian education, how they treat their leaders and how they deal with conflict. And these differences have to do with what is called congregational culture.
I learned early on about the fact that churches are not alike. My first appointment out of seminary was a two-point charge outside my hometown of Spartanburg, SC. The Tabernacle Church was a good ways out in the country. It had 50 members and about 25 who were active. Their worship was formal on paper in the bulletin, but it wasn’t unusual to make changes to the hymns after we got to church. My pianist didn’t read music and had learned to play the piano in a roadhouse, so we never sang anything slow! There was good attendance at Sunday School for adults, but very few children or young people. Church Council meetings rarely stuck to the agenda, but somehow we got the things done that needed to be done, usually without a vote but by consensus. While money wasn’t exactly pouring in, we always had enough to pay our bills.
They were worshiping in their new building when I arrived. It was just 5 years old. They were very proud of their new building. The members had donated time, materials, and labor, as well as money, toward the new building, and only had to borrow $47,000 (this was in 1981). They paid off their loan in 7 years.
The members at Tabernacle were very welcoming. They were friendly and outgoing and made me feel like family from the beginning. Many of them had farms or at least large gardens, and I quickly learned to leave my car doors unlocked, because I would find tomatoes, corn, beans, watermelon, or whatever else was ready to harvest in my backseat. The members were appreciative of my leadership and my sermons, my teaching and my suggestions for activities.
The Golightly Church was about 10 miles outside Spartanburg and most of the members worked in the city as teachers, office workers, healthcare professionals, etc. Their worship was more formal and music was provided by a trained organist as well as a trained pianist. There were few people who participated in the adult Bible study. We did have more children who came to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. The Church Council meetings followed the agenda and Roberts Rules of Order, and always ended with voting on what needed to be decided. Money was tight, and sometimes decisions had to be made about what to pay or what activities could actually be funded. Also, it took more than one meeting to make decisions about anything significant.
The members were a little more standoffish towards me, and sometimes it seemed as it I couldn’t do anything right. I had conflict with the organist the entire time I served there. I seemed to butt heads with the chair of the Church Council at almost every meeting. Very few people complimented me on the worship services or my sermons. I heard a lot about the previous pastor and how HE had done things.
I had a conversation with my District Superintendent one morning and told him I felt like I must be somehow two different people to get such different reactions from these two churches. But he told me that it was the churches that were the issue, not me. The Tabernacle Church had, for a long time, been a church where new pastors were appointed, and they loved them all and encouraged them in their ministry. No matter who the conference appointed there, the church loved them and welcomed them and affirmed them. On the other hand, the Golightly Church ate pastors for lunch, just chewed them up and spit them out. They were the reason that most pastors lasted just a few years in that appointment. (I was there for two years before being moved.)
What it all boiled down to, I can now see, is that these two churches had different cultures, and I treated them exactly the same. Had I understood then what I understand now, I would have used different leadership approaches in each church and probably had a much better experience in the Golightly Church.
What are these church cultures? Rebekah Simon-Peter describes them in Chapter 7 of her book, Dream Like Jesus. She has some great names for each type.
First, there is the Get ‘er Done Culture. She refers to this congregation as St. Urban of the City. At St. Urban everyone stays very busy and there seems to be a sense of urgency about things, but not everyone is going in the same direction. The church is more focused on results than on relationships, and there is more individualism. The do-it-yourselfers outnumber the collaborators, and often individuals take matters into their own hands. With strong clergy and lay leaders, this congregation will have a sense of purpose and moving forward. The worship is bold and dynamic, and the church is not afraid to take bold stances on controversial issues. The people are willing to try different worship styles, and while personal spiritual growth is not emphasized, people experience God as directive, one who challenges and dares them on behalf of a higher purpose. Discipleship for this type of congregation is demanding, action-oriented, calling for courage, a sense of adventure, and independence. The church is the setting for independent thinkers who take bold action. For members of St. Urban, faith is demonstrated through bold action.
Second, there is the Get ‘er Done with Fun Culture, or as Rebekah calls it, Happy Church. Happy Church is people-oriented, fun, energetic, high-spirited, and action-oriented. The atmosphere is high energy, friendly, optimistic, upbeat, and positive. At Happy Church, relationships matter, and new people are made to feel welcome and are integrated easily into the life of the church. There is a sense of warm connection between the members; hugs and smiles are offered freely and you get a sense of belonging. But you may not be sure of what the Happy Church stands for. God is experienced as positive, innovative, surprising, and unpredictable. Discipleship involves positive optimism, an upbeat attitude, and trust, and is built around feelings as much as actions. The church is an exciting and inclusive force for good. For Happy Church members, faith is demonstrated through saying “yes.”
Third, there is the Get ‘er Done by Consensus Culture, or what Rebekah calls the First Church of the Stable. At Stable Church people take care of each other and relationships are tended to over time. The mood is more low-key, and harmony and stability are valued, as well as tradition and continuity. There is a desire for consensus, rather than independence. When there is any sign of conflict or uncertainty, things grind to a halt. Stable Church values tradition over innovation and prefers their style of worship to remain consistent and predictable. Members experience God as comforting, supportive, loyal, patient and stabilizing. Discipleship depends on the qualities of teamwork, cooperation, stability and loyalty. The church is a relaxed group of friendly people. And for Stable Church members, faith is demonstrated through reliability.
And fourth, there is the Get ‘er Done Right Culture, or St. Abacus Church. Members of this church place a high value on rational thinking and logical processes. People may not be outwardly expressive, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t feel things deeply. Relationships are less important than facts and figures in making decisions. The mood is definitely low-key. Members want to do the right thing, but it takes them a long time to decide what that is. They carefully weigh all the pros and cons, pay close attention to the budget, and it is sometimes hard for them to move forward. The members of St. Abacus experience God as reliable and deliberate with exacting, high standards. Discipleship for them requires a calculated risk as well as spiritual and emotional maturity. The church is a thoughtful organization that carefully analyzes and does the correct thing. And for members of St. Abacus, faith is understanding.
Now, just off the top of your head, what kind of church culture do you think we have at our church?
Understanding our church culture is crucial as we get involved in our visioning process. We will need to communicate our vision in such a way that our entire congregation will buy into it and support it. And we need to realize that no congregation is entirely one culture; we probably have a combination culture. In order for our entire membership to take ownership of our vision, we will have to communicate it in such a way that they can become excited about it and commit to it. That takes a lot of what we call emotional intelligence.
But I believe that we can work together to understand our church’s culture and work together to embrace our dream so that we can transform our community.
