Church Culture
Have you noticed that every church congregation has its own individual feel? Although there are values and practices in common with the wider denomination there is always a unique story and a unique atmosphere. People can tell you about “the way we do things around here.” 1
Church culture, in common with all organisations, comprises the values, beliefs, attitudes, traditions, structure, and history of a particular group. These largely determine how the members behave; for example whether they are forward thinking or fixated on how things have always been done: how communion is taken; how church council functions; the place of women or children in its governance; whether change is possible and at what pace.
Any lasting change in the congregation’s mission can only occur if it is incorporated into the church culture. This may entail changing the culture – a difficult task at the best of times.
This series of articles explores different aspects of church culture and how a church’s culture may be influenced by those desiring change.
Gatekeepers in the Local Church – Part 2
Do’s and Don’ts of Chairing a Formal Church Meeting
CHURCH MEETINGS Part 4 – Potency: why some meetings get stuff done and others don’t
CHURCH MEETINGS Part 3 – How the Holy Spirit changes everything or my unlikely love affair with the Manual for Meetings
CHURCH MEETINGS: How to get formal and informal groups working cooperatively – Part Two
CHURCH MEETINGS: their role in church life. (Love ‘em or hate ‘em, we have to have them, but how do we survive them?) – Part One
Judas Re-examined: A Practical Theology on the Intersection of Mission & Administration
Social Identity and Coping With Change in the Local Church
Minister’s Power and Intersectionality with respect to Bullying and Harassment
CHURCH MEETINGS – An Introduction
