04/28/2010
Author: John Powell
Culture is a lot like air. You know it’s there and you depend on it but you find it very hard to describe. Recently, I found myself grasping for words to answer the questions from a couple of church leaders. They were asking me to explain the Sandbox concept I wrote about here a couple years ago and apply it to them.
They wanted definitions of words and more detail so they could understand how to be better leaders. I like to have things pinned down and clear myself. Ambiguity is uncomfortable. Yet I realized that rather than fighting ambiguity with more definitions, we need to understand that our congregation is a mini-culture. Understanding a church culture, like understanding an ethnic culture is not like understanding a math problem. Well, perhaps there are similarities when it comes to “story problems.” The big task with a story problem is to find the relevant details and how they relate to each other. Some facts are nice to know but add nothing. Others are hidden and need to be uncovered.
When we see our mission, church health, the principles we value and our area of ministry focus as elements of our church culture we gain wisdom for each situation we face. From the confusing array of statements and ideas we have to pick out the elements at work in a situation and ask, for instance, “What does the mission of our church lead us to say about supporting a ministry or missionary financially? Or, “What about maintaining healthy relationships do I need to keep in mind as I decide whether I am the right person to mentor a person who approaches me?” Or, “How should the fact that I have a different ministry focus from the brother or sister I’m struggling with right now affect the way I resolve the issue? Am I objective enough to see clearly?”
When we realize we’re dealing with issues of culture it helps us deal with ambiguity and direct our attention to using wisdom rather than trying to pin down steps to apply in every situation.
Another example might help paint the picture. One of the principles important for congregationally governed churches like ours is called “reservation of authority and delegation of responsibility”. There are a few things only the gathered congregation can decide. Only the whole congregation can decide who will be members. But we delegate to deacons the responsibility to find out if a person is a believer and present them to the body.
Election of officers, calling a senior pastor, approving the budget are all things we reserve the authority do together as a body. And we push down everything else to give others opportunity to use their gifts.
As senior pastor there are a few things I must do myself to carry out my call. But I must find ways to include someone else in everything else I do. I am very excited about helping others carry out these ministries. That makes it easier to reserve for myself only those key functions I am best equipped or held responsible to do.
Over time people have embraced this aspect of our culture. Multiple people are learning to do many of the things I do. But rather than assuming you will apply this to yourself, let me remind you to intentionally hold on to only what you must to fulfill your ministry and delegate the rest to someone you can mentor. And if you aren’t engaged in ministry, realize someone is looking to include you and mentor you…and respond! That’s part of our culture.
