Day 2 What's in the Water?

When you look at an aquarium, it is easy to get caught up in all the beautiful fish, often with striking colors and interesting designs.  We love to look at the colorful rocks, the cool “sea weed” and even the funny little houses and treasure chests all grab our attention. 

But we seldom notice the water.  The water is virtually invisible, and yet without it, nothing in the tank survives.  It is the unseen that holds everything in the tank together.

Likewise, there is an unseen element in our combined ministry sites that holds everything else together.  And while it is easy to focus on all the visible stuff of ministry - the staff, the programs, the worship, the money - it is this single, unseen element that will determine much of our success (or lack thereof…)

This unseen element is culture.  The culture of a church, the unseen assumptions and beliefs, affects every decision a church makes.  It determines how we handle membership and the kinds of worship we offer.  It determines how we spend money and our approach to missions.  It will determine the staff we hire and those we fire (or help find another place of ministry, as we like to say in the church.)  The culture of the church, often unseen, unarticulated, and unquestioned, is a force we must understand and ultimately direct. If we don't, it will direct us.

While it does take years to change the culture of a church, the first 100 days is the time to plant the seeds for the ministry culture we are going to lead.  In order to begin to shape the culture, we have to have a pretty clear sense of what that culture should be before Day 1. In fact, the central theme of the new culture ought to be at the heart of the first message.

Yesterday was Day 1 for the new launch and we laid it right out there – “Whatever it Takes…”  

That is the heart of this new culture.  We will do whatever it takes to make the love of Christ real in the neighborhood.  It is the rallying cry of a new culture where self-sacrifice, radical hospitality, extravagant generosity, and hands-on, outwardly focused mission are the cornerstones of the church.  It is the catch phrase for the fostering of deep, prayerful compassion, and developing a spirit of innovation.  


“Whatever it takes….” It is the water in which we are going to swim.

Something to think about:  How would you describe the culture at your current ministry site?  What would you like it be?