A lot has been written lately about the church and culture; most of it, however, refers to the culture around a church.  Just as important is the culture within a church, the shared attitudes, values, and beliefs that define a church and shape its practices.

Fresh out of seminary, my husband and I began ministry at an established, 850-member church in a large city.  During the interview process, we were impressed by the church's forward-thinking mission and values, and we were excited to join such an apparently dynamic ministry.

As time passed, however, it became clear that there was far more bark than bite at that church . . . .  It took several years to realize that the problem was not a lack of resources, expertise, or a clearly worded purpose statement.  The problem was that the church's actual culture didn't reflect its stated mission.

As with any organization, a church's culture can be encapsulated into an "ethos," or a statement that summarizes its true guiding beliefs.  The ethos is almost never officially articulated.  It's something that is felt.  This ethos is often hard to define, but that doesn't mean it is any less powerful.  Ideally, the ethos of an organization should flow out of its purpose, but when it doesn't, the church's underlying culture can subvert even the best vision.

The ethos at our first church?  “Don't rock the boat.”  That seems to be a common ethos at many churches, but here are some others:

    o  We can find something wrong with anything.

    o  The world isn't safe, so we will protect you.

    o  Visitors are welcome to come back, if they really want to.

    o  Saved by grace but living under law.

These core beliefs are rarely articulated, but they have enormous impact on the health and effectiveness of a church, no matter what its stated purpose.

Culture takes a long time to create, and even longer to change.  But in any church, the first step toward creating a healthy culture is identifying the existing ethos, whether positive or negative.