Search Results

What does the word ‘culture’ mean? It’s used a lot nowadays. Not theatres, art galleries and sculpture, a different kind of culture. That thing in the petri dish? No, not that kind either. French cheese, German engineering, Italian fashion? No, try again. What about Spanish punctuality, quiet Australians, ugly Italians . . . and you guessed it, British irony?! Nope. The other kind. The kind of culture when you say, ‘today’s culture is challenging for the church,’ or ‘the culture of our society encourages behaviours which are so damaging.’ That kind of culture. Here’s a definition: Shared values and beliefs expressed by the behaviours of a group. Understanding that meaning of the word can be very fruitful. Sadly, we often start at the wrong end of the sentence. We observe the behaviours first and critique them. Why do teenagers walk around staring at their phones? Why are elderly people often abandoned? In the 1950s, why did cinema-goers in Britain stand for the National Anthem before watching the film? Out comes the judge in each of us and then, if we’re honest, so does the guilt. Surely it’s more helpful to start by looking at the first part of the sentence. The values and beliefs. Why? Because behaviours are driven by values and beliefs. They’re driven by the things we hold dear. They’re often driven by the lies we believe. And to top it off, our behaviours are driven by our beliefs and values, regardless of whether we can identify them or not. Why is your teenage daughter uploading selfies to Instagram? Because she holds certain beliefs about herself and the value of physical beauty. Along with other beliefs about belonging, attraction and group identity. And she shares these beliefs with her peer group. That’s key. Culture expresses shared values and beliefs. We hold them along with others. That’s what binds us together. The sharing of beliefs and values. Which then lead to our behaviours. What do British people do on November 11 each year? They remember. They march. They sing. They honour. Why? Because together they hold shared beliefs about the sacrifice of their countrymen and women. So what about a church? What is the culture of your church? It would be easy to state that it's based on our denominational statements of faith. That’s not what I’m asking. A church culture is only partly based on its religious beliefs. The church is full of all kinds of people with a variety of other values and beliefs, while also being affected by the wider culture of our country. Consider these questions: Why do Africans and South Americans often hold four hour church services? Why do American Christians favour pot-lucks? And why do they often attend Adult Sunday school? Why do South Korean Christians readily submit to their church leader? Why, in some denominations, do people all pray at the same time? Why do some Christians say ‘I’ll pray for you,’ then walk away, while others say ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and then place their hand on your shoulder and immediately start praying? Shared values and beliefs. That’s why. And one person in your church affects the culture more than any other. The leader. Yes, you, the leader, with your values and beliefs which you communicate to your congregation each Sunday. Your people watch you, listen to you, and pick up on the choices you make in your life. Of all the people in your church, you are the one who has the greatest ability to change a culture. What priorities do you have? Do you value family? Sport? Long hours? Children? The elderly? The disadvantaged? Music? Do you inspire your people to live in a certain way? Do you model a godly life? Are you guided by the Spirit? And here’s one to get you thinking. Do you understand how your own beliefs and values influence the choices you make? In other words, how is your emotional and spiritual health? That’s for next time. For today, do read Marcus Honeysett’s article on being 'An Agent of Change - Part Two.' And be encouraged. You are never alone as you seek God’s will for your life in ministry and for your people.

Living Leadership Podcast - Series 1, Episode 4 Marcus Honeysett explores how leaders can be sustained for the long haul by learning to draw continually from the wells of God's salvation. Listen now

*Michael is the manager of a small, country hotel tucked away in the beautiful New Forest. He arrives early each morning and works hard. He can often be seen behind the front desk checking in customers. Or waiting on guests in the dining room. Sometimes, he joins the sous-chef and cuts vegetables and even makes beds with the chambermaids. His staff love him. He rarely takes an afternoon off, preferring to do paperwork when the hotel’s quiet. *Jimmy runs a similar-sized hotel in the New Forest. He chats with arriving guests, charms them while they’re having lunch or dinner, but he spends most of his time either on the phone conducting sales calls or training his staff. He never cuts vegetables or makes beds. Nor does he wait on tables. Jimmy plays tennis in the afternoon and leaves on time. Michael is feeling rundown. Jimmy’s profits have been going up. Michael’s hotel is struggling. A business might not be a church but there is a message in here, surely. So let’s deal with that oft-used business slogan – Don’t work hard, work smart! Is this about ‘working smart?’ Perhaps. But in a church setting, this is about a lot more than ‘smart working.’ This has to do with the very definition of ‘spiritual leadership.’ Why do church leaders burn out? What drives a church leader? Why do long hours worked by church leaders so often lead to a sense of dissatisfaction? Something’s going wrong here. And this short blog post isn’t going to fix it, of course. But if you’re one of those trying to figure out why your long hours aren’t ‘working for you,’ then here’s the beginning of an answer. Two words. Equipping and releasing. Ephesians 4.11-12 is a key text for spiritual leadership: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. To equip his people. One of the chief temptations of all leaders is to ‘do it for others.’ After all, shouldn’t I be serving alongside my people? Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? First, there is nothing in here which prohibits a leader from serving ‘alongside his people.’ The genius of the Bible, though, is that its wisdom goes to the root. On leadership, rather than being prescriptive and narrow, it simply highlights a broad principle. Ephesians 4.12 addresses the primary goal of a leader. Leaders are there to equip God’s people for works of service. That’s it. If your congregation is not ‘being equipped,’ then something’s not right. The Lord knows each and every circumstance that a church leader faces. So if you’re a church leader, he knows what you’re facing. And he doesn’t ask the impossible. Equip your people. Then release them. There’s no point in equipping them if they have no opportunities for using the gifts and knowledge they’ve gained. So that means you’ll have to trust them. It will also mean you won’t be the centre of attention. But of course there is so much more to this discussion. So this week, I’m handing over to Paul Coulter, whose wise words will take you much further than I can here. Here’s the second part of his article on servant leadership . . . or leading servants. Click here. *Names have been changed, but their experiences are ‘based on a true story.’

So you want to galvanise your church into action. No, you don’t. You want . . . hmm, you’re not quite sure what you want, but you want more than this. The congregation has become sedentary and seems to have lost its passion. You remember the heady days a few years ago, when so much was happening. New believers. New initiatives reaching people in need. God moving through the church so much, you didn’t have room in the service for all the testimonies. But now it seems to have gone flat. The initiatives are still there, but some are now struggling to find volunteers. You’re wondering whether some of them should close. The worst thing is, you feel responsible. You feel like you carry the load of the entire community and when the church struggles, everyone is looking at you. So . . . what’s wrong, vicar? What’s up, pastor? It’s not fair, is it? It’s not your fault. But you want to make some changes. You want to change the culture of the church, to keep it moving forward, but you’re facing resistance. Some people like it as it is. They like the security of saying ‘we’ve always done it this way.’ It’s not true, but it feels true to them. So you’re seeking help in how to move a church from comfort to mission. For you, it’s all about maintaining the church’s focus on the goal of . . . well, there are lots of phrases for this. Spreading the gospel. Spreading the work of the Kingdom. Reaching the city, the world and everyone in between. Being mission-focused, while also feeding the flock. But it’s going to be uncomfortable. Some won’t like the changes you’re considering. And rumbles among the faithful are the last thing you want. In addition, changing a culture is hard. Really hard. Try and fail and you can quickly be shown the door. So much easier to opt for safety. And comfort. But God’s not really interested in comfort. You know that; you know that change is the only way forward. But it’s hard, so you’re seeking help in how to move forward. The next few articles are written by Marcus Honeysett, the founder of Living Leadership. Here's the first one. Click here. If you’re seeking insight into how to keep your church from stagnating, then do subscribe to this blog.

Living Leadership Podcast - Series 1, Episode 3 Marcus Honeysett helps us understand how we can keep disciple-making the primary focus of our leadership. Listen now

Living Leadership Podcast - Series 1, Episode 2 Marcus Honeysett helps us reflect on what it means to be spiritually well-formed leaders and how to be devoted to continually growing in our spiritual formation. Listen now

Welcome to the new Living Leadership website! Twice a month, a new blog post. Twice a month, a new article. So you want to grow as a leader in the church? Great. But it’s not easy, is it? Rumbles have started among the faithful that the music is too loud. Long-time servant, Claris, says she’s thinking of leaving. Meanwhile, the worship leader has decided to try all his new songs in one go. That should be fun! Oh, and last Sunday, you heard a rumour that light fingers might be in play with the offering bags. Finally, a retired minister from the neighbouring parish, who’s moved into your village, just gave you three pages of feedback on your latest sermon. Apparently, you’re a heretic. You’re overwhelmed, of course. An inbox which looks like it’s bidding for promotion to the Premier League of Larger Inboxes. Not to mention a late meeting with a senior elder who has an anger problem. So you pray. Of course you do. You pray for strength and mercy. And please, Lord, more mercy. And more patience. ~~~ How do I grow as a leader? How do I find some kind of guidance on this huge word, ‘leadership?’ Life is coming at me so fast, it’s hard to stay afloat, never mind think deep thoughts about leadership. But the question won’t go away. It hangs around because God has called you into Christian ministry. So what does the Bible have to say about leadership? That is a deadly serious question. Fortunately, the Bible does indeed have things to say about leadership. And God hasn’t left us empty-handed. So this week, we’re offering some help and guidance. We’re starting with an article by Paul Coulter on the well-known phrase, ‘servant leadership.’ For the article, click here.

Living Leadership Podcast - Series 1, Episode 1 Marcus Honeysett explores two questions: 'What is biblical, spiritual leadership?', and, 'What does the Bible mean when it talks about leadership and leaders?' Listen now