Five Steps To A Healthy Ministry Experience
* What is it about the home or culture we develop in that produces both great and not so great things in our lives? Often, this takes place without us even being aware. It can be challenging to find a healthy rhythm for our lives after experiencing
I want to suggest a five-step plan for those in need of a church culture shift. This should be helpful even if your former environment was not bad, but you are just looking for a new way of doing ministry. Each situation is unique and requires the wisdom and leading of the Holy Spirit. I offer these as guidelines, not the final say, to help you reclaim spiritual health after experiencing dysfunction.
Step 1: Get out of the old culture.
This one sounds simple enough, but it is possible to complicate it. Some try to change a church culture from the inside out. Unless the senior pastor has specifically asked you to be an agent of change, then I do not recommend that approach. You may think you are helping the pastor with weaknesses he or she is not aware of in their leadership. In reality, you are creating two visions or di-vision.
Do not become the person everyone comes to with their complaints. That doesn’t make you a leader, influential, or even right about your opinion. It just means everyone knows you will listen to negativity and criticism of leadership without supporting the pastor. Remember, the wolf wears sheep’s clothing, not the shepherd’s.
If you genuinely believe you are in a dysfunctional culture, then the best thing you can do is get out so you can plant your heart in healthy soil. Don’t try to change the soil; work on healing your heart instead.
Step 2: Get in a new culture.
Too many times, leaders think identifying dysfunction qualifies them to decide what is right or wrong for everyone else. Then they use their influence to take others with them out of their old culture. This is where most people get off track or stop their journey completely. Identifying there is a problem does not mean you are not part of it. In actuality, you can very much be a part of the problem, while at the same time, seeing the problem in someone else.
The next step after getting out is not to create your own culture, point out what is wrong in the old culture after you exit, or to convince others to leave with you. Instead, you should get
Comparing yourself to a problem or an extreme in one direction never leads to moving in the correct direction. Whether dysfunction is your fault or not, after experiencing it, you need to detox before you can begin to trust your new perspective.
Step 3: Get the old culture out of you.
You may have heard the saying, “You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” Changing scenery is helpful, but it is not everything. Although we change environments, many of us do not allow the Holy Spirit to transform the atmosphere of our hearts.
Once you are in a new culture, you need to empty yourself of your old ways. You will find that even though you know how you want to lead and behave, some of your learned behaviors are ready to speak up louder than your good intentions. “Old habits die hard,” as they say.
We have to remove these old ways to make room for the new culture to take root. This shift is a process, not a switch. It is a wrestling match, not a quarter-mile drag race.
Step 4: Get the new culture in you.
Reprogramming your leadership and approaches to ministry does not happen after reading a book or attending a conference. There is no course that, in and of itself, can take your soul from toxic to healthy. We can create moments that impact people and bring healing. We can write material that points people in the right direction. But when it comes to culture, what is absorbed in a healthy environment, in-between teachings and events is what is most transformative.
Step 5: Lead in the new culture.
Leadership adds pressure, and pressure will bing the impurities of your perspective to the surface. Once you begin leading in your new culture, you will also realize what was useful in your old way of doing ministry doesn’t get the same results in your new approach. That means you will have to master the lessons learned in the process of getting the old atmosphere out and the new perspective
Leading effectively in your new culture affirms you have taken the necessary steps and avoided the short cuts to becoming a healthy leader. Now you are ready to become a culture creator yourself.
Short Cuts or Runaround?
When we try to fast track this process, we only extend it. Whether a toxic culture is your fault or not, you were still breathing the air of dysfunctional leadership. Taking a break and getting healthy is the most important thing you can do before trying to lead again.
It is like getting hit by a car and breaking your leg while crossing a street. Whether it is your fault or not, you will still need a cast and time to rehab. Then you will slowly begin to walk before you are running again. Don’t short-circuit your calling by taking a short cut to getting healthy. Take your time,
You may be wondering if I think “getting out of the old culture” is the only option. The answer is, “No.” At the same time, if you are in a situation that is controlling, toxic, or the leadership is not open to anyone else’s opinion, then taking responsibility for yourself is always better than going on a public (or private) crusade to try and change someplace or someone else. In my next series of posts, we will talk about the steps you should take before making a culture shift. I hope you stick around as we continue the journey
* This post is part two of two on changing the making a culture shift to reclaim spiritual health. The first part covered why just knowing what you don’t want to be is not enough when a comes to changing our views on life and ministry. It also gives stories and illustrations to lay the foundation for the five steps you just read. You can read part one here.
The Soul Gardening Collection includes the following previous posts:
Further Reading on this topic:
