Planting Healthy Cultures

Let’s be honest, lots of people start churches. Every weekend new church services start up in cities across the United States and the world. Our goal at Mission Cascadia is not just to start new churches: We desire to plant healthy cultures that reflect the kingdom of God here and now. Healthy cultures require effort and intentionality. Any time something is started, including a church, a culture will be developed within the community that gathers around the leadership and vision that is being established. Without intentional effort to establish a healthy culture that honors God and witnesses to His kingdom we leave something that is vitally important to chance. I’m always struck by how much time and effort church planters and church leaders put into strategic planning and developing goals, vision, and mission statements. I’m not suggesting we don’t devote any time to those things but what strikes me is how disproportionate the focus is compared to the focus on building healthy cultures that can be sustainable and God honoring over a long period of time. The early stages in planting deserve far more time focused on the nuances of culture, setting the tone for how leadership and power will held and used. We need more time to focus on healthy conversations (and disagreements) where we can normalize humility, vulnerability and truth telling within the early stages of forming a community. As the saying by Peter Drucker goes, “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” This is true and it’s time churches start to pay attention!