God’s blueprint design for church health and growth is that everybody does their part.
From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Eph. 4:16)
Yet, many churches fall short of this reality. We struggle with recruiting people to do the work of God in the church. Some may even question if it’s a valid goal. God would answer “yes” or He wouldn’t have commanded it.
What’s it going to take to line up with His design? — a culture shift. When something becomes part of our culture, it becomes engrained in the way we operate. People recognize it as an expectation when joining with us and anticipate such engagement as the norm.
We must realize, however, that something doesn’t become part of our church’s culture just because we will it to be so. It takes a shift in our attitudes and the way we think as well as our actions. Affecting the culture takes time and patience. The steps to begin may seem simple but they must be consistently applied.
Steps Toward a Culture Shift in Functioning According to God’s Design for Everybody to Do Their Part
3) Develop a course of action.
The above steps could apply to any situation in which the church needs a culture shift but in upcoming posts we’ll be looking at each of the steps in light of the need for everybody to do their part.
Seek God’s Help Each Step of the Way in Promoting a Culture Shift in Your Church
Of utmost importance is that we recognize that God must enable us as we do each step.
1) God, through His Spirit, is the One who makes it possible for us to understand His Word.
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Cor. 2:14)
2) God is the One who prepares our hearts to accept the challenge.
for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. (Phil. 2:13)
3) God is the One who will get us on the right course.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov. 3:5-6)