Why Churches Must Focus on Creating a Culture of Renewal

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jan 31, 2023

The church is a living, breathing institution. To remain relevant, it must focus on creating a culture of renewal; embracing renewal is integral to spiritual and missional growth. By focusing on creating a culture of renewal, churches can better serve their communities and make an impact that lasts.

What Does It Mean to Create a Culture of Renewal?

We are not talking about creating new one-time events, or even a new mission focus. These kinds of projects are good in and of themselves, but they do not necessarily impact the culture of the congregation. Think of the culture of a congregation as “the way we do things.” While the individuals in the congregation may be caring, Christ-loving, and compassionate, the culture of the congregation has an even greater influence than the individuals in it.

Through my years of experience in teaching people how to create a culture of renewal, I have found that most congregations have cultures that are stability-seeking, harmony-oriented, and cautious about risk. This impacts the way they preach, pray, do mission, celebrate, organize themselves, envision the Kingdom, and relate to their neighbors. This church culture is prevalent in all kinds of congregations: rural and urban, small and large, old and new, traditional and non-traditional.

To actively create a culture of renewal means to expand the way your church does things so that it allows for more spontaneity, more bold action, and more courage. It also means being willing to speed up the pace of decision-making and try things that aren’t necessarily guaranteed to work.

When a church can develop this kind of culture, it is more likely to embrace new people and to look outward, and not just inward. These changes allow a congregation to fulfill its mission.

Churches should also strive to create an atmosphere where people feel safe enough to open up about their struggles without fear or judgment. One that encourages deep conversations that lead to genuine transformation in people’s lives.

The Impact of Leadership on Renewing the Culture

Creating a culture of renewal in the church begins when its leadership, both clergy and laity, become willing to take risks and create space for others to grow. This means creating opportunities for people to ask questions, share thoughts, and explore new ideas. Your people won’t go farther than you can lead them. If the church’s leadership is unwilling to model the future, it will stay right where it is – in the past.

Recognizing failure as a necessary part of learning is also important when it comes to renewing the church culture. Create a safe space to talk through what worked and what didn’t, while being open to honest feedback. Otherwise, failures will be remembered as “We tried that, and it didn’t work,” reinforcing the reluctance to try anything new.

The Benefits of Focusing on Renewal

Focusing on renewal offers numerous benefits for the church. It helps create more meaningful relationships by providing space for vulnerable conversations about faith and life. People going through difficult times will feel supported by the church if they know their struggles are being heard and addressed with compassion.

Additionally, when churches focus on creating a culture of renewal, they become more equipped to handle real-world issues in their communities because they have created an environment where different perspectives can be shared openly.

But most importantly, when you focus on renewal, you are able to be an agent of change for the whole community, and bring hope that is desperately needed.

How to Bring Renewal to Your Setting

Shifting a culture is much tougher than launching a new event or starting a new initiative. It requires a different skill set, and a different sense of focus. For that reason, I recommend three things when you are ready to bring renewal to your setting: support, accountability, and mentoring.

Support means you are not in it by yourself. Accountability helps you keep your eye on the culture, and to evaluate what is needed next. Mentoring means you can learn from someone who has already been there. That person can help you navigate the stages of culture shifting.

If you’d like to know more about how we approach Creating a Culture of Renewal, come to a live seminar. We teach you how to move from ideas to implementation. Register here or reach out to me if you want more information.

The 3 S’s of Creating Community

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jan 24, 2023

One of the primary responsibilities of church leaders is to create a sense of community among the people in our congregations, on our teams, and in our organization. Likely you won’t find this on any job description, but it is one of the most important functions a pastor plays. It is even more critical in a post-pandemic world. In this article, I will share with you the 3 S’s of Creating Community: being spiritual, being social, and being of service.

Congregations are not Necessarily Communities

First, a warning. Congregations are not necessarily communities. Just because a group of people gathers to worship God together does not mean they feel like a community or think of themselves as a community. As the leader, be aware that creating community requires more than gathering and keeping people together. The deepest sense of community comes when people feel connected to each other on more than one level. After all, the church is the web of relationships formed through Jesus’s teaching and ministry. And the only way to do that is through the three S’s. Let’s break down how being spiritual, being social, and being of service promotes connection within our congregations and builds the sense of community.

Being Spiritual

The first part of building a sense of community in a congregation is promoting spiritual growth. Spirituality is the deep, unique, and personal relationship between a person and their God. As a person awakens spiritually, they come to understand that they are more than physical beings, they are spiritual beings as well. Just as we must eat to nurture our physical beings, so we must cultivate an intimate relationship with God to nurture our souls. While worship, prayer meetings, Bible study, mission trips, and other activities of a congregation can open a person to spiritual growth, they don’t ensure it. Being spiritual is not a passive activity. It requires honesty and vulnerability with God and oneself. And a willingness to explore one’s inner divinity.

As leaders, we must focus on providing our congregations with opportunities to experience spiritual growth and connection. Cultivating deeper spirituality in your congregation doesn’t mean you, as a leader, need to go and create a bunch of new programs. But it does require moving the focus of what you are already doing to emphasize the spiritual. The simple practice of naming the intent in your gatherings will be enough to help people focus on the presence of the divine. Of course, the more attention you pay to your own spirituality, the easier it will be to create conditions conducive to spiritual growth among your people.

Being Social

Cultivating social connections between people is crucial when creating community. Events and gatherings that encourage fun is helpful. This isn’t just for youth groups, either! Fun and laughter among adults open the space for greater trust, and more meaningful conversation.

This can range from casual gatherings, like potlucks or game nights, to formal outings, like retreats or mission trips.

These social gatherings don’t have to be overtly spiritual. Sometimes connection comes from proximity; being physically close together can build trust and deepen relationships. As we look at the gospels, we get a snapshot of Jesus’ interaction with the crowds, religious leaders, and disciples. However, if Jesus’ public ministry lasted for three years, then certainly he spent a lot more time with the disciples than what is recorded. I am sure Jesus spent time socializing with them, sharing meals and laughter, getting to know their stories, and vice versa. Moments of levity often catalyze meaningful relationship growth.

No matter what type of event you plan, fostering an open environment where everyone feels comfortable talking with each other will help build relationships long after the event ends.

As I write in Forging a New Path, I used to think that churches being social wasn’t a high value; that it weakened their primary identity as followers and ambassadors of Christ. I have changed my mind on that. Without social bonds, people don’t feel like they belong. If they don’t feel like they belong, it’s hard for people to feel the love of God, or to effectively be of service together.

Being Of Service

Finally, being of service is essential for creating lasting relationships within any community. The service offered doesn’t have to be huge. It could be as simple as encouraging people to look out for one another, and then giving them opportunities to do it. Lending support when needed will go a long way toward fostering an atmosphere of love and acceptance within your community.

While being of service doesn’t have to be huge to be effective, it is helpful for people to focus on others. All the feel good hormones increase when people undertake acts of service and generosity. Reach inside your community, and outside your community as well.

Think about ways your church or organization can give back. Could you sponsor a Habitat for Humanity house, make a local home more accessible for someone with a disability, or bake cookies for teachers returning to school? These examples are tangible ways to serve and build trust within a community.

The three S’s—being spiritual, being social, and being of service—are essential elements for deepening congregations into communities. Especially in the post-pandemic age.

By creating an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable connecting spiritually with God and one another while engaging in meaningful relationships through social activities and acts of service, we can make vibrant communities built on love and understanding rather than judgment or competition.

If you want to learn more about how to create a vibrant faith community amid the challenges of church culture, check out my latest book Forging a New Path. In it, I give practical wisdom on how to build the church into a transformational and inclusive community. To further your learning and help put congregational and community renewal into practice, consider my three year group leadership program, Creating a Culture of Renewal®.

No matter what you do, remember that long-lasting relationships come from creating a safe space where everyone can feel comfortable expressing themselves and connecting with others. So keep the three S’s in mind as you work towards building a thriving faith community!

Is Discipleship Enough?

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jul 14, 2021

Is Discipleship Enough?

When it comes to church revitalization, discipleship pathway systems are touted as the answer. These systems are supposed to produce disciples such as growth and thus enable churches to fulfill the Great Commission. But is discipleship enough?

In fact, I can’t help but wonder if this approach to church revitalization is short-sighted. Perhaps even problematic.

Apostleship As Training

Let’s start with the first problem. Jesus didn’t call The Twelve or The Seventy-Two or any of the others for them to be mere followers. Followership was simply the first stage in their spiritual development. Apostleship was the ultimate goal of their training.

During the three years The Twelve spent with Jesus, they observed how he thought and how he prayed. The Twelve watched how he taught and soaked up what he believed. Moreover, they watched him engage paralyzed, hurting, desperate people and they noted the way he interacted with others. After Jesus was finished interacting with others, The Twelve listened to the way he phrased things. They were privy to his miracles and glimpsed his inner relationship with God.

But they didn’t stop there. Jesus transferred his spiritual authority, agency, and accountability to them. They were to speak, act, and heal on behalf of him, and of the Kingdom. Each of these men and women were to be active agents, stewards, of the Kingdom dream.

What’s striking to me is that Jesus never hoarded his power. He freely taught others how to exercise it. After they mastered the kinds of things Jesus had done, The Twelve, The Seventy-Two and likely countless others, surpassed what Jesus had done. Not only did they heal, preach, and proclaim the Kingdom, they gathered thousands of followers, set up communities in far-flung places, and oversaw the development of structures that allowed the church to grow and expand throughout the known world.

Discipleship Pathway Systems

That’s where we get to the second problem with discipleship pathway systems. We’re not going to be any good at making the sort of disciples Jesus made until we are decidedly better at making the kind of apostles Jesus made. After all, it is apostles who make disciples, not other disciples. You can see this shift in the Great Commission. Jesus commanding the disciples to “Go therefore into all the world,” signaled the ontological change in their status. From this moment on, they were no longer followers. Their sending signaled they now functioned as apostles.

Yet in the church, we do not teach people, even our leaders, how to be apostolic: stewards of the dream, agents of change. We do not teach people that they are co-creators with God. That their words have creative, divine power. That they are more Christ-like than they know. Instead we teach people to give God all the glory. I’m not sure if God wants all the glory. Nor does Jesus. The way I read the New Testament, Jesus expects us to surpass him, to do even greater things than he did. The only way to do that is to own our God-given agency and our authority. Settling for discipleship without apostleship undercuts the ultimate meta message of the Gospels.

So before we get too invested in discipleship pathways, we would do well to build apostleship pathways, too. Interested in knowing more about how to do that?

In my work with Creating a Culture of Renewal, I’ve discovered that apostleship starts with Kingdom-oriented dreams.

When church leaders know how to dream like Jesus, align others to the dream, and realize the dream, then the dream can expand and draw others to it. Now there’s a discipleship pathway system.

Can This Church Rebuild?

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jun 23, 2021

Can This Church Rebuild?

Can this church rebuild? I wondered to myself as I sat in worship on Sunday morning. The church in question is one I have attended for the last 10 years so I had a special interest in the answer.

I like this church. It’s well-positioned downtown. It’s got great people.

But it’s been through a lot of changes. The dismissal of long-time musicians, the exodus of some theologically conservative members who disagree with gay-friendly policies, a well-liked pastor with a hidden addiction, and frequent pastoral appointment changes. Not to mention the pandemic.

Through these changes, and more, the average worship attendance has shrunk dramatically. They once hosted three services a week. Now down to one. Familiar faces are gone.

It’s a fair question: Can this church rebuild? The answer is Yes. And no. As you read on, consider your own church.

Yes, this church can rebuild if:

1. The church is willing to SIMPLIFY.

Let go of ministries or activities that no longer have a champion. Many ministries hang on by a thread because they were once vibrant. But if the champion has moved, died, or is no longer interested, AND no one else is stepping up, it’s time to let it go. If the ministry or activity doesn’t forward the mission and the vision of the congregation, consider the lack of a champion is a gift in disguise.

2. The church is willing to SHED.

Let go of properties that drain you financially. Properties that do not forward your vision or drain you financially can undo a church. Release the sentimentality, sell the properties, and get back to your main mission.

3. The church embraces SOCIETY.

Gone are the days when a church could simply focus on itself and expect to maintain or grow. Pastors must be called to both church and society. But it’s not just the pastor who must have this focus. Worshipers, too. If the people refuse to extend themselves, the pastor is sunk. And frankly, so is the church. Church improvement plans don’t keep a congregation alive.

4. The church cultivates SPIRITUALITY.

People are deeply hungry for spirituality that makes a difference. Let prayer and Bible study move you beyond a discussion about God, or a rehearsal of beliefs, into the realm of experiencing God. It’s easy for church life to stray into the mundane. Too much focus on budgets and buildings, though, can tempt you to forget the miraculous. Don’t allow that to happen.

If the church is willing to simplify its activities, shed unnecessary properties, embrace society and cultivate spirituality, it has a good chance to rebuild.

However, rebuilding will remain forever out of reach without one more crucial element in place.

No, not money. Not even younger people. Or a prime location.

The most critical element for rebuilding is a willingness to dream like Jesus. In order to rebuild in a sustainable way, the church must have a big, bold, God-sized vision. Something compelling enough, and risky enough, to require them to grow in faith, depend on each other, and partner with God. Only a vision of this size and scope will draw people forward into the rebuilding phase.

If you’re ready to rebuild, download your DARE to Dream Like Jesus plan here. Need more insight? Join us for a How to Create a Culture of Renewal seminar.

Three Stubborn Obstacles that Keep Your Congregation Stuck

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jun 8, 2021

Three Stubborn Obstacles that Keep Your Congregation Stuck

There are three stubborn obstacles that keep your congregation stuck. These barriers to renewal reinforce patterns of decline. Not only that, but these barriers also prevent congregations from moving into a growth phase, no matter how much your people say they want to. And no matter how much you might like them to.

Unfortunately, these obstacles don’t always respond well to a direct confrontation. But there is a way to gently dissolve them so you can start on the road to renewal.

Let’s start by taking a look at these obstacles.

The Three Stubborn Obstacles

Personalities When congregations focus on personalities rather than purpose, they suffer. Soothing the sensitive, coddling the anxious, and pampering the headstrong is a seductive trap because it can become the de facto mission of the church.

Yes, God is love, and yes, Jesus found ways to include the unlovable. But relationship-building never took the place of his mission, or his purpose. How do we know this? Because along the way, Jesus irritated and angered plenty of people. Including his own family members, and his dearest disciples.

I remember the evening one of the church’s most effective leaders stormed out during a particularly contentious meeting. I anxiously ran out after him to try to keep him involved. Even as I was doing it, warning bells went off in my head. I remember thinking: if I react to him every time he gets hot under the collar, then personalities, not purpose, are what’s driving this meeting. Yet, it’s hard to watch people get bent out of shape.

Past When a church’s best days lay behind them, the congregation is steering into the future with the guidance of the rear-view mirror, not the windshield. That’s a problem. Not only are rear-view mirrors a window into the past, but they are also much smaller than a windshield. You just can’t see that much looking at a rear-view mirror compared to the windshield.

It used to be churches wanted to go back to the 1950s, then the 1970s, then 1990s. Now, most of us would be happy to settle for 2019. There’s nothing wrong with staying connected to the past. But you can’t live there.

Probable If your decision-making sounds something like this: “Let’s do this ministry because it probably won’t ruffle feathers, or it probably won’t challenge the budget, or it probably won’t upset the Trustees,” then you are in trouble. Ministry by probability lowers expectations. And you can’t co-create miracles with Jesus if you don’t raise expectations. Ministry by probability is the most anti-Gospel obstacle of all. Jesus didn’t traffic in the realm of the probable. He operated in the realm of the improbable, the impossible even. Jesus was about miracles.

Why These Obstacles are So Stubborn

What makes these obstacles so stubborn? Why won’t one good sermon series or leadership retreat get these obstacles in line? Because these stubborn obstacles are expressions of foundational beliefs. As I have written elsewhere, unshakeable beliefs ripple out and impact the people around you. That’s true whether these unshakeable beliefs are empowering or disempowering.

My guess is that at the base of these stubborn obstacles is an unshakeable belief such as “Our best days are behind us. If we ruffle feathers, or upset our systems, we’ll lose our last remaining ties to our glory days. Then where will we be?”

Truth be told, if the congregation is in maintenance mode, then the belief is spot on. Because when the church got started it operated with a passionate vision or an aspirational dream that called people to something greater than they could imagine. Once that vision came to pass, and no new equally challenging vision replaced it, the good old days were in fact behind them.

Re-invent the Future

So, how do you lead people past these stubborn barriers and into something life-giving? You have to re-invent the future so that your best days are yet to be. I call this process DARE to Dream like Jesus. Sign up to receive a copy of your plan here. Then, learn more about how to transform these three stubborn obstacles into new visions at How to Create a Culture of Renewal.

« Older Entries

Why Churches Must Focus on Creating a Culture of Renewal

What Does It Mean to Create a Culture of Renewal?

The Impact of Leadership on Renewing the Culture

The Benefits of Focusing on Renewal

How to Bring Renewal to Your Setting

The 3 S’s of Creating Community

Congregations are not Necessarily Communities

Being Spiritual

Being Social

Being Of Service

Is Discipleship Enough?

Is Discipleship Enough?

Apostleship As Training

Discipleship Pathway Systems

Can This Church Rebuild?

Can This Church Rebuild?

1. The church is willing to SIMPLIFY.

2. The church is willing to SHED.

3. The church embraces SOCIETY.

4. The church cultivates SPIRITUALITY.

Three Stubborn Obstacles that Keep Your Congregation Stuck

Three Stubborn Obstacles that Keep Your Congregation Stuck

The Three Stubborn Obstacles

Why These Obstacles are So Stubborn

Re-invent the Future

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