Run to the BrokennessSample

Day 6: Creating the Right Culture:

Leadership isn’t just about casting vision—it’s about cultivating environment. And that environment, more than strategy or skill, will determine whether your vision lives or dies. In other words: culture is everything.

You can have great sermons, the best systems, the sharpest team—but if your church culture is broken, the mission won’t go far. As Proverbs 29:18 (NIV) reminds us, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Vision gives direction, but culture determines the pace—and the sustainability.

Jesus modeled this kind of intentional culture in how He led. On the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2, NLT), His radiant transformation was witnessed not by the masses, but by the few He was closest to. His strategy wasn’t about public performance—it was about shaping the inner lives of those who would carry the movement forward. He invited His disciples into a transformational culture where values like humility, faith, and service were lived, not just taught.

As ministry leaders, we’re not just stewards of vision—we’re architects of atmosphere. Every decision, every conversation, every unspoken norm is building something. The question is: are we building a culture that reflects the kingdom of God—or just one that maintains the status quo?

Culture isn’t what you say on Sunday—it’s what you allow on Monday.

You might say your church values excellence, but if staff meetings are half-hearted and no one shows up on time, your culture says otherwise. You might say you’re passionate about reaching the lost, but if your systems cater only to insiders, that message gets drowned out. Culture is built by habits, not headlines.

That’s why the Apostle Paul told the Corinthian church, “Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Corinthians 14:40, NIV). Not because structure is the goal—but because structure serves what matters most. Healthy culture creates space for the Spirit to move freely and fruitfully.

But here’s the hard truth: if you don’t shape culture intentionally, something else will shape it for you. Routine, complaining voices, unchecked behavior—all of these will fill the void of vision if we let them.

The good news? Culture can be changed.

And it starts with you.

Your habits. Your tone. Your default responses. Your willingness to walk into brokenness instead of away from it. All of these set the temperature for the people around you.

You don’t have to be perfect—but you do have to be consistent.

Build a culture where brokenness is acknowledged, not hidden. Where outreach isn’t a program, but a posture. Where leadership means humility, not hierarchy. Where change isn’t feared, but embraced. Where the messy, slow work of transformation is more valued than the flash of quick results.

When you lead from that place, your church becomes more than an event—it becomes a movement.

And if you get the culture right? Everything else can flourish.

Because here’s the thing: the brokenness in your city won’t be healed by a church that’s chaotic on the inside. A healthy culture creates the stability and clarity needed to respond to community needs with compassion, consistency, and power. When your team is unified, aligned, and rooted in shared values, you’re free to run toward the pain instead of being distracted by internal fires. A strong internal culture makes external impact possible.

That’s how your church becomes more than a building. It becomes a beacon.