Culture vs. Strategy
My first call congregation was in southern Indiana. For being as far south as it was, I was surprised that no private homes had any in-ground pools. Also very few homes had basements. When this topic came up with some parishioners, they explained the geological formation of the area. The melting glaciers at the end of the Ice Age deposited large boulders into the soil of the area. Though there is some exposed rock, most of them are underground.
Therefore, digging out the soil for an in-ground pool or full basement was a risky venture. If such boulders were found, construction would halt. Dynamite would be necessary to clear the way, and the price of construction would multiply. Builders and homeowners learned that it was easier and more affordable to avoid such projects. The boulders could not be easily moved just because someone’s dream home had a walkout basement with an in-ground pool in the design.
This is why we will begin to examine the soil of your congregation first. No plans can be made or put into motion until you know what you’re digging into or building on. Otherwise these plans will be foiled by such “boulders” in the soil of your congregation. Or in the words of management guru, Peter Drucker, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
In the fight between culture and strategy, culture always wins. Dr. Samuel R. Chand writes,
“[Culture] determines the receptivity of staff and volunteers to new ideas, unleashes or dampens creativity, builds or erodes enthusiasm, and creates a sense of pride or deep discouragement about working or being involved there. Ultimately, the culture of a parish shapes individual morale, teamwork, effectiveness, and outcomes. The fact is, culture eats strategy for lunch. It’s possible to have a good strategy in place, but if culture is not addressed and effective systems to change it, then the negative aspects of the culture of the parish will defeat the strategy.” (Stewardship Advocates – Accessed 8/25/20)
In order to help God’s plans for your congregation to flourish, it’s important to invest time in excavating the soil of your congregation and explore what makes up the culture of your church. By sifting thoroughly through these components, you’ll be able to see what the soil is ready for and what might need to change in it. Can you dig the walkout basement to in-ground pool tomorrow? Maybe. Will you need some dynamite or perhaps a bigger digger? Maybe. Will you discover that you need to change plans entirely? Maybe. You will only know for sure what is possible after digging around in the soil of your congregation and discovering what is there.
Further Reading:
http://www.stewardshipadvocates.org/culture-eats-strategy/
https://www.thealternativeboard.com/blog/culture-eats-strategy
Reflection by Pastor Colleen Montgomery
Reflection:
Spend some time in prayer today to invite God to come alongside you in this excavation work.
Pray for God to grant you curiosity to seek answers to questions, truthfulness to be honest with yourself and others about your experience of your church’s culture, and wisdom to discern the blessings from the boulders.