Culture Talk 1

Culture: Beliefs, standards, and expectations. It is the unwritten code that determines behaviors in our organization.

Establishing the Why

WHY?

Craig Groschel says, “Every Organization has a culture. Some organizations define their culture and other organizations culture exist by default.

Culture: Beliefs, standards, and expectations. It is the unwritten code that determines behaviors in our organization.

Pastoring here for 11 years, I came to the realization that the culture that exist here has happened by default. Some of the things that are here by default are because of the grace of the Lord Jesus and these are good. Other things that exist in this culture are here because we have allowed them to exist and they are not so good.

Example: I think a great aspect of the culture of Bridge of Faith is that we will welcome anyone to come worship with us. We will not judge them based up on look or lifestyle they are welcome here. This is a positive to our culture that exist here. I would say a negative or toxic thing that has been allowed to exist is that because we welcome people in so well that we are not always concerned about moving their lives closer to Jesus. Yes we welcome you in but we want you to grow closer to Jesus. Being so welcoming has created a culture that people can live however they want and still serve and worship with Bridge of Faith.

Again this is just an example. Some of you are wanting to defend and cry foul because I brought this up. Continue to listen.

I have a dream about culture. The dream would come from the Lord’s prayer.

Matthew 6:10 HCSB

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The dream I have about culture is this. That the kingdom in heaven would exist and dwell on Earth. I know Jesus is coming and we long for His return when the Kingdom of Heaven comes. So can we ever actually achieve this? I do know Jesus ask us to pray that the Kingdom of Heaven would come and that His will would be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. What does the kingdom of Heaven on Earth look like and the will of Jesus being carried out on earth as it is in Heaven?

Transforming generations that transform communities. I dream of a space for kids and adults where people love Jesus. I dream of a space for kids and adults where people love each other deeply. I dream of people loving each other so well that people come to know Christ as a result by our love for one another. Life is tough and life is especially tough for some who call this area home. What if those who call themselves the church loved each other so much that people wanted to be a part of what Jesus is doing.

Practically I believe this is a place where people take time to out serve one another, people are willing to lay down their lives for each other, people strive to make things better without being told, people desire to represent Jesus in all work, children are loved and cared for, gossip stops, people care enough to hold each other accountable.

(Insert Loving each other)

John 17:20–23 HCSB

20 I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. 21 May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me. 22 I have given them the glory You have given Me. May they be one as We are one. 23 I am in them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so the world may know You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

I love what Francis Chan in His book Letters to the church says about this…

“Jesus’ prayer was not that we would just get along and avoid church splits. His prayer was that we would become “perfectly one”. He prayed this because our oneness was designed to be the way to prove that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus said the purpose of our unity was “so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them.”

This does not seem to make sense. Our unity causes others to know that Jesus is the One who was sent by the father. A lot of other things in scripture don’t make sense either like walking around a city seven times so that the wall collapses.

Church unity doesn’t seem as though it would result in people getting saved, but we see this happen in the book of Acts.

Philippians 1:27–28 HCSB

27 Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your deliverance —and this is from God.

Us being united causes those who oppose us to see a sign of their destruction. May the culture of Bridge of Faith improve so that more people come to know Jesus and His Kingdom comes and His will is done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Tonight I have asked you to be here to see a dream become reality. I brought us together because I believe in you all and I don’t want this to be something that I just create in my office. I want this to be something the whole church embraces and we start to define the culture of Bridge of Faith. Open your heart, minds and let’s see what Jesus wants to do at Bridge of Faith and in Rockaway Beach. Cameron is going to share some things with you to get us thinking. I have asked Bre then to come and facilitate some questions. We will need someone to be the speaker at each table and someone to be the scribe. You can start thinking about that.

Conclusion:

(Video)

Rockaway Beach is a unique place to live, work and play. We know the struggles that exist. These struggles have been here for a long time. What if at Bridge of Faith we could go against these struggles? I have this image in my head of kayaking up Lake Taneycomo when all the flood gates are open. What if instead of a kayak alone we could all get in a row boat and together go against the current struggles that exist in our culture. Peter Drucker said culture eats strategy for breakfast. Our strategy at Bridge of Faith is to Transform Generations that Transform Communities. This is our strategy but perhaps the culture at Bridge of Faith is eating our strategy for breakfast.

I desire a different way. I desire that those at Bridge of Faith would choose to be in the row boat working to go against the culture that currently exists in a new way.