Leadership Journal

Aurora Advent Christian Church, located just outside of Chicago, was stuck. The church was dynamic in many ways. The leaders were talented and highly motivated, but as a unit, something was wrong.

The first things I noticed were the signs—in the office, in the gymnasium, on the doors to the bathroom. The place was plastered with "do not's."

1. Do not bounce balls on the wall.
2. Do not wear black-soled shoes.
3. Do not leave the lights on.
4. Do not sit here.

Each notice was signed: "The Trustees."

The meetings I attended were formal, focused on procedure and rules. Yet everyone seemed so friendly, warm, and passionate about ministry. When I took a direct, left-brain approach and told leaders they were overly focused on the business of the church, it did not go well.

On a return visit, I focused on trying to understand the church's code. I took a more intuitive, right-brain approach. In focus groups, I asked people to go back as far as they could in memory and recall first or powerful experiences with church. I was amazed to hear their stories.

"It was the one place each week where Mom and Dad were with me."

"I remember holding Mom's hand, and it was the only place where I held her hand each week."

"I remember going to Grandma's house after church."

Nearly all of the people told me of deep experiences relating to family. It didn't take a genius to figure it out: the church's code was all about family—warmth, caring, and connection. In leading the church like a business, Aurora Advent Christian had become a stranger to its own code.

Meeting with the leaders, I explained what I'd heard and what I sensed was their code. Then I asked: "In your board meetings, do you function more like a government agency or a family?"

There was a long silence. One by one, they admitted: government agency. They vowed to be more like a family.

By appealing to their code, I gave them "permission" to change, to operate more in line with their DNA.

What is code? It's the essence or soul of a church. We can talk about what code does, which is to shape the face of how the church displays itself to the world. Code is the often unspoken assumptions that shape a church's vision, values, and mission. It's subtly mirrored in a church's symbols, stories, and history. It is difficult to define because it is invisible, like the air we breathe.

But perhaps code is most easily understood when things are out of alignment, when something isn't quite right. In fact, a church incongruent with its code is the single greatest cause of conflict I see, and it creates far more damage than clashes over worship styles or even theological differences. Incongruence with code can be highly destructive.

For example, several years ago when Sears launched "the softer side of Sears" campaign, it landed on deaf ears. Why? Because when people think of Sears, they think of tools and appliances, not nightgowns and dress suits. It didn't fit their code. Healthy churches have a clear sense of identity. They know their code. And they don't readily deviate from it.

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