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What are the important first steps a church should undertake if it realizes that it needs to develop a new church culture?

Wayne Cordeiro responds in our Ask the Experts discussion.
I co-authored a book, Culture-Shift, that deals with this issue. These are a few lessons included in that book.

1. Huddle and assess the present.
Begin by assessing your present culture and your attitude towards it. Your job is to develop a healthy atmosphere and let the Holy Spirit do the work through you. Involve your board members and get their input. Ask what is opening doors right now and what kinds of encounters with God people are finding irresistible.

2. Assess your role in shaping the future.
As a leader of the church, a new kingdom vision must flow out of you before it will convince anyone else. Search your heart first before you shift the culture.

3. List and enlist. List the concrete values that would exemplify a positive, biblical culture. Enlist buy-in from your leaders; talk and teach them through healthy dialogue and discussion. Be patient. This takes time, but your goal is to have a majority of the board and staff embrace these new values with you. You might begin by telling people what will not change. For example, "What will never change around here is God's original ...

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