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Transforming
Your Church from the Inside Out
Robert Lewis, Teaching Pastor at Fellowship
Bible Church in Little Rock, AR, and
Wayne Cordeiro, Senior Pastor of New
Hope Christian Fellowship in Honolulu,
HI, know a thing or two about the
importance of a church's culture.
In fact, they've now written the book
on the subject - Culture Shift:
Transforming Your Church from the
Inside Out (Jossey-Bass |
Robert
Lewis & Wayne Cordeiro |
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2005). Leadership Network recently asked
Robert and Wayne to talk with us about how
a church's culture impacts its future.
LN: Both of you have written
extensively on a variety of topics. What
was the "tipping point" that moved
you to write on culture? |
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AUTHORS:
We initially got together to write a book
on a completely different subject. As we
started discussing our plans, we began to
realize that many pastors we both were talking
with seemed to be worn out by more and more
programs. They were tired of trying to find
a "quick fix" solution for their
churches when their real issues were much
deeper. We became increasingly convinced
that only a fundamental shift in a church's
beliefs and values, and the way leadership
expresses and calls the church to those
values, would give the new life the pastors
are looking for. We both believe that so
strongly and passionately, that it became
the driving force of the book. |
LN:
You've subtitled the book "Transforming
Your Church from the Inside Out." How does
that work?
AUTHORS: We believe that the core issue of
a church's life is the set of beliefs and values
its leadership really holds, as opposed to
what it may say it holds. Those values can best
be summarized in the word "culture." It's
the DNA that drives a church. We wanted to help
pastors and serious laypeople recognize their church's
culture - who sets it and how it develops.
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Non-faith-based
Partnerships?
An increasing number of externally focused congregations
are partnering with other community organizations
that may not even be faith-based. Examples?
Hospices. Domestic violence intervention centers.
YMCAs. Urban ministries. Homeless shelters.
. . and many others.
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Now
and Then. . .
A little over 20 years ago, the first Leadership
Network forum was held at Glen Eyrie Christian
Conference Center in Colorado Springs. |
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Good
Students, Good Teachers
If you're thinking of moving into a multi-site
ministry, learn from the experts - those churches
that are already successfully pursuing this
form of ministry. |
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