Church planters – when you're starting your church, you're creating a culture, whether you realize it or not.

The language you use, the stories you tell, the pictures you paint of the future, the things you place emphasis on – all of it is creating the culture of your church. 

Here's why it's important to realize this: because sometimes we can create a culture we don't want without even realizing it. 

– "We start a few minutes late because people are always running late." Do that and you're rewarding bad behavior. Start on time and reward those who are punctual. 

– "He's a good guy, even if he isn't always faithful." Don't deal with problems and you'll reward the slackers and neglect the star players on your team. 

– "I don't have time to develop leaders. I need to spend some time with some folks that are upset in our church." We don't usually say it, but it happens all the time. It's "Squeaky Wheel" Syndrome.

What's the point? The people in your church are a product of the culture you create. If you're frustrated with those in your church, it might be time to start creating a new culture that blesses and inspires good behavior. 

For a resource that talks about how we created a culture of evangelism at Calvary, check out "Creating a Culture of Evangelism" by clicking here.