Your church culture is either multiplying disciples or quietly driving them away, and most pastors don't realize which until it's too late.

Jeff Dalrymple's recent Church Leaders article challenges a dangerous assumption: that a church’s culture is shaped by vision statements and values posted in the lobby. The reality is far more concrete. Church culture lives in the unwritten rules of how members interact, how staff are supported when they're struggling, and how leaders respond when criticism emerges. It's the soil your congregation grows in, and like Jesus taught in the parable of the soils, the condition of that ground determines everything about the harvest.

Dalrymple draws on the Hebrew concept of tov, the goodness God declared over creation in Genesis 1, to define what healthy church culture should reflect. A "goodness culture" isn't soft or sentimental; it's rooted in God's character and pursues Christlikeness through grace, justice, and compassion in every interaction. When church cultures become toxic, priorities become skewed and people stop being valued as God values them. But most toxicity doesn't announce itself in dramatic failures; instead, iit grows quietly in the administrative corners we consider "less spiritual."

Here's what this means for your church: Thriving congregations embed their values into insurance decisions, HR policies, child safety protocols, and conflict resolution processes. Rather than distracting from real ministry, these kinds of choices are the infrastructure that either protects or undermines everything you're building.

Three ways to audit and strengthen your church culture this week:

Lessons From a ‘Misfit Church’: 5 Principles for Rural Church Growth | Lifeway Research

Iron City Church in Blacksburg, South Carolina has baptized 36 people in 2025, seven times the median for small-town churches. Someone in town called them the "misfit church," and pastors Phillip Martin and Ashby Pruitt embrace the label. Their congregation of 200 draws outcasts, addicts, and those who never felt at home among stained glass and steeples. The church's explosive growth in a struggling railroad town reveals five transferable principles: genuine love between pastors and people creates safety, lowering barriers to entry welcomes seekers, meeting practical needs builds trust, creating belonging before requiring belief gives space for the Holy Spirit to work, and celebrating every story of redemption fuels momentum for more.

Quick application: This week, identify one barrier in your church that keeps "misfits" at arm's length, whether it's dress expectations, insider language, or complex membership processes. Find a way to address it.

The Leadership Pipeline Crisis Churches Can't Ignore | Outreach Magazine

The median U.S. pastor is 52 years old, yet less than 40% prioritize developing a leadership pipeline and succession plan. With a quarter of pastors hoping to retire soon, the church faces a crisis: seminary enrollment is plummeting, while average seminary debt exceeds $66,000. The result? Thirty percent of new pastors leave ministry within five years. Organizations like Leadership Pathway and Trellis are helping churches bridge this gap through two-year residency programs that provide time for hands-on training, financial support to reduce debt burdens, and real ministry opportunities beyond "picking weeds and mopping floors."

Consider: Do you have a succession plan in place? Are you actively identifying and investing in potential future leaders? If not, start the conversation with your board this month about creating a two-year leadership development pathway.

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