What defines our church?

Every church has a culture—a way of living, loving, and serving that shapes who we are and how others see us. It goes deeper than programs, events, or even vision statements. Culture answers the question: What kind of church are we?

There’s an old song that asks a piercing question:

I wonder what kind of church would my church be,
If every member was just like me?

The song goes on to reflect on prayer, evangelism, generosity, repentance, and responsibility. Each verse drives home the truth that the culture of the church is not “out there somewhere”—it’s shaped by the everyday lives of its members.

• Souls being saved → Culture of evangelism and invitation
• Prayers being answered → Culture of intercessory prayer
• Burdens being carried → Culture of community and hospitality
• Generous giving → Culture of sacrifice and stewardship
• Hearts on fire again → Culture of repentance

When these become part of who we are, they shape the very DNA of the church.

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Why Culture Matters

It’s been said: “Culture eats vision for lunch.” You can have the best mission statement or the most creative strategy, but without a biblical culture, vision fizzles. It will be too small, too fragile, and too short-lived.

That’s why we need to ask ourselves some hard but necessary questions:

• Do you feel that you are being prayed for?
• Are you praying for the lost and the needs of others? Does that prayer drive you to action?
• Are you inviting people to Christ? To church?
• Are you building meaningful relationships with church members?
• Are you reaching into the community and promoting the welfare of the city?
• Are you seeing and responding to needs beyond a casual wave?
• Are you growing in your knowledge of God’s Word?
• Are you serving faithfully through your spiritual gifts?

Our honest answers reveal the true culture of our church.

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The Danger of a Worldly Culture

The church cannot afford to mirror the world. As A.W. Pink once said, “The greatest mistake made by the church today is substituting the methods of the world for the power of the Holy Spirit.”

James 4:4 warns us plainly:

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

If our culture looks no different than the culture of the world, we’ve lost our salt and light.

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The Foundation of Our Culture

The culture of the church must flow from Christ Himself, the one who builds His church.

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18)

• He will build it → We must rely on Him for everything.
• He builds it on the truth of who He is → Our culture must be rooted in the gospel.
• He builds for His own possession → The church belongs to Him, not us.
• He builds for victory → The church was made to advance, not retreat.

Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 3:11–13, reminding us that Christ is the foundation, but we are called to build upon it with the right materials. Bob Russell summarized it well:

“He measures effectiveness in terms of faithfulness to His Word, conformity to Jesus Christ, and ministry to those in need.”

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The Culture We’re Committed To

If Christ has saved us, then we are committed to shaping our church culture in ways that honor Him. That means we pursue:

• A culture of intercessory prayer
• A culture of invitation and evangelism
• A culture of hospitality and community
• A culture of learning and growing in the Word
• A culture of response to needs
• A culture of repentance and humility
• A culture of worship and surrender

Because the gospel saves us, our church is called to live in a way that reflects His heart—for each other, for our community, and for the world.

So let’s ask again: What defines our church? May the answer always be—Christ and His kingdom.