Workshop Notes

• Taught by: Dr. Mike Lester
• President: Veritas Baptist College
• Hosted by: Hoschton Baptist Church
• Date: August 22, 2026

Free Resource

• Free Book: Anchored Culture by Dr. Mike Lester
• Link: Vbc.edu/culture

FOUNDATION: WHAT IS HEALTHY CULTURE?

Core Definition

Healthy leadership culture is the intentional cultivation of values, relationships, and practices that enable God's people to fulfill the Great Commission together.

• Every church has a culture.
• Every ministry has a culture.
• Every staff has a culture.
• Culture is more than:
• Atmosphere
• Personality
• Programs
• Organization
• Culture develops when people repeatedly live out certain:
• Values
• Attitudes
• Relationships
• Practices

The Question

• The question is not, "Do we have a culture?"
• The question is:
• Is our culture healthy?
• Does it reflect the mind of Christ?

CULTURE IS NOT THE MISSION

Key Distinction

Culture isn't the mission. It creates the environment where the mission can flourish.

• Christ has already given us the mission.
• We are to:
• Make disciples
• Fulfill the Great Commission
• Culture is the environment in which we pursue that mission.

Warning

A church can have:

• The right mission statement
• The right doctrine
• Effective programs
• Visible growth
• Impressive accomplishments

And still develop an unhealthy culture.

Culture cannot be treated as secondary.

THE DEFINING PRINCIPLE

Philippians 2:5

"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

Before asking:

• What are we going to accomplish?
• Where are we going?
• What are we going to build?
• What are we going to grow?

Ask:

What kind of people are we becoming while we accomplish it?

The culture of a Christian ministry should increasingly reflect:

• The mind of Christ
• The character of Christ
• The humility of Christ
• The servant heart of Christ

Healthy Culture Is:

• Built intentionally
• Guarded vigilantly
• Recognized by fruit

Culture rarely stays healthy accidentally.

THE CULTURE ICEBERG

Culture has both visible and invisible elements.

Visible Elements

Easier to see and easier to change

• Environment
• Behaviours
• Metrics

Environment

• What does the church feel like?
• Is there:
• Joy?
• Tension?
• Warmth?
• Coldness?
• Excellence?
• Carelessness?

Behaviours

• What do people regularly do?
• How do they:
• Speak?
• Respond?
• Serve?
• Handle disagreements?
• Treat each other?

Metrics

• Attendance
• Giving
• Participation
• Growth
• Ministry involvement

These are visible, but they are only the top of the iceberg.

THE INVISIBLE ELEMENTS

Harder to see and harder to change

• Beliefs
• Values
• Assumptions

These answer questions like:

• What do we really believe?
• What do we truly value?
• What assumptions guide our decisions?
• What do we believe about people?
• What do we believe about leadership?
• What do we believe about failure?
• What do we believe about conflict?
• What do we believe matters most?

Principle

The invisible eventually produces the visible.

If unhealthy beliefs, values, or assumptions exist beneath the surface, they will eventually show themselves in:

• Behaviour
• Relationships
• Leadership
• Decisions
• Results

HOW CULTURE IS ACTUALLY BUILT

Culture Is Caught More Than Taught

A church can:

• Put values on a wall
• Print them in a handbook
• Discuss them in meetings
• Preach them publicly

Those things help.

But people learn the real culture by watching what leaders actually do.

Culture Is:

• Modeled personally
• Reinforced consistently

Examples

If leaders:

• Talk about grace but punish every mistake harshly
• People learn that mistakes are dangerous.
• Talk about humility but always have to be right
• People learn that status matters more than humility.
• Talk about people mattering but sacrifice people for efficiency
• People learn that productivity matters more than people.

What leaders repeatedly model communicates more than what leaders occasionally say.

HOW CULTURE SPREADS

1. CELEBRATE What Reflects Your Values

What gets celebrated gets repeated.

Celebrate:

• Humility
• Faithfulness
• Service
• Integrity
• Generosity
• Excellence
• Sacrifice
• Teamwork

Celebration says:

"This is who we want to be."

2. CONFRONT What Undermines Your Values

What leaders refuse to address eventually becomes accepted.

Examples:

• Gossip
• Disrespect
• Dishonesty
• Laziness
• Arrogance
• Division
• Unhealthy behavior

Principle

What we tolerate helps define our culture.

If something unhealthy is repeatedly ignored, people eventually assume:

"This must be acceptable here."

3. REWARD What You Want Developed

Ask:

• Who receives responsibility?
• Who receives influence?
• Who receives praise?
• Who gets promoted?
• Who gets trusted?

Those decisions teach everyone what really matters.

Organizations communicate their priorities through what they reward.

4. TELL STORIES That Embody the Culture

Tell stories about:

• People who served sacrificially
• Leaders who chose humility
• Someone who did the right thing when it cost them
• Someone who cared for another person
• Someone who demonstrated integrity
• Someone who quietly showed faithfulness

Stories give values flesh and blood.

WHAT GUESTS ACTUALLY REMEMBER

Most guests will never read your organizational values statement.

They may never know the words you use to describe your culture.

But they will experience it.

They remember:

• How they were greeted
• Whether people felt joyful or tense
• Whether leaders spoke respectfully to one another
• Whether excellence seemed intentional
• Whether people genuinely cared for one another

Guests notice:

• Whether people seem glad to be there
• Whether volunteers seem joyful or irritated
• Whether leaders respect one another
• Whether people seem to matter
• Whether the ministry seems thoughtful or careless

Key Truth

A guest may not be able to define your culture, but they can feel it.

This is culture, and it must be protected.

FOUR ANCHORS TO GUARD CULTURE CONVICTIONALLY

Healthy culture requires convictions that remain in place even on hard days.

It is easy to talk about values when everything is going well.

The real test comes when protecting those values becomes inconvenient.

1. VALUES BEFORE VISION

The invisible comes before the visible.

We often ask:

• Where are we going?
• What are we trying to accomplish?
• What is the next goal?

But another question must come first:

Who will we be while we pursue where God is leading?

Vision

• Describes where we are going.

Values

• Describe who we will be while getting there.

Danger

If vision becomes more important than values, leaders may justify unhealthy behavior because it appears to help accomplish the goal.

Healthy ministries refuse to sacrifice their values in order to accomplish their vision.

2. PEOPLE BEFORE PAPERWORK

Relationships matter more than processes or efficiency.

We need:

• Processes
• Policies
• Procedures
• Organization
• Paperwork

But all of those things exist to serve people.

People do not exist to serve the system.

Healthy Ministry

A healthy ministry never becomes so committed to procedure that it forgets the person standing in front of it.

3. CHARACTER BEFORE COMPETENCE

Who you are matters more than what you can do.

Competence matters.

We want:

• Capable leaders
• Skilled workers
• Effective ministry
• People who do their jobs well

But talent cannot compensate for a lack of character.

Someone can be:

• Gifted and unhealthy
• Successful and dishonest
• Productive and prideful
• Talented and destructive

Someone can possess remarkable leadership ability and still damage the people around them.

Biblical Priority

Character before competence.

4. EXCELLENCE HONORS GOD

Excellence is a spiritual discipline, not perfectionism or ego.

Excellence does not mean:

• Everything must be flawless
• We must have the most money
• We must have the newest equipment
• We must have the most impressive facilities

Excellence means:

• We intentionally give God our best.
• We steward what He has given us.
• We prepare because people matter.
• We follow through because faithfulness matters.
• We pay attention because representing Christ matters.

Critical Truth

A ministry can accomplish its vision and lose its soul.

A ministry may:

• Reach the attendance goal
• Raise the money
• Finish the project
• Build the program
• Become widely known

But if the process produces:

• Fear
• Pride
• Broken relationships
• Dishonesty
• Spiritual damage

Then accomplishing the vision did not make the culture healthy.

ANCHORING CULTURE IN BIBLICAL VALUES

Values should transcend:

• Personality
• Vision
• Methods

Methods Change

Personalities Differ

Vision Develops

Biblical Values Remain

Values answer:

"Who are we going to be while we pursue where God is leading us?"

FOUR CORE VALUES

1. TRUTH

Truth anchors everything in reality and Scripture.

Healthy cultures:

• Tell the truth
• Do not manipulate information
• Do not pretend everything is fine when it is not
• Allow Scripture to define reality
• Refuse to let personalities define truth

2. INTEGRITY

Integrity is internal consistency between belief and action.

Integrity means:

• What we say matches what we do
• Private reality matches public presentation
• Our behavior reflects our stated beliefs

Goal

Not merely to appear healthy.

The goal is to actually be healthy.

3. HUMILITY

Humility means preferring the interests of others and embracing servant leadership.

Humility does not mean weakness.

A humble leader can:

• Listen
• Admit mistakes
• Learn
• Receive correction
• Let someone else receive credit
• Serve without recognition
• Allow someone else to be right

A humble leader does not need to win every argument.

Principle

Ministry cannot primarily be about us.

4. EXCELLENCE

Excellence honors God through intentional, high-quality work.

Excellence means:

• Giving attention to what God has entrusted to us
• Caring about details
• Preparing well
• Following through
• Rejecting laziness
• Rejecting prideful perfectionism

THE FRUIT OF HEALTHY CULTURE

Healthy culture produces recognizable relational fruit.

TRUST Rather Than Fear

People should not constantly wonder:

• Will one mistake ruin everything?
• Am I safe telling the truth?
• Will leadership embarrass me?
• Will I be punished for asking a question?

Healthy accountability produces security rather than fear.

COMMITMENT Rather Than Mere Compliance

There is a difference between:

• Doing something because you believe in the mission

and

• Doing something because you are afraid to say no

Healthy culture produces:

Genuine commitment.

UNITY Without Demanding Uniformity

Unity does not require:

• Same personality
• Same preferences
• Same opinions
• Same methods

Healthy teams can:

• Disagree
• Discuss
• Differ

And still:

• Love one another
• Respect one another
• Pursue the same mission

ACCOUNTABILITY Without Humiliation

Healthy culture does not ignore problems.

It addresses them.

But accountability should seek:

• Restoration
• Growth
• Correction
• Maturity

Not:

• Embarrassment
• Shame
• Humiliation

Correction does not require humiliation.

HUMILITY Over Personality-Centered Leadership

The ministry should never revolve around building one person's personal empire.

Biblical leadership:

• Points beyond itself
• Serves others
• Shares credit
• Develops others

SHARED MISSION Over Personal Empire-Building

Healthy leaders understand:

This is God's work.

The goal is not:

• My platform
• My reputation
• My ministry empire

The goal is:

• God's glory
• God's people
• God's mission

THE PRACTICE TEST

Culture is recognized by what is practiced, not merely proclaimed.

A ministry's real values are revealed by repeated behavior.

WHAT DO WE CELEBRATE?

Ask:

• What gets praised?
• What gets repeated?
• What stories receive attention?
• What behavior causes leadership to say:
• "That is exactly what we want."

Principle

Whatever you repeatedly celebrate becomes part of the culture.

WHAT DO WE TOLERATE?

Ask:

• What do we overlook?
• What unhealthy behaviors continue without being addressed?
• What has slowly become normal?

Principle

What we tolerate sends a powerful cultural message.

WHAT DO WE CONFRONT?

Ask:

• What do we actively address?
• What matters enough for us to have a difficult conversation?
• What are we willing to protect?

Principle

Healthy confrontation demonstrates:

Some things matter enough to protect.

WHAT DO WE REWARD?

Ask:

• Who gets promoted?
• Who gets trusted?
• Who receives influence?
• Who receives responsibility?
• What qualities earn greater opportunities?

Those decisions communicate values.

WHAT HAPPENS UNDER PRESSURE?

Pressure often reveals culture better than ordinary circumstances.

When something goes wrong:

• Do leaders become controlling?
• Do people start blaming each other?
• Does communication disappear?
• Do people become fearful?
• Does honesty decrease?

Or do leaders remain:

• Humble
• Truthful
• Gracious
• Steady
• Committed to one another

Key Truth

Your honest answers reveal your actual culture.

DEVELOPING CULTURE INTENTIONALLY

We must consider the WHO before the WHAT.

Leadership often focuses on the WHAT:

• What are we going to accomplish?
• What program are we going to start?
• What building are we going to construct?
• What ministry are we going to launch?
• What numbers are we trying to reach?

Scripture also forces us to consider the WHO:

• Who are we becoming?
• What kind of leaders are we becoming?
• What kind of people are we producing?
• Are we becoming more like Christ?

The WHO must come before the WHAT.

PAUL'S TEACHING ON THE WHO

Philippians 2:2-11

Paul calls believers to:

• Be like-minded
• Have the same love
• Be of one accord
• Do nothing from strife
• Do nothing from vain glory
• Esteem others better than yourself
• Look to the interests of others
• Have the mind of Christ

Christ Is the Model

Jesus:

• Humbled Himself
• Served
• Sacrificed
• Considered the interests of others

Therefore

Christian ministry culture should be intentionally shaped by:

The mind of Christ.

THE GAP

Compare two realities:

What Paul Calls People to Become

versus

What Guests Actually Experience

Ask:

• We say we value humility.
• Do people experience humble leadership?
• We say we value people.
• Do people actually feel valued?
• We say we value unity.
• Do people observe unity between leaders?
• We say we value excellence.
• Is our work prepared and intentional?
• We say we value grace.
• How do we respond when someone fails?

Key Principle

This gap is culture.

WHAT HEALTHY CULTURE IS NOT

Healthy culture is not automatically proven by:

• ✗ Numerical growth
• ✗ Organizational efficiency
• ✗ Charismatic leadership
• ✗ Large budgets
• ✗ Successful programs
• ✗ Public influence
• ✗ A compelling vision

All of those things may exist in a healthy ministry.

But none of them proves the culture is healthy.

Examples

A church may:

• Grow numerically while leaders are exhausted and fearful
• Operate efficiently while relationships become cold
• Have a charismatic leader who creates an unhealthy environment
• Have a large budget while lacking humility
• Have successful programs while lacking integrity

You can have all these and still lose your soul.

THE CORE TENSION

Guard Culture Vigilantly

Unattended cultures always drift.

Culture drifts because:

• People become tired
• Pressure increases
• Success creates temptation
• Problems arise
• Shortcuts become attractive
• Methods slowly become more important than values

THE CRITICAL QUESTION

What happens when maintaining the vision becomes more important than maintaining the values?

When that happens, there is a serious problem.

Remember:

• Values are what you live by.
• Vision is where you're going.

Values must come first.

WHAT IF VISION AND VALUES CONFLICT?

If reaching the goal requires dishonesty:

• The goal must wait.

If accomplishing the vision requires sacrificing people:

• Something is wrong.

If growth requires abandoning humility:

• The growth is too expensive.

If protecting the institution becomes more important than truth and integrity:

• The culture is already drifting.

Principle

We should be willing to adjust the vision before abandoning biblical values.

IMPLEMENTATION MINDSET

Healthy culture does not simply happen.

BUILT INTENTIONALLY

Culture is built through:

• Clear modeling
• Consistent reinforcement
• Intentional leadership
• Repeated practice

Leaders must demonstrate the values they want others to embrace.

GUARDED VIGILANTLY

Drift is:

• Natural
• Constant
• Often gradual

Leaders must pay attention when unhealthy:

• Attitudes
• Behaviours
• Habits
• Practices

Begin appearing.

RECOGNIZED BY FRUIT

Healthy culture produces:

• Trustworthiness
• Commitment
• Genuine care
• Humility
• Unity
• Accountability without shame

The fruit tells us what kind of culture is actually developing.

DETERMINED BY PRACTICE

Culture is not determined by:

• What is written on the wall
• What is printed in the handbook
• What leaders say publicly

Culture is determined by:

What people actually do.

Especially:

What people do under pressure.

LEADERSHIP APPLICATION

Leadership is more than:

• Casting vision
• Managing programs
• Building systems
• Measuring results

A major responsibility of leadership is creating an environment where biblical values are:

• Visible
• Practiced
• Celebrated
• Reinforced
• Protected

LEADERS SHAPE CULTURE BY:

• The way they speak
• The way they respond to mistakes
• What they celebrate
• What they tolerate
• What they confront
• Whom they trust
• How they handle disagreement
• Whether they keep their word
• Whether they admit when they are wrong
• Whether people are treated as valuable when they are inconvenient

Remember

Culture is being shaped every day.

The question is:

Are we shaping it intentionally?

QUESTIONS FOR LEADERSHIP REFLECTION

1. Which values are strongest in our culture right now?

Where do we already see:

• Truth
• Integrity
• Humility
• Excellence

Being practiced consistently?

2. Which values are under pressure or drifting?

• What needs renewed attention?
• What unhealthy habits are beginning to become normal?
• What should we address now before it becomes part of the culture?

3. What would guests say about our culture?

What would an outside observer say we:

• Celebrate?
• Tolerate?
• Confront?
• Reward?

Not what do we think we do.

What would they actually see?

4. Are we protecting values even when it costs us vision?

Ask:

• Are there goals we would delay rather than violate our values?
• Are there opportunities we would reject rather than compromise?
• Are there growth opportunities that would cost too much culturally?

5. How are we intentionally modeling the mind of Christ?

Ask:

If people imitate the attitudes and practices of our leadership, will they become more like Christ?

FINAL PRINCIPLE

Healthy culture is not simply about creating:

• A pleasant workplace
• A friendly church
• An efficient organization
• A successful ministry

It is about intentionally creating an environment where God's people can:

• Pursue God's mission
• Serve one another
• Grow in biblical character
• Become more like Christ

Four Anchors

Values before vision.

People before paperwork.

Character before competence.

Excellence honors God.

Healthy Culture Is:

• Built intentionally
• Guarded vigilantly
• Recognized by its fruit

And ultimately:

The goal is not merely to create a successful ministry.

The goal is to develop a ministry culture where the mind of Christ is visible in the way God's people serve Him and one another.