A Framework for a Healthier Church Staff Culture

From decades of serving at churches and years of consulting with churches, I’ve learned that staff culture always starts at the top.

I learned this most prominently when I joined Willow Creek as Executive Pastor in 2020.

It was a challenging time for Willow and the world in the thick of COVID, Willow’s leadership transitions, and tragedies like George Floyd’s murder.

I had years of “knowing” what to do in these situations, but facing unprecedented challenges all at once was daunting, and I learned a ton through that experience.

That’s why Holly Tate and I hosted this webinar where she interviewed me on my experience at Willow and we shared the practical process we use at LeadingSmart to help churches build healthier staff cultures that last.

We talk about how to get an honest picture of your current culture, define the values and behaviors you want to see, and build the rhythms and systems that make those values part of the air your team breathes.

We cover:

• How to assess what’s really happening in your culture
• Why values have to become behaviors, not just words on a wall
• How leadership clarity shapes the rest of the organization
• The systems and rhythms that reinforce culture every day
• How to celebrate what you want repeated

Healthy culture isn’t a one-time initiative. It’s something leaders build, reinforce, and protect over time.

If you lead a church staff or executive team and want to be more intentional about the culture you’re creating, this conversation is for you.