Creating Culture

I'm reading an interesting new book called By Design or Default: Creating a Church Culture that Works. Of course, the principles can apply to any home or business as well. Here are four insights about church culture--whether created by design or default:

• Your culture is your packaging and presentation of the Gospel
• Culture determines who attends your church
• Whatever a culture is--it grows.
• A created culture is always evolving

In a different chapter, he talks about becoming a culture-creating leader. There he gives six practices of culture-creating leaders:

• Serve with humility.
• Endorse God's plan of abundant life.
• Exude a high value on individuals.
• Set an example of excellence.
• Proclaim that God is faithful.
• Communicate the life giving nature of God.

Barthalow Blog

Here's the link for the Barthalow blog to find out what's happening in India. There are some cool pictures. I talked to Jonathan last week and he's doing great--facing the normal challenges of culture shock with monkeys on the roof, ants in the bed, no water for days, and a 20 minute hike from your house to a car. I have an even greater respect for missionaries after talking with him.

Here's the link. You can only look--you can't post responses. Or, at least, I couldn't figure out how.

http://web.mac.com/barthalowsinindia/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

General Council Report

Here's the update from General Coucil. Our slate of officers looks like this:

General Superintendent--Dr. George Wood (new)
Assistant General Superintendent--Rev. Alton Garrison (new)
General Secretary--Rev. John Palmer (new)
General Treasurer--Rev. James Bridges (not up for re-election at this council)
World Mission--Rev. John Bueno (returned to office)
US Missions--Rev. Zollie Smith (new)

There were a couple of intersting facts in this list of officers:

Zollie Smith is the first African-American to be elected as an officer.
Dr. George O. Wood is first person with an earned doctorate to be elected superintendent.
John Palmer is the second officer to have pastored First Assembly in Des Moines (Charles Crabtree was the other).