Values + Vision + Language (over time) = Culture

What is culture? Loosely defined, I think of culture as something people do without thinking. culture emanates from what we value, which inevitably becomes the way we see life (vision). When communicated consistently over time, what we value becomes the culture of that people group.

Done over time, these factors eventually shape their culture, or the way they do life.

So shaping culture starts with what we value. When I say “values,” I’m not talking about the slogans or taglines we print on church bulletins or the words we post on the walls. Values are simply the things that are most important. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

That’s why values are the starting point; they emanate from the heart. I’m convinced that all of the decisions we make knowingly or unknowingly are based on what we value.

Here in Esbjerg we have recently started a new and exciting process where we are discovering and re-discovering our core values. We imagine that this process will lead us into the middle of 2015.

– Matt Thomas (Senior Pastor)