Cultural Analysis

A Blended Family: A Cultural Analysis of The Church of the Good Shepherd Kenyon G. Stanley Queens University of Charlotte

Cultural Analysis

Introduction
Churches in America are declining in population. In fact, according the Ross, B.J. (2009), The number of men, women and children in the pews has dipped to the lowest level since a comprehensive effort to count members began in 1980 (p.1). This decline has caused many church leaders to question the mission, values and goals of their respective church bodies and denominations that have been a staple of American culture since its birth. Experts vary on why the church is seeing such a noticeable decline. Some blame lower birth rates while other blame an overall complacency (Gross, 2009). Whatever the reason may be, the fact remains that churches all across America are struggling to survive. So the question that so many small to mid-size congregations tend to ask is, How can our church grow? According to Mark Naylor (2011), A positive connection with cultural insiders that capitalizes on their expertise can mean the difference between success and failure (p.2). So what is a cultural insider? According to Driskill, G.W & Brenton, A. (2011), The root metaphor approach to examining organizational culture focus on three aspects of culture: 1. 2. 3. Culture as shared cognition. Culture as system of shared symbols. Culture as the expression of unconscious process.

This analysis will go beyond the known symbols of the Christian Church (e.g the Cross, Bible and ancient relics). Instead, this report will analyze the opinions of several members at Church of the Good Shepherd in Cornelius, NC for the purpose of examining

Cultural Analysis how conscious and unconscious processes create shared beliefs and assumptions regarding the following cultural traits: y y y y y y y Leadership Diversity Rituals Heroes Outlaws Artifacts Proxemics

After analyzing the data collected, assumptions, key learnings and recommendation will be drawn and given to the leadership at Church of the Good Shepherd. These recommendations will assist leadership in understanding and using their cultural realities to maximize organizational goals and overall effectiveness.

Key Terms
There are several key terms that need to be defined in order to understand their cultural significance and impact at The Church of the Good Shepherd. They are as follows: y Rituals for the purpose of this paper, only non-sacramental rituals and events that take place outside of normal Sunday services will be examined. y Heroes A hero is any individual or group members that embodies church values and are highly respected and looked up to by other members.

Cultural Analysis y Outlaw An outlaw does not carry a pejorative meaning for the purpose of

this report. An organizational outlaw is a someone who goes against organizational practice or values yet are still valued by the organization. y Proxemics For the purpose of this report, the spacing, and general set up of the administrative offices at Church of the Good Shepherd will be examined in order to reveal the cultural significance of such proxemics make-up. y Artifacts For the purpose of this report, artifacts will be examined in order to reveal underlying or hidden values of The Church of the Good Shepherd and examine whether or not valid assumptions can be made.

History of Church of the Good Shepherd

The Church of the Good Shepherd is affiliated with the Anglican Mission in America (AMIA), a missionary outreach of the Anglican Mission of Rwanda. The AMIA began when differences in Biblical interpretation amongst leadership and members of the Episcopalian church drove a large number of parishioners to begin a new denomination. Currently, the AMIA has over 10,000 members in over 1,000 congregations. The AMIA endeavors to partner with individual churches using an intentional relational approach. The Church of the Good Shepherd began in 2001 and initially shared a building with another church outside of the AMIA (Calvary). In 2008, the Church of the Good Shepherd moved their Sunday services to the Lake Norman YMCA while performing administrative duties at Calvary. Recently, The Church of the Good Shepherd has been notified that they will no longer be able to use the space at Calvary. Therefore,

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church leadership has begun to explore new offices for the purpose of fulfilling their mission to their members and community. The mission of the church is to help members and the community experience life beyond belief . The leadership of the church encourages its members to participate in three routinely held fellowship events. They are as follows: y Life Groups an informal affinity group where specific lesson plans are studied amongst church members. y 3-fold groups groups of 3 men or women where men and women can feel free to self-disclose the triumphs and setbacks of life. y Missions members are encouraged to participate in at least one specific mission focus of the church. A full list of approved missions can be found at www.lifebeyondbelief.org. Additionally, The Church of the Good Shepherd is operating with a budget shortfall. The AMIA has been providing The Church of the Good Shepherd with grant funding annually in order to continue operating. Lastly, the church is considered to be small by industry standards with approximately 50 weekly attendees and three paid staff personnel. The three paid staff personnel are the Lead Pastor, Pastor of Children and Youth and Worship Minister. There is one unpaid intern and an volunteer administrative assistant. Methods This observer is a member of The Church of the Good Shepherd. Additionally, I regularly volunteer during church service. For this reason, I found myself in a unique position to explore the cultural climate of the church. As an

Cultural Analysis inside observer, I have acquired the awareness needed to analyze the cultural informally. Upon receiving IRB approval, I began my analysis with several hours of informal observation at both the church services and at the location where the Church handles their administrative duties. This analysis provided me with data pertaining to the artifacts and proxemics inside the church. Data was collected, values were exposed and assumptions were positively made. A total of four observations were made during this matter lasting generally an hour per observation. A simple pen, paper and method note taking was utilized. I recorded any and all observations that occurred to me. In addition to informal observation, I also had the opportunity to conduct a

ethnographical qualitative analysis using a semi-structured interview protocol. The pool of interviewees consisted primarily of church members. Upon receipt of a membership list, I assigned an individual number (separated by gender) to each name and entered the numbers in my computer. I programed my computer to randomly select 10 men and 10 women from the interview pool. Upon receipt of the interview pool, recruitment letters were sent out to the interview candidates. Out of the 20 candidates selected, 3 men and 2 women agreed to the interview. However, some candidates did indicate that she/he would be able to complete the interview after the deadline given to me for this project. Although there were only 5 interviews conducted, each interview took between 30 and 45 minutes. I recorded the data using a pen, paper and general note

Cultural Analysis taking procedure. The interviewees were asked questions pertaining to themes I

had previously generated following additional observations. There were as follows: y y y y y y y Strong Leadership Weak Leadership Level of importance in the rituals Hero qualities Outlaw qualities Artifacts Proxemics

Artifact analyses were also conducted during this time. The Church of the Good Shepherd generates a E newsletter to the members and attendees of the congregation. However, the contents of the newsletter pertained directly to the upcoming Holiday schedule and no relevant cultural data was revealed. I will address this in my Key Learnings and recommendation section further. Lastly, great effort went into protecting the identities of the interviewees. Upon confirmation and set-up of an interview time, a letter and number was assigned to the interviewee. The letter M indicated that the interviewee was male and the letter F indicated that the interviewee was female. The number assigned simply indicated what order the participant interviewed with this researcher.

Themes
During the initial observation phase of this analysis, two themes immediately emerged, and one additional theme emerged later in the study. Throughout the remainder of this analysis, these three concepts continued to be reified by a number

Cultural Analysis

of sources. In the end, these themes revealed the overall definition of The Church of the Good Shepherds organizational culture. Theme 1: Family Metaphor is Effective to Build Church Community The importance of the family metaphor at The Church of the Good Shepherd was the initial theme that emerged. From the very beginning of the analysis, many church members would speak of church activities during informal conversations using the word family as the metaphor during their communications with others. Additionally, during weekly sermons, whomever was delivering the message would greet the church body and refer to the body as family . The importance of family is a shared value of the church as a whole as there are a large number of young families with children that worship together and participate in various affinity groups outside of the traditional Sunday service. The prevalence of the family metaphor also revealed itself during the interview sessions. Out of the 6 interviewees, four of them indicated that meeting for dinners outside the church were one of the most important rituals at The Church of the good Shepherd. When asked why, all of them indicated the importance of families to eat together and the church family is no different. Additionally, all of the interviewees listed Life Group as an important ritual. Life Group is a ritual where dinner is served in a small group setting prior to collectively studying a predetermined Biblical curriculum. Several of the interviewees referred to their Life Group as extended family.

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One interviewee stated, Affinity groups are more effective in building church community . While another said, that people who meet outside of church for church dinners Share the same skin. According to Eisenberg, E.M, Goodall, H.L & Trethewey, A. (2010), organizations that operate under a family metaphor sometimes obscure dysfunctional relationships (148). While this may be true in some organizations, due to the overwhelming emphasis on eating together and relating the experience back to family tells this researcher that the family metaphor is healthy, relevant and highly valued for church leadership and laity. Theme 2: Open Communication is a Valued and Strong Leadership Trait Open communication was the second theme that revealed itself during the interviews. According to Eisenberg et al. (2010) leaders who operate using open communication perceive the other interactant as a willing and receptive listener and refrain from responses that might be perceived as providing negative relational or disconfirming feedback (262). According to the interviews, the church lost several key members last year and was in a transitional phase. One of the questions on the interview questionnaire asked for the interviewee to give an example of when someone in the church modeled strong leadership. There were two leaders mentioned by the interviewees that exemplified strong leadership during this time of trial. When asked why that was an example of strong leadership some of the comments were: The leader showed good character...was able to relay information without blaming anyone.

Cultural Analysis The leader was honest about the ordeal didn t put on a front . The leader

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held an open forum and was transparent. The leader drew the

church together instead of letting gossip divide the church. It took courage to address the issue. The leader accepted culpability and didn t deflect. The leader didn t come across as my way or the highway . These comments show that the leadership traits that are valued center on openness and engaging dialogue. This is further supported by existing literature. According to Eisenberg et al. (2010), there are five key components to effective open dialogic leaders. They are as follows: 1. The most effective leaders emphasize the importance of communication with their followers. 2. Effective leaders are empathetic listeners. They respond positively to questions, listen to suggestions and complaints and express a willingness to take fair and appropriate action when necessary. 3. Effective leaders ask or persuade, rather than demand. 4. Effective leaders are sensitive to others feelings. 5. Effective leaders share information, including advance notices of impending changes and explain why the changes will be made. (p. 263). I It s obvious from the interviews that open dialogue from the leaders is highly valued amongst the members at Church of the Good Shepherd. In addition to the interviews, The Church of the Good Shepherd sends weekly emails and other

Cultural Analysis correspondence to members in order to communicate any changes or upcoming issues which may cause confusion amongst the body. The value that the members place on the leadership using an open

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communication method is further exemplified by the answers that the interviewees gave when asked to give an example of weak leadership. Although the respondents were instructed to refrain from linking the term weak to mean a negative term, the responses overwhelmingly referred to instances where open communication was not used and people were left confused. Some of the comments that referred to weak leadership traits were as follows: During the period when some meetings there is inner-squabbling sometimes people separate themselves from the issues . During the same time when families were leaving the church some communication efforts hurt others . Sometimes leaders should show vulnerability . Sometimes leaders avoid confrontation .

Although the aforementioned examples seem to be the exception, it s clear that organizational members value the role of open leadership in the church and mission teams. This is further made clear when interviewees were asked to identify heroes and outlaws of the organization. When asked to identify a hero of the organization the names of the people varied. However common leadership traits emerged. Heroes tended to embody the open communication style previously mentioned. Furthermore, heroes didn t shy

Cultural Analysis

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away from confrontation and instead would engage in open dialogue in order bring group consensus. Also, going against the theory of flashy leadership, by the responses of the interviewees, the theme of quiet hero and servant leadership was a dominant response from the interviewees. In addition to heroes, there were several outlaws identified within the church membership that other members highly value. The common traits were identified as follows: He/She gets the job done in an unconventional way . She/He is different than other members, but his/her faithfulness and dedication is evident . She/He doesn t view his/her skepticism as negative, instead he/she sees her/his skepticism as way to deepen the discussion.

The interviewees attributed their responses to the fact that God makes all of the members differently. However, the common bonds and love for one another far outweigh any theological or systematic differences. Theme 3: The Administrative Space Used By Church of the Good Shepherd Doesn t Reflect the Cultural Values of the Church. As we have learned from the first two themes of this analysis, openness and family are important themes to the organizational members. The Church of the Good Shepherd rents space at a vacated church in order to conduct business outside of Sunday worship. Additionally, from time-to-time other church functions are held there (e.g. dinner gatherings, meetings, special services etc.). Judging from the

Cultural Analysis responses of the interviewees and my observations the site where Church of the Good Shepherd conducts business outside of Sunday worship (Calvary) lacks identity, artifacts that embody church values and was perceived as isolated, dirty and not a representation of The Church of the Good Shepherd.

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When asked to identify artifacts are at Calvary that symbolize The Church of the Good Shepherd, the interviewees struggled to recall any. One participant couldn t recall a single one while every other respondent referred to the Bible in the main foyer. Another participant referred to a picture of Jesus carrying a sheep. Considering that the Church of the Good Shepherd rents space at Calvary, it s logical to assume that any personal branding or other commonly used artifacts would be in plain sight. However, due to the strong negative feelings that the participants had towards the present location, and considering the fact that the church is planning to change locations in the near future, I will be addressing the artifacts more extensively in the recommendations. Lastly, my observations of Calvary were consistent with the interviewees and I will be addressing my observation in concert with the interviewees responses to the interview questions pertaining to Calvary.

Description of Existing Culture

The aforementioned themes revealed by this analysis resulted from honest answers by organizational members as well as my experiences as a member and independent observation. According to Driskill, D.W. & Brenton, A.L. (2011), organizational culture refers to the web of significance that we have spun for ourselves (Pg.4). In the case of The Church of the Good Shepherd, it s clear that the

Cultural Analysis members make sense of their organization in concert with leadership objectives. However, the members are not simply drones that blindly follow leadership. The members appreciate discourse and value openness, community and genuine

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engagement outside of the traditional Sunday service. These are commonly shared values between the denomination, church leadership and its members. According to Driskill et al. (2011), strong cultures possess the following amongst their members: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Shared vision and values. Supportive business environment. Recognized corporate heroes and values. Effective rites and rituals. Effective formal and informal communication networks (Pg. 207).

With the exception of the supportive business environment, this research indicated that the members interviewed overwhelmingly shared the remaining four items. Therefore, this researcher concludes that the culture at The Church of the Good Shepherd is predominantly strong. Additionally, if the leadership at the church takes into consideration the comments regarding the business space at Calvary, the overall culture of the church can be additionally strengthened. Furthermore, the strong culture at Church of the Good Shepherd is strategically appropriate. After all, in the church setting, there are scores of volunteers and a limited number of leaders. If a church leader expresses a dominant style of leadership, members may choose to worship elsewhere. Different from an organization that employs most of its members, a church doesn t have the

Cultural Analysis concertive control that other organizations have. People worship at a church because they choose to.

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Discussion
This analysis did not seek to reveal negative or positive attributes. It s aim was to reveal the existing culture at Church by the Side of the Road and gage its effectiveness amongst membership. Nevertheless, the themes revealed could be explained within positive and neutral parameters. Although, there were some negative traits discovered, such traits served to be the exception rather than the rule and the interviewees explained the benefit of mistakes as a learning experience. The theme of family metaphor would be identified as positive and effective. There are several reasons why the family metaphor theme is positive and effective. First of all are the nonverbal responses I noticed from the participants as they answered the pertinent questions. Whenever a participant mentioned the church as a family, the interviewee would smile and her/his posture would become more open (e.g. arms would unfold, he/she would smile etc.). Additionally, the family metaphor arose as a result of positive instances experienced by the participants. I did find this rather odd since generally families made up from different origins tend to clash, hence the title of this paper. Although there is conflict from time to time, the Church of the Good Shepherd appears to be a healthy family of Christians that blend. The theme of openness being a valued leadership trait amongst its members was made evident through the examples of strong and weak leadership given by the participants. The Church of the Good Shepherd is a young growing church and growing pains are expected with any young entity not excluding organizations.

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Judging from the responses of the participants, openness, honesty and dialogue are positive attributes that the membership highly values. The theme surrounding the negative perception of the space at Calvary is neutral. If the Church of the Good Shepherd was planning of staying in the building for an extended period of time, I might be inclined to place it in the negative. However, each participant was aware of the church s intention to move offices in the near future and made recommendations for the new space which I will address further in the recommendations portion of this analysis.

Review of the process

The process utilized in this analysis consisted of three methods: First, my own independent analysis of the office space used at Calvary. Second, this study includes my analysis of church services, the metaphors drawn by leadership and gaging whether or not those observations were consistent with other methods employed. Lastly, this analysis utilized an ethnographic qualitative analysis using a semi-structured interview protocol of six church members in an informal setting.

Limitations
As with any study, there are limitations to this analysis. First, I am a member of The Church of the Good Shepherd. Therefore, I carry a bias towards the organization that other researchers may not have. Secondly, this report was done over a period of two months. A more comprehensive analysis could be achieved if a researcher had more time. More time would have allowed this researcher to draft and distribute qualitative surveys which may have provided additional data that could reveal additional insight to the overall conclusions of the analyses. Lastly, the

Cultural Analysis participants were all members of the organization that faithfully volunteer their time to various church-sponsored initiatives. There are attendees that worship at Church of the Good Shepherd that were not a part of this study. Perhaps if this analysis could have incorporated their insights, leadership may be able to find creative ways to involve those attendees in additional church activities outside of Sunday worship.

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Recommendations
There are several recommendations that this researcher has for the leadership at the Church of the Good Shepherd which may help the organization improve its overall effectiveness as they move forward. First, continue engaging in open dialogue and participative leadership. The members interviewed valued the relational style that many of the leaders employ when initiating organizational change, handling conflict and rolling out new initiatives. Second, coach new and emerging leaders in the importance of open communication. Many of the examples of weak leadership centered on specific experiences when members felt disconnected from important decisions made. By reinforcing the importance of dialogue, members will increasingly realize that the leadership shares the value of open dialogue as a form of effective leadership. Third, continue reinforcing the metaphor of family in all communications. While the metaphor is present in informal conversations, Sunday worship services and affinity groups, by adding the metaphor to additional publications, the idea that

Cultural Analysis Church of the Good Shepherd is a family will continue to be reified amongst its members. Lastly, as the leadership seeks to find a new location to conduct administrative duties, search for a location that will allow the church to do the following: y y Effective branding (signage, literature, name plates on the offices).

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Prominently display pictures of church mission team endeavors and other activities.

y y

Ensure that there is a designated place for prayer and reflection. Seek advice from the church body to create a space that is inviting to visitors.

Invite others to visit the new space during Sunday services.

In conclusion, this analysis offered a snapshot into the existing culture at Church of the Good Shepherd. With a strong culture and a membership team that has bought into the values of the organization, the future of the church looks good. Although there are some areas that should be addressed, the leadership style is well received by the members interviewed. This analysis should prove to be a valuable resource for church leadership as they move forward.

Cultural Analysis References Driskill, G.W. & Brenton, A.L. (2011) Organizational Culture: A Cultural Analysis Workbook. Los Angeles, California: Sage Eisenberg, E.M., Goodall, H.L. & Trethewey, A. (2010). Organizational

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Communication: Balancing Creativity and Constraint. Bedfords: Boston, MA. Naylor, Mark. Navigating Intercultural Partnerships. Cross Cultural Impact. 07/08/2011. Accessed 12/05/2011. http://impact.nbseminary.com/ Ross, B. Church in America Marked by Decline. The Christian Chronicle. 2/2009. Accessed, 12/05/2011. http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158685~Church_in_America_ma rked_by_decline