Cracking Your Church's Culture Code: Seven Keys to Unleashing Vision and Inspiration [Hardcover]

Samuel R. Chand (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 26, 2010

Strategies for transforming a toxic church culture

Why is it that the best strategic plans and good leadership often are not able to move churches in the desired direction? Sam Chand contends that toxic culture is to blame. Quite often, leaders don't sense the toxicity, but it poisons their relationships and derails their vision. This work describes five easily identifiable categories of church culture (inspiring-accepting-stagnant-discouraging-toxic), with diagnostic descriptions in the book and a separate online assessment tool. The reader will be able to identify strengths and needs of their church's culture, and then apply practical strategies (communication, control and authority, selection and placement of personnel, etc.) to make their church's culture more positive.

• Discusses how to diagnose the state of a church's culture
• Reveals what it takes to put in place effective strategies for creating a more positive church culture
• Author served on the board of EQUIP (Dr. John Maxwell's Ministry), equipping five million leaders world-wide.

This important book offers a clear guide for understanding and recreating a healthy church culture.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Culture—not vision or strategy—is the most powerful factor in any organization. It determines the receptivity of staff and volunteers to new ideas, unleashes or dampens creativity, builds or erodes enthusiasm, and creates a sense of pride or deep discouragement about working or being involved there. Ultimately, the culture of a church shapes individual morale, teamwork, effectiveness, and outcomes." —From Chapter One

Often church leaders confuse culture with vision and strategy, but they are very different. Vision and strategy usually focus on products, services, and outcomes, but culture is about the people—a church's most valuable asset. Cracking Your Church's Culture Code offers a practical resource for discovering the deficits in an existing church's culture and includes the steps needed to assess, correct, and change culture from lackluster to vibrant and inspirational so that it that truly meets the needs of the congregation.

Prominent church and leadership consul-tant Sam Chand describes the five easily identifiable categories of church culture (Inspiring-Accepting-Stagnant-Discouraging-Toxic) and includes diagnostic methods that church leaders can use to identify the particular strengths and needs of their church's culture. To help in this process there is also a separate online assessment tool (www.freeculturesurvey.com).

Once a church's culture is clearly identified, leaders can put in place a strategy for applying the seven keys of CULTURE (Control, Understanding, Leadership, Trust, Unafraid, Responsive, and Execution) that will make their church's culture one that stimulates people to be and do their very best and ultimately reach their highest goals.

From the Back Cover

Praise For cracking Your Church's Culture code

"Cracking Your Church's Culture Code provides a methodical introduction to understanding the idiosyncratic dynamics of your church and their impact on the overall vision of your ministry. This book is comprehensible and constructive as it reveals the seven important keys to creating a cohesive tone within your organization."
—Bishop T. D. Jakes, The Potter's House of Dallas

"Dr. Chand said, 'Culture—not vision or strategy—is the most powerful factor in any organization.' I couldn't agree more. Dr. Chand's latest book, Cracking Your Church's Culture Code, is a must-read for every church leader. If you want your ministry to move forward, buy this book for everyone on your leadership team!"
—Craig Groeschel, senior pastor, LifeChurch.tv, and author, The Christian Atheist

"Sam Chand keeps firing golden bullets of practical assistance to church leaders. He's a blessing—and here's another offering of workable wisdom that is sure to bless many."
—Jack W. Hayford, chancellor, The King's University

"The number one reason a vision is aborted is because the visionary and the vision carrier aren't aware that a toxic culture exists—and that it can bring death and destruction to a church. This is a must-read for the life of your congregation and will create a healthy environment that breathes success and significance. I commend Dr. Samuel Chand for his wealth of experience. He has identified the keys that will reveal where you are and how to fix it."
—Bishop Eddie L. Long, senior pastor, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (October 26, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470627816
• ISBN-13: 978-0470627815
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How to deal with change, conflict and problem people November 11, 2010

By John Gibbs TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Culture - not vision or strategy - is the most powerful factor in any organization, according to Samuel Chand in this book. Culture determines how receptive people are to new ideas, it encourages or suppresses creativity, it builds up or deflates enthusiasm, it creates a sense of pride or discouragement, and it shapes individual morale, teamwork, effectiveness and outcomes.

The book describes a range of different cultures. Inspiring cultures are ones with clear direction and an atmosphere of trust and respect. Accepting cultures have a positive atmosphere but some unresolved issues. Stagnant cultures have less trust, respect and loyalty, and more complaining and turf wars. Discouraging cultures have power struggles and attract malcontents. Toxic cultures use fear as their dominant motivational factor.

The author goes on to define seven keys of culture (Control, Understanding, Leadership, Trust, Unafraid, Responsive and Execution), then discusses how vocabulary defines culture, change starts with the change-initiator, chaos is a necessary part of the change process, and it is often necessary to change the vehicle (organizational structure) in order to reach the desired destination.

I was initially put off by the book's title, mistakenly assuming that the content was about prophecy, but when I started reading I was amazed by the way the author was describing in a coherent logical way something that most church leaders intuitively sense but do not have the vocabulary to express - church culture. This book is going to be a great help to many church leaders who are wondering how to deal with change, conflict and problem people. I highly recommend it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Culture, Not Vision, Is the Most Powerful Factor in a Church April 5, 2011

By George P. Wood VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

According to Sam Chand, "Culture--not vision or strategy--is the most powerful factor in any organization." Many churches formulate excellent vision statements and strategic goals for reaching their communities. But their success or failure depends on whether they have attended to "the personality of the church," that is, its "organizational culture." Chand arranges these churches on a spectrum from "inspiring" to "toxic."

What separates inspiring churches from toxic ones is how they deal with seven organizational issues, which Chand outlines using the acrostic CULTURE:

* Control: "People function most effectively if they are given control (or authority) with responsibility."
* Understanding: "Every person on a team needs to have a clear grasp of the vision, his or her role, the gifts and contributions of the team members, and the way the team functions."
* Leadership: "Healthy teams are pipelines of leadership development."
* Trust: "Mutual trust among team members is the glue that makes everything good possible."
* Unafraid: "Healthy teams foster the perspective that failure isn't a tragedy and conflict isn't the end of the world."
* Responsive: "Teams with healthy cultures are alert to open doors and ones that are closing."
* Execution: "Executing decisions is a function of clarity, roles and responsibilities, and the system of accountability."

I wish that Chand had devoted a chapter to the spiritual dynamics of church cultures alongside the excellent chapters on organizational dynamics. But that is my only caveat. I recommend this book to pastors whose vision for reaching their communities is bumping up against the toxic elements in their own and their churches' personalities. This book will help them identify the challenges their church culture poses and work toward solutions.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cracking your Church's Culture Code -Seven keys to unleashing Vision & Inspiration. Samuel R. Chand February 3, 2011

By Joe

Format:Kindle Edition

Cracking your Church's Culture Code -Seven keys to unleashing Vision & Inspiration. Samuel R. Chand. San Francisco CA: Jossey Bass A Wiley imprint 2011.pp 205. Reviewed By Joseph Nzioki.
Dr. Samuel Chand is one of the top leadership experts in America. He is named by [...] as one of the 30 global leadership guru's. He has authored and co-authored 13 leadership books including Cracking your church culture code -Seven keys to unleashing Vision & Inspiration. Dr Chand a former pastor and University President at Beulah Heights University, and now a consultant with top impacting leaders, has vast leadership insights and exposure. His sole Vision in life is to "Help others succeed". His successor at Beulah Heights University and long time friend Dr. Benson Karanja says this about him "Dr. Samuel Chand ...........undoubtedly exemplifies the epitome of authentic leadership, and has proven worthy of emulation" (Samchand.com, retrieved, 2011).
Cracking your church culture code is a book geared towards bringing into the attention of church leaders the most powerful factor in an organization. It points to culture as the most crucial element to the health of any church or organization. In the book, the author states that toxic cultures are to blame for what destroys many organizations, churches and leaders. Culture Dr. Chand says is the personality of any organization which reflects on the integrity and competence of its top leader. Top leaders are responsible for creating a healthy culture for the organizations they lead, which translates into an environment where by team members work "In a creative, supportive environment without feeling threatened by their own mistakes and by the failure of others" (Chand, 2011, P. 9). Culture the author says is one of the most unnoticed factors in any organization; yet it is the most determining factor. A good culture acts as an accelerant for an organization's vision and mission. Thus, "Organizations should significantly and systematically invest in creating and building a healthy culture" (Chand, 2011, P. 23). Culture is crucial to any organization because, it can either discourage or inspire its employees. Discouraging cultures demoralize employees and affect their work because they tend to spent time protecting themselves and undermining their perceived "enemies". In an organization with a toxic culture "Fear becomes the dominating motivational factor of the organization" (Chand, 2011, P. 32).
Therefore, any leader who wants to lead his/her organization to a greater and higher height must be committed to creating a work environment where by everyone enjoys coming to work. John Maxwell seems to agree that "Our best work takes place when we enjoy it" (Maxwell, 1993, p. 27). An organization with a great culture attracts and retains the best talented, creative and innovative team members which is crucial for any organization because; "One of the keys to becoming a successful leader is surrounding yourself with people who can help you become all God has created you to be. These people .......whether peers or subordinates help to make a leader's work easier and more productive" (Karanja, 2009, P. 105) An organization with a healthy culture is characterized by respect and courtesy of its team members. A healthy culture is as a result of great leaders who are determined to inspire and empower their team members. A healthy culture focuses on people rather than on things. In a healthy culture people feel empowered and responsible. They develop trust for their leaders and hence, they become honest, open and transparent. A good culture drives out fear and allows people to be more creative and innovative which opens more doors of opportunity to the organization.
The book ends in an inspirational tone, of reminding leaders that they are well able of leading their Organizations to higher grounds by reinventing their organizational culture. Dr Chand uses' an analogy of a traveler wishing to go to London from Atlanta in the United States. He says that no matter what kind of a car you are driving you will never get to your destination. So is vision without a healthy culture; it can never be realized. Leaders should therefore, align their organizational cultural behavior around values and practices that reflect on their vision and then inspire their team members to work together towards a common purpose. Re-inventing your culture calls for sacrifice and courage because there are things you will have to let go which are good in order to devote your energy to the best.
The book is very inspiring and it is geared towards bringing light into darkness. As a leader the book has taught me that vision and strategy alone can never propel an organization to a higher height. It has taught me that a healthy environment is crucial for the overall prowess and success of an organization or church. The author has enlightened me with wisdom and knowledge that I need to eliminate toxic cultures (Vision Killer) and create a healthy culture where dreams, creativity and talent flourish.
The book is a great read and a powerful tool of empowering leaders to transform toxic cultures into healthy ones. It is written in a prolific tone which makes it easy for the reader to grasp and understand. It has a table contents which directs you to the page with the topic of interest to you. It is a 204 page book with an Appendix, a notes section on page 187 and a biography of the author on page 191. The book draws from the author's leadership experiences and references other notable authors as well. The book is endorsed and recommended by such high impacting leaders like Bishop TD Jakes of the Potters House and Jack W. Hayford the Chancellor of the Kings University who says this about Dr. Chand "Sam Chand keeps on firing golden bullets of practical assistance to church Leaders. He is a blessing-and here's another offering of workable wisdom that is sure to bless many". It is doubled spaced and has a 12 font which makes it visible and readable. The book has a beautiful hard cover which makes it attractive and decent. I personally recommend the book to every leader be it in the church setting or Business setting. It's a book that should be a must read for every leader that wants to drive a vehicle with a winning team in the 21st century.

Samuel R. C. (2011). Cracking your Church's Culture Code; seven keys to unleashing vision and inspiration. Jossey Bass San- Francisco CA.

John C. M. (1993). Developing the leader within You. Thomas Nelson, Nashville TN.

Karanja M. B. (2009) The Passion of a Leader-The journey from Kenya to the office of president. Mall HighlandPark, Illinois.
Benson Karanja. Retrieved (2011). [...]