Creating prophetic culture in our churches is essential work to see the body of Christ fully equipped to be able to do all that she is called to do. Each of the fivefold cultures are needed in our congregations – in fact, they are non-negotiable if we want to build and lead a vibrant and healthy church. But what is prophetic culture, and how do we go about creating it?
What is Prophetic Culture?
Prophets are those who ‘speak before’ – they speak before God and hear his heart , and they speak before people to share that heart so that the people can change their thinking and align with God’s will. Therefore, the defining marker of anything prophetic must be built around the foundation of aligning with the heart of God. Anything else considered or named as being prophetic must therefore serve and undergird this concept of ‘aligning’. Without ‘aligning’, something cannot be considered truly prophetic.
A healthy church thrives with a prophetic culture that creates an encounter atmosphere. This generates a mentality that seeks to lead people into experiencing the love and power of God for themselves
Prophetic culture looks to see an atmosphere that has been stewarded within the church corporate gatherings – whether large or small – that is focused on God first and foremost. It is a prophetic culture whereby the heart of God is revealed and manifested in such a way that people naturally encounter Him in new and fresh ways, whether they are believers or non-believers. This prophetic ministry could be defined as ‘connecting people to the Presence of God so they see, hear and feel Him for themselves’.
Why is It Important?
A core aspect of a prophetic church culture is the consistent and frequent opportunity for believers and non-believers alike to encounter God in a personal and transformative way. This emphasis on encounter brings numerous benefits to the church community:
- Encounter Atmosphere: Curbing Performance-Driven Leadership
By prioritising an atmosphere of encounter, we safeguard against leadership becoming overly driven by programs or performance metrics. The focus remains on facilitating authentic encounters with God, rather than chasing specific results. - The Power of Encountered Gospel
This emphasis on encounter ensures that the gospel preached is one of power, not just mere words. Hearing the gospel message come alive through personal encounters with God ignites a deeper faith within individuals. - Healing the Wounded
An encounter atmosphere fosters a space for healing. The wounded and brokenhearted can reconnect with the Father’s love and experience restoration. - Experiential Growth
By prioritising encounter, we add a vital experiential dimension to scriptural teachings. This experiential learning empowers believers to mature in their faith journey and embrace a Spirit-led life.
In essence, a prophetic culture that prioritises encounter with God fosters a vibrant and transformative environment for all who participate.
What Happens if Prophetic Culture is Lacking?
While a strong emphasis on prophetic gifts can be enriching for a church, it’s important to maintain a healthy balance. An overemphasis on these gifts can lead to a church becoming:
- Experience-Driven: Reliance solely on personal experiences can create a shallow foundation for faith.
- Shallow: Without deeper theological grounding, emphasis on experiences alone can lead to a superficial understanding of God.
The Peril of an Under-emphasised Prophetic Culture
Conversely, a church with a weak or absent prophetic culture can become susceptible to:
- Moralism: A rigid focus on outward actions without an emphasis on the heart’s transformation.
- Legalism: Excessive emphasis on rules and regulations, neglecting the grace and freedom found in Christ.
- Intellectualism: Overreliance on intellectual understanding of scripture, neglecting the importance of spiritual experience.
- Activism: Focus solely on social action without the spiritual foundation that fuels genuine transformation.
Finding the Sweet Spot
The key lies in striking a balance. A thriving church fosters both:
- Prophetic Gifts: Encouraging the appropriate use of prophetic gifts to facilitate encounters with God.
- Solid Foundations: Grounding the church community in sound biblical teaching and theological principles.
This balanced approach ensures a church that is both:
- Deeply Spiritual: Rooted in a genuine experience of God’s presence.
- Effective in the World: Equipped to translate faith into meaningful action.
By maintaining this balance, a church can avoid the pitfalls of both extremes and cultivate a vibrant and impactful faith community.
Seven Keys To Creating Prophetic Culture
Prophetic culture has a number of distinctives which define and shape it. The culture wheel below serves as a valuable tool, outlining seven key distinctives that churches can prioritise as they create a prophetic culture. Imagine the wheel as a mechanism driving motion forward – these distinctives are written in the present tense deliberately to represent ongoing and essential actions. For a church to thrive, these seven areas should be continually pursued.
Each of these distinctives is unique and essential in creating prophetic culture, and if done right, will permeate and influence every area of a church.
Conclusion
I have created a guidebook to help church leaders with creating prophetic culture. It walks through a five-step process and is full of biblical teaching and practical steps, including unpacking these seven distinctives, that will aid you in your task of cultural creation. You can find the guidebook HERE.
Also, if you want to discover your own fivefold flow by learning what your primary and secondary fivefold expressions are, and how they partner together in your thinking and doing, you can take my Fivefold Flow Assessment HERE.
This post is part of a series on creating fivefold culture. You can see the other posts here:
- Creating Apostolic Culture
- Creating Prophetic Culture
- Creating Evangelistic Culture
- Creating Pastoral Culture
- Creating Teaching Culture
