The Table
  • Home
  • Thoughts
  • Happenings
  • Give
  • Prayer Room
  • Media
25 June 2024 by the-table.church
Post

What is our culture?

What is our culture?
25 June 2024 by the-table.church
Post

Last evening some of us got together and had a wonderful first conversation about culture and how it relates to our mission and vision.  The mission is the Great Commission: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In other words, our call to action is to not be static, to keep moving, to make disciples without any discrimination, to do the sacramental work of offering a visible sign of grace to those who accept Jesus as their lord and savior, and to bring people to a deeper understanding of Jesus’ idea of the Kingdom of God.  That is our mission, given to us by Jesus himself. 

Our vision is what we hope to see us achieve through this mission.  Again, it is not something we are inventing on our own.  The New Testament witnesses that when the great commission is lived into life transforms, that is, people receive healing and restoration, a whole new creation becomes evident.  So, our vision is that we too will witness lives transforming – lives changing, right before our eyes. 

Culture is something different.  Culture evokes the chicken and egg debate.  Does culture come first which then helps us understand the mission and realize the vision, OR, is culture the outcome of the mission?  The answer is both and.  Culture is made up of values.  Some of those values we already have and some we aspire.  Culture is constant and it is ever changing.  Notwithstanding this ambiguity, culture is clearly felt. When we walk into an Apple store we feel the culture of the company.  Everything speaks clarity and simplicity.  Value is given to “genius”, etc.

So, what is the culture of The Table?  That is the conversation some of us have started. So far, we have noticed two things: We lead by example, and we strive for excellence, not mediocrity. For instance, if elegant touches want elegant touches for everything we do, then, they don’t wait around for someone to tell them how to do what, they find creative solutions to make things elegant – they lead by example. Similarly, individuals lead by example. For instance, Amanda believes in offering an excellent documentation of what we do, so she does everything in her capacity to make that happen; Robbin believes in making people feel welcome through good organization, so she does just that; Sandy believes in a true immersion in the books that their group reads. The list of people who lead by example is too long for me to mention everyone here, but you get the point.  Second, in every case of leadership, we have observed that no one is satisfied with mediocre work; we all strive to make it the best – the best livestream, the best music recording, the best newsletter, the best blessing box, the best Altar, the best outreach to the community, the best music, etc.  And we constantly evaluate what we do, and we constantly strive to make it better.

Another thing we observed was how quick people are to participate.  There is practically no warm up time – people are ready to share from the get-go.  Why? Perhaps they know that there is no judgement offered, and everything shared is equally valued. We also noted how multiple leaders think from the perspective of positive can-do spirit – things just happen because people volunteer to do them!      

Our observation is that none of what we are observing is happening in a vacuum.  It has a history and some very conscious decisions.  We have chosen to be an imaginative, bold, compassionate, strong, faithful, group of Jesus followers committed to seeing that God’s will be done on earth as in heaven. 

Our group will continue to meet and continue this conversation. You are most welcome to share your observations in the comments below. There will be a time for us to keep enlarging the participants of this conversation, and for now, please do share your observations.       

Previous articleAppearancesNext article Values shaping our decisions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

About The Blog

Believers from around the Table share their thoughts here.  There is no right or wrong, simply faithful reflections on the actions of God.

Recent Posts

When the Shepherd calls29 May 2025
The strong and the weak28 May 2025
Easter Monday25 April 2025
The Crossing11 April 2025
Spiritual maturity is contagious!4 April 2025
Stories that stick17 March 2025
Disciplines for Lent17 March 2025

Categories

  • Blog (3)
  • Post (94)

The Table

The Table in our Christian faith is where Jesus calls us all to gather in his memory. It is the place where Christ offers himself for our well being. It is the place where we are formed into the one Body of Christ called to transform the world to be a just and loving place for all of God’s creation.

Contact

‪(475) 882-2499‬
info@the-table.churchwww.the-table.church
Worship Services:
Saturdays 6PM-9PM
Sundays 9AM-11AM
In Person Prayer and Bible Study:
Wednesdays 6PM-8PM
Online Prayers:
Monday-Friday 7:30AM-8AM

Recent Posts

When the Shepherd calls29 May 2025
The strong and the weak28 May 2025
Easter Monday25 April 2025

About This Sidebar

This Hidden Sidebar offers you quick essential tools.

Recent Posts

When the Shepherd calls29 May 2025
The strong and the weak28 May 2025
Easter Monday25 April 2025

Join us!

9AM Sunday at 94 River Road.
6PM Saturday at 178 Leavenworth Road.
6PM Wednesday at 193 Walnut Tree Hill Road.
7:30AM Weekdays Online Prayer Room

WhatsApp Community +1 (475) 882 2499
4758822499
info@the-table.churchhttps://the-table.church

Calendar

May 2025

Saturday 31 May

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Worship and Shared Meal
178 Leavenworth Rd, Shelton, CT 06484, USA

June 2025

Sunday 1 June

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Worship of our Living God
94 River Rd, Shelton, CT 06484, USA

Gather to pray, praise God, and have Communion. Livestreamed to https://www.facebook.com/church.table
Bulletin: Worship this Week – Google Docs

Tuesday 3 June

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Band Rehearsal
193 Walnut Tree Hill Rd, Shelton, CT 06484, USA

Rehearsal for Table bands.

Wednesday 4 June

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Divine Connection (Prayers In person)
193 Walnut Tree Hill Rd, Shelton, CT 06484, USA

Join the group here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/FXvWyi7hsN43YmF8KaeFPj

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Thinking it Through (Bible Study)
Maple Oak Drive, Maple Oak Dr, Stratford, CT 06614, USA

Join the group here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DnBfQzuGIzrBIKaQozs4Wr

Pages

  • About
  • Celebrate
  • Foundational Documents
  • Give
  • Guidelines for making Decisions
  • Happenings
  • Home
  • Media
  • Prayer Room
  • Prayers
  • Registration
  • Stay in the loop
  • Team
  • Thoughts
  • Transformational work
  • Upper Room
  • Your Story

Hope you can join us in person Saturday at 6PM