4. Creating Insider Language
Church jargon may seem harmless, but it sends subtle signals: “You don’t belong unless you know our vocabulary.” For guests, insider language can make a church feel like a closed circle. For multicultural congregations, this problem multiplies when cultural assumptions go unexamined. A healthy culture values clarity and hospitality by choosing words that welcome outsiders into the conversation.
5. Overlooking Accountability
Without structures for accountability, power can concentrate in unhealthy ways. Whether it’s a pastor who answers to no one, or a leadership team that avoids transparency, the result is mistrust. Accountability is not a burden—it protects both leaders and congregations. Churches flourish when they embrace shared leadership, honest feedback, and clear safeguards.
RELATED: Multiculturalism: 3 Considerations
6. Neglecting the “Nations” in the Great Commission
The Great Commission explicity refers to discipling the nations. That means welcoming people from otther cultures into your worship, and honoring other modes of Christian worship. When a church turns inward, focusing only on its own comfort or preferences, mission withers. Evangelism and discipleship get sidelined while energy is poured into maintaining the status quo. Over time, the church may survive institutionally but lose spiritual vitality. A healthy culture keeps mission at the center, reminding everyone that the church exists to reach beyond itself.
Building a Healthier Culture
For leaders engaged in multicultural church planting, the stakes are even higher. Every culture brings its own strengths and blind spots, and blending them requires humility and intentionality. By naming and confronting destructive habits, leaders create a community where diversity is celebrated and mission is unhindered.
Changing culture takes courage. It means leaders must look in the mirror and admit, “Some of these habits may be present in us.” But Scripture reminds us that God disciplines those He loves and invites communities to reflect His character. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough” (Galatians 5:9). Culture is powerful—but so is the Spirit of God.
Especially in multicultural church planting, a healthy church culture doesn’t happen by accident. It requires prayerful attention, consistent leadership, and the willingness to confront unhealthy habits. When churches commit to cultivating environments of trust, accountability, and mission, they become places where people from every culture can thrive together.
