“A disciple making culture.” Something deep within pastors and church leaders resonates with that phrase. The thought of a culture that moves people closer to Christ isn’t just relevant, it’s Biblical. For most, however, such a culture remains an elusive goal, like a desert oasis—a nice idea, but not something they’ve seen or experienced.

Disciple making cultures aren’t a myth, they’re real. I’ve seen them, experienced them, grown in them, and built them. They exist in reality, not just in books and brains. Like a building though, we must carefully plan what we’re trying to construct before we begin.

This is the second post (#1 here) in a series on the marks of a disciple making culture. Each post highlights one essential aspect of the culture. Though each disciple making culture is unique, each one also shares foundational traits that support it.

The second mark of a disciple making culture is that it’s relationally driven.

But wait, isn’t a church, by definition, a group of people in relationship together? Yes, but not every church is relationally driven. In our systems-loving culture, it’s a challenge to be driven by relationships. Let me explain.