Submission: Exploring a Church

Every church has a unique culture that shapes its decision-making, communication, and leadership dynamics. Some churches operate with a highly structured, hierarchical approach, while others are more collaborative and decentralized. Organizational behavior theories help us understand how people interact within these structures.

If you haven’t already done the research for the Discussion forum on various organizational behaviors, read the instructions for the Discussion for this Module and do that now. Then possibly extend that research as you do this assignment.

Now, identify a church to analyze. It can be your own church or another about which you can get adequate knowledge to do this assignment. (For example, a good deal of analysis has been done in relation to Mars Hill church in Seattle, Washington).

Now,

• Describe the organizational structure and culture of the church (e.g., hierarchical, family-style, entrepreneurial, charismatic, traditional).
• How does the church’s leadership style impact communication, decision-making, and overall effectiveness (see module 1: transformational, transactional, servant, collaborative…)?
• What organizational behavior principles (such as motivation, teamwork, leadership styles, or conflict resolution) do you see at work in this church?
• If you were leading this church, what specific organizational behavior changes would you implement? Would you modify leadership style, decision-making processes, communication strategies, or team dynamics? Why?

This assignment is worth 40 points.