--- title: "Theology vs Culture: How to Lead When Your Church Starts Drifting" description: Discover practical steps and biblical wisdom for guiding drifting church members back to biblical truth in a shifting cultural landscape - a must-read for church leaders navigating this critical challenge! image: https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hubfs/Theology%20vs%20Culture%20How%20to%20Lead%20When%20Your%20Church%20Starts%20Drifting.png --- [Skip to content](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/guiding-drifting-church-members-biblical-truth-332#main-content) [![cropped-chemistry_logo_homepage-342x95](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cropped-chemistry_logo_homepage-342x95.webp?width=342&height=95&name=cropped-chemistry_logo_homepage-342x95.webp "cropped-chemistry_logo_homepage-342x95")](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/) - [How We Help](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/what-we-do/) - [How We Help Candidates](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/candidate/) - [How We Help Churches](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/church/) - [Our Team](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/team/) - [Our Mission & Strategy](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/what-we-do/) - [Churches](https://chemistrystaffing.com/church) - [Hire New Staff](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/2021-churches-new-staff-hiring/) - [Free 30-Minute Church Consult](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/lets-talk/) - [Chemistry Solutions – You Don’t Have to Do Ministry Alone](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/solutions/) - [Final Fit Assessment](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/final-fit-assessment/) - [Senior Pastor Succession](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/succession/) - [Job Seekers](https://chemistrystaffing.com/candidate) - [Add My Resume / Profile](https://chemistry.fyi/kwq) - [Current Openings](https://chemistrystaffing.com/jobs) - [Free Resume Assessment](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/free-resume-self-assessment/) - [Step-by-Step Job Search](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/cjb) - [How Chemistry Can Help](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/candidate/) - [Resources](http://www.chemistrystaffing.com/candidate/) - [Free Playbooks & Downloads](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/resources/) - [Chemistry Blog](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/) - [2024 Youth Pastor Compensation Survey](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/resources/2024-yp-compensation-survey/) - [Contact Us](http://www.chemistrystaffing.com/lets-talk/) - [Candidates](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/candidate-contact-page/) - [Churches](http://www.chemistrystaffing.com/lets-talk/) - [Find a Job](https://chemistrystaffing.com/jobs) - [My Church is Hiring](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/lets-talk/) [Church DNA/Culture](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/tag/church-dna-culture) # Theology vs Culture: How to Lead When Your Church Starts Drifting Discover practical steps and biblical wisdom for guiding drifting church members back to biblical truth in a shifting cultural landscape - a must-read for church leaders navigating this critical challenge! ![drifting church leadership theology culture](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hubfs/Theology%20vs%20Culture%20How%20to%20Lead%20When%20Your%20Church%20Starts%20Drifting.png) # Guiding Drifting Church Members Back to Biblical Truth The ever-changing cultural landscape is influencing belief systems, even within faithful congregations. **Church leaders** must navigate instances of **church members possibly drifting from biblical truth** and aligning more with societal norms. The Word of God remains unchanged, so how do church leaders lovingly guide these drifting members back to biblical truth? ## Understanding the Drift in Culture Contrary to the popular opinion of rebellion or disinterest, most people don't intentionally drift away from faith. It's a gradual process fueled by increasing cultural pressures, emotional influences, and theological confusion. Congregation members might start to feel torn between fitting into society and holding on to their biblical beliefs. It’s therefore imperative for church leaders to understand this struggle before offering solutions. ## Guiding Members Back to Biblical Truth If someone in your church appears to be drifting, here are four biblical steps to guide them: 1. **Speak the Truth in Love**: Ephesians 4.15 urges us to speak the truth in love. If we merely speak the truth, we might seem harsh. Conversely, if we only show love, we risk watering down theology. Church leaders must achieve a balance. 2. **Teach Biblical Literacy**: A lot of church members do not actively know what the Bible says. If they are consuming more social media than scripture, it's likely their worldview will shift accordingly. Encourage daily Bible reading habits, critical thinking, and incorporate a teaching series on theology and culture. 3. **Build a Faith-Encouraging Community**: Faith often strengthens in community. Establish strong communities through scripture-focused small groups, a church that values discipleship over entertainment and leaders who model unwavering faith. 4. **Pray for Conviction and Transformation**: This is a spiritual battle. Only the Holy Spirit can transform hearts truly. So, church leaders need to lead in prayer for those who are drifting. ## Actions for Church Leaders Here's an actionable step for church leaders this week. Make a list of people in your church who you think are drifting based on their actions or statements. First, commit to praying for them by name, as God does work through prayer. Remember, cultures will always change, but the Word of God remains steadfast. As pastors and leaders, the call is to stand firm, teach boldly, and love deeply, especially when people are drifting. To further understand this topic, listen to the latest [Healthy Church Staff Podcast](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2210840/episodes/16872390) episode today. ### [![Todd Rhoades](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/883a0d42581424e9bbe7c77dccfeed6b) Todd Rhoades](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/author/todd-rhoades) Todd has invested over 30 years in serving churches, having served as a worship pastor for over 15 years, a church elder for more than a decade, and in various ministry leadership roles in both the business and non-profit sectors. As the original founder and developer of ChurchStaffing.com, Todd fundamentally changed the way thousands of churches search for pastors and staff on the internet. Todd is a graduate of Cedarville University, and lives in Bryan, OH with his wife, Dawn. [![Facebook Author](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/facebook.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/toddrhoades3) [![Twitter Author](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/twitter.svg)](https://twitter.com/toddrhoades) [![Linkedin Author](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/linkedin.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddrhoades/) [![Website Author](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/web.svg)](http://chemistrystaffing.com/todd-rhoades) ## Latest Resources Browse Articles ![What's Actually Killing Your Church? The Surprising 250-Year Diagnosis](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hubfs/blog-images/featured/featured_158.png) #### What's Actually Killing Your Church? The Surprising 250-Year Diagnosis Church decline isn't what you think. 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