Three Things that Do Not Change Culture: What I’ve learned after 20 years

Everyone talks about changing culture, engaging culture, and transforming culture but after 20+ years of ministry in L.A., I think it is time to share 3 things that do not change culture. Yeah, I can’t believe it either; It has already been over twenty years of living in the City of Angels, working with culture shapers. Over twenty years of ministering to creatives, artists, producers, and every kind of creative entrepreneur you can imagine.

We’ve seen the bright eyes arriving with grand hopes and dreams. We’ve seen the veterans sharing their scars accumulated on the road to success. We’ve seen victims of a mid-life crisis, or even John Mayer’s “quarter-life” crisis, who fell into addictions, lost their hope, lost their marriages, and drifted off in a sea of despair. Helping these people recover is a privilege, when we get the opportunity. Thankfully, we have seen women and men succeed, make wise choices, and stay grounded. We’ve been blessed to walk with people in all kinds of situations.

In time, wisdom, personified as a woman in Proverbs, invites us to see how the Christian life is more like Jacob wrestling an Angel, than the Hero’s Journey. Maturity comes slowly, and often at a cost. But all good things do, and along that road we can begin to see clearly what was once confusing. My intent here is to share a few insights.

Understanding Los Angeles

L.A. is not what you think it is.

Or, maybe it is! It is beautiful, with all the usual suspects: beautifully packaged music, movies, and people. You can find everything from well-designed video games, apps, and expensive cars, to the perfect nip and tuck, and the Michelin Star dining experience that leaves you speechless. But eventually, your soul begs you to take a glance beneath the surface to see if there is something a bit more soul-satisfying instead of mere sensory overload.

As the great philosopher Don Henley put it:

“Welcome to the land of fizz,
Where you will find that packaging is all that heaven is.
We got the little black car, the little black dress
Got the guru, the trainer, the full-court press…”

– Henley, Don. “Workin’ it.” Inside Job. Warner Bros., 2000.

Magazines fabricate facades. Surface beauty is on Parade, while Vanity Fair tantalizes, swimming in a never-ending variety of products. The Hollywood Reporter tells us who had their fifteen minutes of fame, while Billboard tell us who is on top today. They’re all trying to keep you from slowing down long enough to think deeply, or spiritually. But there are lessons to learn if you manage to slow down, turn off the noise, and silence the voices that refuse to stop.

Lessons We (Christians) Need to Learn

Of course, there are lessons I missed along the way. Not all lessons are obvious. Partly because we are broken humans who only see what we want to see, while ignoring the truths we find offensive. No one escapes this dilemma. Creatives will always be tempted to trust their business managers, agents, and publicists more than the timeless proverbs in God’s Word. But the good news is that God will find a way to wake us up and bring us back to the timeless truths anchored in His character and nature.

One caveat before I share. There are many wonderful Christian men and women who have repeated these myths. There are many talented non-Christians who have done the same. It doesn’t matter where the mouthpiece is found. What matters is that we learn from them.

Lesson 1: One Movie Will Not Change the Culture

We can call this the One Movie Myth. It is so attractive to our ego, and to our desire for short-term satisfaction, but it never delivers. I remember watching as the Christian world got caught up in this idea 20 years ago.

I was an executive pastor at a church in the hip, West Los Angeles area. We were growing fast, and impacting lives for Christ. One of our members, an executive at Panavision, invited us to host the screening and give feedback to the filmmakers. The film, was The Passion of the Christ. As many people realized, it was unforgettable and profound. As I walked up front for the Q&A, members of the marketing team for the film handed out flyers. Expectations could not be higher. Christians across the country were hearing the buzz. We were told this movie would change lives and change the culture. It was unlike any film before.

The film did change the industry. But no matter how powerful the experience was, it was only one film. The Passion did not transform the culture. It made money. It demonstrated to Hollywood that the Christian audience wants more than saccharine sweet stories and simple characters. But it did not make America more godly, more faithful, or even more religious. If one movie had the opportunity to do it, this was it. But one movie, one song, one painting, or one video game, is never enough.

Lesson 2: One Christian Will Not Change the Culture

Every year, another Christian woman or man comes to Hollywood seeking to make a difference. Their optimism is infectious, as they share enterprising ideas intended to change the world. They love the Lord. They talk about being a witness, and making sacrifices, and eventually being a beacon of hope and light that can change the industry. They push hard, work harder, and strive to get that quick break. But they underestimate the rejection, the economic toll, and the daily grind. It is enough to wear you down the best-looking and the most talented, bit by bit, audition by audition.

We have seen many ministries get all excited every time some new rising star claims to be a believer. They interview them, and celebrate them just like the world does. They echo the culture’s celebrity worship that feeds the ego, and ignores the need to discern character over years of success and failure. It is easy to say you are a Christian. The hard part is remaining faithful through the years, whether you find success or not. And an essential key to remaining faithful is community. One lone actor, producer, or artist is an easy target for discouragement, despair and resignation.

It is no mere coincidence that Jesus sent out his disciples two by two. It is no coincidence that God called us to gather together to sing, to worship and to share our lives together. And it is no coincidence that all the metaphors for Christians are impossible to achieve on our own. “Members of one body”, and “stones of a living temple” only make sense in the context of community. The idea of a lone Christian simply is not presented in the Bible. Though it appeals to our pride, and follows the vision-board-spirituality of the day, it is not God’s design. We make a lasting impact when we work as a community to love our neighbors, glorify God, and work as unto the Lord. There are no shortcuts.

This is why we challenge every man and woman who comes to L.A. to get active in a healthy church and community. God does not call you to isolation. He calls us to community because we need others to speak into our life, and they need us to speak into theirs. The lone wolf is never a picture of the Christian life. We are sheep, led by a shepherd, spending time with other sheep along the way. As sociologist, James Davison Hunter, makes clear in his writings, it always takes far more than one person, one film, or even one institution to “move the needle” when it comes to culture. It takes networks of people, being faithful to the calling God has placed on their life…which leads us to our final lesson.

Lesson 3: One Institution Will Not Change the Culture

The great Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, once recalled, stepping down from the pulpit after preaching on a Sunday morning, when a woman came up and told him, “That was the best sermon preached anywhere today.” Spurgeon, aware of his own temptations, replied by stating that the Devil had already whispered that in his ear. He knew the temptation of pride, and the temptation to think his ministry was the most important. But that humility and sensitivity to pride is rare in every era.

The truth is that every ministry, church, and nonprofit is tempted, like Spurgeon, to think they are special. They will be tempted to think they are the only ones who truly see the problem and have the right approach to transforming the culture, impacting Hollywood, etc. I recoil as I see fundraising pleas of other organizations claiming that if they fail, God can’t reach Hollywood. The arrogance is repulsive, and dismissive to other Christians faithfully ministering in L.A.

I understand why they do it. It sounds great for raising money when you say, “we are the only ones who are faithful and making a difference.” But it isn’t true, and it tempts people to diminish how God uses other people and ministries.

God uses all kinds of ministries, from The Gideons placing Bibles in hotels, to the pregnancy clinics caring for young women in times of great need, as well as chaplains and pastors, friends, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and artists who are simply loving God and loving their neighbor.

The truth is that God uses different denominations, different gifts, different approaches, different temperaments and different personalities. This is why we are, together, The Body of Christ, and not all eyes, all noses, or all elbows. God is not only using you, or me, or our favorite institutions and ministries. If God can speak through a donkey, why do we think he won’t use other people who think differently than us? We dare not forget in the Christian walk that humility is required. We need to strive to be faithful, and let God worry about who plays what role.

Here in L.A. there are pastors all over this city who are faithfully making disciples. From Calvary Chapel and non-denominational churches to Presbyterians. On top of that, there are ministries working with people in the media and the art world. And on top of that are countless men and women who are faithful ambassadors for Christ wherever God places them. From personal drivers and personal assistants to attorneys, managers, and social media marketing experts. God can use anyone, in any position. And if you live here long enough, you will hear the stories of how God does just that.

The Truth About Changing Culture

The truth about changing culture is this: God does use individuals, institutions, and individual works of art. God cares about individuals, our institutions, and our individual works of art. The problem is that we don’t know the mind of God. We don’t know what piece of the puzzle we are in the hands of God. This is why our end goal is to be faithful, and remain humble. So what do we do?
Yes, you should work hard.
Yes, you should seek to influence others.
Yes, you should seek to impact others through your art and your work.

This is all good to do. We just can’t buy into the lie that it is up to us. We must always remember that our intentions, our efforts, our strategies, and our organizations can do nothing apart from God opening the doors, and allowing us to make a difference. And this should not come as a surprise.

“God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”
1 Cor. 1:28-29(NIV)

How Do We Then Seek Cultural Transformation?

We seek cultural transformation by being faithful where God plants us. We cannot underestimate the impact of loving our neighbor, loving God (Mark 12), and seeking the good of the city we live in and the industry we work in (Jer 29). We should work hard to create art that impacts lives, blesses others, and influences the culture around us.

If we are humble, this is good news. It can be received as a relief. It takes the pressure off your next project, and your witness. Our hope was never in those singular things. Our hope is in God. He is the one who gifted us, the one who called us, and the only one who is sovereign over all of life. Sure, we should seek to impact the culture and the world, but only God can guarantee results. We are simply called to be wise, shrewd, faithful, and to do our work with all our might, as unto the Lord. Then we pray, and place it in His hands to do with as He pleases. That is the job of every creative and every ministry. Then we can all echo the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 115:1,

“Not to us, O LORD,
not to us, but to your name give glory,
for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!”

you may ask… “So why does Arts and Entertainment Ministries exist?”

This is the life we are committed to, as we serve Christ.
– Faithfully engaging the culture, with humility, passion, and love for others.
This is the kind of mentorship we offer to professional creatives in our ministry.
– Leading others to embrace this holistic, God-honoring life as a creative.

It isn’t about us. It is about what God is calling men and women to do through their talents.
If you believe in that kind of work and ministry, please take a moment and support this vital work. You can donate here:

And let us know in the comments your thoughts on impacting the culture: Have you seen these same myths and temptations?

Let us know about your journey to trusting God with the results. It isn’t easy, but it can be freeing.

Copyright © 2025 Joel & Michelle Pelsue. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.

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