In my last post I included my first rough draft on our new core values. In this post I want to include the draft that is a collaborative effort of our pastoral staff, elders and finance team. If you compare it to my draft you will see how the team was able to build in tremendous passion and clarity. Much of our time together was encouraging and fun but the end was hard work. It requires hard work to wrestle to the ground exactly who we are and how we go about doing what we do. This is not our team’s final draft:

PARKVIEW CORE VALUES

Core values are the qualities that make up and establish an organization’s character, and that character determines how the organization conducts its ministry.

1.   FUELED BY GOD’S WORD (Obedience)

We believe God’s Word has the answer to all of life’s questions and, therefore, we surrender willingly to its timeless truths.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”  2 Timothy 3:16

2.   CONSUMED BY GOD’S HEART (Worship)

We believe that engaging with God in passionate worship leads to a public expression of our private experience.

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7

3.   DRIVEN BY GOD’S SPIRIT (Prayer)

We believe that prayer is a catalyst of all great things and that nothing of significance happens apart from prayer.

“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

4.   DRENCHED BY GOD’S GRACE (Encouragement)

We believe that grace is the outpouring of God’s unconditional love that flows to us and through us to others.

“God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”                2 Corinthians 9:8

5.   COMPELLED BY GOD’S LOVE (Evangelism)

We believe that, because people matter to God, we will move with radical abandonment to reach our neighbors and the nations.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

6.   CONNECTED WITH GOD’S PEOPLE (Community / Service)

We believe that life change happens best in the context of community.  We will actively pursue relationships in which we grow and serve together.

“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”  Acts 2:46-47

• We are looking for your input. You can help us by leaving a comment or email me at greg@parkviewlife.com.

O.K., this is an all skate and I am asking for your input. I stated yesterday that our leadership is working on a new set of core values that will lead our church into the next decade of ministry. Core values are not what we do (guide people to life change in Christ), or how we do it (celebrate, grow, serve, connect, reach), but WHY we do it. Core values are the qualities that make up and establish an organization’s character, and that character determines how the organization conducts its ministry or business.

Below is my first run at helping me personally think through what I wanted our church to value. I can tell you that our leadership team has created a far more superior rough draft of core values (a whole lot more concise, clear and catalytic) and I will share with you tomorrow our collaborative first draft, but here were my initial thoughts:

• We will be guided by the liberating truth of Biblical Authority and know that God’s Word is the final answer.
• We will generously offer Abundant Grace to everyone and still fall short of the grace we have received from God.
• We will connect with others in Authentic Community because that is the only way to maximize our personal growth.
• We will serve sacrificially in Personal Ministry with a high level of commitment and, in doing so, follow the model of Christ.
• We will live Externally Focused because we don’t go to church; we are the church that is going.
• We will act in accordance to Mega Faith, abandoning and following Him because God didn’t call us to play it safe but to reach the world.
• We will give with Radical Generosity because the kingdom of God is way more important than the American dream.
• We will be constantly looking for opportunities to Release Leaders because volunteers do good things but leaders change the world.
• We will wholeheartedly engage in Inspirational Worship by publicly expressing out of our private experience.
• We will actively participate in our church family because the local church is the redemptive agency through which God has chosen to work in this generation.

Please give me a little help!! Our team is interested in getting your input!! What would you emphasize, add or omit?

Over the last couple weeks our staff, elders and finance team have been working on updating our core values. For a couple months I sensed the Lord leading us to re-evaluating why we do what we do. At Parkview our mission is crystal clear – Guiding people to Life Change in Christ. Our values, while good, were not as crystallized, compelling or catalytic. Our team has not yet completed the process but have done some very good work and some very hard work!

Part of the reading we I did in advance of our work was Aubrey Malphur’s book, Values Driven Leadership. Below is an excerpt from his book:

There are ten essential reasons that core values are so important to Christian ministry:

1.     Values determine ministry distinctives.

2.     Values dictate personal involvement.

3.     Values communicate what is important.

4.     Values embrace positive change.

5.     Values influence overall behavior.

6.     Values inspire people to action.

7.     Values enhance credible leadership.

8.     Values shape ministry character

9.     Values contribute to ministry success.

10. Values affect strategic planning.

Tomorrow I will post an early rough draft of what I felt like should be values that our team strongly consider.

I am so thankful for the leaders that serve around me!!!

It seems to be a very prominent decision these days in our society to not share our worries and concerns. Why is this the case and what is the result?

Why:

• fear feeling stupid
• because that is what our family did
• unhealthy view of self
• incorrect interpretation of Scripture
• lack of love for others

Result:

• we make assumptions
• we internalize
• we jump to conclusions
• we judge others
• we make up stories
• we carry pain that is unnecessary

I think one of the things that the Lord is trying to teach me is to have open and honest conversations and not to hold things in. Nobody wins when the truth is not shared. I mainly need to work on how to share my worries and concerns.  I love being around leaders who embody Ephesians 4:15

When we speak about the components of a great leader we typically talk about their ability to cast vision, see the future, take risks, communicate, build teams, etc. In all my years of attending conferences the a fore mentioned items have been mentioned, emphasized and taught. I would go so far as to say that I agree that all great leaders possess these components to some degree or another, or are real strong in a couple of these specific areas.

One piece that I have never heard mentioned when it comes to possessing great leadership is the art of listening. I personally believe that all truly great leaders have discovered how to give to others the gift of listening. Let’s break down what listening is not and what it is:

• not waiting for your turn to talk
• not interrupting
• not saying aha, aha, aha, aha
• not looking everywhere but the persons eyes
• not judging
• not jumping to conclusions
• not mind reading

• is empathizing
• is giving your full attention
• is reflecting back to the person what you think you are hearing
• is attempting to walk in their shoes

Ultimately, I believe that a great leader (spouse, friend, employer, etc.) has given the gift of listening when the person speaking feels felt.

Just read this article about fasting this morning. Click here to read. Good stuff!!

A missionary society once wrote David Livingston and asked, “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to send other men to join you.” Livingston wrote back, “If you have men who will come only if they know there’s a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”