Revisiting the Core Values
July 4, 2008
As we approach our Wednesday Evening Core Value Fellowships, I thought I would provide a refresher as to what the Core Values are and why we have them in the first place. Back in October, we first started discussing our Core Values during one of our family dialogue meetings. Pastor Chris then explored each value through a weekly article and asked for feedback. The values listed below are the final product.
The values are an attempt to give definition to who we are as a church and to develop an ethos at Whitton on how our mission statement works itself out practically. The goal is that the Core Values would define what we aim to be about at Whitton, and explicate what we long for God to work amidst our church body. This will allow us to answer questions such as, “What is Whitton all about?” Hopefully our knee-jerk reaction is Jesus, but as we seek to provide further definition these values can give more detail. The Core Values are listed in the categories of our mission statement, which says. “We exist to glorify God through: Reaching up in worship of God; Reaching in to equip the Saints; Reaching out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
UP
- We prayerfully seek to be awed by the glory of God and the mercy of the gospel.
- We prayerfully seek to be shaped in our priorities and affections by the Christ-centered story line of the Bible rather than the values and assumptions of this passing age.
IN
- We prayerfully seek to provide a safe environment in which the vulnerable can grow in the faith and in which the hurting and abused can experience God’s love and healing.
- We prayerfully seek to foster an atmosphere of joy-filled holiness by pointing each other to the promises of God in response to the promises of the world.
OUT
- We prayerfully seek to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom with creativity, urgency, personal appeal, love, and reliance on God to draw sinners to himself.
- We prayerfully seek to portray the gospel of the kingdom through acts of mercy, the pursuit of justice for the oppressed, and a church community that reflects the multi-varied nature of the kingdom of God.
- We prayerfully seek to spread this kingdom proclamation and portrayal in our immediate neighborhood and as God leads us in our city, country, and world.
Please join me in praying these values become a reality in our church by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Gabe