EQUIP
IDENTIFYING YOUR CHURCH’S VALUES AND USING THEM TO PLAN By Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed
I recently interviewed
several pastors about their experiences leading congregations during the pandemic. Specifically, I wanted to know how they handled the initial turn to online worship and the million mini-ministry pivots they’ve had to make in the two years since. Unsurprisingly, all these pastors are exhausted. But not all are discouraged. A significant difference between the ministers who are hopeful and the ones who are not is that the former group serves congregations that were clear about their values pre-pandemic.
Why is an understanding of these values so important? In a church that has consensus on its values, everyone starts from the same place. We might have different ideas about what it looks like to embody our principles, but we have commonly-held commitments and Core values are those aspects of bodies and souls,” or “focusing on making the a shared language for discussing all the your church on which you would never world a more just place.” options. compromise. They could include principles Though the ways your congregation lives A church that fully owns its values has like “welcoming children’s joyful noises,” into these values might change over time, the trust among its members. We can assume “inclusion of all people,” “being prayerful in all values themselves stay constant. That’s why positive intent in one another because we circumstances,” “being innovative in the ways they are, in my estimation, more helpful than are bound to the same ideals. If there are we serve our city,” “feeding our community’s vision or mission statements that need to be disagreements, we can give one another revisited regularly. grace because we hold similar values, and
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fellowship!
