Of all the organi-
zations and denom-
inations I've been a part of, the Vineyard hits closest to the mark for me. It's definitely not that I think it's the only one, or the best necessarily, but I appreciate the strong emphasis on the kingdom of God. As you can see from the last post, it's a very big deal in the Vineyard.
One of the things I've been thinking a lot about is the Vineyard core values. If we are going to be part of this movement, I think it's important to understand what defines the movement and makes it unique. A new lady visited our church a couple Sundays ago. She said that one of the reasons she came is that she looked at the Vineyard USA site and was impressed by the core values. I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't remember them and rattled off something about the great music and relevance. If you read the article in the link above, written by the President of Vineyard USA, you'll see why I needed to review them!
What are the core values of your church or denomination? Are they clearly defined? Does everyone know them?
Hey I could get on board with that vision! AG has like 16 fundamental core values....I'm not sure that I could name one of them without peeking a little. Good thoughts...as always! Getting on here always makes me think!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first got saved, I thought of things like core values as points of contention between believers, and the purpose of a clearly defined vision was beyond my grasp. However, over time I've grown to understand how vital core values and vision truly are. Just as we hold every aspect of our lives up to the light of God's word to ensure that we are living in accordance with His will, I think a church must have core values by which they can live and grow as a church.
ReplyDeleteI don't actually know what my churches core values are. I mean, I've heard them once or twice and I thought they sounded really good, but I don't remember them now...
http://eternaladoration.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI made a new blog. I just wanted to be cool like you... ha ha just kidding. :)
Nate--I agree. Every church has it's unique "culture" (driven by what it values). And that's not necessarily bad. It allows that church to reach and minister to certain people that maybe another church can't. Guys who wear girl jeans like going to my church in part because of our values (culturally relevant mission). Now how many churches can say that?!! ;)
ReplyDeleteChristy--Glad you've joined the cool club! Hopefully I can keep making you think--and vice versa!
Thanks for the feedback you guys. It means a lot to me, as you know.