What are Core Values?
The purpose of Core Values is more than a picture of God’s future for you. Core values are what you would live or die for. They form the criteria for measuring and determining all that you do. They are like the mission and vision statements, but they are more obtainable and down to earth. It is much easier to judge if one is achieving a ministry’s core values.
Unconditional Acceptance
God’s community needs to be real and genuine. We are lost and broken people who have responded to Jesus’ invitation to be our Savior and Healer. We need to be real in our worship—to be genuine in our expression and leading of worship. We want people to feel comfortable when they enter our building and when they participate in our ministries. We accept everyone who visits our church regardless of past actions.
Jesus says, “Come just as you are,” and we need to practice this truth for the people God leads us to. We accept people as they are and provide love and care for them. God always sees more than what we see and He promises to bring His transformation to us. We will meet and serve those who feel like they don’t measure up spiritually or by other standards. Jesus calls them, through His Word, Spirit, and church, to come just as they are, and we ask God to do His changing work in them.
Simple Worship
The most natural response of Jesus’ community is to give Him glory for who He is and what He has done for us. We worship not for the purpose of mission, but because God is worthy of our praise. In worship we offer our whole being—body, mind, and soul—to God in an expression of praise and thanksgiving. We gather with others to give and receive encouragement in the journey ahead. We center on the Word of God, which is the power of God to mold, chisel, and shape us.
Corporate worship happens when the body comes together, in large or small groups. Personal worship happens moment by moment each day. We are to strive to focus our whole day on God. We continually thank Him for all He has done and for all He will do.
Transformational Open-mindedness
As God moves in our midst, His Spirit leads us to new expressions of worship and venues for spiritual often brings new and fresh expressions of praise, service, and structures for ministry. We will be open to how God’s Spirit moves in our midst, so that we can be most effective as we minister and worship within our church and for the community. Our world and culture are constantly changing. To be relevant to reaching our community and world, we will not only accept change but be agents of change.
Growing Youth
A primary responsibility of God’s people is to train their children into the faith of Jesus. Obedience to the Great Commission ( Making disciples of all nations) starts with us as individuals and our families. Children are not only gifts to individual household but to the community of faith. As such, we will provide programs that allow children to grow in their faith development. We will be examples of people who serve God. We will provide opportunities for all children to be a part of youth ministry and the whole life of the church. We will seek to be inter-generational as we help to train our youth to become Jesus’ disciples.
Reproducing Leadership
God leads His people by providing leaders to direct the way towards our God-given mission. As leaders grow, the level of spiritual maturity within the church body grows. Leaders are servants who use the gifts of wisdom and discernment, and who practice the skill of administration and service. Leaders use their gifts to direct large and small groups into a greater experience of God. Because we desire that most of Discovery’s leaders rise up from within, we are committed to mentoring and guiding current and future leaders as they develop their leadership abilities within the church and ministries.
