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A few "Vision and Values" examples for your church

Our church strives to be on mission with Christ to:

• Share the Gospel with every person in our community
• Help people grow in grace and knowledge of Christ, and
• Help people to live out their faith in the world.

It is our belief that every Christian is:

• Created for ministry (Ephesians 2:10)
• Saved for ministry (2 Timothy 1:9)
• Called into ministry (1 Peter 2: 9 & 10)
• Gifted for ministry (1 Peter 4:10)
• Authorized for ministry (Matthew 28:18-20)
• To be equipped for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12)
• Rewarded for faithfulness in ministry (Colossians 3:23-24)

The core ministry values shape the scope and the means of all we do. As a community of faith, we love and serve one another in our community and world to become expressions of God’s presence. Our Christ-centered and people-focused ministries are concrete applications of our statements of faith and mission.

The following commitments will serve as the building blocks for every ministry:

• We will focus ministry around the person and example of Jesus Christ. Every ministry will serve to reflect His character and further His mission.
• We will follow the mandates of the Bible, recognizing that it is our sole authority for knowing and doing the will of God.
• We will bathe ministry in prayer, recognizing that apart from prayer, our plans and actions have no spiritual power. We will commit to personal, small group and corporate prayer to establish and maintain an on-going prayer base.
• We will value the worker more than the work, recognizing that people are the reason for ministry.
• We will endeavor to serve God’s servants that they will remain loved, connected, and encouraged for the task.
• We will prioritize the Ministry of the Church over a ministry within the church, recognizing that the mission of the Body is greater than any single part.
• We will organize ministries to promote believers to initiate new ministries that reflect our central vision. Our aim will be to free the Lord’s laborers to create new avenues and expressions of ministry.
• We will embrace change, recognizing that innovation is necessary to keep ministry relevant and effective in the world.
• We will emphasize faithfulness in ministry and allow God to provide the fruit in His own time and way.
• We will streamline ministry to focus on God’s call for His Church, and not attempt to involve ourselves in every ministry and lose our uniqueness within the Body of Christ.

Twelve Factors that Identify a Healthy Church
By Greg Penna

1. Divine Enablement
The healthy church recognizes God’s sovereign role in building the kingdom and joyfully seeks and expects His Holy Spirit’s work in and through the Body of Christ.

2. Pastoral Leadership
The healthy church is led by a pastor who demonstrates the calling, character, and competence to help this church achieve its God - given purpose and shared vision.

3. Christ Exalting Worship
The healthy church magnifies Christ by providing worship experiences that engage the whole person and lead the congregation into God’s presence.

4. Effective Evangelism
The healthy church embraces its mandate to multiply followers of Jesus Christ and more healthy churches.

5. Ministries of Compassion
The healthy church actively expresses the love of Christ through generosity and service to those in need.

6. Loving Community
The healthy church practices genuine care for one another while embracing new people and valuing their inclusion in the fellowship. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32, NASB).

7. Maturing Faith
The healthy church nurtures spiritual maturity that shapes Biblical beliefs and transforms behaviors consistent with a holy life!

8. Personal Ministry
The healthy church expects and equips its members to discover, develop, and use their gifts for fruitful ministry.

9. Leadership Development
The healthy church identifies, trains, and empowers persons called and gifted for servant leadership. “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (II Timothy 2:2, NASB).

10. God - honoring Stewardship
The healthy church teaches and practices Biblical stewardship and provides opportunities for generosity in time, talents, and treasures. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows” (Malachi 3:10, NASB).

11. Outreach Focus
The healthy church reaches into its community and the world as compassionate, culturally responsive, disciple - making ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

12. Vision - Directed Systems
The healthy church has its varied ministries focused and working together around the central purpose of fulfilling its vision.

Source: From http://www.bgco.org/ Baptist General Convention of Oklaho