OUR VALUES
Introduction
Every house is built upon a foundation. Gadsden Vineyard Church, GVC, is built upon the foundation of conservative, evangelical Christian theology (see GVC's Statement of Faith). We actively stress certain ideas and attitudes that govern our choices about how we use our time, energy and resources. These are our values.
Our primary value can be stated in one word - RELATIONSHIP. We are committed to growth in intimacy with God and with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ and to growing His Family - extending His kingdom throughout our community and the world. We want to know God and our fellow brothers and sisters better! We believe our relationship with God and each other is the primary value from which everything else in our fellowship flows. (Matthew 22:37-39) Therefore, God and His children are not to be used to meet our own personal ambitions. We prefer rather to learn to relate to Him and to them in a way that will bring wholeness to our lives. From this basic value come all the other things that we value.
A. We value the PURSUIT OF GOD. We are hungry to know God’s presence, to hear His voice, and to follow hard after Him. (Psalm 63:1-3)
B. We value CHRISTLIKENESS. We desire that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ love, mercy, grace, truth, purity, power, and integrity would shine through all that we do. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
C. We value BEING SPIRIT-LED. We honor Jesus as our head and the Holy Spirit as our counselor-teacher. We seek to be responsive to the Holy Spirit in life and ministry. (Galatians 5:22-25)
D. We value PRAYER essentially because it is our primary means of communing with God and because it is God’s primary means of accomplishing His purposes in the world. We expect God to answer prayer and often experience healing and restoration in people’s lives.
E. We value DISCIPLESHIP and aim first to grow as disciples of Jesus ourselves and then to make disciples of others. To enable people to learn more quickly and with greater awareness, we use a clinic model of teaching and demonstrating in everything we do. (Philemon 6; Matthew 28:18-20)
F. We value THE KINGDOM OF GOD. We believe that when we meet the unconverted and serve them, that God will back up our message with signs and wonders - Power Evangelism. As we love
H. We value INTEGRITY. We seek to speak truthfully, deal honestly, and live uprightly with God, with each other, and with ourselves. (Ephesians 4:14-15)
I. We value SERVANT LEADERSHIP. We believe that Christ has put significant leadership authority in the hands of the senior pastor and leadership team. We aim to exercise that authority with humility, selflessness, grace, care for the sheep and a sincere desire to build up the Body of Christ. (II Timothy 2:24-25; John 10:11b)
J. We value the INDIVIDUAL, single or married, adult or child. We believe that all people will someday stand before God and have their life examined to disclose the degree of stewardship they have exercised in their lives and work. We want everyone we know to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21)
We plan to help one another strive to do all we are called to do in our generation. We believe everyone can and should minister; therefore, equipping the body is a goal in all of our actions.
K. We value UNITY. We are convinced that all who belong to Christ are one in His Body, the Church. We aim to maintain unity by honoring all who call on Jesus’ name and by seeking reconciliation with all parts of His church. (John 17:21-23)
L. We value COMMUNITY, a “sense of belonging.” We are honored by every person whom God adds to the Gadsden Vineyard Church and desire that he or she participate in a small group where he or she can live and grow in a community of love and acceptance. In small groups people learn to love one another and to share in the ministry of reaching the unchurched. (I Corinthians 13:4-7; Colossians 3:12-14)
M. We value REALITY. We aim to walk in the Spirit and expect to see real supernatural works of God. We aim also to function on the natural plane based on God’s leading and excellent, rational thinking. (James 1:5) We strive to hear the Holy Spirit and walk by faith. We also believe that the Spirit’s promptings will go hand in hand with realistic, rational thinking.
N. We value SIMPLICITY. We desire to do nothing for religious effect but rather to operate in a natural low-key, unpretentious manner. We want every expression of ours—whether our speech, our music, our behaviors, and our physical environment to be non-hyped and reality based. We enjoy showmanship and stage presence but value it only as good theater and entertaining. (Philippians 4:4-8)
O. We value BEING CULTURE CURRENT. We aim to develop an atmosphere of ease and to speak, act, and dress in ways to which our culture can respond positively. We want to use music, terminology, and technology to stay in touch with our communities and meet their needs. (I Corinthians 9:19-23)
P. We value DUTY. We believe that as Christians we have moral obligations to perform regardless of what our emotions dictate. (Hebrews 10:25)
Q. We value LOYALTY that is an ever enduring, steadfast, faithful, patient, persevering attitude and action toward other Christians. (John 15:13; Proverbs 17:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-11; I Corinthians 13:4-7)
R. We value EFFICIENCY. We want to get as many people involved in the ministry as is possible. (Current research shows that only fifteen to twenty percent is involved in ministry in the average traditional church setting.) We strive to discover one another's spiritual gifts and calling to encourage each other to grow in Kingdom ministry.
S. We value EVANGELISM and want to PERMEATE OUR CITY and OUR REGION with Kingdom ideals. We want to take the Christian lifestyle out into the lives of the people in our area by meeting in homes and other places. We don’t want to wait until people find their way into a church service. We believe friendship, worship and service evangelism will build relational bridges to the unchurched lives.
T. We value being part of a MOVEMENT. We believe God is going to change the activities and behaviors of current Christianity into a more biblically functional form in this generation. We believe the small group movement is a plan of the Holy Spirit to reach different people groups all over the earth. We value the accountability and exchange with others that being in a movement brings. We believe that existing permanently, as an independent church, can be dangerous and with time could allow a church to drift away from orthodox Christianity.
U. We value being BUILDING (FACILITIES) CONSCIENTIOUS. We will use any space necessary to get the job done to equip our people. We believe the main work of the church takes place in small groups. We have no desire to build a fancy building for attracting people or to prove we have arrived; we prefer our “form to follow the function” when it comes to the spaces we rent or purchase. We work at establishing Kingdom authority over facilities for which we are responsible. We also aim at making our environs as aesthetically pleasing as is reasonable.
V. We value ACCOUNTABILITY. Small group meetings commonly focus on a Biblical teaching related to a life problem. Because one cannot hide in a small group, there is a natural relational accountability in this environment. We believe the leaders and members stay spiritually healthy through close accountability and transparent relationships.
W. We value GENEROSITY. We are committed to freely give away all that we have freely received from God.
X. We value HUMILITY. We know that humility and thankfulness leads to being healthy, mature Christians who aren’t judgmental but lead by the love of Christ.
Y. We value OUR CHURCH CULTURE. We love who we are and our evolving unique church culture.
them, God will meet their needs through our actions and prayers, and we will see God heal and work wonders through His mighty presence and His Spirit’s gifts to all. (Mark 1:14-15)
G. We value the MERCY OF GOD. We believe that mercy is fundamental to all that God does in salvation.Therefore, we aim to extend mercy to one another and to all to whom we minister. (Colossians 3:12-13)
H. We value INTEGRITY. We seek to speak truthfully, deal honestly, and live uprightly with God, with each other, and with ourselves. (Ephesians 4:14-15)
I. We value SERVANT LEADERSHIP. We believe that Christ has put significant leadership authority in the hands of the senior pastor and leadership team. We aim to exercise that authority with humility, selflessness, grace, care for the sheep and a sincere desire to build up the Body of Christ. (II Timothy 2:24-25; John 10:11b)
J. We value the INDIVIDUAL, single or married, adult or child. We believe that all people will someday stand before God and have their life examined to disclose the degree of stewardship they have exercised in their lives and work. We want everyone we know to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21)
We plan to help one another strive to do all we are called to do in our generation. We believe everyone can and should minister; therefore, equipping the body is a goal in all of our actions.
K. We value UNITY. We are convinced that all who belong to Christ are one in His Body, the Church. We aim to maintain unity by honoring all who call on Jesus’ name and by seeking reconciliation with all parts of His church. (John 17:21-23)
L. We value COMMUNITY, a “sense of belonging.” We are honored by every person whom God adds to the Gadsden Vineyard Church and desire that he or she participate in a small group where he or she can live and grow in a community of love and acceptance. In small groups people learn to love one another and to share in the ministry of reaching the unchurched. (I Corinthians 13:4-7; Colossians 3:12-14)
M. We value REALITY. We aim to walk in the Spirit and expect to see real supernatural works of God. We aim also to function on the natural plane based on God’s leading and excellent, rational thinking. (James 1:5) We strive to hear the Holy Spirit and walk by faith. We also believe that the Spirit’s promptings will go hand in hand with realistic, rational thinking.
N. We value SIMPLICITY. We desire to do nothing for religious effect but rather to operate in a natural low-key, unpretentious manner. We want every expression of ours—whether our speech, our music, our behaviors, and our physical environment to be non-hyped and reality based. We enjoy showmanship and stage presence but value it only as good theater and entertaining. (Philippians 4:4-8)
O. We value BEING CULTURE CURRENT. We aim to develop an atmosphere of ease and to speak, act, and dress in ways to which our culture can respond positively. We want to use music, terminology, and technology to stay in touch with our communities and meet their needs. (I Corinthians 9:19-23)
P. We value DUTY. We believe that as Christians we have moral obligations to perform regardless of what our emotions dictate. (Hebrews 10:25)
Q. We value LOYALTY that is an ever enduring, steadfast, faithful, patient, persevering attitude and action toward other Christians. (John 15:13; Proverbs 17:17; Ecclesiastes 4:9-11; I Corinthians 13:4-7)
R. We value EFFICIENCY. We want to get as many people involved in the ministry as is possible. (Current research shows that only fifteen to twenty percent is involved in ministry in the average traditional church setting.) We strive to discover one another's spiritual gifts and calling to encourage each other to grow in Kingdom ministry.
S. We value EVANGELISM and want to PERMEATE OUR CITY and OUR REGION with Kingdom ideals. We want to take the Christian lifestyle out into the lives of the people in our area by meeting in homes and other places. We don’t want to wait until people find their way into a church service. We believe friendship, worship and service evangelism will build relational bridges to the unchurched lives.
T. We value being part of a MOVEMENT. We believe God is going to change the activities and behaviors of current Christianity into a more biblically functional form in this generation. We believe the small group movement is a plan of the Holy Spirit to reach different people groups all over the earth. We value the accountability and exchange with others that being in a movement brings. We believe that existing permanently, as an independent church, can be dangerous and with time could allow a church to drift away from orthodox Christianity.
U. We value being BUILDING (FACILITIES) CONSCIENTIOUS. We will use any space necessary to get the job done to equip our people. We believe the main work of the church takes place in small groups. We have no desire to build a fancy building for attracting people or to prove we have arrived; we prefer our “form to follow the function” when it comes to the spaces we rent or purchase. We work at establishing Kingdom authority over facilities for which we are responsible. We also aim at making our environs as aesthetically pleasing as is reasonable.
V. We value ACCOUNTABILITY. Small group meetings commonly focus on a Biblical teaching related to a life problem. Because one cannot hide in a small group, there is a natural relational accountability in this environment. We believe the leaders and members stay spiritually healthy through close accountability and transparent relationships.
W. We value GENEROSITY. We are committed to freely give away all that we have freely received from God.
X. We value HUMILITY. We know that humility and thankfulness leads to being healthy, mature Christians who aren’t judgmental but lead by the love of Christ.
Y. We value OUR CHURCH CULTURE. We love who we are and our evolving unique church culture.
We have a list of about 25 values. Of course, there are move than 25 that go unstated in our local church culture.
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