Kingdom Minded: We are committed to advancing the Kingdom of God through whatever opportunities the Lord provides. We are acutely aware that public ministry, while a sacred calling, also carries with it the pitfalls of catering to pride and promoting a celebrity culture, sycophancy, and competition amongst ministries. God blesses people and organizations with abilities, resources, and opportunities to serve him and humanity in equally important and impactful ways. And so we are committed to working with and cheering on others who are faithfully pursuing those opportunities. Undergirding all of this, we endeavor to make much of Jesus and his gospel, not any organization or any one person and strive to advance God’s kingdom, not build our own castles.[1]
Expectant: One expression of hope is the expectation of a future positive outcome. An aspect of faith is trusting in the one who promised to bring about that positive outcome. Despite challenges and honest disagreement, we expect that non-Christians and Christians alike will be surprised by the credibility and profundity of the gospel message. We expect that meaningful dialogue can happen even over controversial issues. As people of hope and faith, we work expecting God to accomplish amazing things in the hearts and minds of those we are blessed to encounter as well as in our own hearts and minds.
Invitational: Amidst worldviews that compete for our attention and allegiance, it can be difficult to engage in an exchange of ideas. Jesus invited those he encountered to reflect on their need for a savior and his claim to be that very Savior. Jesus invited the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, and the powerful and the vulnerable to raise their questions, bring their challenges, and hear his answers. As those who strive to follow Jesus’ example, we commit to holding our convictions while also being approachable, accessible, compassionate, and hospitable to everyone, whether they agree with us or not. In that vein, and in step with what the Apostle Paul taught, we will not answer questions – but we will answer people who have questions (Col. 4:6).
Relevant: While God’s nature, character, and word remain constant, they remain consistently relevant to the shifting questions and issues we face. We pledge to be attentive to those cultural shifts while remaining faithful to the biblical truths that provide answers amid the changes. We will strive to listen not only to the broader culture, but also to individuals such that we are responding to the questions they are actually asking, not the questions we want them to ask. We value nuanced approaches to life’s complex questions and endeavor to provide nuanced answers while we recognize that objective truth exists.
Nuanced: Polarization is a global phenomenon that has transcended cultures and the controversies we struggle with. There is a strong pull to assume that those who don’t agree with us on a particular point are immoral or oppressive. This shuts down meaningful dialogue, punishes nuanced approaches, and inhibits the search for truth in a complex world. In listening to the viewpoints of others, we will see the nuance in their positions and provide responses that respect that nuance and the person offering that position in accordance with 1 Peter 3:15.
[1] Drawn from Bob Goff’s Everybody Always
Our goal is to conform our conduct to model the character of Jesus. We welcome your feedback and look forward to hearing from you.
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