This week I’m doing a five-part series to help you critically examine and sharpen your own ministry. The goal is to create a template that will allow you to serve as a consultant for your own ministry… a way of reflecting, assessing and clarifying where you are and where you want to go.
Today is step 2: values. Values answer the question: “Who are you?” They are the deeply held convictions, priorities, and underlying assumptions that influence your attitudes and behaviors… and consequently, those of your ministry. To identify your values, reflect and journal on the questions below.
Scripture creates the best starting point for identifying your values.
- What passages of scripture feels most central/foundational to your ministry?
- What is it about that passage that feels important?
Generate some possible values:
- What underlying values do you hold?
- Make a list of as many as possible.
- Group them into categories.
Narrow them down to those that are truly most important:
- Which values are subsets of others?
- Which feel most central?
- Which feel secondary?
- What is the fewest number of values that you need?
Checking for completeness and alignment:
- How do the values support the vision? (see previous blog entry)
- What’s missing?
Reality checking:
- To what degree do our current leaders live these values out?
- Where do you see gaps between practiced values and desired values?
- What action steps can you take to close that gap between actual and desired values?
The outcome of step 2 is to come up with a set of 5 to 7 values that accurately represent your ministry. Click here to move to step 3: The Picture of a Leader.