Core Beliefs & Values 2
7/31/03

            What are core beliefs and values, and how does a church identify them? It is an important question because so many conflicts are rooted in the fact that church members do not know the difference between what is core and non-core.
 
            Core beliefs are those convictions that give a church its identity. The members will have many beliefs, some shared and some quite different from one another. But what are the beliefs the people hold in common that if they did not, they would lose their sense of who they are as members of a particular church? Let me cite an example. In the Disciples tradition the unity of the church is a core belief. If we were to give up that conviction it would alter who we are as a community of faith. Over the years we have pursued unity in a variety of ways, from trying not to be a denomination to creating a single one under whose roof all Protestants would live to the concept of partnership without bureaucratic overhead. The paths to unity are not core. The belief in unity is. It is part of our identity.
 
            In a similar way, core values are those moral and ethical principles that give a church direction. They shape its mission. Again, church members will have a variety of moral and ethical principles, some shared and some different, but which ones are essential for shaping a congregation's focus in ministry? Let me cite an example. A guiding principle of a congregation's ministry is a commitment to being identified with the poor. It may have a variety of ways in which it seeks to show this commitment, but if at some point it ceased to have anyone involved in a ministry among the poor, in spite of all the other things it might be doing, its mission focus would be dramatically changed.              
 
            To summarize, then, core beliefs and core values are what determine a church's identity and direction in mission. Working to illuminate them can be helpful in getting people to understand that changing the congregational structure does not change anything that is core to who they are and what they do. On the contrary, it strengthens the former by facilitating the latter. It also goes beyond mission statements that are too general to give direction and tend to collapse identity into mission. Mission statements, by the way, are very "American" in that they suggest we are what we do. Our approach, on the other hand, says who we are determines what we do, answering the two questions the Bible asks, "Who are we?" and "What are we to do?"
 
            The work of naming core beliefs and core values is, unfortunately, not easy. The approach I have used is to get people into small groups with a pre-determined lists of beliefs and values (approx. 25 each) the members can affirm, and then get each group to work at selecting five core beliefs and five core values from the lists. In a plenary session list the ones they have come up with. Once duplications are eliminated the list for each will most likely number fifteen to twenty. Using these lists go back into the groups and continue the process. It may take more than one workshop to accomplish the task. Once a list for each has been determined, it is shared with the congregation for discussion until a consensus has been reached.
 
             This is a very good exercise to do during a sabbatical year, in addition to spiritual life groups. It helps to get people on the same page regarding the focus of that year. Because it is not easy and is best done with as many people as possible, trying to do it when everything else is going on will tax any church's time and energy.
 
            I hope this helps. Email us if we have not answered your questions.   
 
 - Jan Linn - Spirit of Joy Christian Church, Lakeville, MN