10 Core Principles

Of all the blessings in my life I count the church staff among the very top.  The team that God has allowed us to build in Las Vegas is one of the most talented groups of men and women I’ve ever seen in one location.  And though our team has coalesced as an act of Sovereign goodness there have been some principles that have helped us retain unity and stay on mission.

Over the next few months I will be periodically be sharing our 10 Core Principles for ministry teamwork.

The first of ten is…

Tap into Mission, Process, Vision

Does it Advance our Mission?

“We exist to develop disciples for Jesus.  Christians who are becoming Christ-like; living a life based upon a new value system that values the eternal kingdom of God above the temporal kingdom of man, a new belief system that stems from a Christian world view, a new lifestyle that reflects a genuine relationship with God, and a deepening relationship with Jesus Christ that is personal, intimate, and joyous.” 

As you can see above in our mission statement, we believe the primary purpose of Southern Hills is to develop disciples.  We extract this mission from the words of the Lord in Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”

Therefore, we’ve determined that our church will be limited to doing only those things we believe will directly advance our mission of developing disciples.  When a new opportunity, ministry, or event presents itself we have to ask, “will this truly help us accomplish our mission?”  At times the answer is obvious and we decline or approve without hesitation.  At other times the answer is not as clear which leads us into discussion, debate, deliberation, & decision.  

Does it Fit into our Process?

How do we develop these disciples for Jesus?  Our process can be summed up in four words: Connect, Grow, Serve, Share.  We begin by teaching people how to connect with God through the person of Jesus Christ (John 14:6), how to connect with the local church through baptism and church membership (foundation 101), and how to connect in deep, spiritual relationships through small groups.  We then teach these new disciples how to grow by having a personal walk with God through daily Bible study, personal prayer, and weekly church attendance (foundation 201).  From here we teach the disciple how to serve God and others by discovering their spiritual gifts and joining in a ministry opportunity (foundation 301).  Lastly, we teach the disciple how to share their faith with those who are not yet believers (foundation 401).

Does it Lead to our Pastor’s Vision?

Our vision is to create an army for Jesus capable of reaching our city, across this nation, and around the world with the Love of God and the Grace of the Gospel.  We are currently entering our “2^nd chapter” of ministry and desire locally to see 5,000 Covenant Members who are participants rather than observers, 2,000 Local Evangelists dedicated to sharing the good news, 1,000 Ministry Volunteers who willingly sacrifice time, energy, and resources to serve God and others, and 250 small groups that genuinely minister to the needs of their own.  

Time in this post doesn’t allow me to elaborate on the “2^nd chapter” of our community vision, national vision, and international vision.  

With so many incredible opportunities presented to a minister and a church family it is important to identify and live by priorities.  These three questions help us to do just that.  So then, Core Principle #1 is Tap into Mission, Process, Vision next week I will share Core Principle #2 – Collaborate then Cooperate.

What are some of the reasons you love the church’s mission, process, or vision?  If from another church, how does your mission, process, and vision differ from ours?  How can these questions apply to your home, business, or family?  Comment Below:

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