As we sought God, He brought an incredible unity to our group. Our process for seeking values had us spend time (30-40 minutes) individually seeking God to hear from him. We asked God a variety of questions about what He wanted to relay to us. From this, we would come together to share what we believe God was impressing on our hearts and discern what we believe God was saying to our group. Both months that we did this, there were surprising similarities in our thinking. Through this process we were able to identify 5 core values. They are:
- Action – Working off of the Great Commandment, action that is focused on bringing God’s Kingdom to earth, and involving the practical nature of Acts 2:42-47. Action also includes an expectation of participation by all who are part of the communal body. Action is us taking seriously our call to be Jesus representatives in our sphere’s of influence.
- Authenticity – A community where authenticity, transparency and honesty are felt, experienced and acknowledged within relationships frequently. A created atmosphere that allows people to drop their guard, and where there is unity with diversity.
- Simplicity – A simplicity that is pervasive to all areas. To programming, relationships, infrastructure, and our relationship with God.
- Generosity – A community that is characterized by its sacrifice for each other and the world around it. A generosity that is all encompassing and includes money, but also other areas such as time, patience, care, and encouragement.
- Humility/Servant leadership – imitating Christ (Phil 2:1-5); exhibiting humility (Eph 4:1-2); and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8).