Thanks Giving November 22, 2011
Posted by Dan R. Dick in Christian witness, Church Leadership, Core Values, The United Methodist Church, U.S. Culture.Tags: Christian Community, Church Leadership, The United Methodist Church, Values
11 comments
Ilene Richard's wonderful reminder...
There is often a chasm between what we say is important and the actions we take which reveal what is truly important (like saying “we want to make disciples,” then counting “worship attenders.”) to us. Something is always driving us, but identifying exactly what it is isn’t always easy. You would think that “faith” would be a big driver in the church, but talk to many of our leaders today and it is evident that “fear” is our guiding value. “Spiritual maturity” would make sense as a core value, but “church membership” is apparently much more valuable. “Lives touched” is a noble value, but “dollars given” occupies a lot more of our time and attention. Here is a list of core practices and values that we claim are important – coupled with the behaviors that tell a deeper story in today’s church:
