Hidden Core Values

I read a great article this week in Leadership Journal titled: "Discerning Your Church's Hidden Core Values," by Angie Ward. It was very insightful. Often when we talk about "Church and culture" we're talking about the culture surrounding the church. Ward makes the observation that the culture within the church (attitudes, values and beliefs) are what ultimately defines its practices. Often the most powerful core values are the ones that go unstated and reveal themselves over time.

My second ministry position was for a fairly large congregation that seemed to have things together. Some of the elders were leaders that traveled all over the country teaching other elders how to do their ministry well. The church was well-organized, had an outward-focused mission statement and seemed to be forward-thinking. As we lived with that congregation for a few months, we realized that their outward focus was more verbalized than realized. The church wasn't growing, wasn't reaching out into the community, and in subtle ways it coddled those members who were the least mature and had the most narrow theology. The church culture didn't reflect the nicely worded mission statement esconsed on the marketing material.
There was a covert culture present in that church. One harder to define that only revealed itself over a period of months and years. It was a culture that, though ustated, actually subverted their well-worded vision. The unwritten rule went something like this: Don't rock the boat; Don't risk offending anyone; Don't take risks!Ward says that "'Don't rock the boat' seems to be a common ethos at many churches.'" Then she lists a few others:

• We can find something wrong with anything.
• The world isn't safe, so we will protect you.
• Visitors are welcome to come back, if they really want to.
• Saved by grace but living under law.
• Let's just have church and go home.
• We're better than you.
• Don't ask questions.
• Bigger is better.
• Christians don't have problems.

Then she says: "These core beliefs are rarely articulated, but they have enormous impact on the health and effectiveness of a church, no matter what its stated purpose. Culture takes a long time to create, and even longer to change. Melting the tip of the iceberg does not eliminate the ice below the waterline."

If you had to take a stab at listing BVCC's "unspoken values" what would they be?

If we can become aware of our unspoken values, we can put them on the table and see if they align with scripture, empower our mission or merely serve to protect the status quo.