What is Your Core Values?

By Lance McKinnon

I am a twenty-five year old children’s pastor who’s spent my entire life in church. My parents are in ministry, grandparents, great grandparents, great great…

You get the picture, right? I have been a part of ministries that were dying as well as those that are thriving. I have noticed one thing in particular that sets the thriving apart from the dying. What is it you ask, it’s one of those things you say “DUH” when you stop to think about it.

Specific Purpose is the one thing that I see in thriving churches.

A few thoughts are continually rolling around in my head when it comes not only to churches, but children’s ministries that are not thriving.

• “What are our core values?”
• “What is our purpose?”
• “What will kids in my children’s ministry look like when they turn eighteen?”

These are not shallow questions. You should take the necessary time in prayer to answer for your specific ministry.

Can you outline the core values and specific purpose of your ministry?

I recently moved with my pregnant wife halfway across the country from the warmer Oklahoma to much, much, colder Minnesota. The church I was on staff at was called Life Church of Bartlesville, a thriving church with 1000+ in attendance (and growing) in a small community of 35,000 people. I’m not throwing numbers at you for the sake of numbers, but I am getting at the question “Why is this church continuing to grow?”, I believe it has specific purpose.

The purpose of Life Church is as follows:

At Life Church we exist to:

• reach the unchurched
• worship with passion
• teach for transformation
• love with action
• leave a legacy

These are easy to communicate, remember, and implement. People who are new to the church or area of ministry are able to know what church is all about.

Remember our goal as ministers, leaders, and volunteers is to guide our churches and ministries with specific purpose.

So, today I ask what is the SPECIFIC PURPOSE of your church or ministry?

If you don’t know yet that is OK. Shoot down thoughts of discouragement and take courage that you’re moving towards defining what God is calling your church or ministry to do.

By: Lance McKinnon