Develop Practices that Reflect Your Core Values

This article is part three of a 4-part series, based on the following: In your ministry, make sure that you live out what’s important to you by (1) identifying your core values and increasing your understanding of them, (2) leading from your core values, (3) developing practices that reflect your core values, and (4) assessing how well you are living out your core values.

The next time you’re in someone’s office, get to know that person in an unusual way. How? By noticing things like what’s on the walls and the desk, the furniture arrangement, and any personal memorabilia.

Offices are set up to help a person get work done, so it makes sense that what an office looks like reflects the things that a person values. For example, someone who values collaboration will have extra chairs in her office. It’s harder for a person to be productive when an office doesn’t reflect what that person values (imagine trying to collaborate with others if there’s only one chair in your office).

The same principle applies to ministry—the things you do and the practices you use should reflect what you value; they should help you live out what’s important to you.

What does this look like in leadership? Imagine that as a ministry leader, you value empowering others; you might establish the practice of asking team members to submit powerful questions and then discussing those questions during meetings. Or imagine you value focusing on the mission; you could require that all proposals include a written response to the question, “How will implementing this proposal help us achieve our mission?” Or if you value growth, you might initiate the procedure of having each team member set annual growth goals.

Question: As a ministry leader, how can you develop practices that reflect your core values?

Here are six suggestions:
1. Use your values to guide you when recruiting new team members. During interviews, ask questions designed to help you learn how comfortable with and committed to the values the candidate is. A new team member who fits the values can help your team move forward, whereas one who doesn’t can cause frustration.

2. When orienting new team members, explain what each value means, including describing what it does and doesn’t look like. Emphasize how the core values help you do ministry. Ask new team members how they could implement the values.

3. At team meetings, regularly focus on one value for 5–15 minutes. For example, you could do a devotional on it, celebrate its implementation, read an article about it, or discuss it by asking questions like, “How does living out this value impact our ministry?”

4. Use your values to establish meeting guidelines. If you value community, make the participation of everyone a meeting guideline. If you value learning, make listening in order to understand (rather than to criticize) a meeting guideline. If you value focus, make a guideline about the use of smart phones, tablets, and other screens. If you value joy, make celebrating progress a meeting guideline.

5. When planning an event, establish the practice of asking, “How can living out our core values help us?” Or include on your planning template how you will live out your values.

6. Help others understand what your ministry team values. How? By featuring your values on your website, on your promotional materials, and possibly on your business card.

The point?

In your ministry, make sure that you live out what’s important to you. Developing practices that reflect your core values can help.

What about you?

1. What are your core values?
2. What’s comfortable or uncomfortable about developing practices that reflect your core values?
3. On a scale of one to five, to what extent have you developed practices reflecting your core values?
4. How much do you want to establish practices reflecting your core values?
5. What will you do?