Values for the Church
The Church has often been maligned and sometimes with some justification
Though men may fail, God has high standards for His Church and expects us to strive to uphold them.
Values are the 'controls' that constrain how the church conducts itself. The end never justifies the means and so every activity undertaken by the church should be in accordance with its values.
The 10 Commandments (Exodus 20) is the first definitive list of values in the bible. The following is a suggested application for them within church life.
- We will always give God first place in all things in the church (2,3)
- We will never substitute anything in God’s place nor set up anything alongside him to stand as rival for our devotion, obedience or service (7)
- We will recognise and comply with God’s order in all things (8-11)
- We will never encourage nor permit others to transgress God’s order on our behalf or for our profit (10)
- We give honour and respect to everyone to whom honour is due (12)
- We will never seek the harm of another person be it physical, character or reputation (13)
- We will never betray a relationship – covenantal, contractual, confidential (14)
- We will show integrity in all our dealings with God, each other, society, government (15)
- We will be honest in all our communication, never knowingly allowing others to be deceived by what we say or by what we do not say (16)
- We will not be swayed in any of our dealings by worldly ambitions, possessions or pleasures (17)