More on Vision, Worldview & Values

With my blogs I continue sharing with you perspectives about importance of the Vision.  This week I took a day off on Tuesday to spend time with Sandra through her surgery.  To make a waiting time in the hospital useful I took two books with me “Getting things done” by L.E.Schaller & “Naming the elephant” by J.W.Sire.  Two different books, on different subjects – and both are addressing the same topic!  The Worldview, Culture, Values and Vision of a community.

Sire is surveying all available Christian and secular definitions of the “worldview” as a foundational vision each one has on all aspects of life. Worldview it’s like a lens, a single conception from which everything flows.  One discovery that floored me was this statement by philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd “all human endeavour stems not from worldview, but from the spiritual commitment of the heart, and there are two basic commitments, leading to two basic conditions of life: Œman converted to God & man averted from God.” He continues with his assertion that all worldviews come from these two motives. Œthe power of the Holy Spirit that keeps one in communion with God or spirit of apostasy & rebellion.

First is the matter of personal conversion, which affects how we see the world around us, values are translated into our conduct, creating a culture of behaviours.

A few weeks ago elder Mike Keim sent me a comment “culture eats strategy for breakfast.”  Then, the same day a Leadership consultant Andre Thomas asked me a question: “What is the culture of your church?”  Schaller’s book was about how culture affects productivity in the church.  Culture determines if things get done, or don’t ever.....

Last week I shared fragments of my vision of a preferred future for our church, stating my values of witnessing, discipleship and spiritual nurture, care, learning and more.  

I invite you to examine your own values.  What is your personal culture? For example, here’s a list of values randomly collected from different churches.  See if you can identify with some, and then define/discover yours in addition:

·         High commitment to world missions

·         Greeting and warmly welcoming with caring smile every visitor

·         Building a large endowment fund as security for future

·         Preserving the building in excellent condition

·         Caring for one another

·         Preserving traditional schedules and procedures

·         Paying all bills on time

·         “Taking care of our wonderful minister”

·         Preserving and Perpetuating nationality or ethnic customs

·         Excellence in vocal music over broad participation....

What we value will determine what we do.  And what we do frequently squeezes out other things that are not valued, creating a unique culture.