VOMC's Core Values Redux

I am a big believer in leading by and operating by values. The staff at The Voice of the Martyrs will hear me mentioning our mission values at least once a day. They are ultimately our "boss."

A few years ago, we adopted a set of core values as a mission that have helped guide and mold us into what we have become today. There was only one problem with them.

There were simply too many of them. Thirteen in total. That's just too many for people to remember.

So what I have been working on for the last couple of months is looking at ways of making the list shorter without losing any of the intended priorities that the original values were meant to uphold. This is what I have come up with for now:

:: Uncompromising Faithfulness to God
:: Evangelical and Non-denominational
:: Integrity
:: Excellence
:: Empowerment
:: Independence within Partnerships
:: Respect

Let me share with you what these values mean to me, as they relate to how we conduct ministry here at The Voice of the Martyrs.

Uncompromising Faithfulness to God: This is reflected in our commitment, for example, to:
:: Glorifying God in all that we say and do as individuals and as a ministry
:: Acknowledging our dependency upon God in all aspects of our service for Him
:: Promoting and modeling prayer above all other acts of service for the Persecuted Church
:: Accepting the Bible as our absolute authority in both mission belief (orthodoxy) and practice orthopraxy).
:: Researching, modeling and teaching what it means to be a sacrificial, cross-bearing disciple in the 21st century in Canada and around the world.
:: Choosing to trust God to meet our needs rather than engaging in direct solicitation methods of fundraising.

Evangelical and Non-denominational: This is reflected in our commitment, for example, to:
:: Our staff holding to an evangelical theology
:: Ministering to persecuted Christians regardless of denominational affiliation
:: Unity in the essential beliefs of the historical Christian faith and freedom to differ in nonessentials.

Integrity: This is reflected in our commitment, for example, to:
:: The truth
:: Accurate reporting
:: Strict financial accountability
:: Careful monitoring of international projects
:: Speaking the truth in love and listening to each other as staff members seeking the truth

Excellence: This is reflected in our commitment, for example, to:
:: Never being satisfied with "good enough", always looking to improve
:: Exceeding the service expectations of our donors and friends
:: Never being satisfied with the "status quo", always looking to the next challenge
:: Seeking to be proactive rather than reactive in outlook
:: Not being afraid to fail in the pursuit of excellence

Empowerment: This is reflected in our commitment, for example, to:
:: Standing with the Persecuted Church, encouraging and equipping without creating dependency, maintaining and promoting their ability to be self-governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating, and resisting any programs or ministry that would detract from this.
:: Unleashing the knowledge, experience, and motivation of each of our staff members through the accountability, direction, and support that only effective cross-centred, servant-leadership and a team-oriented environment can produce.
:: Demonstrate trust with our staff by sharing as much as possible with them about the mission's operation.

Independence within Partnerships: This is reflected in our commitment, for example, to:
:: Maintaining our identity as an independent Canadian mission best equipped to know how to accomplish our mission in Canada
:: Partnering with other like-minded individuals, missions, and organizations in ministering to the Persecuted Church worldwide

Respect: This is reflected in our commitment, for example, to:
:: Serving the Persecuted Church according to their wishes, aspirations, and needs, and not according to our own predetermined strategies
:: Refusing to promote (even unintentionally) the spreading of intolerance and hatred towards others, even persecutors
:: Recognizing the Image of God in each of our staff and treating them accordingly

As we faithfully live out these values, I believe that we will be able to faithfully carry out the mission of The Voice of the Martyrs of "glorifying God by being Canada's effective and reliable source of information and support of persecuted Christians around the world."