Core values are operating philosophies or principles that guide our internal conduct as well as our relationship with the external world. The questions we ask are: What is the best? Is this what God is saying to us? Does this align with what we see God doing in the world?
Prayer is the element which ought to form the foundation for all that we do as the Body of Christ. Therefore it touches everything, informs all activities, empowers all ministry and service, and permeates our work from beginning to end.
Harvest has been the call heard consistently since 1994, which was really only a re-alignment to our call when this movement was birthed. Those efforts should be even more closely defined toward harvest.
Leadership Development is the third value of priority. In Harvest-rich locations, leadership development is essential so that the fields God has prepared can be penetrated even further. In Harvest-challenged locations, the key to progress in reaching the lost is to develop pastors and leaders that can hear the voice of the Master Reaper and move forward with His inspiration and guidance. So in either environment, developing leaders is the key that must receive priority. The model of Jesus certainly affirms this. His ministry here on earth did not focus on His ability to reach massive numbers of people. He realized that the greatest work He could do was to develop twelve solid leaders that could in turn develop others, spreading the leadership strength and so multiplying harvest impact in time.
These core values are central to our being, actions, ministries, and relationships. Alignment of our activities and functions at all levels with these values is crucial. In a limited financial environment realignment is challenging because it means discerning how to use all resources to support most effectively these values. This may mean narrowing the focus of some ministries, redefining others, eliminating others and creating others.
“Glorifying God through prayer, the harvest, and leadership development.”
This is an excerpt from the Church of God of Prophecy Strategic Plan – Executive Summary.