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Dear faithful people of Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church:

What are our congregation’s core values?

That’s the first of many questions for us to wrestle with in our current time of transition. How we answer that question will very much shape our life together in this time of transition and how this time of transition will shape our future expectations of our life, ministry, and mission together.
Jesus both defines and states the importance of core values with these words: “Where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:34). 

When Jesus speaks of “treasurer” and “heart,” he is defining the importance of core values. So what are core values?

  • Core values shape our attitudes, actions, and decisions, greatly impacting our life together, our mission in Christ’s name, and our relationships with others.
  • Being Church in alignment with our values is linked to our communal and individual well-being.
  • Core values are not fixed but dynamic, evolving through experiences, relationships, and prayerful reflective practices.
  • Each core value can usually be stated in one word.

So, dear faithful people, the time has come for us to pray, reflect, converse, and decide together. What do you think are Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church’s core values? 

I invite you to ponder this question, speak about it with one another. Put down on paper what you discern. Over the next month, write, text, email, or speak to me, or a member of our staff, or a member of our congregation council.

This is not an invitation to static navel gazing but rather an acknowledgement of our experience of dynamic change.

Please pray for guidance. Please talk among yourselves. Please share what you discern. Together, let us discover “where our heart is” today so that we can use our treasure – our core values - to shape our life in Christ and our ministry and mission together.

Peace and Joy – and Courage!

Mandy
Amandus J. Derr
Interim Pastor