Sunday, February 10, 2008

NFC Core Values

The Next Steps Taskforce started in September by examining principles from Friends documents and the Bible. I invite you to read and think about the NFC Core Values that are listed below.

Mark Ankeny

NFC Core Values (taken from NWYM Core Values)
Jesus Christ is Present
Jesus Christ is actively present with us as Savior, Teacher, Lord, Healer, and Friend. Christ is immediately accessible to all who believe in Him. Those who take time to listen to Christ can hear His voice and follow Him, individually and collectively.

Scripture calls us to account and helps us know God’s will
The Bible, as interpreted by the Holy Spirit, shows us what God requires of us and provides authoritative and unfailing spiritual guidance for our lives today.

God is the source of life, and all human life is sacred
All life has its origin in the creative work of God, and human life is to be regarded as a sacred gift from God. Because all persons have equal value and are created in the image of God, we must treat others with respect and dignity, regardless of human measures of merit or value.

The Holy Spirit transforms and empowers us
The Holy Spirit enlightens our paths and transforms our lives. As we yield our lives to God and become immersed in the life of the Spirit, things change. Despair gives way to hope, and weakness gives way to empowerment. All things indeed become new.

We are called to be and to make followers of Christ
Christ through His Spirit transforms us to be more like Himself. He enables us to live lives of integrity and righteousness and calls us to bring others into this relationship. We listen to Christ, we obey Him, and we teach others how to do the same.

We are called to live out Christ’s love
Jesus reveals the fullest measure of God’s love by His example in His death on the cross. As we become more Christ-like, we hope to display the same quality of love corporately and individually to those around us.

We are called to be agents of God’s peace and love to everyone
We are called to work for justice and to be agents of peace in a broken world. Whether situations of conflict and confusion be personal, national, or global - within the church or beyond it - we are called to be agents of the same healing and love we have received from God.

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