What Is The Overflow? Part 1

We're about two weeks out from our Christmas preview worship experience. The excitement is building and people are wanting to know more about The Overflow. Therefore, all of my posts over the next couple of weeks are designed to give you a better understanding of our church and why we are starting The Overflow. In order to do this, I'll be specifically focusing on our core values. Here are some introductory thoughts for today...

So, what are core values?

1) Attitudes and/or actions that reveal our true identity. Just to clarify, a core value isn't a core value if it isn't practiced. For example, many churches say they value or have a passion for reaching the lost, yet they scold every person who doesn't "look" their Sunday best and they rarely, if ever, see anyone begin a relationship with Christ. Values are determined by what you actually do, not simply by a statement that you make.

2) Foundational pieces that compliment our vision. The vision of The Overflow is to lead people towards Christ with overflowing love. We believe this vision can be lived out by people seven days a week in every situation. For us, this isn't just a statement that describes the programs of our church; this vision is why we've started this church. We want people to experience what can happen when God's love begins to overflow from their daily lives. God wants to use each of us to lead others towards Christ, and we believe this best happens when His love is overflowing from our lives! Our core values are practical steps that help us overflow His love from our lives.

We all have values even though we may not specifically call them core values. It doesn't matter if we are talking about our family, a church, or our personal life because we all have values that determine who we are, how we operate, and what we prioritize. The danger lies in believing your values are one thing when in reality they are something completely different. Unfortunately, this is what happens in many churches, and I'm praying God will keep us true to our values no matter the cost! The responsibility of knowing, communicating, and aligning values with Scripture is up to the leader, and in some way or another, we are all leaders.

-As an individual and/or a family, do a quick assessment of your life, identify your own values, and make the needed adjustments.

-As a church, your values are probably already established, but have they been identified? Do the people who are committed to your church know your values. I've challenged our launch team to memorize 17 words (our vision statement & 10 core values). At the same time, if your core values aren't true God-honoring values, they can and should be changed, but realize this change won't happen without patience and sacrifice.