What are core values for a church or Christian ministry? Borrowing from Dr. Aubrey Malphurs, core values are (or should be) the core, passionate, Bible-based 
convictions that determine your ministry behavior, and shape your identity. Everything you do in your church or ministry should reflect your values unless you have just a wish list. Therefore, pastors and church leaders need to continually ask, what are our core values? Here are some things that will reflect your church or organization's actual core values.
What do you count or measure? This will provide some hints for your core, passionate, and Bible-based convictions. For example, the number of people who come to Christ through your church or ministry each year may reflect the core value of evangelism. Or, the number of people who are intentionally growing in Christ and winning others to salvation in Christ might reflect the core value of disciple-making.
What's is in your budget? This will probably reflect if you value things over people and relationships. It may also indicate if you practice the value of missions or community involvement. Look closer and your budget may show you that your church values tradition over missional thinking and activity.
What do you talk about? Values are revealed and demonstrated from the platform and from your communication. What you announce will be an indication of what the church believes to be priorities for ministry. What the church sings about will provide a clue about the preeminence of Jesus and His Lordship over the church. What's in your bulletin, newsletter, blogs, and website will tell people inside and outside your congregation a lot about what you believe and what guides all that you do.
What do you pray for? When others hear you and your church pray, what sounds important? Ever hear the saying, "Joy stands for Jesus, others, and you?" If this order shows up repeatedly in your prayers, others will know that you value Jesus first, then others – all before personal needs and desires. If you can and your church can be frequently heard to pray for lost people, they might catch the idea that you value lost people.
What's on the agenda of your board meetings? If people see what's on the agenda of your next board or elder's meeting, will they understand that your church or ministry values administration or the physical needs of the facilities or running the ministry, or will they see that prayer is one of your top core values. What agenda items get the most discussion will probably reveal your highest values or your lesser values.
What do you keep and what do you give? What you keep for yourself will show what you value, as will, what you invest in or give away. Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Core values are heart issues. Show people your bank account and your savings account, and they will know a lot about your character because of what you value. What does a savings account with $1,000,000 in it with a deacon's fund of $100 in the same church tell you about that church's actual core values?
What else in your church or ministry reflects your actual or real core values? Maybe it's time for some deep and prayerful examination and refocusing on your actual core values.
[Photo by Miguel A. Amutio on Unsplash]