Michigan District Convention Adopts Core Values
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

Michigan District President Hoesman, who was elected by an overwhelming 87%, writes about the District's Core Values as follows:

"The Board of Directors, in concert with the Staff, has developed Core Values. They have worked at understanding to whom the Board is accountable in reporting performance and achievement as outlined in established Goals of Outcomes."

Again Hoesman writes:

"Core Values have been developed, as referred to above. These Core Values, developed by the Board of Directors in conjunction with the District Staff, are those guiding principles and values that we hold near and dear as brothers and sisters in Christ in carrying out the mission of the Lord of the Church..From these values will come our Outcomes. Any decision of Outcomes must also carry with it ways of evaluating and determining whether Outcomes have been reached. The Board of Directors and Staff continue to work toward establishing goals and holding ourselves accountable."

These Core Values were sent to every congregation. They were published in the District Paper. There were presented one Core Value at a time in eight separate presentations during the course of three days to the Michigan District Convention. Fifteen minutes was allotted for a member of the District Staff to explain each Core Value.

The delegates adopted the Core Values as part of a resolution dealing with the use of funds from the sale of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Detroit in Resolution 1-09 B "To Substantially Honor the Final Request of Our Savior Lutheran Church, Detroit, and thereby Highlight Core Values of the Michigan District."

The final resolve commits the District to the new District Core Values as follows:

"RESOLVED, that the District administration seek to involve urban pastors and leaders in discussion and decisions that affect urban ministry, perhaps through the CMF/Urban position - thereby showing its commitment to Core Value 1 (locally rooted mission development), Core Value 2 (congregation and District staff accountability) and Core Value 3 (networking congregations)."

The Michigan District Convention was repeatedly told that the following eight Core Values are listed in order of priority.

(As for this writer, I spoke against the Core Values and offered an amendment to strike the last two lines about Core Values from the final resolve but no one in the Convention would second the motion. Resolution 1-09 B was adopted by a strong majority.)

(The following list of Core Values are as published in their entirety in the Michigan District Convention Work Book.)

Core Value 1: Intentional Mission Development

Under the Gospel Imperative of the great Commission, the Michigan District deeply values the development of new and established congregations and missionary agencies which generate a new audience for the Gospel by bringing Jesus Christ to the unchurched and dechurched populations within the State of Michigan. This core value will serve to prioritize such activities as:

  1. New mission starts
  2. Both locally rooted and district called/deployed mission initiatives
  3. Urban, ethnic and trans-cultural ministries
  4. Encouragement of culturally relevant congregations

Core Value 2: Accountability

The Michigan District deeply values accountability for church workers, congregations, and District staff. Accountability preserves integrity and encourages ministry success. To this end, the District, through the Office of the District President, will exercise such accountability by:

  1. Doctrinal supervision
  2. Regular reporting and performance evaluation of all District personnel
  3. Congregational performance in winning new and nurturing current disciples
  4. Celebration of congregation ministry milestones
  5. Congregation filing of accurate and timely statistical reports to the Synod and District

Core Value 3: Networking Congregations

The Michigan District deeply values collaborative, interdependent and coaching relationships between congregations. Such networking provides a positive pathway to expansion of congregational mission and ministry. To this end, vital linkages between congregations shall be established, providing a forum for such mutually beneficial functions as:

  1. Diffusion of innovation
  2. Access to Synodical and district resources
  3. Process consulting for planning and decision making
  4. Healthy congregational systems
  5. Congregational self-study, evaluation and planning
  6. Affirmation of congregational uniqueness
  7. Pastoral, staff and lay leadership development
  8. Effective community outreach
  9. Sponsorship of large(r) events for collaboration and learning, such as:
    a. Fellowship
    b. Forums to address issues of diversity
    c. Leadership development and training for clergy and lay leaders
    d. Affinity-based learning clusters and networking events

Core Value 4: Providing and Supporting Professional Church Workers

The Michigan District deeply values assisting congregations and professional church workers. To this end, high-quality staff support services will be provided such as:

  1. Coaching for staff configuration and/or expansion
  2. Development of relevant and appropriate ministry descriptions
  3. Assisting congregations to identify staff candidates
  4. Church worker support, health and encouragement

Core Value 5: Support for Families

The Michigan District deeply vales ministry to the Christian Family. Recognizing that the families of District congregations are defined by different generations, life-stages and social configurations-and that families are under considerable stress-the District will engage in intentional services which are designed to support and strengthen the Christian family, such as:

  1. Educational resources for family enrichment
  2. Vacation Bible School
  3. Sunday School
  4. Children's Ministry
  5. Youth Ministry
  6. Singles' Ministry
  7. Nurture from cradle to eternity
  8. Older Adult Ministry
  9. Home schooling issues and resources
  10. Support and recovery groups
  11. Human Care Ministries

Core Value 6: Lutheran Schools and Child Care Centers

The Michigan District deeply values the discipling of children through Lutheran Schools and Child Care Centers in spiritual formation and local mission outreach. To this end, such educational agencies will be supported through high-quality support services which include such activities as:

  1. Skill development opportunities
  2. Accreditation and certification
  3. Encouragement
  4. Crisis intervention
  5. Liaison with state and/or private educational agencies

Core Value 7: Locally Rooted Support for Mission and Ministry to Special Mission Fields

The Michigan District deeply values congregation and cluster-based outreach into special mission fields (ethnic groups campus, chaplaincy, deaf). In addition to calling and deploying Mission Developers for specific and appropriate mission fields, the Michigan District will seek collaborative relationships with congregations and local agencies and will provide appropriate resources and funding support as local congregations and ministry agencies sponsors such ministries and call ministry staff.

Core Value 8: Financial Development for Both Congregation and District Ministries

Recognizing that congregational, district and Synodical ministries will benefit from all legitimate sources of funding support, the Michigan District deeply values aggressive financial development through such God-honoring strategies as:

  1. Stewardship of life resources
  2. Funding congregational ministries
  3. Michigan District Development Officer(s)
  4. Establishment of Ministry Endowments/Foundations
  5. Fiscal integrity
  6. Maximized use of resources
  7. Core Values and ministry priorities determine spending plan
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June 29, 2000