Every leader who takes their culture seriously will name that which matters most. This expression of "values," if not called "values," will then be articulated.- David Loveless of Discovery Church calls it The Discovery Difference
- Bruce Miller of McKinney Fellowship calls is it Our Heart
- Larry Osborne at North Coast Church calls them Plumb Lines
How do you articulate your DNA and your deepest guiding principles?
Steven Furtick of Elevation Church calls it THE CODE. Elevation has received much attention as a fast-growing church in the Charlotte area, reaching an attendance of 5,000 at three sites after four years. It's a remarkable story, with a notable feature: The commitment to clarity.
Here is the CODE, in 12 statements, and an example of a branded environment (large hallway graphic) to communicate vision visually.
We Act in Audacious Faith – In order to dominate a city with the gospel of Jesus, we can’t think small. We will set impossible goals, take bold steps of faith and watch God move.
We Are a Generation of Honor – We freely give honor to those above us, beside us and under us because of the calling and potential God has placed inside of them.
We Lead the Way in Generosity – Our staff and church will go above and beyond to give sacrificially to the work of God in our city.
We Are United Under the Visionary – Elevation is built on the vision God gave Pastor Steven. We will aggressively defend our unity and his vision.
We Need Your Seat – We will not cater to personal preference in our mission to reach this city. We are more concerned with the people we are trying to reach than the people we are trying to keep.
We Think Inside the Box – We will embrace our limitations. They will inspire our greatest creativity and innovation.
We Dress for the Wedding – We will continually increase our capacity by structuring for where we want to go, not where we are. We will remain on the edge of our momentum by overreacting to harness strategic momentum initiatives.
We Are Ruth's Chris, Not Golden Corral – Simplicity enables excellence. We place a disproportionate value on creating a worship experience that boldly celebrates Jesus and attracts people far from God.
We Are All About the Numbers – Tracking metrics measures effectiveness. We unapologetically set goals and measure progress through all available quantitative means.
We Eat the Fish and Leave the Bones – We will always maintain a posture of learning. We seek to learn from everyone and incorporate a variety of influences into our methodology.
We Are Known for What We Are For – We will speak vision and life over our people. We will lift up the salvation of Jesus rather than using our platform to condemn.
We Will Not Take This for Granted – What we are experiencing is not normal. This is the highest calling, and we will remain grateful for God’s hand of favor.