We want to be value driven and goal or purpose-directed. This calls for us as leaders to have a clear, firm grasp of our values, priorities and practices. The following is an attempt to elaborate on these, as we understand them at present. 

1.1. WE VALUE A PROPER APPROACH TO THE BIBLE.

• We highly value the Bible as the Word of God - it is living, powerful and active (Hebrews 4:12).
• Therefore our approach is to encounter God through His Word i.e. the Bible is to be experienced and lived in as opposed to being analysed and evaluated. It was written to stimulate faith and bring into contact with God, rather than a vehicle for doctrine and argumentation of certain positions. (Matthew 4:4 - nourishment and strength comes as you enjoy the meal, not as you study the menu!)
• We experience what the Bible really teaches when we lay aside our doctrinal, denominational, cultural and philosophical presuppositions, and read the Bible (with the Spirit’s help) in its own historical setting, in its own terms, categories and thought forms.
• Being “Biblical” is not believing the right things, but rather becoming and doing what the Bible says.

1.2 WE VALUE JESUS CHRIST AS THE HEAD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE CHURCH.

• Jesus is the origin and owner of the Church and therefore anything that happens in the Church should be from Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16-20).
• Because He has all authority, He delegates it to whom He wills for the fulfilment of certain functions; and because everything is answerable to Him we recognize and release these functions (Ephesians 2:20-23; 4:7-13).
• The Holy Spirit resides in the Church to empower us to fulfil God’s purpose (John 14:16, 17 of Acts 1:6-8). Therefore His presence and ministry in our midst must be honoured and received.
• The Holy Spirit will direct the affairs of the Church if He is released to do so. We have found Him using the following means:
  1. The inward witness of the human spirit which is recreated through the New Birth (Prov. 20:27; I Cor. 6:17; 2 Cor. 5:17)
  2. The confirming presence of peace through the direction of the Spirit. (Colossians 3:15; see Acts 16;6,7 for an example).
  3. The Word of God (Psalm 119:105; see Acts 15:13-21 for an example).
  4. The counsel of the brethren (Proverbs 11:14, 15:22; see Acts 15:6,7,28 for an example.
  5. Waiting on the Lord through worship, prayer and fasting (see Acts 13:1-4).
  6. Visions, dreams, visitations and gifts of the Spirit (see Acts 8:26, 29; 16:9,10).
• 1.2.5 God blesses, provides for and completes what He initiates; therefore we must wait, and see, and do only what He is doing and blessing.

1.3 WE VALUE RELATIONSHIPS AS PRIMARY, ON AN ADULT-TO-ADULT BASIS.

• Building relationships are essential for “being” out of which flows “doing” Mark 3:14; “….they were with Him, and then He sent them out to preach …..”
• Relationships take root in the soil of intimacy and accountability. Self-disclosure, the freedom to fail, acceptance and truthfulness are all essential factors in growing relationships e.g. Jesus’ relationship with Peter and the way He handled Peter’s failure (e.g. John 21:15-22).
• Relationships are built on commitment. (God relates to us in the context of covenant commitment.) Relationships are an end in themselves and are not to be used, exploited or manipulated for selfish gain. (John 15:13; I John 3:16).
• Relationships built on love one for another are an extremely powerful and revolutionary factor in society. People identify us, and are drawn to us, and remain with us because of relationships. (John 13:34, 35 of Acts 2:44 - 47)
• Church structure is built on relationships, and not positions and tithes (Matthew 20:24-28). These relationships are conducted on an adult to adult basis, and not parent to child or vice versa. This brings about strength, maturity and flexibility in the Church as a whole and in the people as individuals (which facilitated effective functioning of every part; Ephesians 4:15, 16).
• These relationships have a three-fold application:
  1. Our relationship with God
  2. Our relationship with ourselves
  3. Our relationship with one another.

1.4 WE VALUE THE DIGNITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL.

• Each individual is valued and treated as a person. In every exchange we want to make them feel loved because that is what God does to us. (John 3:16 of Jeremiah 31:3)
• Each believer has a special place in the Body of Christ - God has chosen it! (I Corinthians 12:13, 18; Romans 12:5). We avoid ecclesiastical adultery by asking, :Is God joining you to this body?” We are committed to those with whom God has joined us.
• Each believer must take responsibility for his/her own growth and function in the Body (Ephesians 4:16, “… as each part does its work.”).
• We honour the priesthood of every believer (I Peter 2:5). Every believer must minister, hear from God, and pursue his/her own calling in God.
• We honour the freedom that every believer has in Christ (Galatians 5:1, 13). Everyone is free to choose for themselves; we do not want to control or be controlled.

1.5. WE VALUE THE MINISTRY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS HEALING AND MERCY.

• Health and wholeness is really God’s desire for everyone (Mark 1:40-42; Acts 10;38; 3 John 2).
• We have a comprehensive and integrated view of healing. Healing is for the whole man and his environments. It begins with the spirit; past hurts and emotions are mode whole; mental and demonic disorders are healed; the body is touched, poverty is broken and social relationships are restored and blessed (Luke 4:18).
• Healing is both an act and a process. It is recovery and change - growth into maturity and wholeness.
• A healing environment is created and maintained through a ministry of mercy. Mercy is the spirit and attitude of healing, and results in “love in action” (Mark 10;47; Luke 17;11-14; Matthew 15:21, 17:15).
• Healing is the place where righteousness and mercy “kiss each other” (Psalm 85:10)
• We love mercy, and we always seek to extend it because God has been merciful to us (Matthew 5:7; 18;33 Micah 6:8, 2 Samuel 24;4).
• We especially value the ministry of mercy to widows, the divorced, orphans, the poor, hungry and needy people, etc.

1.6. WE VALUE AN APPROACH TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THAT IS HOLISTIC, BALANCED, INTEGRATED AND INCLUSIVISTIC.

• In our approach to the Lord, the Church and life itself, we need to constantly integrate everything into the whole scheme of things. The tendency is towards categorization and isolation which can lead to imbalance.
• We integrate Biblical and secular knowledge in the discovery of truth (All that is in the Bible is true, but not all truth is in the Bible.”).
• We integrate the experiential and the rational - this is how we come to know God. (John 17:3).
• We have an all inclusive approach to the Church of Jesus Christ, and to what the Holy Spirit is doing in every part of it. We avoid an exclusive view of what God is doing in and through us.

1.7. WE VALUE HEALTHY, REAL RESTORATION AND RECONCILIATION IN CHRIST BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND PEOPLE GROUPS WHO ARE ESTRANGED FROM ONE ANOTHER, AS A NON-OPTIONAL ASPECT OF OUR COMMUNAL LIFE AND MINISTRY

• We see this as a non-optional aspect of our communal life and ministry, i.e. every VCF shall have a goal of being multi-cultural in its worship, outreach and leadership profile. (Gal 3:28, 2 Cor 5:16-21)