Church Family Governance is designed to help church leaders discover the seven values of healthy function. When a church begins, transitions, or experiences difficulty, having a framework of values is essential to sustainability over the long-haul. In fact, you can have all the right strategy, vision, and goals - but if you don't have the right values, both your culture and your leadership structure can undo any progress you may gain.
This book is more than a 'how to' book. it is actually a book about 'why' we do what we do, and then 'how' to build these values into some type of constitution and system. Because the book is based on values and not actual structure, it serves as a great guide for pastors, staff, boards, and leaders to decide on who they want to be before they commit to how they want to function.
The seven values are all based on contrasts.
1) Family vs Institution 2) Agreement vs Voting 3) Affirmation vs Election 4) Fathering vs Impeachment 5) Leadership vs Representation 6) Team vs Club 7) Purpose vs Tradition
Each of these contrasts are studied based on new testament passages and practices. Since the new testament does not list an actual flow chart or structure, we have to pull the values and principles based on how we see them function. This approach also leaves some room for how to specifically write a constitution and form a structure.
Again, its not a detailed description on an actual structure, but a principled discussion on the values upon which health is established.
