During our latest School Leaders Revival Chat, we had the privilege of hosting two dynamic Bethel Church leaders and former BSSM Revival Group Pastors, Chris Cruz and Dave Harvey. Chris is the pastor of Bethel’s young adult ministry, Tribe, and Dave is the newly appointed director of Global Legacy, connecting revival movements and leaders all over the world.
Chris and Dave reflected on their time as pastors in BSSM and shared some wisdom on how to steward testimonies and develop core values. As you read this post, we pray you receive new levels of grace for your school!
Stewarding Testimonies
At the beginning of each School Leaders Revival Chat, we spend time sharing testimonies from BSSM and from schools around the world. Testimonies are powerful because they remind us of what God did and that He wants to move on our behalf again. Psalm 119:24 states that testimonies counsel; they minister to our hearts, and ground us in hope that God will always be good.
Because of the power and momentum testimonies carry, we believe it is important to steward them in your school. Dave recommends sharing powerful testimonies in your school and unpacking the gold in them for your students to see. Include details that will connect your students to the story and show how God is working on multiple levels and doing many things. For example, a miraculous healing in one moment may unlock an emotional breakthrough in another. We see God’s redemptive power in the details of His works.
High Values & Core Values
We received powerful wisdom from Chris and Dave while they shared their insight on core values. Core values can be described as the DNA of our lives. They are kingdom beliefs that help shape our thoughts, speech, and behaviors and define the internal worlds from which we live.
It is valuable to distinguish our core values from high values. High values are what we know to be a good idea, but not what we are living out. For example, having a core value of “Jesus Empowers Supernatural Ministry” means our first response to a sick or injured person is to pray for their healing. A person with only a high value for that would think it is a good idea to pray for healing, but wouldn’t actually do it. Indeed, our core values dictate our actions.
High values become core values when we have experiences to go with them. During the revival chat, Chris explained the importance of building experiences for your students to learn their core values. In fact, many learn how to interact with God when they witness others’ experiences. Therefore, it’s important for your team to exemplify the core values that you are sharing with students. Chris shared the following questions that can help your students pursue experiences that develop their core values:
- What are we doing to foster core values?
- What are we communicating to students regarding core values?
- How do our core values create an experience?
- How are we treating students?
Your Unique Core Values
Each supernatural school has a unique calling and voice. Your school’s core values should reflect that! Have your team ask themselves, “What is God redeeming in me?” These are the breakthroughs you carry and can release to students. When beginning the process of articulating core values, remember that there is wisdom in gleaning from others, but to pay attention to the strengths of your particular school.
If you have not yet identified your core values or if you are adding more to your list, spend time with Holy Spirit. He will speak to you and guide you. You may find that there are many core values that are important, but ask God to show you what He wants you to emphasize as a school. Also, brainstorm as a team and get all the ideas on the table. Also, don’t edit anything out in the beginning stages. You may find that you can group several values together under an umbrella core value.
We encourage your leadership team to find language to explain the culture you are already creating. Chris calls this process “reverse engineering.” Examine your behaviors, beliefs, and theology to help shape your core values. Then, articulate these core values, which provides clarity for students and keeps your staff accountable to cultivate what your school is called to create.
School Leaders Revival Chats can now be accessed through a subscription to BSSM Equip. Find out more about BSSM Equip by visiting our website at BSSMEquip.com.
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