What are Core Values?

The best illustration I can think of is that of a bowling alley. Yes...a bowling alley. Follow me on this one.

What does a bowler want to accomplish when he hurls the ball down the lane? To knock the pins down. All of them at once would be nice. So what does he do? Does he just throw the ball down there any way he can? Hoping to hit something? Unfortunately, that's how I bowl. And it shows. No, bowlers are very methodical about how they place the ball on the lane.

The name of the game is consistency. They line up at the same place every time. They take a certain amount of measured steps every time. Their swing is exactly the same...you guessed it...every time. But the amazing thing about a true bowler is that when they release the ball, they're not looking at the pins! They are trying to knock down all those pins, but they are not even looking at them! You see, farther up the lane are a series of small arrows. That's what they're looking at. It's easier to hit a closer target. If they hit those arrows just right, they will accomplish their goal.

Core Values are like the arrows on a bowling alley. We have a vision of what God wants to accomplish in our community. We work to establish ministries that will see that vision come to reality. Core Values give those ministries direction. If ministries hit one or more of these values, we will knock down some pins. If it doesn't hit any of these values, we end up throwing a gutter ball. That wastes time and valuable resources. I don't know about you, but I hate gutter balls.

At Bluff First, our Core Values are Building Relationships, Transforming Lives, and Pursuing Ministry. We believe that if we construct ministries that help to do these things, we will see God's vision accomplished.