I was browsing the Vineyard National site when I noticed an article published by Bert Waggoner about the Vineyard Core Values. It seems that the National Board has simplified the long list of beliefs and values into five (5) core ones:

* The Theology and Practice of the Kingdom of God
* Experiencing God
* Reconciling Community
* Compassionate Ministry
* Culturally Relevant Mission

There was also an article by Ken Wilson giving a concise overview of each value.  It is a great article – so if you have time, check it out (don’t worry, it’s short).

In the meantime, I wanted to highlight the first value – seeing that is where God has been focusing my time these last few years. [@more@]

Here is what Ken wrote about Kingdom Theology & Practice:

The Vineyard is committed to the theology and practice of the kingdom of God — rooted in the vision of the Hebrew prophets and fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The movement is distinctively rooted in a renewed understanding of the centrality of the kingdom in biblical thought. We view the kingdom of God as the overarching and integrating theme of the Bible.

From the beginning, the Vineyard has been committed to proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God and to bearing witness to the “already and not yet” of the kingdom in our words and deeds—through healing (physical, emotional, and social), doing justice, and delivering those held captive by evil. Since the kingdom of God is the future reign of God breaking into the present through the life and ministry of Jesus, we are a forward-leaning movement that emphasizes the ever-reforming nature of the church and engages the world in love.

Good stuff to chew on.