Mission and Values
of the Social Action Committee

Our mission statement is to UNDERSTAND and PROCLAIM Christ's compassion for all people, by awareness and involvement in social issues and through intentional OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY. We seek to EDUCATE, CHALLENGE, ENCOURAGE, and PROVIDE opportunities for the congregation to demonstrate Christ's response to social needs and injustices, thus moving people toward Christ.

We have developed the following set of values to guide us in implementing our mission statement and allocating financial resources. We believe these values are consistent with Biblical injunctions to individual Christians and the church to care for the needy and seek justice in our society.

• We believe the Church is the primary institution for modeling the Kingdom of God to a lost world. Therefore, we will favor ministries which work closely with and are accountable to local churches in their field of service and will seek to partner with other congregations in our own endeavors. We will favor working with those who proclaim the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture. We will not support any organization which limits or forbids the expression of these faith values by volunteers or staff.
• We value Biblical justice in our personal relationships, institutions, and economic practices. We believe this requires every individual be given the opportunity to develop their God-given abilities and skills in a way that will permit them to provide for their material needs and those of their families. We will be active in opposing injustice in our metropolitan area, nation, and world.
• We believe God commands us to defend and care for the vulnerable. We will seek to come alongside of the poor, the sick, widows, orphans, and those who are oppressed by injustice. We will favor ministries which empower the vulnerable and value work and economic self-sufficiency.
• We will support direct distribution of food, clothing and shelter in emergencies, where individuals are unable to provide for themselves, or as part of a long-term plan to develop independence; particularly where we can build relationships with the recipients.
• We value racial reconciliation and indigenous leadership. We believe God values all ethnic and socioeconomic groups equally and that we are all one in Christ. We will partner with relational ministries that bridge racial, cultural, and economic divisions, especially those that seek to work alongside indigenous leaders, churches and ministries and have plans to develop and train leadership among those they serve.
• We will affirm the sanctity of life and value the family. We support fidelity between one man and one woman within the marriage covenant and chastity outside of marriage. We will stand against public policies and private organizations which oppose these values.
• We value risk. We will listen and follow the Holy Spirit when called to a prophetic role within our congregation and our culture. We will listen carefully to the people we seek to serve and use their input to develop creative ways to accomplish our mission and values.
• We value responsible care for God's creation because of our love for God and response to his call to be good stewards of the earth.
• We value organizations which help equip our committee to educate our congregation to demonstrate Christ's response to social needs and injustices, thus moving people toward Christ.
• We will encourage members of our congregation in vocations consistent with our mission and values by supporting them with prayer, financial support, and other assistance according to their needs and our resources.

Approved by SAC 6/8/97