Building on shared values — reflections from the Leadership Retreat in Calgary

By Leandro Palacios, Director of Communications

In Community of Christ we often say that we are a non-creedal church. This means that to belong in this church, to participate in church activities, in other words, to be welcomed, an individual is not required to embrace a specific belief. Of course, this does not mean that anything goes. As a church we do have basic beliefs, but we do not exclude from our ministry and mission people who come to church while embracing beliefs that differ from our formal statement of basic beliefs. So how can we discern our shared path forward when some might disagree even on something that seems as central to the life of a church as what to believe in?

In Community of Christ we have Enduring Principles: Grace & Generosity, Sacredness of Creation, Continuing Revelation, Worth of All Persons, All Are Called, Responsible Choices, Pursuit of Peace, Unity in Diversity, and Blessings of Community. These nine shared values are grounded in our heritage, including our history and scripture, and “define the essence, heart, and soul of our faith community.” They are our response to our community’s experience of God as together we walk the path of the disciple, allowing us to discern our shared path forward even when disagreements on matters of belief may arise.

Yet, as individuals, our diverse backgrounds and life journeys have shaped us in unique ways, each one of us holding our own set of values. Earlier this week, the members of the Community of Christ in Canada Leadership Team gathered for a retreat at the storefront church facility of the Calgary congregation, located in downtown Calgary, Alberta. As a team, we regularly meet online since we are all scattered across great distances. So this was an opportunity not only to dive into the details of our strategic plan and envision the path forward with clear, measurable goals, but also to learn how to work together as a team by getting to know each other a little better, building trust, offering support, and nurturing personal connection.

The retreat opened with an activity led by Director of Leadership Development Lanette Vawter, where we were given a long list of values and each of us, step by step, narrowed the list down to just two values that best represented us personally. In my experience working in marketing, I had done similar exercises that aim to reveal the values a brand represents or communicates to its customers, but there was a fundamental difference between those exercises and what Lanette had us do. The usual marketing approach is top-down: starting with brand values, we look at how individuals respond. But in our activity, we did it bottom-up: starting from our individual values, we looked at how these could guide us as a group.

What emerged was a fascinating list of shared values: Co-creation, Adaptability, Spirituality, Kindness, Creativity, Vision, Integrity, Justice, Generosity, and Making a Difference. Then we assigned tangible action items that the church can carry out to each other’s values. The most surprising moment happened the next day, when we could not remember who had written what, which shows me that we were successfully working as a group that, albeit diverse in many ways, is able to find common ground by building upon shared values.

I feel blessed to be part of this team. As we prepare for our First Annual Mission Centre Conference, we will continue to share how the team is turning the Onward Together strategic plan into tangible action—including programs and ministries that address challenges and opportunities across Canada and beyond—building upon the foundation of our Enduring Principles and our shared values. I hope you will stay tuned, and do not hesitate to reach out to us with your comments and questions.