Philosophy of ministry at alderwood
The mission of Alderwood is to Follow Jesus Together. We do that by equipping people to Connect, Grow, and Go.
CONNECT
We follow Jesus by connecting together in Jesus-centered relationships. Within our church family, connection happens as we put the needs of each other ahead of our own, loving our church like Jesus has loved us. Our relationships are not judged by affinity or commonality, but by the way we encourage one another to follow Jesus. The primary expression of our connect value exists in Groups.
grow
We follow Jesus by growing together to become more like Jesus. This means growing in our knowledge of Jesus, our love of Jesus, and the way we live like Jesus. Spiritual growth happens best in the context of relationship, and the study and application of God’s Word in community is the most effective way that groups can help each other grow. The primary expression of our grow value exists in our worship services, courses, and cohorts.
Go
We follow Jesus by going together to do what Jesus calls us to do. Going towards others means both serving people in Jesus’ name and sharing the good news of Jesus and his kingdom with the world. Going is the job of the church, not just individuals, and when our community is outward focused, we make the truth of the gospel visible to each other and the world. Through prayer, mutual service, building relationships with our neighbors, sharing the gospel, and inviting others into Christian community, we participate in the mission Jesus gave us to make disciples. The primary expressions of our go value exist in our service teams and in representing Jesus in our relational, local, and global contexts.
the vision
Throughout church history, effective ministry has adapted while remaining biblically faithful. We are uniquely positioned as a multi-generational and multi-cultural church creating environments where people at every life stage can encounter Jesus. We eagerly pursue healthy growth, measuring success by both the depth of discipleship and the reach of our ministry while remaining prayerfully flexible to our community's changing needs. Each year, our leadership team reviews and refines our vision, establishing clear priorities that advance our mission of Following Jesus Together. We thoughtfully allocate resources and align communications to support these priorities, adapting our methods to effectively reach more people while maintaining the gospel at the center of all we do,
culture
Our culture at Alderwood reflects who we are as followers of Jesus. Culture is a combination of who we are, how we work together, and what we prioritize in ministry. This is the system that fosters values, beliefs, and behaviors. Everyone is responsible for maintaining the culture because culture always derives from actions we take. We define our culture using the following plumb lines.
who we are
behaviors and traits that we value in individuals
We are passionate about thriving in every area of life as we love the Lord with all our mind, body, soul, and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. We live in accountable community, pursue healthy work and rest rhythms and devote ourselves to meaningful time with Jesus and others.
We unite around our essential doctrines while extending grace in secondary matters. We are willing to say no to good things so that we can be great at the things God has uniquely positioned us to do. We pursue excellence in our individual and team responsibilities. We keep the main thing the main thing.
This ministry belongs to God, not us. We remain curious, give credit to others, disagree freely but commit fully, handle conflict with grace, and share. We remain teachable, and actively pursue growth through feedback and development opportunities.
How we work together
What we expect in terms of how we act and make decisions
Relationships matter most. We serve together without partiality, changing our schedules to accommodate the people we serve. We are deeply committed to people while holding programs open handed.
We lead with invitation and inspiration rather than guilt or mandate.
We think strategically about tomorrow while faithfully serving today. We lead with why, not what, finding creative solutions together. We don’t complain about problems without working towards solutions. We steward resources faithfully with generous wisdom, not a scarcity mindset. We constantly replicate ourselves, leading with an open hand, ready to give ministry opportunities to whoever God is raising up.
How We do ministry
As we design ministry, this is our approach.
Maximum Focus: We focus our primary resources (staff, budget, facilities, communications) on staff-led ministries that directly advance our Connect, Grow, Go mission. These ministries receive significant organizational support and are designed for broad church participation.
Maximum Freedom: We celebrate initiatives that emerge from our church family. While these ministries may serve more specific purposes or communities, they must be volunteer-led, self-sustaining, and work within defined resource parameters. We provide clear pathways for these ministries through our ministry application process.
the matrix
Due to the size and scope of Alderwood and its growth patterns, ministry decisions are fluid, delicate, and personal. This framework is intended to help you understand how Alderwood Leadership makes decisions when it comes to ministry philosophy.
frequently asked questions
We want to support and empower current volunteer leaders by providing clearer guidelines and expectations. This is not about adding more burden but helping volunteers feel confident in their alignment with mission, vision, and values. Alderwood leadership is in constant conversations about scaling and growth, which often means limiting ancillary ministries to keep the main thing the main thing.
Alderwood has traditionally been a staff led and elder governed church with highly engaged membership. The desire is to provide more clarity for current and future volunteer led ministries. This Philosophy of Ministry would be approved by the board, with executive team recommending changes as needed.
Staff will provide annual, initial guidance, training, and support to help ministry leaders understand the core values and expectations. This may include leadership development and pastoral meetings to ensure alignment.
The philosophy isn’t meant to stifle creativity, but rather to provide a clear framework within which creativity can thrive. By understanding the church’s core values and mission, ministries will have the freedom to innovate in ways that align with the overall vision.
Evaluation will be a collaborative process involving ministry leaders and staff. It’s not just about meeting requirements but engaging in a dialogue to ensure that we’re all moving in the same direction and staying true to Alderwood’s mission. These decisions will live at the Pastor level of our organization with input and direction from the appropriate Executive team member.
