philosophy of ministry

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Apply

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.

Volunteer-led groups are vital to the life of our church, offering diverse ways for our family to connect, grow, and go together. While these groups are not part of our primary resource allocation or Sunday promotion, they will maintain a year-round presence on Church Center for Alderwood to pull information from.

Resource Allocation:

1. Staffing/Ministry: Each volunteer-led group will be assigned a staff liaison who will work directly with them throughout the year. This staff liaison will be responsible for working with the rest of the Alderwood staff to accomplish the group needs and ensure clear communication across the team.

2. Facilities: Some volunteer-led groups do not require any Alderwood facilities, while others will receive access to room use throughout the week. Volunteer-led groups do not receive use of the Alderwood auditorium.

3. Tech/Production: Our staff team is committed to training a volunteer-led group to run their own technology when necessary.

4. Communication and Promotion: Each year, all groups (Volunteer and Staff) will be invited to participate in the Fall and Winter launches. Our staff will create handouts and signage for this event and will be an opportunity for you to share your ministry with the church family. Additionally, volunteer-led groups will have Church Center Group Presence throughout the year. Church Center will provide you with a consistent place for Alderwood to pull from directly. Volunteer-led groups will not receive additional promotion throughout the year. The Fall/Winter launches and Church Center are your tools to be in front of the church family.

5. Financial: We do not allocate financial resources to our volunteer-led groups and initiatives.

Staff-led initiatives are strategic efforts that are led by our team that directly align with Alderwood's vision and have dedicated resources for implementation. These core-ministries, such as NextGen and Discipleship, provide a consistent framework for spiritual growth and community engagement. By focusing on these high-capacity areas, we ensure our resources are invested in sustainable pathways that move our mission forward.

Resource Allocation:

1. Facilities: Facility usage is strategically coordinated alongside our All-Church initiatives. Together, we will look for windows and opportunities for staff-led ministries to pair with our high-level values and points of emphasis.

2. Tech/Production: Tech and production support is similar to facility usage.

3. Communication and Promotion: In addition to launches and church center presence, our staff will work with the creative team to create campaigns that include: Design assistance, All Church Email allocation, event/stall/email announcements, social media presence, connect center presence, and print support.

4. Financial: Each year, the Leadership team will re-evaluate resources and budgets to align with our values and points of emphasis for the upcoming year.

An All Church Initiative represents a primary focus that impacts our entire church family across ages and stages. These include major liturgical seasons like Easter and Christmas, strategic moments like Vision Sunday, and large scale community events that highlight our Go value. They also encompass the foundational pillars of our life together, such as Generosity, Groups, and Serve Teams. By prioritizing these initiatives, we alight our strategy toward the most vital ways we connect, grow, and go.

Resource Allocation: All Church Initiatives will receive the highest amount of staff attention and resources.

Faq

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.

QUestions

philosophy of ministry

The Vision

Connect

Grow

Go

Culture

Who We are

behaviors and traits that we value in individuals

how we work together

What we expect in terms of how we act and make decisions

matrix

Faq

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