User:
chrish
Date: 2/21/2008 10:22 am
Views: 821
At Veritas, one of the things that people find most helpful is the behavioral covenant. A behavioral covenant is the conversation before the conversation. It is the conversation about how we are going to have the conversation…so the conversation ends up being civil, compassionate and Christ honoring.
Gil Rendle describes behavioral covenants as “holy manners for a faith community.”
People nod their heads when I say that the journey of revitalization is both adventurous and treacherous. During the adventurous part, we don’t need many guidelines. Everyone is on the same page, making sacrifices and moving forward. It is very exciting when the Spirit of God blows through the valley of dry bones.
It is during the treacherous part that a behavioral covenant really comes into play. The covenant helps us to walk hand in hand when we can not see eye to eye. It helps to preserve our chemistry and our bond in Christ as brothers and sisters, especially when times are tough.
Colossians 3:12-14 is an example of a New Testament behavioral covenant. So is Ephesians 4:1-6. The Church, both then and now, needs consistent reminders of how to treat one another. The truth is, most of the stuff in a behavioral covenant is found in the Constitution and By-laws of the church…important documents to be sure, but how often do people read them?
What is the best time to create and enter into a behavioral covenant?
- When the sun is shining.
- Wait until the storms come and such a process will prove more difficult.
How do you create a behavioral covenant? Well, people are down on what they are not up on. A vision imposed is a vision opposed. The point is to find ways to involve many people in the process…through sermons, focus groups, etc.
I just got an email from a pastor who is really putting the behavioral covenant into practice. Check this out…
The congregation that I serve is in a period of great unity. We are experiencing very positive health. When I introduced the concept of Behavioral Covenants to my leadership, a few took me aside worried that there was something going on that they didn't know about. I assured them there wasn't, at least not that I knew about! Instead, my purpose of introducing Behavioral Covenants to my leadership at a time of great unity and positive health was to define how we can respectfully disagree with each other and continue to have a shared understanding and unity on ministry.
We are beginning to enter into the sometimes rough waters of change. We are developing a vision for the future of our ministry and what that will look like in the years to come. Change is not always easy. Change will cause some to want to go back to Egypt and live the life that they at least knew what to expect. Change will bring out the differences in people. Having a Behavioral Covenant in place will allow us to respect our differences while moving together forward with ministry.
A side benefit of having a Behavioral Covenant in place is that when new individuals come onto the leadership team, they will know how we work together. The Behavioral Covenant will be shared with them at nominations time. The Behavioral Covenant will also be displayed during our meetings together. Will the Behavioral Covenant prevent future conflict? No, it won't. But, it will provide us a framework and guidance to address the conflict in a healthy manner.
Now this is a wise and thoughtful pastor, one who knows how to balance both catalyzing and stabilizing behaviors!
Go to
Vitality Downloads to see the sample behavioral covenant that I use in Veritas. Use it as a guide to create your own.
And then let me know what happens…
WHAT IS THIS BLOG?
Pray for the upcoming release of the VERITAS DVD; also for the Veritas teaching team and the Revitalization Assessment Center.