OUR CULTURE
VALUES
As Christians anything we build must be based on the nature and character of God outworked in our lives. His nature and character form the basis for our values and our lives. Values are not just intellectual beliefs, they are what we live out of, they are our life foundations and our lifestyles reveal what those values are. The following values are what we’ll be building the NZPN on.
LOVE - God is love – the Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit – they are three in one, therefore all are love! We are made in their image and have been united with them in Christ, which means that our true nature is love and we are becoming the manifestation of that (2 Cor 3:18). Ministry is a vehicle through which we express that love, and our words and actions must be consistent with that. Our over-riding value is Love - John 13:34,35 to “Love one another as I have loved you… by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another."
REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE – All New Covenant gifts have redemptive purpose, so a prophetic word should be redemptive in nature, not punitive or judgmental. God longs for all men to come to Him, to be saved, to know Him, have relationship with Him and to grow in Kingdom lifestyle. God may judge, as a part of His ruling process as King of Kings, but His nature is not judgmental and punitive, so any judgments He makes are always in line with His redemptive purpose of bringing people into the experience of His love.
HOPE – We are people, and therefore prophets, of hope because of who God is, what He has done, and what He’s promised. His love and heart for us give us a hope for our daily lives, for the future, for ourselves and for all mankind.
WORD OF GOD – Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1) and we submit to Him in that role. We recognise that the Godhead love to speak to people and we also recognise that the Scriptures are holy and inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16). We partner with the Godhead to minister their words accurately, always in alignment with their heart for people, delivered in truth and love.
CHARACTER – We value character above gift, although both are important. Good character is built on making choices consistent with living a life that honours and respects others and ourselves.
HONOUR - we have a culture of honour, that recognises each individual's value and worth. Because they are made in God’s image they have eternal and earthly value, no matter what their circumstances are. Jesus looks upon every person with honour and love, therefore we do also.
RELATIONAL MINISTRY - we aim through prophecy to minister to people relationally, not just informatively. The gifts are all about showing people how much God loves them, not just in providing a service. We therefore communicate in a way that shows people God’s relationship of love with them, and also our relationship with them.
FAMILY – The Church is a family, not a business and not a ministry. We are the children of God, sons and daughters, and part of the household of God (Rom 8:16,17, Gal 3:26, Eph.2:19-20). As sons and daughters we treat each other with respect and love, even when we disagree. We cheer each other on, we back each other up, we believe in each other and in God’s purposes for each other. We model what divine family looks like in the way we speak and act.
A prophet is not a person who stands alone; they’re part of a body, a community and family, therefore they must operate relationally. Prophetic people cannot afford to isolate themselves by removing themselves from relationship with the Church because of some idea they have of operating ‘outside the system’. That idea is not consistent with the Father and His family, and is not a scriptural principle.
ACCOUNTABILITY – With being a part of the family of God comes accountability. A prophetic person needs to be accountable to others in the Body of Christ. We are not immune from mistakes in hearing and sharing what we hear, and we need accountability to help us mature.
Being accountable is a part of maturing in love, recognising that how we behave matters, it impacts on others, and we need to care about how it does so. It is about recognising that we need each other, that we cannot be islands or isolated. We each need the input and guidance of those around us in order to become a mature well-balanced person who contributes wisely to the well being and functioning of the Body of Christ.
Accountability is not about being controlled. It is also not about belonging to a church, although some people do believe that. Scripturally, the Church is made up of the believers and followers of Christ, wherever they are, and is not based on whether they attend a local church or not. Some people may never get to do so because of cultural, distance or family restraints, but that does not make them less a part of the Church family. However, scripture does strongly encourage us to be a part of a group or gathering of believers if we are able to.
EQUALITY – All children of God have equal standing before the Lord, although they may have different functions and assignments within the Body. We are not only equal, we are a part of each other, one body, and no part can say to another, "I do not need you." (1 Cor 12:12-21). We look upon, and treat, each other as equals.
Everyone has the capacity to hear God and share what they hear. As we each do our part we give a fuller picture of God’s heart, intent and purposes for us. We each have something to give.
DIVERSITY – We are diverse and individual. Not one of us is the same as another, so while there are some commonalities in the ways God communicates with us, we each receive, process and express revelation differently (1 Cor 12:4-6). Scripture is our guideline for this, and it is full of diversity relating to revelation and the prophetic gifting. We’re all on a growth journey and we are at different places in that journey, and we make allowances for that in our interactions with one another. We desire, and work toward, unity within diversity – not uniformity.
KINGDOM FOCUS – we recognize that we serve as sons and daughters in the Father's Kingdom. We are not here to build our ministry, or release our agenda; we serve and labour in love for the advancement of His Kingdom in the Earth. It’s not about our patch, our church, our sphere of influence; it’s about Him and His Kingdom!
FAITH – we are people of faith, not doubters. God tells us that all things are possible in Him if we believe. This means that we have a positive frame of mind and outlook, knowing that God will come through and perform His word and His will.
EXALTING JESUS - we possess a strong faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour, Lord, Healer, Provider, Baptizer in the Spirit, and Deliverer.
HUMILITY – we walk in humility, preferring one another, recognising the work of God in each other’s lives, and cheering each other on. Self-promotion, desire for title or fame, and other self-agendas have been laid down.
SERVANT-HEARTEDNESS – We operate from a serving heart, giving honour to others and looking for ways to support and bless each other.
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS – These are gifted to us by our inclusion in Christ, as a part of our new nature. Our New Covenant life is one of learning to walk out their reality in our daily life. The Lord has given us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) so we tap into that reality and access those things daily, living a righteous and holy lifestyle.
GENEROSITY – We carry the nature of Christ within us, the one who freely gave Himself. We do not give grudgingly or half-heartedly, either in time, finances, gifting or love. We minister with joy, and it is our pleasure to freely give of ourselves.
GODLY COMMUNICATION – We seek in all situations to communicate honestly and fairly, speaking words of life and blessing that encourage and uplift, rather than those that bring division.
RESOLUTION OF ISSUES - We understand that differences of perspective will arise from time to time. We seek to resolve issues, not ignore them or ‘sweep them under the carpet’. When issues and differences of perspective arise we will process them with each other in love, according to scriptural process.
JOY AND FUN – Scripture tells us that “In His presence is fullness of Joy” and that “Jesus was anointed with the oil of joy above all His companions.” The Kingdom of heaven is full of joy and fun because the nature of the King permeates and sets the tone for the Kingdom, and joy is one part of the expression of His nature. We live and minister from that deep sense of joy that comes from knowing Him and His joy as our strength.