Mayor Pete’s “Rules of The Road”
I’m on Pete Buttigieg’s email list. A couple weeks ago, he sent out his “Rules of the Road” that outline the values for which his campaign is aspiring. Like most of Mayor Pete’s writings, it is well thought out and articulated. In fact, I thought it would be a great set of values for a faith-based organization to espouse. So, I stole it and re-framed his “Rules of the Road” for a church context.
What would you think about a church who embodied these values?:
RESPECT
In our thoughts, words, and actions we cultivate a sense of respect. We respect one another on this team, we respect the tradition of the United Methodist Church, and we respect every individual we encounter. The better we hold up this value among ourselves, the better it will reflect outside.
BELONGING
We seek to serve and unify a diverse congregation. Let us build a leadership team and a coalition of volunteers that kindly embraces and reflects the increasingly diverse city to which we belong. We will honor this value not just in our makeup but in our practices, as we proactively work to include people of different backgrounds and viewpoints in every major decision, and cultivate a sense of welcome to all.
TRUTH
Honesty is in our nature, and it is one of our greatest means of restoring faith in religious organizations and building a movement rooted in trust and faith in God. Internally and externally, our effort will be characterized by fidelity to the truth.
TEAMWORK
We are all working to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the sake of the world. In moments of disagreement, the temptations of pride and ego will arise. Rooted in our mission, let our common purpose be a touchstone as we foster a climate of trust and mutual respect.
BOLDNESS
We will not hesitate to take bold stances and to accept risk in the defense of our values. Our respect is reserved for people, not for conventions. We accept no truisms without questioning. The spirit of originality will create the pressure and permission for us to do things not done before, to stand out from the crowd not by waving our arms for attention but by the fact of being different.
RESPONSIBILITY
The conduct of a church can be as influential as its programs. Everyone on this team has a responsibility to live up to our values, and every participant, from a first-time volunteer to the senior leadership staff, must model this. When there is a mistake, we take ownership, learn, adjust, and move on. Missteps are inevitable, but they should never be repeated. We own our choices and our work.
SUBSTANCE
There is no point in being merely existing as an organization unless it is one of substance. We have the opportunity to open meaningful conversations. We will wrestle with contemporary questions seriously. We will lay aside the superficial in favor of the meaningful. We embrace complicated challenges, and will work to improve the overall dialogue in how the church relates to our world.
DISCIPLINE
A movement like ours will require enormous discipline. Through energy and determination, we will handle our resources with the stewardship they deserve, mindful that this organization is fueled by the gift of other people’s time, money, relationships, and reputations.
EXCELLENCE
A healthy church is a marvel and gives life to its members and its community. But the standard we should hold ourselves to in every part of our work is not whether it is at the level of a historically great church, but whether it is at the level we would expect of the best church of this time and place.
JOY
Amid the great challenge we have accepted, let us be joyful. We are privileged to be in the very center of the most important movement in the world. We are assembling a team of wonderful human beings. Along the way we will all get many opportunities to lift one another up and lift up those we encounter. Being involved with movement of God in our world will shape us but we can shape it too. Let us shape it, partly, by spreading the joy of working for our beliefs.
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(Mayor Pete’s origional “Rules of the Road” can be found here: https://go.peteforamerica.com/rules-of-the-road/)