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Behavioral Covenants for Shepherd of the Hills

Basic Behavioral Covenants for Shepherd of the Hills
Members, Leaders, Committees, Staff
 
These Covenants are:
-          promises, not rules
-          descriptions of behavior, not changes of personality
-          integral to our Christian daily spiritual practice
-          modeled by us in church, home, workplace, and community
-          reviewed regularly
 
These Covenants guide us in:
-          sharing information
-          setting priorities
-          making decisions
-          exercising leadership
-          addressing complaints
-          resolving conflict
 
With these our Covenants we commit ourselves to:
1)   support and loveone another, as Jesus commanded “Just as I have loved
you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34)
                2)   seek resolution to conflict by first addressing the person with whom there
is a problem, then if necessary involving witnesses, and third, going to the congregation’s leaders (Matthew 18:15-17)
3)   forgive one another again and again (Matthew 18:21-22)
4)   interrupt gossip, neither accepting nor sharing rumors, even when such is
masked as a concern (see James 3)
5)   always ascribe to others the best possible intentions and motivations, not the
      worst (Luther, Small Catechism, Eighth Commandment ).
6)   speak for ourselves, using I frequently
7)   speak for others only when identifying the source, and not using expressions
      like some people, or I’m not free to say who, but someone said to me . . . .
8)   be specific as to issue, time, place or people, not globalizing with words like
always, never, everyone, no one
9)   focus on issues and behavior, not personalities or character
10) present suggestions and concerns to the people directly responsible
11) participate in decision making by speaking openly and honestly about
priorities and opinions during meetings, not privately afterward
12) address issues in a timely manner, but allow sufficient time for proper
resolution
13) accept differences of opinion and conflict as inevitable, normal, and
productive
               14) focus on the subject at hand, not diverting attention to broader, general
      topics
15) seek what is best for the whole congregation, not only our immediate circle
 
(Some material above taken from: Behavioral Covenants in Congregations by Gilbert R. Rendle)