Our values: What matters most

One Thing – Our highest value is that individuals come to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Everything we are and do is focused on knowing Jesus and living for His Kingdom. Our desire is to be used by Him to create connections and environments where this can happen.

Personal Transformational Experience – Our primary individual responsibility is to love God and our neighbor. Our identity and ministry flow from our being not from our doing. We can’t lead others into a deeper relationship with God if it is not a growing reality in our own lives. Leaders of churches and ministries need to be on authentic individual journeys if they want their organizations -- and the individuals that are part of them -- to become communities engaged in spiritual formation.

Spiritual Disciplines – Throughout its history, the Church has linked the desire for more of God to intentional relationships, practices and experiences that give individuals space to journey with Jesus. We encourage individuals and spiritual formation communities to deepen their relationship with God and with each other by learning the disciplines Jesus modeled and the Church has practiced to satisfy their longing to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Process of Transformation- Christ-likeness is formed in us by the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God, in three dimensions:

• Personal communion with the Trinity that enables us to see ourselves in ways that acknowledge brokenness and prompt repentance, and to see God in ways that provide sustaining hope
• Life in community with brothers and sisters called to deepen their relationships with God and each other, and inviting others to join us in Kingdom life through faith in Christ.
• Ministering with compassion to the poor, the lost and the broken.

Ministry from Community - We recognize that when God brings transformation to and through His Church, He does it through the work of brothers and sisters who are continually being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit, and who are in engaging and investing in the lives of one another, who are then empowered to minister to others out of community, not self-reliance.

Discernment - Leaders of the Spiritual Formation Alliance, its partners and communities are responsible for listening to God to determine His will for their role, resources and activities. Group discernment is essential.

Biblical Foundations – The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are authoritative for our understanding of God, our relationship to Him, and our understanding of spiritual formation and its associated practices should be based on the clear teaching of Holy Scripture. (Download a PDF of “Biblical Descriptors of Spiritual Formation”)

Affirmation of Faith – We affirm the Apostles’ Creed as an historic statement of faith.

A Call to Spiritual Formation - We endorse and encourage the body of Christ to affirm and embrace A Call to Spiritual Formation. This important document clearly describes the intentional process of spiritual formation vital for each and every Christian. 

Alliance Ministry – The “ministry” of the Alliance is conducted by its partners. The Alliance non-profit organization exists to facilitate community among them, to encourage their ministries and to help them become all that God desires them to be. Each partner has a unique gift to offer to the Church. We honor each other’s contribution and respect the role that each of us plays in this movement of the Holy Spirit.