What Are Values That Determine
the Success Or Failure Of Ministry?

So here we go...

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It's an interesting idea...one that you may not have considered...values can be both conscious and unconscious.

However, a minister...by profession...is usually trying to convert a person to a new belief...or to the deepening and widening of an established belief.

And the minister usually operates at the conscious level... wihtout much attention to the question what are values that make this person act and not act in the world?

However...the person the minister is trying to influence may agree with the minister at the conscious level...but hold unconscious thoughts...beliefs...and feelings that would undermine that agreement.

What are values? Well...we might say "They're tough nuts to crack" because values are not located mainly in rational parts of the brain, but in those areas which are concerned with feeling and passion.

So, in stead of working hard to change someone's mind...the way a person thinks...the minister has to work to change the way someone feels about something. How does the minister get somone to want or desire to keep the sabbath holy?

By answering the question what are values that motivate or unmotivate this person?

Unconsciously a person may want to do good to someone...but the conscious strategy they use may be irrelevant like reparenting people or when a minister makes no distinction between spiritual direction adultery...or charitable giving and church embezzlement. 

If the minister doesn't know how the internal...unconscious beliefs are organized in the people they minister to...and how unconscious beliefs can be contagious thought viruses at the conscious level...intervening in their lives through ministry will be difficult at best. 

What are values that motivate politicians to spread democracy and commit genocide in the process?

Core beliefs...thoughts...and feelings...however noble while they are buried deep in the psyche...can express themselves in behavior through strategies that contradict them.  That is...core values and the way they are expressed may be misaligned.

Core values always represent the better angels of our nature.

Jesus pointed this out innumerable times in the scriptures as when he told the centurion (Mt 8:5ff) that his faith cured the servant...or when he told the woman with the hemmorhage that her own faith cured her (Mt 9:21ff).

And if ministers accept the whole person as they are...then they have to find and accept people's core values because...for better or for worse that is where a person's spiritual life really exists.  

The trouble people get into often occurs because their conscious actions do not reflect accurately their core values...the better angels of their nature.

From what are values you can return to values and boundaries.

Or you can...