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The statement of five values, presented in the five-letter acrostic SERVE, was drafted by the Executive Board and staff at a Saskatoon retreat in August, 1995.
The purpose of the morning session was to introduce these values and to allow time for the delegates, seated at round tables, to discuss them.
Konrad began the session with an introduction of the theme of service, saying that we are called to serve God, one another, those who are hurting, those who are in darkness and those who don't know Jesus as Lord.
As Konrad began an example of service by saying, "Our children expect us to serve them," he paused, surveying the vast majority of grey-haired participants, and corrected, "Well, for most of us, our grandchildren expect us to pamper them".
He went on to explain that Jesus is our model for service, that service begins with humility and that obedient service is costly.
Each table was then asked to discuss the values one by one, with 4-5 minutes allowed for each value. A sheet containing six discussion questions was to be used by each table to spark discussion.
Much of the table discussion centred on how the church or individual should work out these values in practical terms. Some asked whether these values are describing what the church is already doing, or what it is supposed to be doing.
While many appreciated the idea of delegate input, some felt that five minutes or less on each value was hardly sufficient time. Others appreciated the direction the values represented for the conference, and said the acrostic was helpful in remembering the values. One pastor said, "The idea of developing a mission is vital and good, but the process wasn't as thorough as it should be".
KH
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