If someone asked you to describe the Brethren in Christ, what would you say? If a friend, for instance, wanted to learn about the church you attend, how would you reply? Have you ever wished you could, somehow, capture the "spirit" of our church, and put it into words?

A group of lay persons, pastors, and church leaders were called together to do just this. For two days, participants from Canada to Florida to California to Pennsylvania worked to describe essential convictions of the Brethren in Christ. In the end, the group agreed on ten core values which they sensed to be at the heart of our life and work together.

In setting forth our core values, we declare our ties with true Christians of all times and every place. We confess with them the faith as embodied in the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed.

We also recognize that these values are rooted in our history and doctrine. In broad strokes they convey the essential beliefs of our denomination as stated in our Articles of Faith and Doctrine. They express in greater detail the purpose of our denomination as stated in our constitution: "... to foster a fellowship of believers whose objective is to worship and obey the triune God, and to proclaim His gospel to all people."

We present these ten core values to help you to better understand, and to effectively tell friends and neighbors about, the Brethren in Christ. So the next time someone asks about your church, tell them about these values which touch our hearts, stir our emotions, and move us to action!