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The Ethos of ACOP
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I think when we put program or reputation over people that can really pollute an organization. When we forget, especially as people in ministry, that our goal is not to be the best fellowship, the best church, the most effective minister etc. we get into dangerous territory. Our goal is to multiple and empower people in order to further the kingdom of God, and when we have that in mind we are supportive of one another, but when it becomes about program or placement, it becomes competitive rather than cooperative.
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Lack of trust, lack of integrity, insincerity, and abuse of power are all things that I’ve seen pollute the environment of an organization.
Thankfully I don’t see that in ACOP. I would describe the ethos of ACOP to be passionate and wise. A lot of people within this organization are so on fire for God and so passionate about the call on their life. A lot of times passion can run away on people and become very chaotic, which is why I also included wisdom as something I see in the ACOP ethos. Within pursuing the passions God has put on the hearts of members of ACOP, there is structure and guidance and wisdom in those pursuits. It does not squander peoples calling, but rather the wisdom I see in ACOP helps guide people to follow the call on their life efficiently and with accountability and prayerfully.
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I think any factors that prevent us from walking in unity are what pollutes the church – things like pride, gossip, unforgiveness, and offense.
One word that comes to mind to describe the ethos of ACOP is relationship. The leadership is based on relationship, as opposed to position and there is a sense of the leadership truly wanting to support the members to be able to succeed in their purpose. I also like how Rod Barks talked about putting on the jersey and becoming a part of the team – again, a relational focus.
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Negative people are so detrimental to an organization. They bring down moral and distract from vision and mission. They are so focused on what is not good, they fail to see the good and tend to poison others in the organization. Other factors that can pollute the environment is not being transparent with intentions. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. When one thing is said but not carried out then it breeds mistrust. Another factor that can pollute the environment are people are not invested. This means they are a warm body, but their lack of passion keeps them sitting on the bench. The last factor that I want to mention is when leadership douse excitement and passion of those who want to serve. When this happens we have caused them to question their calling, their commitment and whether we even want them to be a part of the organization. We need to encourage, empower and inspire. If leadership feels it is the wrong timing it needs to be communicated clearly, with encouragement to keep moving forward.
When it comes to the ethos of ACOP I think relationship, family, acceptance, passionate about serving God, authenticity and generosity. All of the conversations I have had with people in ACOP have had the elements I’ve listed. There is a genuine care for people. One thing I have seen from some that I would love to see more of is empowering others to step into their calling.
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