Value-Based Decisions for Elder Teams
A simple framework to help your elder team lead with clarity, alignment, and conviction.
▶ Watch the original breakout session (click the image)
Every elder team makes decisions. The question is—what is actually guiding them?
Without a clear framework, decisions tend to drift toward urgency, preference, or pressure. And over time, that creates misalignment and fatigue. Sometimes it even leads to church hurt.
This resource is designed to help your elder team slow down, align around your values, and make decisions that actually move your church forward in a healthy way.
Simple. Clear. Repeatable.
This resource includes:
• A simple, repeatable decision-making framework
• A one-page tool your elder team can use immediately
• The full breakout presentation for deeper training
If your values aren’t guiding your decisions, something else is.
How to Use This Tool
- Bring it to your next elder meeting
- Choose a real decision your team is facing
- Walk through each step together
- Write it down—don’t just talk it through
- Revisit the decision and evaluate
Don’t overcomplicate it. Just start using it.
Watch the Training
This breakout from EFCA East walks through the heart behind value-based decision making for elder teams.
The audio isn’t perfect, but the content is practical and worth your time.
Don’t Have Values Defined Yet? Start Here.
Not every church has clearly defined values—and that’s okay. But if your values aren’t clear, they can’t guide your decisions. The good news is you don’t need to overcomplicate this. You can start building meaningful, usable values with just a few intentional steps.
1. Pray and Discern
Ask God for clarity. What does He want your church to be known for? What matters most in how you live out your mission?
2. Ground Them in Scripture
Your values shouldn’t come from trends or preferences—they should be rooted in biblical truth.
3. Consider Your Context, Mission, and Vision
What has God uniquely called your church to do? Your values should reflect how you live that out where you are.
4. Make Them Clear and Actionable
If people can’t understand them or repeat them, they won’t use them. Keep them simple, memorable, and practical.
You don’t need a perfect list to start. You just need a clear one you’ll actually use.
Start with 3–5 values. Use them. Refine them as you go.