Non-negotiables

Whilst at our North Yorks team meeting last Tuesday Andrew Vertigan posed the question
What are the non-negotiables for the Salvation Army? We had a lively debate which is set to continue at the SA Planters Retreat at Sunbury next week.

I have returned to the question several times during the week and decided that the doctrines of the Salvation Army remain non-negotiable as the basic tenets of our faith.
The values of Northallerton Outreach Centre are borrowed from the Cell Church movement but are in line with Salvation Army doctrine and sit very well with Salvation Army purposes and practice.
They are: Jesus at the centre
Every member ministry
Every member growing spiritually
Authentic Christian community
Reaching the lost through multiplication
Demonstrating the sacrificial love of Christ

These are non-negotiable.

Overall I believe that they are lived out in the context of two things

a) Christ in us
Our values, the things that are non-negotiable or negotiable are upheld by the fullness of the life of Christ within us and are an expression of his life within us. Take that away and the values are irrelevant and impossible.

b) Spiritual battle
These values are Kingdom values and are therefore at war with the values of the world and are constantly under attack from the enemy. Therefore it is perfectly in order to see our attempt to live according to these values as being engaged in a spiritual battle. The military metaphor of a Salvation Army is still relevant.

I think I will unpack the non-negotiables of each value on this blog over the next few days.