Values are the glue that holds us together, and they will guide and determine how we carry ourselves to create cohesion and unity. They are the fundamental beliefs and cornerstone upon which individuals and organizations can work together. the following values will guide THE TRIBE COLLECTIVE as an Apostolic Translocal movement:
Every human being has constructed a superstructure of life assumptions that functions as the instrument they use to make sense of life. It can be the result of a combination of things, such as upbringing, education, life experiences, and personality traits, but we all look at life through this interpretive grid. The God who designed us to be thinkers is the same God who inspired the writers of the Old and New Testaments to pen his truths to properly guide us. The content of Paul’s writings and other epistles, testify to how much Paul wanted the churches that he worked with to believe the correct doctrine and be “pillars of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).
Paul charges Titus, “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Paul says to Timothy, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16). Sound doctrine is important because what we believe affects what we do. Behaviour is an extension of our doctrinal beliefs, and there is a direct correlation between what we think and how we act. Simply put, the beginning of unsound doctrine is the destruction of an individual or a movement, hence we can’t afford to live on the margins of wrong doctrinal beliefs as a movement.
Paul was involved in practical steps to develop an atmosphere where personal, deepening, supportive, faith-building relationships of love are highly valued as expressions of working together in a team. “12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So, I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia” (2 Corinthians 2:12-13). Paul exhibited a functional relationship with Titus in this text. In Philippians 2 Paul says, “20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 22 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ”.
Paul encourages the church in Philippi by showing them how much Timothy cares about them. If you claim to relate with people but not care about them, that relationship is not genuine. Paul even displayed concern for the church leader’s physical health (1 Tim. 5:23) and often ended his letters with lists of personal greetings and messages to people in the church that he had grown to know over years of involvement in ministry. Here, we hope to nurture and deepen our relationships rather than an atmosphere that encourages shallowness and superficiality with each other. Lack of genuine relationships kill many well-meaning churches and movements.
In addition to partnering around biblical truth, Paul’s partnerships were translocally productive. Together, they planted churches, strengthened churches, and pooled finances for worthy causes, such as drought relief in Judea (1 Cor. 16; 2 Cor. 8:5), helping other churches “8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you” (2 Corinthians 11:8). Partner churches consider themselves active “fellow workers” (1 Cor. 3:9) in their shared mission to plant and strengthen churches. The Tribe Collective should exist because we are on mission together. A departure from this shared mission, breaks the relational fibre of working together. 1 Corinthians 1:10 “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment”.
Accountability and trust and are essential ingredients in building a successful movement and teamwork. These are built over time and through processes and relationships that are fostered in the same values and beliefs. A very good example of accountability and trust being tied together is how Paul and Timothy worked together, (2 Timothy 2:2 “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others”. If you look at the text above, what you see is a partnership working on their specific tasks, trusting that the other members of the team are going to do their job and making sure that they are doing the best they could, because they feel trusted and yet accountable.
Paul entrusted Timothy with teaching the correct doctrine and expects him to teach others. As Proverbs 27:17 puts it, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend”. The plurality and accountability of a local eldership team goes a long way to self-correcting internal blind spots and weaknesses, but not the whole way. A humble and wise eldership team will give a “standing invitation” to one or two trusted Apostolic Translocal leaders to hold them accountable in their exercise of authority delegated to them by 1 Timohty 5:17. Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”. It should be in the translocal nature to carry each other’s burdens and not work in seclusion because we are building the body of Christ not just our “local ministry”.
Paul was involved in practical steps to develop an atmosphere where personal, deepening, supportive, faith-building relationships of love are highly valued as expressions of working together in a team. “12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So, I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia” (2 Corinthians 2:12-13). Paul exhibited a functional relationship with Titus in this text. In Philippians 2 Paul says, “20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 22 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ”.
Paul encourages the church in Philippi by showing them how much Timothy cares about them. If you claim to relate with people but not care about them, that relationship is not genuine. Paul even displayed concern for the church leader’s physical health (1 Tim. 5:23) and often ended his letters with lists of personal greetings and messages to people in the church that he had grown to know over years of involvement in ministry. Here, we hope to nurture and deepen our relationships rather than an atmosphere that encourages shallowness and superficiality with each other. Lack of genuine relationships kill many well-meaning churches and movements.
