33 The Series – Vision, Mission, and Values

33 The Series – Calvary Baptist Church, Columbus, GA

Vision, Mission, and Values Statements¹

THE VISION:

We envision the men who attend “33 The Series” energized by a clear and compelling vision of Authentic Manhood². We see these men striving to become men of noble character³ within the context of a community of trusted men⁶, fostering a spirit of transparency, trust, encouragement, and accountability, as they seek to humbly serve their family, church, workplace and community in a way that honors God, and accomplishes His will⁵ for their lives.

OUR MISSION:

To provide a mutually supportive learning environment where men are inspired and equipped⁶ to pursue Authentic Manhood as modeled by Jesus Christ in his 33 years on earth. It’s a place where every man can examine his life through the lens of a study called “33 The Series,” and where men connect with other men to face the challenges of manhood in community with each other. It’s also a place where men are transparent with other men, and where they create and cultivate mutually supportive and trusting relationships that help keep them accountable to live-out the vision and the principles learned in Authentic Manhood, and where they earnestly seek to become men of noble character³.

CORE VALUES:

• Biblically Based – The foundation for “33 The Series” and its related teachings are based upon the Holy Bible and the Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testaments. These Holy Scriptures are the source for this Biblical Manhood Study and contain the blueprint for a Gospel-centered⁹, grace-based perspective of Authentic Manhood.
• Quality – This environment must have consistent quality from week to week. When men have a good experience and know what to expect, they are likely to engage and feel more confident about inviting others to participate in the program.
• Opportunity – Every man will be invited to become part of a small group, and be afforded the opportunity to participate in a breakout session to process the material presented during the weekly video teaching sessions.
• Trust, Respect & Transparency – Discussions in the breakout sessions will remain confidential between members of each small group, and will not be shared outside that group. To receive the maximum benefit of this process, each man must be willing to engage and be transparent (open and honest) in their small group discussions.
• Community – Outside of this learning environment, men continue to interact in community with other men who desire to pursue Authentic Manhood as modeled by Jesus Christ in his 33 years on earth.

• Accountability – Using the biblical principles found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12⁷ that “⁹Two are better than one…and ¹² Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken;” men are encouraged to form connections with other men who can help keep them accountable to walk-out the vision and the principles learned in Authentic Manhood.
• Humility, Persistence, Courage – Realizing that our actions, behavior, and our speech are the external evidence of what is really going on inside our hearts⁴, men must be willing to humble themselves before God⁸, asking Him daily to examine and strengthen the character of their hearts⁴, so they can become men of noble character³, committed to living in a way that honors Him.

Endnotes and References:

1. Definitions extracted from the Toastmasters International Leadership Development Program – High Performance Leadership:

• Vision: Leaders create visions for their organizations. They imagine what they would like to happen in the future. Their vision gives them purpose and direction, which they turn into goals, plans and activity. To form your own vision for your project, close your eyes and think about your project. What do you want to achieve? Use your imagination. Once you have a mental picture, put it into words by recording it on paper.
• Mission Statement: A mission statement is a simplified version of your vision. The statement defines the purpose of your project clearly and concisely and provides the foundation for your efforts. A mission statement should also indicate the benefits received, who will receive these benefits, and why these benefits are important. Note that a mission statement doesn’t state how your will achieve the mission. It merely describes your objective.
• Core Values: Values are beliefs about what is good or bad, important or not important. Your beliefs, and the beliefs others may have an affect your daily life. The values you have should help you to achieve your mission. Although you have many values, only a few are probably most essential to achieving your mission. These are called core values. These core values should be reflected in your words and actions.

2. Authentic Manhood Definition:

(Source: Volume 1, Session 3 Training Guide and Video)

• Reject Passivity – a real man stops just “standing there,” watching, waiting silently, passive, and doing nothing. Instead, an authentic man is like Jesus who rejected passivity, who humbled himself and came to earth as a man, and embraced self-sacrifice to deal with our sin. Jesus took the initiative for the benefit of others. Jesus acted, He initiated, He rejected passivity.
• Accept Responsibility – to obey God’s Will, to accept the work God gave you to do, and to love the family God has entrusted to you.
• Lead Courageously – provide direction for others, lead by example, protect others and guide them toward noble pursuits, and provide life for others by taking the initiative and embracing self-sacrifice for the benefit of others.
• Invest Eternally – live beyond the moment and invest in things of eternal significance (real treasures), like loving your wife, raising your children well, serving and loving others, and standing up for those who are weak and oppressed.

At the end of Volume 1, video Session #3, Tierce Green says: “Any man who embraces this vision has taken a quantum leap towards Authentic Manhood. He has a clear vision of what will help shape his journey as a man.”

3. Defining “Men of Noble Character”

Definition of noble:

• having, showing, or coming from personal qualities that people admire (such as honesty, generosity, courage, etc.) Merriam Webster.
• Having or showing or indicative of high or elevated character. Vocabulary.com

Definition of character:

• The way someone thinks, feels, and behaves: someone’s personality. Merriam Webster.
• The inherent complex of attributes that determines a person’s moral and ethical actions and reactions. Vocabulary.com

Scriptural References

Isaiah 32:8 The Voice (VOICE)

⁸By contrast, those who are noble have noble intentions,
and they stand confidently by their honorable words and actions.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Our Definition:

Men of noble character practice the principles and mandates learned in 33 The Series, Authentic Manhood²: They 1) Reject Passivity, 2) Accept Responsibility, 3) Lead Courageously, and 4) Invest Eternally. They walk humbly before God⁸, and are willing to ask God daily, to examine and reshape the character of their hearts⁴ so that they can live in a way that honors Him, and accomplish His will⁵ for their lives. They seek to walk uprightly¹⁰ before God, exhibiting high standards of moral and ethical integrity; they know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and are known as honest, trustworthy, and fair men. They understand what it means to fear the Lord¹¹, and they pursue and demonstrate sound wisdom¹² which is the quality of having or showing experience, knowledge and good judgement. And like a master craftsman, they continually practice and hone these skills, earnestly seeking to reflect more of God’s character, and calling-out other men as disciples¹³ (apprentices and journeyman in the faith) challenging them to also become men of noble character.

4. Character of the heart:

     Proverbs 27:19 (VOICE)

¹⁹Just as water reflects a person’s true face,
so the human heart reflects a person’s true character.

     Luke 6:45 (NIV)

⁴⁵A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Proverbs 4:20-27 (VOICE)

²⁰ My son, pay attention to all the words I am telling you.
Lean in closer so you may hear all I say.
²¹ Keep them before you; meditate on them;
set them safely in your heart.
²² For those who discover them, they are life.
They bring wholeness and healing to their bodies.
²³ Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it
because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.
²⁴ Do away with any talk that twists and distorts the truth;
have nothing to do with any verbal trickery.
²⁵ Keep your head up, your eyes straight ahead,
and your focus fixed on what is in front of you.
²⁶ Take care you don’t stray from the straight path, the way of truth,
and you will safely reach the end of your road.
²⁷ Do not veer off course to the right or the left;
step away from evil, and leave it behind.

5. God’s Will:

     Romans 12:2 (NIV)

²Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

     Psalm 143:10 (NIV)

¹⁰Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

6. “33 The Series” equips a man with the following knowledge and insights:

“Upon completion of 33 The Series within the context of a community of trusted men you can expect to have:” (Source: Rick Caldwell, Authentic Manhood)

• A clear vision of manhood as modeled by Jesus Christ and insight for living out that vision.
• Processed your story, having a better understanding of your past, God’s ability to heal wounds and guide your future.
• Identified traps and idols of your heart and learned how to battle them with God’s grace.
• A blueprint for your work based on God’s perspective and model of creating and cultivating.
• Practical ways to ensure that your wife feels loved and led.
• A grace-based perspective on fatherhood where children will feel guarded and guided.

Other Supporting Scriptures and References:

7. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)

⁹ Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
¹² Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

8. Micah 6:8 New International Version (NIV)

⁸He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

9. 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

         ¹ Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

10. Proverbs 2:6-8 (NIV)

⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸ for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.

11. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (NIV)

¹² And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³ and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

12. Wisdom:

Definition of wisdom: the quality of having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise. (Oxford Dictionaries)

Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

¹²Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13. 13. Calvary Baptist Church:

Purpose Statement: “We believe in carrying out the great commission by healing hurts and meeting needs.” (Source: Calvary Ministries Church Website).

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The Impact pamphlet (The Ministries at Calvary) – A focus on Discipleship for 2016

Co-Authors:

Ricardo Hernandez (Rick), ricardojh9967@gmail.com (706) 594-7174

Marty Warden, martywarden@gmail.com (706) 575-8456