Organizational values, cultural attributes and core competencies
Updated on November 11, 2005

Mennonite Mission Network values are qualities that characterize the organization in its relationships and work. These values will form our culture, and living them out should become a natural outgrowth of who we are, what we do and how we do it. As they become part of our organizational life, these cultural attributes also characterize individuals within Mission Network.

The organizational values and cultural attributes are listed below along with competencies we expect to see exhibited in staff and mission workers. Leaders of Mission Network carry additional responsibility to positively influence others.

Vision: Organize around the purpose and focus on vision
Purposeful, committed, passionate and knowledgeable about mission and organizational vision.

Staff and worker competency
Understands and is committed to God’s reconciling mission to the world and the vision of Mission Network.

Mission leader competency
Demonstrates knowledge of and articulates mission vision with the ability to stimulate passion for God’s reconciling mission to the world.

Diversity: Embrace cross-cultural diversity
Adaptable, anti-racist, embracing cultural differences, open to new experiences.

Staff and worker competency
Desires to work with and exhibits respect for individuals who are different in age, race, color, national origin, gender, and abilities.

Mission leader competency.
Works actively to increase mission involvement of congregations, staff and workers with different backgrounds of age, race, color, national origin, gender and abilities.

Community of grace: Foster a spirit of unity and grace
Compassionate, forgiving, empathetic, caring, trusting/trustworthy, community oriented.

Staff and worker competency
Demonstrates compassion and forgiveness in interpersonal relationships.

Mission leader competency
Leads by being trustworthy, extending trust and fostering compassion and forgiveness in interpersonal and cross-agency relationships.

Innovation: Exhibit flexibility, innovation and risk-taking
Learning-oriented, supportive of risk-taking, creative, flexible, resourceful, entrepreneurial.

Staff and worker competency
Shows flexibility, is open-minded to new ideas, strategies, procedures and opportunities to expand skills and knowledge.

Mission leader competency
Demonstrates openness to risk-taking by encouraging, planning and implementing innovations.

Interdependence: Encourage interdependent relationships
Mutual, reciprocal, connected, interacting, related.

Staff and worker competency
Works to strengthen connections and communication between groups.

Mission leader competency
Builds networks among staff groups, in agencies and in constituency, and communicates the need of work groups for one another.

Collaboration: Exercise effective collaboration
Cohesive, cooperative, joint, harmonious, concurrent.

Staff and worker competency
Works cooperatively with others, accepting and sharing responsibility.

Mission leader competency
Fosters cohesion and works together with staff to promote and carry out decision making without the extreme forms of authority or consensus.

Stewardship: Practice wise stewardship of resources
Conserving, economizing, concerned with care for creation, conscientious in use of resources, and caring for self and relationships.

Staff and worker competency
Uses natural and financial resources with care, promotes personal health and well-being, and strong family relationships.

Mission leader competency
Fosters care of self and others, supports sensible workloads and strong family relationships, and promotes wise use of natural and financial resources.

Church centeredness: Be centered on the church
Embracing the church, trustful of God’s working in local congregations, accountable to the church.

Staff and worker competency
Respects, values and participates in congregational life and church wide mission agenda.

Mission leader competency
Guided by mission agenda at every level of the church, and plans agency strategies in congruence with that agenda.

Spiritual vitality: Nurture sensitivity to God's spirit and call
Prayerful, joyful, faith-filled, sensitive to God’s calling and direction.

Staff and worker competency
Demonstrates spiritual sensitivity and commitment to Jesus Christ.

Mission leader competency
Models, incorporates sensitivity to and helps others be aware of God’s leading in daily work.