Everyone operates according to their “core values” – a worldview which guides how we think about ourselves, our family and relationships, God, and the world as a whole.

Some common “value” questions include things like: Do you believe God is real, personal, and interacting with you? What do you most value? How do you prioritize between family, work, and yourself? It is worth thinking about the values that you hold most dear. And then, compare those values with your day-to-day living. Do those values line up with how you spend your time, how you talk to people and about people? Do those values match how you think about yourself? How you spend your money?

iHope is grounded in Scripture and in the hope we all have in Jesus Christ. Like every person and every organization, we operate according to “core values” and we strive to act, think, and react in accordance with these values. We are going to take some time over the next few weeks to explain and explore our five core values. Here they are:

• Christ-centered
  Remain consistently true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his Word in Scripture
  John 15:1-8

• Kingdom-minded
  Engage with the local church to care for and connect clients to the body of Christ
  Acts 2:42-47, Romans 12:4-5

• Ethics, Integrity, and Excellence
  Maintain the ethical standards of the American Association of Christian Counselors (see the AACC code of ethics), practicing with integrity and competency
  Proverbs 11:3, Proverbs 28:6, 1 Peter 3:16
  

• Accessibility
  Be a resource within reach of anyone who needs help.
  Philippians 2:5-8, Galatians 6:2, Proverbs 22:9

• Whole-Person Care
  Serve and care for each person’s holistic health – spiritual, mental, relational, physical, and emotional health and wellness.
  Matthew 22:36-39, Matthew 14:14-21

Check back for more depth on each of these areas – and be thinking about what your core values are and how they influence your life!