For the week of April 04, 2005

DNA Accountability – Part 1
By: Tom Bandy
Churches need to move beyond discernment of DNA, to using DNA as a primary vehicle for accountability. There are five basic ways to do this. Here is the first:

Refine the DNA in every annual meeting or annual staff visioning retreat. Talk about it, and ask yourself the question: Who or what is left out? Who is at the “margin” of the congregation? If your heart breaks for people who are excluded, refine the DNA so that you can include them in your congregational life and mission.

It may seem contrary to common sense, but the best way to evaluate the clarity of your DNA is to study the “margins” of your congregational life and mission field.