THE 20 PRINCIPLES OF CORPORATENESS

1. Corporateness grows out of a mutual calling.

2. Covenant and discipline sustain community.

3. Regular accountability of each member is necessary.

4. Absolution is that without which corporateness fails.

5. Each member has a gift to be developed and offered.

6. Everyone is responsible for the whole mission.

7. Worship of God by whatever name is the most important act of the community.

8. The community has one mission, not many.

9. Sacrificial commitment of time and resources is crucial.

10. Care is provided structurally.

11. The power is in the center of the table.

12. Decisions are made by consensus, not by majority vote.

13. Equity, not equality, is the key to fairness.

14. Effectiveness, not efficiency, is the hallmark of service.

15. The first response is always yes.

16. Indirection is preferred to direct encounter.

17. Only criticize with an alternative model to offer.

18. Only decide or act as a team of two or more.

19. The external situation is never the real problem.

20. The community has local autonomy and global responsibility.

Called to Be: A Spirit Odyssey, by John Cock, pg. 217