Core Values of the Bold Venture Network

Core Values of the Bold Venture Network

The Bold Venture Network is an organic gathering of like-minded ministers and churches committed to global spiritual revival, multicultural missions and Christ- centered discipleship. It is currently directed by Lee Grady and his Bold Venture Ministries team. We share these core ministry values:

1. We are evangelical.

• We believe all 66 books of the Holy Bible are inspired by God, and that all we need for life and salvation are found in God’s Word.
• We hold to a firm belief in the essential Christian doctrines found in the
  Apostle’s Creed, such as the Trinity, the Virgin Birth, the crucifixion and
  resurrection of Jesus Christ, salvation by grace through faith, and the gift of eternal life.
• We uphold the biblical view of marriage between one man and one woman, the sanctity of unborn life, and New Testament standards of human sexuality.

2. We are Pentecostal.

• We embrace the Holy Spirit and His spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12.
• We believe it is vital that leaders never “quench the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19) through words or actions, and that they never misuse, abuse, manipulate or fake the Holy Spirit.
• We believe Christ calls us to a deep place of spiritual intimacy and total
  surrender to God. Therefore, we encourage all believers to be baptized in the Holy Spirit rather than settling for a shallow Christian experience.
• We believe all spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament, including healing, miracles, prophecy and speaking in tongues, are relevant and necessary today. We reject the notion that these gifts passed away after the era of the New Testament church.

3. We are relational.

• We are committed to restoring biblical discipleship. We teach the “Paul,
  Barnabas and Timothy” concept (2 Timothy 2:2), stating that every Christian needs (1) mentors, (2) close friends and (3) younger disciples to multiply Christ’s influence in the world.
• It is our conviction that people cannot grow spiritually in isolation. We were created for community and fellowship according to Acts 2:42.
• Our goal is for every Christian to become a spiritual father or mother, bearing fruit and mentoring others (1 Corinthians 4:15).
• We believe the Holy Spirit connects Christians together and creates bonds of friendship, and that it is our responsibility to nurture and protect this bond of love.
• We believe that we are a small part of the global body of Christ, which is
  comprised of all born-again believers—regardless of secondary doctrines. We reject all forms of spiritual elitism that place one Christian group above others.

4. We are multicultural.

• We believe that Christians grow in God’s love when we learn to love across all racial and ethnic lines (Galatians 3:28).
• We believe exposure to other nations and cultures expands our understanding of God’s heart—and His mission to the world.
• We reject all forms of racism or classism that places one ethnic or economic group over another.

5. We are humble.

• Jesus taught us that leaders must be servants, according to Matthew 20:26. We reject the “celebrity model” of leadership, which encourages leaders to be pampered, elevated or aloof. We believe leaders should be accessible and compassionate to those they serve.
• We believe God has set in place certain spiritual leaders in His Church, including pastors, prophets, evangelists, teachers, apostles (see Ephesians 4:11), as well as deacons and elders.
• God calls us to submit to spiritual authority, but leaders are required to be models of Christian character, and they must be accountable to others. We do not believe Christian leaders can serve in their roles if they are narcissistic, prideful, domineering, controlling, full of anger, sexually immoral or abusive.

6. We are bold and passionate.

• God calls us to love Him with “all our hearts,” according to Deuteronomy 6:5. We cannot become strong followers of Christ without a close, intimate relationship with God.
• Men must learn to worship God like David, with exuberance and abandon (2 Samuel 6:14). Therefore we seek the atmosphere of heaven in our meetings so people can be transformed by God’s presence.
• We believe in the Word of God without compromise. We will not conform to the culture of this world just because it is politically correct.
• We believe all men should confidently share their faith with others. God has not given us a spirit of timidity (2 Timothy 1:6-7) but boldness to speak.