• The Hidden Kingdom (The Child Posture & Personality): We reject the pursuit of worldly “honor” and institutional prestige and propriety. Following Jesus’ teaching, we seek the “hidden secrets” revealed only to those who become like little children—embracing the humility shown by Solomon (1 Kings 3) and the vulnerability of the small.
• The Wilderness Mandate (Davidic Success): We recognize that David’s best days were in the crags and caves, not the palace. We are leading our community into the wilderness, understanding that visual success is often where spiritual decay begins. Our “success” is measured by the depth of our Psalms, not the height of our platform.
• The Rock Climber Metaphor (Private Perseverance): Leadership is like a remote project on a rock face. It is painstaking and largely unseen. We find delight in the problem solving and perseverance of the project, and we revel in joyful fellowship with our climbing partners,[1] away from the systems of social status-ism.
• Subterranean Leadership (The Compost Model): As officers/leaders, we are not the fruit; we are the soil. We serve as compost—dying to self and remaining subterranean to provide the “vitamins” (encouragement and equipment) that allow the non-ordained members to grow as the true fruit trees of the Kingdom.
• License vs. Badge (Quiet Authority): We lead with a “license” kept in the wallet, not a “badge” brandished on the breast. Our authority is used to empower and encourage rather than to police or regulate. We prefer a culture of initiative over a culture of sanctions.
• Mobilization over Programming: We reject the consumer church model. We aim to unencumber the people, stripping away unnecessary rules and regulations to create a free, mobilized community that follows the enigmatic wilderness ways of Jesus of Nazareth and John the Baptizer.
• A Culture of the Psalms: We believe that the honest, raw, and wilderness-born poetry of the Psalms is the primary tool for cultivating a healthy, spiritually resilient culture. We prioritize the personal appropriation of these texts over the marketing of the institution.
• The Sherpa Leader (The Shadow Guide): We are not the “star” of the expedition, nor the one being photographed at the summit; we are the ones who know the terrain of the wilderness. A Sherpa leader carries the heavy burdens of the community, prepares the way, and fixes the ropes—not for their own glory, but to ensure others reach the high (and harrowingly remote) places.

[1] 1 Thessalonians 2:8; 19-20 – being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. … what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.