The Values That Govern Us

Our Conductive Values (What We Do)

Family in Diversity - When Jesus said His dwelling place would be a house of prayer for all nations, He was giving a clue as to how He builds. "House" means generational family. God Himself is a family. We honor the spectrum of worship styles and ecclesiastical backgrounds. Through the diversity of church families, we see the glory of God and discover more fully His nature and character. Our intention is not to make every prayer and song homogeneous; rather, we desire to honor the diverse nature of our churches and their unique expressions in the kingdom. 

Ministry to God - Zechariah goes on to prophecy that God Himself will be "the glory in the midst of her (Jerusalem)." Central to the house of prayer is the idea that we minister to God, and He dwells in the midst of us. We are in essence presence keepers. God Himself is the object of our pursuit, not just the answers we seek in prayer. God declared to Abraham that He was the "exceedingly great reward." All Christians are called to be priests who carry His presence upon their shoulders...upon the praises and prayers offered to His name. 
 
Mission to the World - Jesus also revealed something important when He stated that His dwelling place would be a house of prayer for all nations. The house is family based, prayer-filled, but mission driven. It is others-focused. His presence is central, but He wants the whole world in the house. His desire is that every tribe, tongue, and nation be represented in His family. We desires to be a prayer catalyst for reaching the nations. 

Justice and Mercy - In addition to prayer as intercession, we see acts of justice as a form of intercession as well. Certainly, it is love that should motivate us to take care of the poor, the foreigner, the orphan, the widow, and all others in need. We also know that, in the Word, when an angel came to Simon, he told the man it was because "your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4). Isaiah 58 also reveals much about the fast God desires of us - "to share your bread with the hungry." Zechariah 7:8-10 admonishes us as priests to "Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion. Everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor." Therefore, as we are able, CHOP will actively pray for and support acts of justice.

 

Our Cultural Values (How We Do It) 

Persistence - Prayer is not something we are going to try. Prayer is something we will do, and we will persist in day and night until He returns. Luke 18:7 states, "Now, will God not judge in favor of his own people who cry to him day and night for help?" (GNT). Likewise, the pattern of prayer and worship that King David established in the Old Testament was day and night in nature, and quite possibly 24/7. Additionally, if we see Paul's admonition to the Thessalonians through corporate lenses, He directs an entire city to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Quite possibly the only way that a city like Fort Collins or Loveland could execute 24/6 prayer is if we work together as churches. Perhaps the very thing we need to change our world is the very thing that is most challenging to the body of Christ: unity and prayer.
 
Hiddenness and Humility - We see the hope of the church resting upon everyday Christians who serve in hiddenness and humility. Certainly, we will always have leaders who catch the attention of many through their giftedness, but the lesson of Christ is that the cross was first won in the garden. Great prayer produces great leaders. Humility positions us to learn from one another. We see the House of Prayer as an important means to cross-pollinate and increase our fruitfulness. We must be willing to learn from each other. Humility will open our hearts to walking in the light with one another, which will produce Christ in us to a fuller measure. 

Excellence - Psalm 33:3 directs, "Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy." Not driven by show, or by the accolades of men, excellence reflects the glory of God. Whatever we do as a ministry, must be in done in humility and excellence. 

Creativity - We see the atmosphere and culture of the House of Prayer incorporating, and even producing, a wide range of worshipful expressions. There are many types of media we can use to glorify God and declare the message of the gospel. We are hoping all types of artists, musicians, writers, and producers will find a place to glorify God with creative artistic expression.