Introduction to the DOVE International Leadership Handbook
After many years of serving the DOVE International family, a dedicated group began to record some important procedures that were found to be helpful to DOVE leaders throughout the world. These guidelines are the outgrowth of years of learning through mistakes and experience, even as we were developing common values, common vision, common goals, and common methods. This handbook begins with our mission and values as a family of churches and ends with some helpful definitions.
The guidelines in the handbook are meant to be helpful as you grow leadership teams, multiply small groups and churches and develop ministry descriptions for those laboring alongside you. They are guidelines and not legal requirements. However, they have been tested over time and have been helpful to those that have incorporated them into church government and local church family life. Our twelve values—rooted in the Scriptures—sustain and unite us as a global spiritual family. The Bible says in Amos 3:3, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?”
The heart behind all that we do as servant leaders in the DOVE family worldwide is to serve as spiritual fathers and mothers. The cry of our hearts is to serve, train and release the next generation of leaders to fulfill God’s call for their generation with much grace and freedom. We firmly believe that our God is turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers (Malachi 4:5-6). Our desire is to follow the model of Jesus and lead as spiritual fathers and mothers.
We pray God’s best to you as we walk together in the DOVE International family. This handbook will help us effectively and efficiently with commonality serve together to grow the kingdom of God around the world.
The DOVE International Apostolic Council
