The Guiding Values Team of the Yellowstone Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church consists of clergy and laity who serve as the "conscience" of our conference by working to identify, express, and clarify the values which guide our decisions and actions, and to ensure that those values are in alignment with sacred scripture, tradition, reason, and experience, and with the United Methodist Book of Discipline. Guiding Values Team shall serve the disciplinary requirements of Church and Society: Disability concerns, Religion and Race, and Status and Role of Women, to coordinate awareness and resources to local churches of justice issues and concerns and to administrate the Peace with Justice offerings. (50% of the Peace with Justice Sunday offerings stays in Yellowstone Conference). In 2011 that amount was $3, 590. 
 

The YAC Guiding Values:

These are brief affirmations by which we (YAC) desire to be guided. They are defined by the gospel, shaped by our Wesleyan Heritage, and given flesh in our daily lives. Contemporary life is the context in which the dialogue of the Gospel and Heritage embodies itself in discipleship.

·       God is love. (1 John 4:P8)

·       All creation is sacred to God. (Genesis 1:31)

·       We affirm God’s love is ecumenical, that is, for all. (Galatians 3:27-29)

·       We affirm with John Wesley that God’s grace is prevenient, justifying and sanctifying. (Book of Discipline, p. 45-47, 2008)

·       We affirm that God speaks to us through Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience. ( Book of Discipline, p. 76-83. 2008)

·       We affirm that Jesus is our best teacher and witness to God’s love. (Philippians 2:5-8)

·       We affirm that Jesus models authentic servant leadership. (Mark 8:35. 9:35, 10:42-45)

·       We affirm that congregations should be led by those with servant leadership gifts. (Acts: 1-6, John 20:17-18, Romans 12:6-8)

·       We affirm that Jesus brought the word and witness of God’s love, the Gospel to all people and that we are called to discipleship that does likewise. (Luke 19:1-10. Luke13:10-17)

·       We affirm that the Gospel life is a life of compassion, diversity and justice. (Luke 6:36)

·       We affirm that the Gospel should permeate every aspect of life, including conference and congregational life. (Luke 15:20, Luke 10:37)

·       We affirm that the congregational leaders are meant to serve the disciples of Jesus who offer the Gospel to the world.  (Luke 10:1-12)

·       We affirm disciplining our lives to the Gospel by John Wesley’s traditional Means of Grace (do no harm, study the word, prayer, worship, abstinence or fasting, spiritual companioning and acts of compassion. (Book of Discipline  p. 48-50,2008)

·       We desire to be a covenant community, that by self-examination, honest, expression, and truthful reporting, holds itself accountable to the Gospel and to each other in the tradition of Wesley’s class meetings. (1 Cor. 13, Eph. 4:22-25, Book of Discipline, p. 72-74, 2008)

·       We affirm that we are generally most faithful and fruitful when we work in cooperative teams. (1 Cor. 12)

·       We affirm that careful listening best guides the direction and nature of our ministry. (Matt. 13:13-17)

·       We affirm that local congregations are the heart  of the United Methodist Church, for the local congregation is where every person can grow spiritually by regularly discerning how to live and respond individually and with a faith community to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

·       We affirm that it’s a pastor’s responsibility to organize, inspire and support church members and constituents to continue to minister to people outside the church and to each other within the church in new and creative ways.

·       We affirm the Yellowstone conference, the Bishop, District Superintendents and other Conference staff exists to support and nurture local churches and their pastors to good health, connecting them to mission, justice and spiritual well-being.