NIIP Values:
Our Values Statements describe key characteristics that influence who we are and how we approach our work. Our values reflect how we approach our relationship with God, the kind of people (character) we seek to be, and how we relate to each other.
NIIP is a Christan nonprofit organization. It is our desire to work with a broad range of churches and denominations. Our Christian distinctive is to be followers of Jesus’ life and teachings. This, we hope, will be something any individual Christian or church will be able to identify with so they will want to partner with us. The following values reflect who we are and how we approach our work.
Jesus taught us to love God with all our being, and it is out of that love relationship that we find it possible to love others. God’s love moves us to love others, and is the basis of our ministry. As a result, we value:
- Worship and intimacy with God as the energizing root that nourishes all of our life and ministry (Matthew 22:37-38; John 15:5; 1 John 4:16).
Our relationship with Jesus as His followers includes the indwelling Holy Spirit of God within us, providing us with insight and the power to accomplish the work we are doing. We seek to not depend on our own abilities, but rather, to partner with God, allowing Him to work through us. As a result, we value:
- A Holy Spirit empowered life, as He works in and through us, which is characteristic of followers of Jesus, (Acts 1:8; Philippians 2:13).
Prayer and fasting are traditional Christian practices, modeled for us by Jesus. More than that, they imply a relationship and communication with God. We seek God’s help in our work. It implies faith in God, who answers prayer. We seek to model this in our ministry, so we value:
- The Christian practice of prayer and fasting as crucial to living the Kingdom lifestyle and moving God’s Kingdom work forward in the world (Matthew 7:7-11; Ephesians 6:12, 18).
We view the Bible as our primary “instruction manual” as followers of Jesus. We seek to help people understand it, and to know how to apply it in their life and ministry, so we value:
- God’s Word (Bible), as “…inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; cf. John 8:32).
We realize that God uses our uniqueness to complete the Body of Christ — the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Furthermore, God is present in a special way when His people come together. For this reason, we seek to carry out our ministry in the context of community (teams and groups). As a result, we acknowledge:
- When the followers of Jesus gather together in His name, He is present with them (Matthew 18:19-20), our ministry is more complete as we minister together (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27-28; Ephesians 4:11-13; cf. Acts 2:42), and God can do a special work in perfecting Christ in us as we work and fellowship together (Romans 12; 1 John 4:7, 11-12, 16-17).
Being a follower of Jesus includes elements of character development and personal transformation, as the Spirit of God works in and through us. In relation to ministry, this includes doing what is right and honorable (ethics), honesty, and being rightly related to others. It also includes an attitude of continuous improvement, both personally and in our ministry work. To this end, we acknowledge:
- God desires to form Christ in us, in word and deed. This is particularly reflected in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and summed up in the commandments to love and abide in love (Matthew 22:37-40; John 15:12; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; 1 John 4:7-17).
Jesus, in Matthew 25 specifically identifies with the poor, needy, and afflicted. A focus of our ministry is to help those in need. It also means that those of us who have more affluence can partner with those doing God’s work in North India, to enable ministry projects that they otherwise do not have the resources to do. We acknowledge that:
- While God loves all people, He has a special concern for the poor and oppressed (Isaiah 58:6-7; Luke 4:18-19; cf. Exodus 8:1). It is particularly pleasing to God when we partner with Him in this concern (Ephesians 5:1-2).