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Why the 3D values? Childers meets Frame: knocking the wall down

Posted: Mar 30, 2010 by Jonty Rhodes

I had the opportunity last summer to visit Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando, to pick the brains of Dr John Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and a leading light amongst Reformed theologians today. I was over in Orlando for a course on church planting run by Steve Childers, also on the staff of RTS. Childers is the director of Global Church Advancement, an organisation dedicated to training church planters for mission work across the globe. Having got lost trying to find Frame’s office (it was so early most students were not yet around), I eventually discovered it right next door to Childers’. One of the leading theologians and one of the leading missiologists divided only by a partition wall.

The 3D values are not just a set of ‘9 things we think are important‘. The 3D values are an attempt to knock the wall down. Childers constantly emphasises the need for clear mission statements, and culturally engaged church plants. Frame teaches us to think in threes: ‘tri-perspectivalism’ as it has become known. So for example there are always three ‘persons‘ to consider, God, others and ourselves. Or in decision making:

• What are the rules?
• How do they apply to this situation?
• and How should I obey them?

So the 3D values are an attempt to ‘Frame‘ a Childers mission statement, and answer three key questions every church must address:

• What does God call us to believe? (the 3 distinctives)
• What kind of people should we be? (the 3 dimensions)
• and What are we called to do? (the 3 directions).

In turn if you look at each triangle you should see that the top value each time has to do with God and his Word, the second has to do with us, and the third to do with the world. Or for those who are into Frame: the normative, situation and existential: but that’s for another time…