Recap:

This series is based on the book, A Church Called TOV by Dr Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer. We highly recommend this book!

TOV means “good” in Hebrew.

We’ve all witnessed when 'good' is not the norm of a culture, an organization or a group of people and the great damage and pain that can occur when that plays out - the great harm it can do to relationships.

TOV is active (not a passive or set reality) -- which means it can grow or shrink.

The Circle of Tov:

1. Nurture Empathy and Compassion
2. Nurture Grace
3. Nurture Putting People First
4. Nurture Truth Telling
5. Nurture Justice
6. Nurture Service
7. Nurture Christlikeness

[From A Church Called TOV]

"Church as an institution can become coercive, but a people-first church will treat people with the highest degree of dignity, respect, and integrity."
Dr. Scot McKnight from A Church Called TOV

“The Circle of Tov begins when a church sees people as people and treats them as people by nurturing them to become what God designed them to be. People with names and histories and stories. People who are doing well and people who are not. People who are recovering from church abuse. People who’ve had surgeries and sicknesses. People who are aging. People who are rich and poor and everything in between. People who are wounded and in need of healing, people who are unemployed and underemployed, people who need encouragement or tangible assistance. The essence of treating people as people can be summed up in twelve simple words from Jesus: “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”
Dr. Scot McKnight from A Church Called TOV

2. Actively seek to include others.

A culture of law disqualifies people for failing to maintain a standard.
A culture of grace seeks to empower people to learn from failure.

3. See people as made in God’s image.

“At the heart of theological malpractice is a failure to treat all people as God's image-bearers.”
Dr. Scot McKnight from A Church Called TOV

4. Treat people as siblings.

The Church is not a military system, a government system, or an educational system.

The Church is a family system!

5. Develop Jesus-like eyes for people.

The situation with the woman in adultery shows Jesus was far more righteous and wiser than the Jewish leaders who sought to kill Him.

"Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive."
C. S. Lewis

"Maxwell King observes, 'Fred Rogers never—ever—let the urgency of work or life impede his focus on what he saw as basic human values: integrity, respect, responsibility, fairness and compassion, and . . . kindness.' In other words, people first. He simply put tov into practice and stubbornly, consistently stayed with it. Certainly that avenue is open to all of us. Tov always takes root first in the hearts of individuals, who then work together with like-minded others to create a goodness culture."
Dr. Scot McKnight from A Church Called TOV

What helped Fred Rogers to show so much grace to people?

“Fred would say, 'The most important learning, it’s the ability to accept and expect mistakes, and deal with the disappointments that they bring.' ” Hedda Sharapan, producer on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Never underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit to transform people through grace-filled environments.

Thanks again for being with us tonight!

May you have a blessed week ahead, friends. May you be an agent of TOV in your sphere of influence with Jesus.

We hope to see you next Sunday -- if not before!