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New Direction Distinctives
We are pastorally focused - not politically driven.
The issue of homosexuality can be incredibly politically charged. The conservative Christian community is most often perceived to have a political agenda in their response to gay people. And gay advocacy groups promote their agenda in the political and public realms and may be perceived to be in opposition to conservative values.
Ministries like New Direction may be invited or expected to participate in some capacity in this political arena. At New Direction, we believe God has called us to focus on the pastoral care of people impacted by gender and sexual identity questions. Such pastoral care necessarily considers issues of justice as they affect people - both locally and globally. But we have deliberately decided to not engage in political issues so that we can stay focused on that which God has called us to: touching real people's lives. In our commitment to be and to build a safe place, we recognize the barriers that political involvement can erect for those who may be tentatively seeking out a place to be real and honest about their internal conflict related to questions of faith and questions of sexuality. So, our focus is the pastoral care of people, not participation in the political debates of our day.
We are relationally focused - not program driven.
In the microwave mentality of our day, we tend to want 10 steps to this or 3 principles to achieve that. Unfortunately - or fortunately (depending on how you look at it), people don't often fit the boxes we create for them - and frankly - churches don't often fit the boxes we try to create for them either. Each person touched by the realities of same-gender attraction is unique. If we are to be relevant, credible, and respectful of their journey, we will need to take the time to build a relationship with them and hear their own personal story. And if we are to be relevant, credible, and respectful of the journey of a particular church, we'll need to build a relationship with that church and serve them within the context of their unique story. So, while there are various programs that New Direction makes use of, we will always put relationship ahead of program.
We are discipleship focused - not change driven.
Over 30 years of ex-gay ministry in North America, a lot has been said about orientation change.
At New Direction, we acknowledge that current
research indicates that orientation change itself is rare. We acknowledge the stories of those who have attempted to change their orientation through therapy or groups who experienced harm and damage in their personal and spiritual journeys. We also acknowledge that individuals who connected with New Direction in past years may have similar stories of harm - and we want to extend our deepest regret and apology to these individuals in the hope that they will find closure on those difficult chapters and be able to move forward positively with God, self and others. And we, therefore, urge people to exercise caution if they choose to explore any potential fluidity in their own experience of sexuality, to have realistic expectations, and to embrace a healthy self-acceptance.
At New Direction we're focused on encouraging people in their walk with Christ and their growth in trusting and obeying God. Our priority is to foster space where faith can be explored and deepened.
We are partnership focused - not empire driven.
We're convinced that God blesses those who work together. As we do strategic planning, partnership is the common thread throughout. We're not about building the empire of New Direction; we are about working with others in the Body of Christ so that anyone who is dealing with same-gender attraction will find a safe place to be real and honest about their experiences and find the support and encouragement they need in their journey of discipleship.
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