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Questions and Answers about the 12 Seeds
What are the 12 Seeds? The 12 Seeds are twelve Biblically based principles that contribute to and are part of strong healthy relationships. The twelve principles are: Respect, Encouragement, Listening, Appreciation, Trust, Integrity, Order, Nurture, Synergy, Hope, Ideals and Pardon. These principles are important in a growing relationship with the Lord, and also in growing relationships with others.
What is a 12 Seeds relationship? A 12 Seeds relationship is any association of two or more people in which each person seeks to treat others according to the principles of the 12 Seeds.
The 12 Seeds seem fairly simple. Are they? The twelve principles are basically simple, but unfortunately many people are confused about what they actually mean. Most people have never studied all twelve principles, and many others don't know how to apply them in daily life. In fact, it's common to encounter people who think they live by these principles, but their behavior suggests otherwise.
Why study and
plant the 12 Seeds? There are many
reasons, such as:
1. To learn more about important principles that affect all areas of life.
2. To be reminded to practice the principles in daily life.
3. To be reinforced in those principles (seeds) in which one is already strong.
4. To learn which seeds need to grow in one's life and relationships.
5. To be better equipped to help others learn and practice the principles.
For more reasons, see 50 Reasons to plant the
12 Seeds
What is the 12 Seeds Acrostic? The 12 Seeds acrostic is formed by taking the first letter of each of the 12 principles and forming the word "RELATIONSHIP." An acrostic is a memory tool that helps people remember important concepts. An acrostic is a series of words or phrases that are arranged so the first letters form a word, motto or other pattern in this case, the word "RELATIONSHIP." Acrostics have long been used as memory tools. For example, Psalms 9 & 10, written by King David over 3000 years ago, are called Acrostic Psalms because each verse begins with the succeeding letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
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Why are the 12 Seeds so important to remember? The 12 Seeds are core character values that enhance all interpersonal relationships. All through life, poor relationships are very costly and good relationships are very beneficial. Though most everyone agrees with this, its amazing how often people neglect one or more of the 12 principles in their thoughts, words or actions! We need to be thinking about these principles before we will start expressing them in our words and actions.
Why do we need reminders about the 12 Seeds? We need reminders because we forget! With life's many distractions, it's easy to forget important principles that should be part of our lives. The old saying, "out of sight, out of mind" has a lot of truth to it. We prefer to express this truth in a more positive way: "in sight, in mind."
"People need reminders
more often
than they need instruction."
Dr. Samuel Johnson, as quoted by C.S. Lewis
What happens when one or more of the 12 Seeds is neglected? Many relationship problems can be traced back to the lack of one or more of the 12 Seeds. Individuals, families, churches, schools, clubs and businesses suffer when any one of the 12 Seeds is neglected.
Can the 12 Seeds improve the environment? Yes! The word "environment" means "the circumstances or conditions that surround one; surroundings." Relationships are a vital ingredient of one of the most important aspects of our environment, the aspect known as the cultural environment. As we improve relationships we improve the quality of the cultural environment. As several people have remarked:
"Which of the 12 Seeds would you not want to have growing in your group?"
What is a 12 Seeds environment? A 12 Seeds environment is any place such as a home, place of business, church or community where leaders encourage 12 Seeds principles to flourish.
What if someone is strong in most of the 12 principles, but weak in one or two? While the strengths are good, weakness in any one of the twelve principles can hinder relationships and overall success. A major benefit of studying the 12 Seeds is to learn one's strengths and weaknesses in the principles, together with ways to further develop the strong seeds and build up the weak seeds.
Can a family get involved with the 12 Seeds? Definitely. The 12 Seeds are an excellent family-building discussion and training topic. They can be a refreshing alternative to the trivial or negative exchanges that sometimes dominate family conversations.
Can the 12 Seeds be used as a supplemental subject in homeschooling? Yes. Studying the 12 Seeds teaches character values, attitudes and behavior that benefit a person all through life.
Can my church, school or service club benefit from the 12 Seeds? Yes. Learning more about the 12 Seeds and how to plant and cultivate them in daily life is a worthy endeavor for people of all ages. It will enhance the lives of everyone involved, and the organization itself will reap many benefits such as increased teamwork and effectiveness.
Can I use the 12 Seeds in my business? Yes. Focusing on these 12 attitudes and actions can dramatically improve staff morale, company culture and relationship-building success with customers, prospects, outside contractors and suppliers.
How can I learn more about the 12 Seeds? We've
published a manual entitled "12 Seeds for Successful Relationships,"
with a subtitle of "Biblically based principles for life." The
manual is a
revised and expanded version of our earlier book about the 12 Seeds.
Zoom to information about the manual.