We Can Live At Peace With Each Other

I am honored to be serving on staff of Pacific Justice Institute who defends religious freedom, parental rights and other civil liberties without charge.

In this post-Christian world we are being pressured (in some cases, forced) to set aside strongly held biblical morals which have guided life and livelihoods for generations – nay, for ages. We are expected, not just acquiesce to, but fully accept whatever new cultural dictum is put forth. Even to the point of losing our own personal liberties and possessions to judgments from an amoral court system.

If truth be known, standing on one's faith in living out a biblical lifestyle does not always equate to intolerance or hate of another's life choices – as many charge us as doing. Most people of faith I know desire to accept others and learn to make reasonable accommodation for other's beliefs – as this 72-year old Washington businesswoman sought to do for her longtime LGBT customer. One must only listen to her appeal to know her heart when faced with the choice of accepting a light judgement:

"Your offer reveals that you don’t really understand me or what this conflict is all about. It’s about freedom, not money. I certainly don’t relish the idea of losing my business, my home, and everything else that your lawsuit threatens to take from my family, but my freedom to honor God in doing what I do best is more important. Washington’s constitution guarantees us “freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment.” I cannot sell that precious freedom. You are asking me to walk in the way of a well-known betrayer, one who sold something of infinite worth for 30 pieces of silver. That is something I will not do.

I pray that you reconsider your position. I kindly served Rob for nearly a decade and would gladly continue to do so. I truly want the best for my friend. I’ve also employed and served many members of the LGBT community, and I will continue to do so regardless of what happens with this case. You chose to attack my faith and pursue this not simply as a matter of law, but to threaten my very means of working, eating, and having a home. If you are serious about clarifying the law, then I urge you to drop your claims against my home, business, and other assets and pursue the legal claims through the appeal process."

Her plea reminds me of the scripture verse in Romans 12:18 which admonishes: "If it is at all possible, as much as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Perhaps if we were slow to assume the worse in each other, and took the time to hear each other out before forming baseless opinions or judgments, we would be able to live out that scriptural directive of living at peace with ourselves and each other.

Read the full article here:

Shame on the Silent Christian Leaders Who Refuse to Stand Against Tyranny

STOP YOUR CHARITY!

After considering a Facebook friend's much deserved rant about an overly-expectant charity I feel a post emerging from my sluggish pen (i.e. keyboard) about our charitable giving . . . STOP! JUST STOP! Yes, I said STOP!

For just one month - for January 2017 - stop all giving (except your church tithe; yes, your first 10% should go directly to your place of worship/prayer/place of faith).

Why stop? To fast. Fasting makes you slow down . . . I guess that's a pun. Slow down and think, pray, feel. About your charity - your time, talent, and treasure. What is your purpose in sharing those three most valuable personal commodities? What impact are you making with them? Is it even measurable? Does the charity even measure its impact or success and communicate that to you?

What is your mission in giving (again, not just money). That's right . . . What's your end game? Make you feel okay about yourself? For a pat on the back? Get on the major donor list? Recognition at the annual gala?

Or to make others feel good - or maybe just better? Does your effort enable the suffering of others or actually develop the person and the community? Are you in it for the short or long haul? A quick fix or a relationship? For life or legacy?

What is your mission as a steward of what you've earned or been given? Remember, its not just money, your time (which some consider more valuable), and talents. What will your legacy look like? Yep...when you're dead and gone? What will you leave the world besides your ashes? Will you steward from beyond your grave?

So stop giving for a month and fast...think...feel...pray...meditate on your God-gifted Time, Treasure, and Talent. Then write your Stewardship mission statement for 2017, and whatever exists beyond it and your life's legacy to the world. What, why, when, how, how much, for what end, and how will you know you did well in doing good?

Then, and only then . . . Give . . . As a Steward.

Steward your life, wholeheartedly and with godly joy.

Here's a link to a short post to help with your meditating and to create your mission statement to make a lasting, Kingdom impact through stewardship.

Outline your Stewardship

The Ask: It's About Vulnerablility And Trust

I have spent two decades leading nonprofits that were supported by asking for financial support.  Now that I am consulting for nonprofits, I realize how difficult it is for many of them to ask.  That hesitation translates into them not recognizing the need to invest in getting help—or more often, an inability to afford the help they critically need to become stable and sustainable.

Several years ago I wrote a blog post about fundraising not being about the "ask." (link)  That post included a TED video with Amanda Palmer, a musician who decided to trust her fans for her support.  It became an act of vulnerability and trust . . . putting herself out there, even when confronted by other musicians who mocked her efforts (which actually became very successful).

I realized that nonprofits have a hard time trusting their "fans" and don't communicate their ask in ways that allow supporters to see them as transparent and vulnerable.  It was then that I began to be more transparent and vulnerable to our donors.  I spoke more freely about our work, our difficulties, our successes, the needs we had, and highlighting the return they recieve for their investment.  I believe that is what sustained the organization through the recession—and even saw an increase in income and average gift per donor.

Now that I am consulting, many clients can't afford consulting services.  Perhaps don't realize they need to invest in their organizational development, and may not trust that their outcomes will be fruitful.

This leads me to ask you to help me help them.  I'm becoming vulnerable and asking for help, so that these nonprofits can get the help they need, and serve our communities.  I'm seeking subsidies to provide pro bono services to nonprofits who can't afford consulting, but who can't grow without that help.  Thank you.

Please consider investing in CharisNP:

Online Assessment Tools for Identifying Organizational Issues

Nonprofit Leader,

As an Executive Director I often wanted to know how well my board and staff understood our organization’s mission and vision, and if they were being clarified well enough.  I needed to assess the awareness of my board of how critical their understanding our programs and networking was to the organization and to our position in the community.  

Each time I looked over an organization’s financials and fundraising, I found areas needing improving, and fundraising issues that the staff and board had not recognized had changed over time.  It was that process of discovery and analysis that helped me revitalize several stagnant nonprofits and help them thrive. 

It was the fresh perspective of an outsider that made the difference.  In many cases a consultant is hired to show an organization’s leaders what they have been missing and help them make the right changes.  Some of the leadership and/or staff may recognize the issues, but may not be able to be the agents for the needed change.  Thus, the third-party consultant is engaged.  

But how do small, struggling under-funded nonprofits afford the rates for an experienced consultant?  They can’t, and so they keep struggling through tough organizational issues, ineffective programs, staff turnover, disconnect with the community, and loss of funding as a result.  And what are the options for well-run organizations to take an occasional fresh look at their organizational dynamics and leadership?

It was recognizing these issues that led me to create several online assessment tools that provide the data nonprofits need to get the overall view of their organization and start recognizing the needed changes to make.  By limiting travel and time of on-site interviews we reduce the cost and still provide a needed summary analysis to help an organization: 1. understand the stage in their life-cycle, 2. examine Staff-CEO-Board relationships, 3. measure their fundraising effectiveness.  

By developing anonymous surveys administered online, I have been able to assist a number of organizations of various age, size and budget.  The survey results are graphed for ease of understanding, and a brief, interpretive assessment is provided of potential action steps for further considerations.  The next steps are up to your organization’s leadership and funding capabilities.  You may decide to engage me or other advisor to help you move forward.  In any case, you will have this very important data with which to help change your organization for the better.

I invite you to take a few moments to examine my website and my background, and the four levels of low-cost assessment analysis tools I offer at www.CharisNP.com.  Whether you decide to engage my services beyond the surveys is completely up to you.  I am available to you to discuss how these can help your organization and help you lead quality change.

 

Serving together,

James K. Lewis, m.a., cfre^®

Is Public Office a Missional Vocation?

I am deeply moved by the numerous and diverse efforts of Jesus followers at my church to impact our community and the Kingdom. Overseas missions, neighborhood outreach, education, human trafficking, connections to help the homeless, advocating for fostering and adoption . . . it is an awesome example of stewardship - and a retaking of ownership of "social" activity within our world.

I wrote about this effort in several papers while studying at Fuller, and as I did there, I would like to take this discussion one step further, into a broader stewardship role for the church. Dallas Willard makes an excellent point in The Spirit of the Disciplines that “charity and social welfare programs, while good and clearly our duty, cannot even begin to fulfill our responsibility as children of the light to a needy world.” He then calls upon the people of God to “assume the responsibility, under God and by his power, of owning and directing the world’s wealth and goods” (1988:202). He points out that by doing so, with Christ, the church would be able to reduce the causes of poverty. That is a level of stewardship the church has not attempted on such a large scale—and likely will not without realizing that the sacred calling of God is not just within the church, but in all vocations and careers. The church should commission men and women into “farming, industry, law, education, banking, and journalism with the same zeal previously given to evangelism and missionary work” (1988:214).

The outcome of this ownership will lead to being able to speak into the development of policy . . . Once the people of God are involved as stewards in influencing the marketplace for the community’s good, they can have a hand in advising public agencies in serving the truly needy. This culminates in the people of God showing how the church “enters into full participation in the rule of God where they are” (1988:218). That is true stewardship of all that God has made and put under our authority, including social service to those in need. Religious control of social functions, as it has been in the past, can be seen as an authentic Christian response to need. P. Beyer, in Religion and Globalization states that this validates the Christian message (1994:197).

If this be the case, what is keeping us from contributing to the setting of policy in our city? Is not civic service as much a step into missional living as other forms of outreach and involvement? Is the desire to serve a public office not as sacred a vocation? If so, we should commission and support with our time, treasure, and talents those taking that step as well as the missionary.

When do you need a consultant?

 

Numerous issues in a nonprofit organization rise to the occasion of requiring paid outside assistance. These involve acknowledging you’re facing something larger than your in-house skill set can handle alone. Accepting that help is needed is the first step in any weakness or dysfunctional behavior – whether of a person or an organization.

Sometimes a struggling organization just needs help transitioning to its next stage of growth. Perhaps a well established organization needs help re-inventing itself. Facing reality is the most difficult when leaders and staff are deeply ingrained in the present organizational culture. It becomes even harder if the leader is a founder or long-term CEO, where he or she may be sensing a loss of control or that recent changes are becoming overwhelming. A lack of positive organizational dynamics keeps many dysfunctions hidden, and people are unwilling to be the one vulnerable enough to upset the apple cart.

Consulting with outside professionals isn’t limited to the need of addressing serious issues . . . most leaders could use regular coaching with peers and/or professional consultants. But some circumstances call for more serious consideration for outside help:

Strategic Planning. This process can require an anonymity that an independent consultant allows. Often I’ve found a key staff or board member who admits to not being sure of the direction or even of the organization’s mission and vision. In one case it was found that a new board member wasn’t aware of the organization’s religious core principles of faith. Appropriately laying the foundation before discussing strategy is critical to success. 

Analyzing fundraising effectiveness. In such a volatile economic landscape, it can become comfortable for an organization to stay the course with tired or limited funding appeals and stale communications. Organizations tend to stay with old metrics and “shot-gunning” rather than using new tools to target a segment of their donor base who are more likely to respond to different types of communications. E-commerce is still only effective in a small portion of demographics, and it is key to understand when and how to phase that in.

Closely aligned with fundraising is an understanding of an organization’s publics – those who can control or limit an organization’s ability to flourish. Many times an organization has “blinders” and they are not aware that they’ve grown myopic in their programs and vision. I’ve seen organizations atrophy due to ignoring the reality of their external context and relationships. This is where familiarity breeds contempt; stakeholders who once supported and helped form the organization can, if ignored or taken for granted, become the worse critics.

A most serious issue that desperately demands immediate assistance is internal organizational conflict due to a lack of unity in mission and vision. It's critical to quickly re-establish clarity of mission and unity between the leaders and the staff or board. This requires outside intervention. But choose the consultant carefully, as this requires a professional who is able to decipher the organization’s deeper cultural and personal issues – not merely personnel or HR issues that are on the surface. The former is ripe with personality clashes and broken trust, while the latter involves organization policy and procedure – which may need addressing, but is not the root cause.

I will mention briefly the need for a consultant and/or interim management through a period of crisis leadership change. Addressing this will require a separate blog, but it's most critical to contract with outside assistance rather than use internal staff in such a case.

These are just a few areas of concern where an independent third party will be able to increase awareness, broker unity, and ensure the stability and sustaining of the organization’s mission. Don’t wait until you realize the need – develop relationships with those you trust and who will be ready and willing to intercede within your organization when needed. While these resources may be costly, you will save time and money with the judicious use of consultants. They will be worth it to the organization, as you will gain much more than you spend. They may be reported as an expense, but they are an asset to any organization.

For more information on choosing Consultants:

http://strengtheningnonprofits.org/resources/guidebooks/Working_with_Consultants.pdf

http://www.first5la.org/files/Nonprofit%20Consultants-How%20to_Buttenheim.pdf

http://charisnp.com/
http://www.artiosinstitute.com/

http://www.theedgegroup.org/

What kind of impact do you want to make?

A critical question . . . "What kind of impact do you want your life to make in the world?" What is the legacy you want to leave your children, the next generations, the Church, the disadvantaged, the Least, the Last and the Lost?

Ever since our first year of marriage when we read several books about missionaries Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and three other men who gave their lives for the feared and undiscovered "Auca" people, my wife, Leslie and I have sought to make a difference. 

Coming up on our 35th anniversary, we can look back and see our service in churches, camping, as technical support missionaries, teaching in schools, homeless shelters, and even the business and corporate sector. For us there is no dichotomy of sacred and secular. What our hands find as a task is ministry - and makes an impact. Raising our four children into responsible adults will leave its mark as well. 

Investing our lives and resources is part of the impact we make and the legacy we leave. As we steward the time, treasure and talent we are given by God, into what "accounts" are you investing those resources? Following the example of the missionaries who have given their all to the Kingdom, may I make a suggestion? Consider the impact of this ministry and what it can do with your investment of life, finances, and prayer . . . 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Saint

The Common Good of Community

These days, providing for the common good by equalizing the economic level playing field through the “creation or redistribution of wealth”—or giving one’s fair share—is an interesting conversation.  

It intrigues me that many of those who take up such a mantra, themselves live apart from those with whom they wish to build solidarity. However, as “First Things” editor R. R. Reno points out: “Solidarity is not the same as equality. It’s about being with others, being part of something, rather than being the same or having the same amounts of stuff.”^[1] So, if disparity of wealth is not the issue dividing us, what is?

Reno goes on to state that it is actual space that divides us, not just financial distance. We need each other.  Just as the scientific study of isolation on infants indicated that touch and the spoken word are necessary for proper emotional and physical nurturing, people need community. Reno also claims it’s a grievous error to think that this distance can be broached by the rich paying a greater share of taxes – as this chasm is a social gap, not merely economic. 

What the poor and disadvantaged need is not bread alone . . . they need to be in community with us – in solidarity with those seeking to help them. 

Again, solidarity is not merely monetary equality, but togetherness. Detrick Bonhoeffer warned that those who dream of community are likely the destroyer of community. How? They focus only what they want it to be, not on the community itself as it is. Such are those who desire to build a better community from afar – thinking that their charitable contributions, requiring increased taxes, or that their advocacy and activism will bring solidarity . . . without having to bridge the space between themselves and those they “target” with their doing good.   

What personal and professional time, talent, and treasures are creating space rather than lessening it in your sphere of community? We will each need to go beyond our “soup-kitchener” and donor activity, as well as our share of the tax burden, and deal with decreasing the space between ourselves and those we seek to help. If we want to see solidarity of community, we must do it as Jesus did . . . with our feet, our hands, and our actions.

¹ Reno, R. R. "The Public Square: Solidarity." First Things (Institute on Religion and Public LIfe), no. 234 (June/July 2013): 3-4.

Radical Christianity?

I find the argument about whether Christian has to be “radical” in order to be genuine is an interesting conversation. If we look at the etymology of the term Christian, its very roots define such a person “as following and belonging to the anointed one;” a pretty radical calling, if you ask me.   

The Greek word Χριστιανός (Christianos) [meaning "follower of Christ"] comes from Χριστός (Christos) [meaning "anointed one"] with an adjectival ending borrowed from Latin to denote adhering to, or even belonging to, as in slave ownership.^[1}

That being the case, having been bought with the price of Christ’s blood, we are no longer our own, but His. We can do nothing of our own accord, only act as His bond slave – or steward. I suppose the conversation may then shift to the issue of if one is actually following the desires of the Owner or one’s own desires . . . removing themselves from bondage to Christ.

 

As this “bondage” is a voluntary submission—not mandatory—the follower is free to act in the Owner’s interest or their own. It seems to me that such a powerful realization of salvation through Christ’s sacrifice would render a person as fully and forever awestruck of his own need and the fullness of joy in their submission to Him – such as is rendered by C.S.Lewis in his autobiography Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life (1955).

 

My own realization recalls the scene in the film “The Miracle Worker” when young, defiant Helen Keller receives her “sight” and is overcome by joy; her life is changed forever, and spends the rest of her life bringing sight to others. ^[2]

My sight was realized in July of 1976 during vespers at Sequoia National Park, where I worked for the summer. In response to a phase of sincerely seeking His grace and forgiveness, I came to a fuller knowledge of my salvation and committed myself to follow Christ . . . unknowing then what form or manner that path of service would take. I would hope that others observing my life since would say its been somewhat radical.

Having been so surprised by joy, I can’t fathom it anything else . . . He is mine and I am His. And I want others to realize that radical joy as well. 

Notes: 

1.     Bickerman, 1949 p. 147, All these Greek terms, formed with the Latin suffix -ianus, exactly as the Latin words of the same derivation, express the idea that the men or things referred to, belong to the person to whose name the suffix is added. p. 145, In Latin this suffix produced proper names of the type Marcianus and, on the other hand, derivatives from the name of a person, which referred to his belongings, like fundus Narcissianus, or, by extension, to his adherents, Ciceroniani. (underline mine)

2.     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miracle_Worker_(1962_film)  

The Sales Pitch

[One of our speaking modules from 1990]: Years ago friends of ours were lured to a sales presentation by the guarantee of winning a prize; either a microwave (that's what they wanted), T.V., refrigerator, etc. You've heard of those before.

If they bought a life-time supply, $2500 worth of soap – that would clean everything from the car to the dog – they would also get the prizes free. What a sales pitch! Someone went to great lengths to sell soap.

Back in 1978 after we were married my wife and I read Shadow of the Almighty by Elizabeth Elliot. You may know of it – the story of her husband, Jim Elliot, and four other men who were speared to death by the "Auca" Indians in Ecuador. They were martyred in 1956 while trying to take the Gospel to this unreached group. 

The actual reassembled remains of Nate Saint's Piper on
display at  MAF's headquarters in Nampa, ID

This story has been the initial motivation for thousands of people over the years to get involved in missionary service. And so it was with us. The death of committed missionaries led to our choice of a mid-life career change with Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Later, while attending a class at Wycliffe's support center in North Carolina, we all shared about how we were led into missions work. All ten of us had read Shadow of the Almighty. No promise of a washer, dryer or microwave . . . nothing to keep the dog clean. But we wanted to be involved in giving the Word of God, whose message received in faith, will cleanse the souls of those who have, as yet, never heard that Christ died for them.

That's how we were introduced to missions. We didn't know what that commitment would lead to, but we made it. If we'd known what we would go through later, I hope we would have had the fortitude to stay with it.

2013: Well, we did stick through it and continued to serve - and have since in various ministries. Now I found myself back at the origin of our missionary quest. As I arrived for an interview at MAF's headquarters today, I came face to face with an element of that story of 1978 when we read that book, and others since. What an emotional moment as I stood in front of what has been for thousands a call to give our lives in Kingdom service. 

A Brief Review of Dallas Willard's "Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ"

[Note: this report was my submittal in the course, ML582: Character, Community and Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary in 2009 and is edited to reflect his passing]

Willard, Dallas, 2002. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

            Dallas Willard (1935-2013) was a professor and former Director of the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles where he taught since 1965. Willard lived out his personal philosophy within his teaching, writing and in his strategy for his life: “I know what good work is. I’m going to do it, and I expect God to help me. I will give my life to it. Of course, I will be a prisoner of Christ; that’s what I am.”[i] This philosophy is very much evidenced in his writing and in his commitment to allowing the Spirit to reign and provide direction in his life. Although not setting out to teach in a secular university, he was led to do so subsequent to his graduate work. Willard stated that he never self-promoted himself – not seeking a position or a raise – but considers himself a “literalist in terms of the Bible,”[ii] as it relates to advancement coming from God.

            The thesis of this book is that in the process of realizing the character of Christ, one may “remove or master” each impediment to gaining that character (:10-11); and that process should be orderly – not haphazard or mysterious – to those wanting to overcome human (sinful) nature.

            Willard presents five chapters of introductory, foundation-building elements which examines mankind’s frailty in the human existence, and provides support for the development of spiritual formation; including why people often fall short of the ideal of Christ-like character.

An “Interlude” chapter reflects on the reality of seeking this transformation.  It is Willard’s perspective that our own effort falls short; we are in need of God’s grace.  He states that those who are “the greatest saints are not those who need less grace, but those who consume the most grace;” God’s grace sustains them (:93-94).

Willard then lays out through six chapters a process of transformation of: (1) Mind/ Thought; (2) Mind/Feeling; (3) Will; (4) Body; (5) Social Dimension; and (6) Soul.  These areas of one’s self are outlined earlier in chapter two as distinct areas in which we must allow the Spirit to work through for our transformation (:38). 

In the two concluding chapters Willard examines how this process of transformation interfaces with the world and within the local church.  In the world, a contrast of light and darkness presents a picture of the outcome of personal sanctification, and its effect upon us and the world we are in (:224).  Willard then presents God’s plan for spiritual formation within the congregation of the people of God with a focus on being rather than doing. 

This book makes me recall Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline.  While I read Foster’s book in 1978 during a period of discipleship, I find Willard’s book is timely to this era of my life.  Through this book I am able to more fully recognize my shortcomings and how I may have diverted from disciplines in my life, which were a critical and primary element of my new life in Christ.  I am not surprised that Foster provides an endorsement for this book.[iii]

Willard puts flesh on the teaching of sanctification in a way I need to reconsider within my life and leadership ministry, and grasp that the transforming work of the Spirit “. . . brings every element in (my) being, working from inside out, into harmony with the will of God . . .”[iv]  C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce also comes to mind, as the landscape on the way to the Kingdom feels unbearably unreachable until one repents through an act of the will.

---

[i] Dallas Willard, “My Journey To and Beyond Tenure in a Secular University” (Remarks given at the Faculty Forum Luncheon of the C.S. Lewis Foundation Summer Conference, University of San Diego, 21 June 2003), available at http://www.dwillard.org/biography/tenure.asp, Internet.

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Richard Foster states, “No one has thought more carefully than Dallas Willard about the human personality and how it can be transformed into Christlikeness.” This endorsement is found on the back cover of the hardcover version of Renovation of the Heart.

[iv] A summary which quotes the author is found on the back cover of the hardcover version of Renovation of the Heart.

Mailbox Missionaries

Overhearing a conversation between my wife and me about bills and our limited funds, our 9 year-old daughter piped up, “Maybe there will be a check in the mail today for $200!”

In 1989, after being accepted as approved missionary candidates with Wycliffe Bible Translators, it was recommended that I get further training in avionics and acquire my FAA General Airframe Mechanic certification in order to better serve in Communications – my technical support missionary position would require installation of radio equipment and antennas on aircraft. Having recently left my position with Eastman Kodak as a Field Engineer – and its relatively secure salary and benefits – our family of 6 was residing in East Tennessee while I attended Moody Aviation.

But while we were only approved candidates, we could not raise financial support through Wycliffe until this course was completed and we were ready to continue our Wycliffe training. So, we had written our friends, explaining to them our quest toward missionary service, and left it to the leading of the Lord through them for our personal support . . . we were now “Mailbox Missionaries.” 

Later that day the mail was opened and there was, indeed, a check for $200; the faith of a little girl and her family was fulfilled and strengthened. Through these vignettes of God working through His people, we were able to trust that our support would be realized and His work would go on as an extension of those who supported and prayed for us.

Such is the plight of para-church ministries and nonprofit charities that do not receive government funding, but rely primarily upon the generosity of donors in order to provide critical relief and services to the remote, disadvantaged, victimized, homeless, poor and needy. This work is only possible through the partnership of others who sense the call to reach out and fulfill the command of God to treat these people as we would the Lord Himself.

Many bemoan the numerous pieces of mail that tend to flood our mailboxes. But I realize that educating the public on services ministries provide and the opportunity for changed lives is often the only way the average person will know of that work. Many times I’ve heard donors make the comment, “I didn’t realize you did all this”; and this from those who have been supporting the organization for years!

Public concern for the percentage of donated funds used for solicitation is warranted. Interested donors can check out charities on websites such as Guidestar.org and review nonprofits’ 990 reports. If a 990 is not available, it is often an indication that the charity is reportedly operating as a church, and therefore not required to file a 990. Donors should carefully consider religious charities transparency in reporting information such as program, administration, and fundraising ratios as good stewardship of their giving.

However, the mechanics of fundraising and accountability should not be allowed to overshadow the ministry accomplished by small charities that exist primarily as “Mailbox Missionaries.” The response envelopes that come in the mail each day are the lifeblood of critical services and can often limit the ability to sustain ministry. When you consider supporting a ministry beyond your normal church tithe, consider if that organization is utilizing every inch of its facilities, every donated penny, and every offered prayer for the service of others and to the glory of God.

And the next time you see that envelop in your mailbox, remember a little girl and a young missionary family whose faith was answered through someone responding to a need. The possibilities that your support provides toward the faith of the organization and those individuals and families that benefit are endless. Your investment is an extension of the church’s responsibility to reach out to a needy world – and often, it is through a response to a piece of mail. 

Community Renewal as Incarnational Mission

Missonal, Incarnational, and Stewardship are terms that are too easily tossed about these days. In order for the people of God to bring about flourishing in our communities we need real definitions and concrete manifestations, rather than vague illusions of what they mean.   

Urban Homeless Shelter

I believe to be, or take part in something missional is to become part of what we recognize God is already doing in the community (missio Dei). This requires examination of the sociological, historical, and political conditions in which the Church—and our ministry—must become the visible expression of God to the world. When these realities are properly merged we see truly incarnational mission at work – through which we become stewards of God’s grace, justice, and resources of the Kingdom.

An incarnational mission involves our “real and abiding presence” in the community that bears fruit for both the local church and the urban environment. One cannot become part of the organism of community unless he or she becomes intimate with its “cultural rhythms, life, and geography” (2003a, 39); as Ronald Sider shares, “Holistic ministry is incarnational ministry . . . it’s God fleshing out the truth of the Gospel.” It is not only helping others in the community, but inspiring the church member and stretching themselves outside their traditional sphere of influence (2002, 27). Are we bold enough to commit to an incarnational model as sufficient to match the changes in culture and polity we face in this new millennium?

When efforts are not incarnational, little of lasting note gets done – this can lead to negative issues . . . and those seeing themselves in the “crosshairs” of perceived do-gooders begin to see themselves as “targets” rather than in community (2003b, 108). Becoming part of our community through assimilating its culture and recognizing context takes time and effort, which is necessary in order to build a missional bridge of any permanence. 

Fresno Rescue Mission's new Save the Children Home

This integration will take visionary church leaders who are able to assess the needs of the community, as well as considering the strengths within a congregation, and to build individual team leaders who can lay the groundwork for a safe and appropriate missional outreach (2006b, 32). I mention “safe” as there is danger in not considering the full impact of an urban environment when developing programs. This type of missional outreach can allow people to step beyond the “soup-kitchener” experience and into a more personal and contextual missional expression of their faith and lifestyle. 

Such change can only come through a concerted effort of our church leaders, ministries and community agencies in creating a bias for action through educating congregants in missional stewardship of all that they control – time, treasure, and talents.

Frost, Michael, and Alan Hirsch. 2003a. The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church. Peabody: Hendrickson.

Linthicum, Robert. 2003b. Transforming Power: Biblical Strategies for Making a Difference in Your Community. Downers Grove: IVP.

Roxburgh, Alan J. and Fred Romanuk. 2006b. The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Sider, Ronald J., Philip N. Olson, and Heidi Rolland Unruh. 2002. Churches That Make a Difference: Reaching Your Community with Good News and Good Works. Grand Rapids: Baker.

Rescued from a Cornfield, Restored into Service

I’d like to tell you a story of an airplane . . . (from 1990)

The DC3 is an exceptional aircraft that just won't die! Modern technology hasn't improved on it in decades. It's one of the safest large twin engine airplanes. It has the ability to continue to climb out of a normal takeoff after rotation even if it loses an engine.

The Chief Tariri is no exception. After serving for years in the jungle of South America, it was brought up to the JAARS Center in Waxhaw, NC (where we were going through training) to be completely refurbished. Careful hands worked it over nose to tail – wingtip to wingtip – extended wings; beefed up cargo capacity; new radios . . . boy it looked sharp! Gleaming aluminum in the North Carolina sun with two blue stripes down the fuselage – just sitting on the ramp it looked proud!

All this work was to ready it for a critically needed new assignment in East Africa – in a cooperative effort with Africa Inland Mission.

As the Chief waited for final FAA clearance it was participating in "missions at the airport" events, along with other JAARS aircraft.

As this pristine missionary bird sat on a grass strip in Kidron, Ohio, 27 people buckled up for a ride. After taxiing out to the end of the strip, its twin 14 piston radial engines thundered as the Chief rolled down the soft grass runway. Seconds later, the Chief was plowing through acres of corn waiting to be harvested. Except for one of the pilots who got some cuts, miraculously, all aboard escaped without injury.

The experienced crew had done their best to recover from an engine failure, just after rotation – from a soft, grass airstrip. The line of trees at the end of the runway had kept them from a complete recovery, but they were able to just barely clear the trees and land in the neighboring cornfield. There was corn everywhere, and there the Chief lay, with what appeared as crippling damage. Africa, it seemed, was not to be.

Just before this incident, Leslie and I were just finishing our Intercultural Communications Course and looking forward to our membership status and an assignment with Wycliffe Bible Translators. At the culmination of a 14 year dream, almost two years of intensive training was nearing completion. We joyously told our supporters to expect news of our assignment approval in our next newsletter. Like the DC3, we were ready to take-off for Papua New Guinea.

Our newsletter was written, partnership development plans made, and the children were excited. We roared over the trees and right into the cornfield. We were completely blindsided. Two men were telling us we would never make it in Wycliffe without counseling. Somewhere in the files from our initial Quest orientation course were questions no one had since talked to us about, but fueled concern of the membership office. We were grounded.

We recognized that we had been dealing with a spiritual battle for some time. We met with our course director who was as shocked as we were. He laid hands on us and prayed for us and we felt a complete lifting of the darkness that we had been feeling for months. We got back on track. Finishing our job orientation was a real struggle, as others were given assignments, but we were ministered to by the Personnel and Radio Department directors. They could hardly believe we just didn't pack up the kids in our van and go home. But we changed our plans and went on.

We took a month and a half long partnership development trip throughout the northeast and midwest. We then spent two weeks at a spiritual retreat center in the Appalachia Mountains with a counselor. After a lot of being evaluated, introspection, counseling and prayer, our counselor brought us together to discuss his evaluation. "It's my professional opinion that you are God's people trying to do God's work and Satan is doing his utmost to keep you from going on. You two must have quite a ministry ahead of you." He then recommended that we immediately be given our Member-In-Training status along with our assignment.

You see, a whole group of people went out to that cornfield to help bring the crippled DC3 out and into the repair process. The Chief Tariri is again sitting proudly – on a ramp in East Africa. Loving hands came to its rescue to return it to working condition and to ministry.

We too, had loving hands help us out of our "cornfield" and pray for, and encourage us on to our field of ministry.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed."

Newspaper Sweeps Homeless to the “Gutter”?

It’s been 106 days since January 1 of this year and there have been but three articles in the PT addressing our local homeless population. Not counting a story on my departure from LBRM and a fundraiser for homeless dogs, the only stories these pages have covered are of someone from San Pedro catching a bus to the winter shelter, the homeless count, and the recent arson attack by a homeless man. 

Where was the story of the impending loss of 150 winter shelter beds on March 1st – which was 15 days earlier than normal, and the subsequent forecasts of rain causing concern for opening the rainy day shelter by the homeless coalition?  What of the annual story of the real or perceived pre-Grand Prix homeless sweeps, or the massive cleanup along the river we have seen going on this past month?

Has the redesign of the Press Telegram swept any significant coverage of homeless issues into the ‘gutter’ (white space at the fold) as the pages are too ‘tight’ (crowded with ads)?  Where are the voices of our local activists from the Coalition?  Where is Occupy LB – taking control of council chambers, demanding action?  Has the print consciousness of our city been so overcome by bike lanes, pocket parks, and misprinted street lamp banners to address the ongoing issues of our discarded humanity?  

Who will be the voice of those on the street . . . or are we waiting for the potholes to swallow them into obscurity?

Vocations Empowered for the Common Good

This morning’s speaker at Grace Brethren Church Long Beach, Dr. Steven Garber, founder and principal of the Washington Institute on Faith, Vocation and Culture spoke on being stewards of our common grace for the common good.  His comments related to how the grace of God in a life committed to Him can impact the world for the Kingdom.  Our vocations, when empowered by God’s grace, fulfill the Church’s responsibility to impact the Kingdom life here and now, not just in the hereafter—socially, politically, and economically.  This discussion recalled my studies at Fuller on social advocacy and in particular one particularly powerful statement by Dallas Willard which gave credence to thoughts I’d had on charitable programs.

Willard makes a similar point to Garber’s in The Spirit of the Disciplines that “charity and social welfare programs, while good and clearly our duty, cannot even begin to fulfill our responsibility as children of the light to a needy world.”  He then boldly calls upon the people of God to “assume the responsibility, under God and by his power, of owning and directing the world’s wealth and goods” (1988:202).  He points out that by doing so, with Christ, the church would be able to reduce the causes of poverty.

That is a level of stewardship the church has not attempted on such a large scale—and likely will not—without realizing that the sacred calling of God is not just within the church, but in all vocations and careers. He continues the challenge by declaring the church should commission men and women into “farming, industry, law, education, banking, and journalism with the same zeal previously given to evangelism and missionary work” (1988:214).

Once the people of God are involved as stewards in influencing the marketplace for the community’s good, they can have a hand in advising public agencies in serving the truly needy.  This culminates in the people of God showing how the church “enters into full participation in the rule of God where they are” (1988:218).  That is true stewardship of all that God has made and put under our authority, including social service to those in need.  Religious control of social functions, as it has been in the past, can be seen as an authentic Christian response to need.  P. Beyer, in Religion and Globalization states that this validates the Christian message (1994:197).

By becoming stewards of God’s love and compassion through charity, the church becomes a centripetal force in the world.  Serving societal needs as part of the soteriological effort of the church is the greatest stewardship of all God’s resources, and becomes the attracting light the world seeks.  In the words of Bernhard W. Anderson, “The nations are attracted to Zion, the spiritual center, because the teaching that goes forth from that source appeals to the deeper human longings for šālom (peace, welfare).  Mission is at its best when it brings something to a people that respond to their deepest desire and quest” (2006:116).

• Beyer, P. Religion and Globalization. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1994.
• Okoye, James. Israel and the Nations: A Mission Theology of the Old Testament. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2006. 
• Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. New York: HarperCollins, 1988.

Leveraging the Passion of our Emerging Leadership in Philanthropy

Just a year ago in an article discussing the changing culture of nonprofits and the failing economy, I examined the decline of the nonprofit sector due to its failure of facing the realities of a changing market and demographic.* Following this marked decline, in just a few years we have seen an increasing flow of new blood in the sector . . . young leaders (I dislike tagging them “millennial”) are bringing a new passion and desire to impact their society.  

To this aging Boomer, having served most of my vocation in nonprofits, this brings a surprising feeling of promise and a desire to see them become empowered in a way my generation failed to realize through our efforts in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

This upwelling of philanthropic youth is more than evident here at the 50th International Conference of Fundraising in San Diego. The San Diego Convention Center is teeming with young people, wherein such a conference a decade ago would have witnessed an older attendee. In a review class for the CFRE – a certification for those with fundraising experience – there were quite a few young people who obviously did not bring experience of the level normally expected to such a class. I propose that not a few of them thought some of the material and processes discussed a bit mechanistic and antiquated. Additionally, the crowd was standing room only and overflowing the room of the First Timers orientation meeting.  This leads me to wonder what is the impetus of these new fundraisers? 

For those of us who have long been involved in nonprofit fund development, we may recognize the surge of funds now flowing from our generation’s estates, and how best to help divert them from the government and invest in charitable efforts. I sense, however, that the new conference attendees are not so much interested in investing these funds, but rather investing themselves in the empowerment of others. They recognize the weakness of government and institutions to meet the growing gap in services and bring a new paradigm to the task.

While wanting to encourage and empower this new generation, we need to sensitively guide them and their enthusiasm into this sector. Just as the ‘90s saw a growth of nonprofits that was impossible to properly fund, we can allow them to be change agents within existing organizations, as well as lead collaborations, acquisitions, and mergers which will increase capacity, reduce duplications, and bring a new face and paradigm to, not just the nonprofit sector, but to the for-profit sector and world-wide commerce as well.

How we assist, educate, encourage and empower this emerging leadership will be the fulcrum on which their impact is leveraged.  

http://ym.christianleadershipalliance.org/?CriticalShift

A Case for a New Leadership Paradigm

We are in a world of change as paradigms are being challenged. Gone are the days of the broad community acceptance of the Christian service provider. Postmodernism is taking its toll . . . leadership is changing, urban demographics are changing, legal regulations are changing, staff and boards are changing, donors are changing, and ministry core services are changing. Change is as certain as the sun rising.

In this day and age, faith-based service providers and their staff need to be on the cutting edge to keep up with an ever-changing environment that challenges the sustainability of the mission and vision of an organization. In order to meet these challenges there needs to be a constant – and two critical constants are proper stewardship and increasing core competencies through accreditation.

Stewardship of the organization, program curriculum, staff resources, liabilities, finances, and board governance are paramount – and most importantly, is stewardship of the physical and spiritual health of the leader.
Artios Institute provides collaborative accreditation through coursework designed with stewardship as the focus. Through a peer cohort of fellow leaders, development staff and board members, your knowledge, skills, and capacity for change is strengthened and profound impacts are cultivated. In this two-year course, meeting two and a half days every other month for the first year and three times the second year, we will explore four foundational pillars:

1. An Understanding of Biblical Stewardship, Fund Development & Advancement 
2. The Keys to Balanced Personal & Professional Growth of the Leader 
3. The Core Components of Building Boards & Effective Teams
4. The Role of Strategy in Determining Vision & Direction 

Whether you are a seasoned executive or development leader, or just starting in ministry, this course of study will challenge and strengthen you and your organization – and prepare both for the challenges of today and years to come. This is an investment in stewardship you can’t afford not to explore. Examine the course elements and consider Artios Institute for yourself and your team.

  Review the Four Pillars               Examine the CCNL Credential

Stewardship as Mission

“As steward leaders we have a mandate to rule over and subdue this creation according to God’s vision for a redeemed world...” Dr. R. Scott Rodin, author of The Steward Leader: Transforming People, Organizations and Communities

What would happen if this type of stewardship actually took place – if the people of God recognized and appropriately acted on this mandate?  Do we truly believe that it is our responsibility to affect all of life – not just the hereafter?  Just how would having stewardship as our mission impact our message and action?  

I think the people of God need to recognize their purpose of being an extension of God’s mission (mission Dei), which the scriptures indicate restores all of creation.  Perhaps a renewed theology of stewardship in the Church can be developed through a practice of reflecting on the needs of the world and our duty to live out Christ to the world as stewards of all that He owns – for which we are responsible.  It is our role to serve the community in which we find ourselves – engaged and unselfishly serving the needs of others as though serving Christ – as Matthew 25:40 states, “to the extent that you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me.”

I would like to take this discussion one step further, into a broader stewardship role for the Church with a view of our effectively serving this world through our charity:

Dallas Willard makes an excellent point in The Spirit of the Disciplines that “charity and social welfare programs, while good and clearly our duty, cannot even begin to fulfill our responsibility as children of the light to a needy world.”  Rather than reject wealth, he then boldly calls upon the people of God to “assume the responsibility, under God and by his power, of owning and directing the world’s wealth and goods” (1988:202).  He points out that by doing so, with Christ, the Church would be able to reduce the causes of poverty.  

That is a level of stewardship the Church has not attempted on such a large scale – and likely will not without realizing that the sacred calling of God is not just within the Church, but in all vocations and careers.  The Church should commission men and women into “farming, industry, law, education, banking, and journalism with the same zeal previously given to evangelism and missionary work” (1988:214).

Once the people of God are involved as stewards in influencing the marketplace for the community’s good, they will have a hand in advising public agencies in appropriately serving the truly needy.  This culminates in the people of God showing how the Church “enters into full participation in the rule of God where they are” (1988:218).  That is true stewardship of all that God has made and put under our authority.

The Church needs to recognize its responsibility to offer the Kingdom life: reconciliation to God, to self, to society, and creation.  In order to provide the “full” gospel the people of God must become stewards, and models, of the grace of God in their own lives—our time, treasure, and talent—in order to fully practice stewardship toward others.  This requires a new perspective on possessions, ownership and personal stewardship.

Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives. New York: HarperCollins, 1988.