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^®

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

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. 

"We CAN do what we do without you, However..."

As a ministry leader and fundraiser I have to confess that I have disliked the phrase from the first time I heard it . . .“We can't do what we do without you.” The misguided mantra we use in an effort to convince our donors and volunteers how valuable they are to the ministry.

After over a decade of feeling this way, my perspective was finally confirmed by my good friend Doug Shaw in his recently released book, “The Rules of Fundraising.” Doug’s Rule #9 states: You don't have to lie to raise money [or get people to volunteer].¹ This admonition is included with a few of the “little white lies” we advance, along with overstating the impact of our organization.  

Now don’t get me wrong – what ministry partners do and give is no less than critical to a successful and effective ministry. But to make such an overstatement robs the glory from the true origin of all our available resources and abilities to serve people in need . . . that of our heavenly Provider.

God is the true owner and provider of all that we have – and all that the donor and volunteer share with us. Those who share are merely His chosen stewards of what is His. I actually verbalized this a few times when thanking those who served my ministry by saying that while we could still do most our work without their involvement, their participation made it so much more meaningful and less challenging . . . and our success wouldn't be such a blessing if we weren't sharing it with them. I wondered though, if that resonated as much.

If what I feel is right, in what way can we make our gratitude known to those who invest their time, treasure, and talents in the ministry? We can appreciate them and their investment by acknowledging that they empower us to serve in a manner that is enhanced and more effective – and which pleases our Lord. I feel the more important idea to convey is the vital impact our partners bring to the table through their efforts.

Their involvement has a direct bearing on the breadth and depth of the ministry to, and the life-change produced in, those we serve. That impact is the mantra we should voice – and not understate.

¹ Douglas K. Shaw, The Rules of Fundraising, Naperville: DSA, 2013, pg 58, brackets mine.  

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. 

Fundraising isn't about the ASK

The ASK is all about relationship and trust.

I have a lot of experience in nonprofit ministry wherein we are dependent upon others for support of our programs, operations, and our salary.  A difficulty of most organizations in this sector is fundraising; asking people for money.  I believe that is due to a lack of a focus on trust and relationships.

Much of nonprofit fundraising training and practice focuses on marketing and communication.  Too much, I think.  What that focus may not clearly understand is that people want to be an integral part of the doing of good – of the ministry which meets needs and changes lives.  What they don’t want is to be seen and used as a “target.”  But all too often nonprofits see and use their clientele and donors as targets: one to do good to, and one to fund it.

Both our recipients and our donors want to have a relationship with us – but on their terms, for their purpose.  I think the secret of successfully providing services and responsible fundraising lies in how we relate to them. For both, respect must be openly given, without expectation of reciprocity.  How do we provide respect?  Through our relationship and building trust . . .

My learning curve began as a technical support missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators as we learned their partnership development (i.e. fundraising) mantra of “Full Information, No Solicitation.”  When Leslie and I built relationships and communicated the mission and vision of Bible Translation, this brought buy-in and people desired to trust us with their investment. It didn't hurt that we traveled across the country with our four children in a '74 VW Camper and people we stayed with saw us interact as a family, warts and all.

This paradigm was clarified for me so powerfully today through a video from the TED Conference and an unlikely teacher of the ASK, “Amanda Palmer: The art of asking” (click to view)  I think you will understand as you share in Amanda’s experience in building relationship and trust as you watch.

Are you willing to become as vulnerable to, and trusting of your clientele and donors?  It's what the ask is really all about.

The Decline of Unpaid Internships

The decline of the unpaid internship has hurt businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, and students in the years following new rulings and regulations from federal Fair Employment and Housing, the IRS, and over-regulated states like California.

While leading nonprofits I have been asked on many occasions to take on unpaid interns. As one who tries to do the right thing in the right manner, early on my research revealed that many internships are handled under the radar and put the nonprofit or business at great potential risk and liability. An officially authorized internship via an academic program which provides credit for the internship is merely an initial requirement. There are strict criteria by which the internship must be controlled:

1.     The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment.

2.     The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern.

3.     The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff.

4.     The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded.

5.     The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship.

6.     The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

Internships are not only limited federally, but state Worker Compensation is also applied if the internship is not properly authorized and covered through an academic institution’s insurance. 

Locally, CA State Long Beach has established a formal application and authorization agreement between itself, the professor, student, and employer – thus protecting all parties from liabilities. Even so, there have been numerous rulings against nonprofits and businesses wherein compensation and fines have been levied. Not to mention the intern who feels slighted and sues the employer for compensation, overtime and/or Worker Compensation benefits.

While these regulations were put in place to protect the intern and internship program from being abused, they unintentionally serve to decrease educational and on the job training opportunities and reduce the involvement of students in nonprofits – thus reducing the practical training and skills for college graduates to take into their careers.

I caution the business and nonprofit who may wish to utilize interns in their workforce to step into this area fully aware of the regulations and potential cost of violations. Do the right thing in the right manner . . . and both you and the intern will benefit.

Oh . . . and especially don’t have them make the coffee or be your personal go-fer.

Some helpful links:

http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL12-09acc.pdf

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/business/03intern.html

http://internships.about.com/od/internships101/a/departmentoflaborsnewguidelinesforinterns.htm

Seeking Counsel From Failure

Do you follow any thought leaders* for counsel and insight?  What happens if he or she has failed in their leadership?  Can that person still speak into your issues, or do you turn elsewhere?

For some that may depend on their sector and the type of failure . . . and what affect the failure is considered to have on the leader.  For example, in Christian circles, failure is often the “kiss of death” for a leader; in the financial world an ethical violation or fiscal misrepresentation will end any respect.

Less often, I fear, do people perceive the benefit of failure that results in even more reason to seek that leader’s counsel.  Where am I going with this?

An example may be seen in the repentant embezzler who speaks out on the lack of ethical oversight in his industry that allowed his actions.  Another may be the pastor who has gone through reconciliation from an affair who now counsels men on strengthening their marriage.  

Many are the quotes of leaders who state that failure strengthens leadership – even tempers it; making it stand the test of time and providing learning moments from which others can profit.  One such quote I embrace is Teddy Roosevelt’s, “Failure is the backdoor to success” . . . apparently his success came on the shoulders of his failures.  

We won’t accept pharmaceuticals without thorough R&D and lengthy testing, so why would we accept leadership ideas or direction from someone who has never been through the trials and fire of failure?  

Perhaps next time you interview someone for a position or a project, see if they’ve been tried by fire – and ask them to share their most beneficial failure.

Has your thought leader failed?  It may be even more reason to seek them out . . .

*See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_leader

Heart-Response vs. Heart-Change

Bob Lupton reminds us there's a distinct difference between compassionate aid and development in his latest blog that sheds light on Christ's feeding of the multitude:

Heart-responses [to handouts] produce distinctly different behavior patterns than do heart-changes.  Continual heart-responses yield diminishing returns: 

• Feed a person once and it elicits appreciation (oh, thank you so much);

• Feed him twice and it creates anticipation (wonder if he’s going to do it again);

• Feed him three times and it creates expectation (when is he going to do it);

• Feed him four times and it becomes an entitlement (I need it now);

• Feed him five times and it produces dependency (you can’t stop, I’m counting on it).

Read more: Bread for Life (John 6)

we're expecting from the world what we're not doing

While I am shocked that American's spent $1.5 billion this past week on an infinitesimal chance at winning a lottery, I hold more disappointment for the Church. Why? A mere tithe of that amount could have put a huge dent in the issue of homelessness. However, the issue is rooted in a lack of stewardship.

Recent news stories are evidence of the Church’s failure to provide needed steward leadership. Faith leaders decry the recent GOP budget proposal, citing its oppression of the poor. Critics charge that it balances the budget on the back of the poor while not sufficiently taxing the wealthy. Members of the Faithful Budget Campaign demand more aid supported by increased taxation – calling on national leaders to: “act with mercy and justice by serving the common good, robustly funding support for poor and vulnerable people, both at home and abroad, and exercising proper care and keeping of the earth.” The incongruity for this writer is these leaders want the government to do what they are not doing – at least not to the extent that the historical Christian Church has done on its own.

They’ve forgotten that subsequent to Christianity becoming the accepted religion of Constantine’s empire, “government” resources supplanted the Church’s role as provider of public assistance. It was during this period that the response to needs became institutionalized as social service. What had been considered personal hospitality became separated and distant from the church and the home. Charity became so far removed from the church that in the fourth and fifth centuries John Chrysostom challenged that “hospitality remained a personal, individual responsibility as well,” urging Christians to make a place for the needy in their homes to serve “the maimed, the beggars, and the homeless.”

Even Emperor Julian (a.d. 362) provides historical evidence of Christian charity as the sole responsibility of the Church, and directed those of his own religion to “imitate Christian concern for strangers,”

“For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galileans [Christians] support not only their own poor but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us. Teach those of the Hellenic faith to contribute to public service of this sort.”

Later, John Calvin admonished the Church, for the “demise of ancient hospitality,” toward those in need:

“This office of humanity has . . . nearly ceased to be properly observed among men; for the ancient hospitality celebrated in histories, in unknown to us, and [public] inns now supply the place of accommodations for strangers.”

He warned that the increasing dependence on inns rather than on personal hospitality was an expression of human depravity.

I don’t see the Church giving nor serving as it should; many merely call for more government action. While current church-based giving has reportedly dropped by $1.2 billion last year, it’s still a reality that if Christians tithed, the resulting funding available to God’s work would be nearly 2/3rds of recent stimulus spending. But it’s not just the lack of funds at issue; it’s what ministry leaders are misspending. Currently the families of Trinity Broadcasting Network and Chrystal Cathedral are fighting over millions of assets and control of their empires. The public is treated to weekly reports of misuse of charitable donations and the breakdown of relationships in various ministries. It’s no wonder Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle are considering capping charitable deductions – to both secular and religious organizations.

If that isn’t enough, nonprofit postage rates are at risk, as well as the definition of what constitutes a “religious” organization. Non-sectarian religious nonprofits may face raising funds without such exemptions and tax-deductible benefits; likely crushing many under fiscal collapse and dissolution.

The Church needs to do what it is supposed to do . . . without the assistance of taxpayers. I find no directive to love one’s neighbor after first raising taxes. On the contrary, we are to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s. To expect of the world what is our responsibility is falling short of steward leadership. To fail at stewardship is to fail in our faith.

AGRM DC Forum on Policy and Advocacy

Spending a couple days in the seat of our republic for most people is an exercise in observing history, memorials, and art – not necessarily an observation of our political process . . . unless one goes there to influence that process in order to get something (if only a gallery pass). In joining 38 fellow leaders in our Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, I spent two days doing the latter . . . not to get funding, but to ask for continued ability to serve our community.

You see, many of the regulations that come from DC hamper fundraising and provision of services through onerous regulation and tax law. The issues we took to the offices of our Congressional representatives involved: a cap on charitable deductions; a potential loss of nonprofit postal rate discount; fixing vehicle donation rules; and the erosion of the definition of “religious organization” by narrowing it to an ecclesiastical church. My observations of our issues and meetings with representatives are mixed.

In sharing with staffers (who actually wield the power in DC), their response varied according to party and office. My meetings with two Senate staffers were met with a measure of aloofness and push-back against our issues. Even though we weren’t asking for funding, they made plain to us that our requests were clearly seen as expenditures; any reduction in tax revenue due to charitable deductions was a loss to them. As if the money was already theirs to begin with . . . and there was little admittance of savings to government services due to the services we provide. It was obvious that they saw what we do as within their preview. When one asked for the CBO “score” of our legislative issues it was evident that the gain or loss to tax revenue would be the deciding factor rather than principle. One actually began to argue with our position on religious exemption with their partisan argument of the need for government to ensure equal access, rather than address the long-standing moral exemption provided to religious organizations.

On the other hand, congressional staffers took more time and asked questions – sometimes surprised at our statistics of services provided and impact of regulations on our operations. A lot of notes were taken, and there seemed to be genuine interest in what we do and the struggle we have in this economy. Their raised level of interest was perhaps because the representatives are closer to us and our issues – if not outright concern for their constituents (and that we would take the time to visit them). When I shared that because of withdrawing principle from an investment in response to our emergency funding request, one donor paid more than 30% tax on their charitable gift, the absurdity of that issue hit home.

As mentioned earlier, it was evident who controls the inflow of information to our elected leaders. But it was brought home when I heard of one representative who, upon leaving the office for a 15 minute floor vote, asked the staffer, “This one is a YES, right?” I think we need to trust these staffers as much as those we actually elected to get our message to them.

Do I think it worth the efforts of the thousands of people who make the trek to DC each day to bring issues and requests to staffers – and hopefully to our elected representatives? I think so . . . it was obvious that some of what we shared was news to them and brought a fresh understanding of how regulations and legislation affect those of us who provide critical services to the most at risk in our communities. WE are the safety net – not government services. Although a letter can do some of that – sitting across from us, hearing our stories, and seeing our concern will, I believe, accomplish so much more . . . if only continued freedom to raise funds and serve others in the Name of Christ.

CHRISTIAN CHARITY: A Call for a Return to Missional Stewardship - Final

CHRISTIAN CHARITY: A Call for a Return to Missional Stewardship - Final

~ © by Rev. Jim Lewis 2012

SUMMARY

Many of the forms of charitable exercises, while they may have been fueled by authentic Christian concern, were performed outside of the life of the church. These efforts, when taken up by a caring public, lost any sense as being ministry of the church, and became known merely as doing one’s “christian duty,” and that of the community as a whole, and ultimately, the government’s. Separating this hospitality from the duty of the people of God leaves it lacking heart. Newbigin puts it directly,

Christian programs for justice and compassion are severed from their proper roots in the liturgical and sacramental life of the congregation, and so lose their character as signs of the presence of Christ and risk becoming mere crusades fueled by a moralism that can become self-righteous. In addition, the life of the worshipping congregation, severed from its proper expression in compassionate service to the secular community around it, risks becoming a self-centered existence serving only the needs and desires of its members. (Newbigin 1995:11)

In these later years, some churches began to see “services” to the homeless and needy as an integral part of the Christian mission of the church. Many christians now see the duty in proclaiming the gospel and acting with justice as part and parcel of that gospel.

As an active participant in missio Dei, the church must then fully understand that God wants us to be His “conduit” for ministry. Alcorn points out that God having made all things equal at the start would have precluded the people of God from their duty as His conduit to the poor and needy. (Alcorn 2003:86) We need to see ourselves as the channel for God’s gifts. In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as Aslan gifted Lucy with a healing cordial, he charged her: “If you or any of your friends is hurt, a few drops of this will restore them.” (Lewis 1978:109) As with Lucy’s gift, Abraham received a promise from God to be blessed, and he was also charged to be a blessing. (Gen 12:1-3)

What we need now is a people of God who recognizes its mission of being a provider of charity as an extension of God’s mission and not merely a duty we must perform. The dutiful giver accepts only the moral leadership of a Jesus (without divinity), whose service leads to a mere “social gospel”—as Rodin states, in doing “the Great Commandment at the expense of the Great Commission”. . . winding up working out their salvation, rather than demonstrating a living and holy Jesus to others. (Rodin 2000:68) A renewed theology of stewardship in the church can be developed through its “praxis” as it translates a reflection on the needs of the world and its duty to live out Christ to the world as stewards of all that He owns—for which it is responsible. Charles Van Engen says this praxis will lead us to comprehend how to move from “reflection” to “participation” as a steward . . . a “theology-on-the-way” to action; (quoting J. Verkuyl) “if study does not lead to participation . . . missiology has lost her humble calling.” (Engen:140-141) It is the role of the church to serve the community in which it finds itself—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. Even if we were to increase charitable giving exponentially, 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.” (Willard 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.” (Willard 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.” (Willard 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. (Beyer 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.” (Okoye 2006:116)

As our mission statement at the Long Beach Rescue Mission outlines, we seek to improve the quality of life of the city’s homeless and needy through providing reconciliation: to God, to self, and to society. Without providing all three, our work is not complete. In order to provide the “full” gospel to those who walk through our doors—and the doors of innumerable ministries at home and worldwide—the people of God must become stewards 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. The people of God need to freely give of their resources with an open hand, because “the Lord needs it.” This is reason enough: when we give to the least, the last, and the lost . . . we give to our Lord and Savior.

References Cited

Alcorn, Randy. Money, Possessions and Eternity. Carol Stream: Tyndale, 2003.

Beyer, P. Religion and Globalization. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1994.

Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Maryknoll: Orbis, 2005.

Bosch, David. "Syllabus and Reader." for MT520 Biblical Foundations of Mission. Pasadena: Fuller Theological Seminary, Winter 2004.

Guinness, Os. Doing Well and Doing Good: Money, Giving and Caring in a Free Society. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2001.

Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York: Scholastic, 1978.

Moll, Rob. "Scrooge Lives! Why we're not putting more in the offering plate. And what we can do about it." Christianity Today. October 24, 2008. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/december/10.24.html (accessed August 22, 2009).

Montgomery, Helen Barrett. The Bible and Missions. Waco, TX: Baylor Press, 2009.

Newbigin, Lesslie. The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

Nouwen, Henri. Reaching out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life. New York: Image Books, 1975.

Okoye, James. Israel and the Nations: A Mission Theology of the Old Testament. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2006.

Pohl, Christine D. Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999.

Rodin, R. Scott. Stewards of the Kingdom: A Theology of Life in All its Fullness. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Stevens, R. Paul. The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999.

Van Engen, Charles E., and Shawn B. Reford. "Syllabus and Reader." for MT520 Biblical Foundations of Mission. Pasadena: Fuller Theological Seminary, Winter 2004.

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

Wilmer, Wesley. God and Your Stuff: The Vital Link Between Your Possesions and Your Soul. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2002.

CHRISTIAN CHARITY: A Call for a Return to Missional Stewardship - Part 6

CHRISTIAN CHARITY: A Call for a Return to Missional Stewardship - Part 6

~ © by Rev. Jim Lewis 2012

IMPLICATIONS FOR MINISTRY

Missions continues to be considered by many as outside the local church’s concern—and it is delegated to para-church or missionary organizations. When this is the mindset, the internal role of the church primarily becomes salvation, while the role of dispensing “God’s justice” is often separated from—and outside of—the life of the church. Newbigin states that, “The effect of this is that each is robbed of its character by its separation from the other.” (Newbigin 1995:10) The church’s voice, and its role in ministry, must be designed in such a way that salvation and justice are inseparable as the mission of the church through a life of hospitality as stewards.

Hospitality as a means of ministry and an act of mission to the world is often seen as one of many programs of the church used to attract people. However, we must take care not to carry out our charitable acts in order to change others—this reduces hospitality to a tool, which, as Pohl warns, “we distort it, and the people we “welcome” know quickly that they are being used.” (Pohl 1999:145) Pohl continues her rebuke of this misuse of hospitality, sharing Henri Nouwen’s suggestion that it “is characteristic of our times,” and that our service to others will cause, “. . . suspicion that there is no one who cares and offers love without conditions, and no place where one can be vulverable without being used.” (1) The “self-centered existance” of this type of so-called ministry will cause those being served to deepen their distrust of the church and of the ministry that is being directed to them. (Newbigin 1995:11)

Historically, the ministry model of Rescue Missions (emergency services to the homeless) has been to use acts of kindness—emergency food, shelter, and clothing—to draw people in . . . in order to preach the Gospel to them. The program at most Missions requires everyone to first attend an evangelistic chapel service; the homeless must have a chance to respond to the Gospel before receiving services. Sometimes the homeless do not know if a bed is available until the after these services are provided—often leaving them few options for other accommodations for the night. The service one receives tends to become the reward for attending the chapel service. I see this order of events as violating the trust of our guests.

At both Missions I have served, heeding the warning of Pohl and Nouwen, we reversed the order of events and provide all the physical needs before the chapel service. This change ensures that even if the recipient decides to leave before chapel, we have met their basic needs as a Good Samaritan. We feel that even the extension of hospitality itself (as if to Christ) is sharing the message of the Gospel, and we can allow the Holy Spirit to draw and minister as He sees fit.

I believe the focus of our service must come solely from a desire to live out Jesus in view of those we serve. If this is our model, the gift of charitable hospitality will not be directed simply as “social service,” but an extension of the giver’s own relationship with Christ; and in response to Nouwen’s warning, we will not “use” those we serve.

That model notwithstanding, it is my experience leading two Rescue Missions, that exercising hospitality without some expectation of responsibility on the part of the recipient can quickly become enabling; the ministry will, unfortunately, be reduced to mere “social service.” Often, we see our guests responding to the level of expectation we have for them; not in a manner that we force people to respond to our hospitality, but they recognize our underlining purpose is creating an environment of community in which they can feel safe and receive healing. Pohl provides a critical connection between hospitality provided in Christian communities and the response to it:

Hospitality . . . demonstrates that important healing takes place within community. Reclaiming hospitality is an attempt to bring back the relational dimension to social service, and to highlight concern for empowerment and partnership with those who need assistance.” (Pohl 1999:162)

As the church becomes that community, it will learn that stewardship of its hospitality is not merely a matter of distributing resources but the actual life-practice of the church and its members. We need to learn about being a steward before exercising stewardship; the attitude and lifestyle will become one.

(1) Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life (New York: Image Books, 1975), 26.