12Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.
We, as Christian Business Leaders, have gotten far away from this. We continue our lives and work straight through Sunday. We say things like, “We can’t not work on Sunday; the competition does!” Or, “We have always worked Sundays.” Well, don’t be convinced it is impossible; Chick-Fil-A has been doing it since they first opened! Growing up in Northern New Jersey, all the stores were closed to give employees time to spend with their families. Biblical scholars, pastors, and Bible believers all have their own interpretation of what the Scripture means.
Don’t shoot right through Sunday, without honoring God
I believe that the bottom line is we should honor God at least once a week by spending time relaxing with our families, enjoying the outdoors and partaking in worship. We owe it to ourselves, our families, and, most importantly, God. If you run an organization that honors God by ensuring you honor your employees by not working on Sundays, be blessed in the knowledge that you are building a “Kingdom Minded” Organization.
Help our community of readers
What is your company’s perspective on honoring God? Are there any customs, practices or procedures that you think might make you unique? Let us know and help build our community.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
In this passage we learn that, if we have food and clothing, we will be content. But many of us are not content. Christian Business Leaders must recognize this and take heed: we are to be the light to our employees, to be the beacon and the example.
Church should not be the only place you grow the kingdom for God.
How many times do we fail ourselves and our people when we don’t take the well being of all of our employees into consideration when making decisions? How often do we think only of growing the kingdom for God at our church, but not at our workplace? Where is our heart when it comes to making the hard decision in benefits design, and, rather than encouraging and developing healthy behaviors, we instead punish and increase premiums without appropriate consideration?
If you first love your brothers and sisters within your companies, if you truly care for them by engaging them in the decision making and future building of your company, if you partner with them for the good of themselves and their families, you are building a “Kingdom Minded” company.
Help our community of readers
How have you engaged your employees in the decision making and future building of your company? What advice would you give to those who have never done so? Thank you for your thoughts. Your contribution helps others.
We are honored to have been retained to seek and find the right candidate to help this wonderful Church continue to impact the community and bring the good news of Jesus to Children.
Do you have a deep love for Jesus, a hunger for God’s Word, a passion for the Gospel, an unwavering calling to disciple children of every ethnicity, economic status and ability, and a desire to work with a Pastoral and Administrative team that shares the same heartbeat?
If that describes you, then you are going to want to check out this out.
Living Water Community Church is an 11 year-old, growing, multi-ethnic, reformed, missional church, of 700+ people, located just outside the city limits of Harrisburg. We are seeking a full-time Children’s Ministry Pastor who will be responsible for leading our growing ministry for children (approximately 100+) from birth through 5th grade.
Some General Expectations
Enthusiastically committed to the purpose of developing a diverse family of fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ who reproduce that devotion in others.
Spends consistent time in prayer, studying God’s Word, personally discipling others, and sacrificial giving.
Preserves biblical unity through biblical conflict resolution.
Some General Duties
Development, communication, and implementation of comprehensive vision and direction for a vibrant and growing Children’s Ministry.
Creation of a high quality, dynamic, fun, Christ-glorifying and Bible-centered Children’s Ministry environment for all services (Saturday evening 6 p.m., Sunday morning 9 and 11 a.m., and Wednesday night). It is essential that this environment also provides opportunities for parents/guardians to engage with their children in worship and learning.
Oversight and coordination of all aspects of the Children’s Ministry (nursery through 5th grade).
Recruiting, training, scheduling, overseeing, and leading of all paid and volunteer Children’s Ministry Team members.
Development of a Children’s Ministry Teaching Team which will assist in weekly teaching responsibilities and a Children’s Ministry Worship Team which will provide worship opportunities for our Children.
Coordination with the Student Ministry Pastor (6th – 12th grade) to ensure seamless transition of children from Children’s Ministry to Student Ministry.
Curriculum identification, procurement, approval and, if necessary, development.
Management of Children’s Ministry budget.
Implementation of community outreach events (e.g. Vacation Bible School, movie nights, etc.).
Qualifications:
Spiritual
Must possess the gifts of pastor/teacher and leadership, and have a proven record of effectiveness in these areas.
Must satisfy the biblical requirements of an elder as found in 1 timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6- 9, and Titus 2:7-8. May or may not serve as a member of our Elder Board.
Educational
Minimum of a B.A. in Biblical Studies or equivalent (Masters degree preferred)
Demonstrated skill in recruiting, leading, supervising, and retaining both volunteer and paid staff.
Experience
Minimum of 3 years of experience in a full time Children’s Ministry in a large (500+) outreach-oriented, evangelical church.
Theological
Must subscribe to Living Water Community Church’s doctrinal statement (see www.livingwatercc.com), be fully committed to the truth of God’s Word, and be able to clearly articulate those truths.
Relationships
Married candidates must possess a healthy relationship with spouse and children. Both single and married candidates must be above reproach in all relationships.
Many people complain about their boss or see them as an adversary. Let’s flip that. As Christians, how can we be a blessing to our boss and support them in their calling? Mark and Glen weigh in with their business experience.
Would love to hear how you bless you Boss. How have you been blessed by your employees?
My company provides HR support services to organizations with fifty or more employees. Typically, the organizations we support do not need a VP or Director of HR full time, but greatly benefit from having access to HR expertise consistently, perhaps a few times a month. I use my 20-plus years in HR at both Fortune and smaller sized companies to help develop for them strong, positive-minded HR practices. I have clients throughout Central Pennsylvania and we are expanding into other parts of the U.S.
What is workplace grief and how common is it?
It is more common than most may realize. Many employees are already bearing the staggering burden of navigating the pressures of a weak global economy, political turmoil and personal financial hardships. Add to that the fact that our population is aging. Many organizations have employees whose loved ones are elderly. So, when faced with a death in the family, it is often the last straw, completely breaking the employee down emotionally.
How would you advise a grieving employee?
This is an excellent question because employers should approach this from two perspectives, and prepare by having both a preventative and reactionary standpoint.
First, take a preventive approach by not waiting for it to happen before deciding how to deal with it. If you are a manager or a leader in an organization, take the initiative now to talk with HR and develop a strategy on how to handle such a situation. Not every department manager is comfortable with or capable of assisting an employee who’s dealing with grief. Identify two or three key people in your organization who will step in to help (and whom you will subsequently arrange to have trained to cope with the various situations and cultures in order to be prepared to react). Another alternative would be to retain the services of a chaplain to assist in these types of situations. Several of my clients use chaplain and have found this to be successful.
From the reactionary perspective, these same two or three people that you’ve chosen within your organization will have been trained and should be prepared as to how they will relate to the person suffering grief. In the Jewish culture, for example, it is common for people to visit a friend’s home when they lose a loved one and just sit with them, saying nothing. Sometimes just being there with someone shows you care. It is important to know that just being there for your employees, rather than avoiding the uncomfortable situation, can prove helpful.
How would you advise supervisors and colleagues to interact with a grieving co-worker?
The best advice is to not change anything and keep the routine as normal as possible. I would suggest that the manager calls all the employees together and asks that anyone who has a relationship with the grieving employee feel free to offer condolences. Those who don’t should not feel obligated, it can look phony and superficial to the grieving employee.
How can grieving and loss affect job performance?
Oftentimes, employees may have attendance issues or slight decreases in performance after the death of a loved one. It is important to keep the communication consistent and constant with the employees. Letting them know you care about their personal situation, but also giving them continued feedback, can go a long way. Offering assistance is a great way to show you care — offer a solution but also set the bar. Use language like, “I realize it is hard getting back into the swing of things, but we need your performance for the Team’s objectives. Can I get you some help from a co-worker?
Any closing comments?
Yes. Thank you for the opportunity to share my perspective with your readers. Death is an inevitable part of living; we must always be prepared for it. The best preparation is making sure you have staff that is prepared to offer empathy in a time of loss. Let’s hope your readers will not need to employ this advice in 2012!
Mark Griffin, of In His Name HR. In His Name HR provides human resource consulting for small- and medium-sized organizations. Mark has served in the US Air Force, has extensive educational credentials, including a BA in HR, an MBA, and several Executive Education certifications from the University of Michigan. In addition to serving as VP of Human Resources for an international agricultural equipment manufacturer, Mark has also worked in a variety of HR leadership roles for Fortune companies, such as Merck, Kodak and Quaker Oats, as well as privately held and employee-owned companies, such as Woolrich and Townsends.
Radio Series Week 7-How to integrate Your Mission, Vision and Core Values into your HR Practices
Tune in and enjoy listening to Mark A. Griffin, Chief Consultant, inspire you as he dialogues with host Dee Kovach on, How to integrate Your Mission, Vision and Core Values into your HR Practices. Let Mark inspire you to be bold in your faith as you learn to navigate the complexities of faith in the workplace. Be encouraged as you learn how to develop a high performing organization through your HR practices.
“Praise HIS Name” in partnership with “In HIS Name HR LLC” announce the launch of a twelve week radio series highlighting faith in the Christian owned workplace. Tune in and enjoy listening to Mark A. Griffin, Chief Consultant, inspire you as he dialogues with host Dee Kovach, exploring twelve inspiring weeks of Christian Business topics.
In an economy where jobs are scarce, we are proud to be retained in assisting this profitable company with filling this very import position. Please apply directly using the contact information below. Principles only, no agencies or recruiters thank you. Keystone Collections by Martins is an equal opportunity employer.
Keystone Collections by Martins, Myerstown PA manufacturing location is currently seeking a Finishing Team Supervisor to join its Team. The Finish Team Supervisor is responsible for the quality level of the product, meeting the due date of the product, morale of the team, efficiency of the operation, and future growth of production.
Some of the duties of this position include:
Directs the day-to-day activities of departmental personnel with respect to production volume, flow, cost, quality and on time delivery dates.
Maintains accurate time records to ensure accurate job costing for the department.
Closes daily schedules on time and maintains proper paperwork flow with in the department.
Monitors production reports to ensure achievement of financial, safety, quality and on-time delivery goals.
Create and maintain a positive work environment which fosters high morale.
Use strong communication skills, leadership, and coaching techniques to accomplish quality goals and exceed productivity standards.
Preferred Qualifications:
2 years leadership experience
Well organized, able to multitask with deadlines on most
Ability to expend the time to complete the job on time
Ability to travel on company business which might include overnight stays
Ability to be discrete, emphatic, and diplomatic
Physical ability to walk long distances, stand for long periods of time and work in areas with light dust, heat, chemicals and moderate noise levels
Send resumes in the strictest of confidence to: HR@INHISNAMEHR.com
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In an economy where jobs are scarce, we are proud to be retained in assisting this wonderful non profit organization with filling this very import position. Please apply directly using the contact information below. Principles only, no agencies or recruiters thank you. ABWE is an equal opportunity employer.
The Association of Baptists for World Evangelism New Cumberland World Headquarters location is currently seeking a Donor Communications Specialist to join its Team. Reporting to the Director of Advancement this position is part of ABWE Foundation’s Advancement Team, supporting our efforts to raise over $45 million annually (primarily through missionaries), with a concentration on capital campaigns and donor relationship management designed to preserve the missionary support and to raise $2-3 million for projects and the home office. The Donor Communications Specialist is responsible for supporting the creation and distribution of regular and special communication pieces to our donor base, for both current and planned gift purposes.
Some of the responsibilities will include:
Work with Advancement Team to provide messaging (copy and content) for all elements of the Advancement Team’s strategy for cultivation of ABWE Foundation’s donor base for current and planned gifts, including appeal mailings, reporting, donor letters, email and web content, campaign pieces, etc.
Coordinate with Advancement Team and Donor Relationship Managers (DRMs), including the President, to develop tailored communication for specific donor types and prospects.
Serve as project manager, editor and principal writer for tailored communication pieces to major individual and Corporate/Foundation donors around the world. Scope of work will include: providing regular, targeted program updates to high net worth donors; strategic communication pieces for unrestricted donors; and coordination of communication to specific donor groups.
Some of the qualifications of the position include:
Minimum of 3-5 years related work experience in development, customer relations, marketing or public relations.
Demonstrated outstanding writing and editing skills, preferably with experience writing to donor audiences at various giving levels with an attuned skill for English-language grammar.
Experience and knowledge in writing and sending donor solicitations with various delivery methods and for maximum results and impact. Highly organized with excellent attention to detail and project management skills; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Strong computer skills (Microsoft Office Suite including Word, PowerPoint, Publisher and Excel); familiarity with other design and communication software is a plus and Experience with donor database management (Raiser’s Edge, DonorDirect or similar) and content management systems (Blackbaud NetCommmunity, Microsoft CRM or similar) or related software is a plus.
Education: Minimum 4 year degree with emphasis in English, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or Marketing preferred.
Christian Life: As an employee of ABWE you are an important member of a Christian organization. All staff members are Christian missionaries and are required to participate in chapel services. Because of the nature of our ministry it is absolutely necessary that you possess and maintain a lifestyle that is above reproach.
Association of Baptists for World Evangelism Attn: Mr. Neil Glotfelty P.O. Box 8585 Harrisburg, PA 17105
Enjoy this Podcast as Mark is interviewed by Daniel Britt.
About Daniel Daniel Britt has been on the radio since the age of 14 and has a combined broadcasting experience of over 18 years. Daniel is the Operations Manager for the highly successful Gospel Music radio network, Joy FM, headquartered in Winston-Salem, NC. He’s also the co-host of Dove-nominated radio show, “The Morning JoyRide with Daniel, Candi, & Melody.” Joy FM is the current Gospel Music Association’s Radio Station of the Year (2010).
About Mark Mark has had the pleasure of working for Christian owned organizations, he knows what works and does not work, and most importantly he sees the world through the employee perspective! He believes in treating everyone with dignity and respect, because after all, your employees are part of your company family.
Mark believes that employees who work for an outwardly faith based Christian organization are committed at a different level than those in non-faith based organizations. He also explains that employees are more likely to go the extra mile, to trust their leadership, to deliver on their promises and be led by those who demonstrate Christ-like servant leadership, because they can! Connect with Mark on LinkedIn by clicking here.
Click here to listen on your computer or click here for the download to your Apple iTunes PodCast.
In the past several years I have had the honor of meeting with Christian professionals across a variety of states. These professionals are potential clients, business partners, Christian professionals in the radio and television industry, Pastors of small congregations and Pastors of mega Churches as well. Although we are living in historical times in the areas of the housing crisis, stock market collapse, record deficit spending, global conflict, environmental disasters of record proportion and the moral decay of our society, (wow- I know a long list!) I feel a sense of calm from the Christian community.
What is really inspiring is when you take a step back from it, and really look at it with focus, the sense of calmness is causing non-Christians to take notice, because they are being attracted to what they see as the strengthening of our belief.
As I continue to meet with these optimistic business people, one trend tends to stick out. They all remain focused on remaining true to their faith but also feel a stronger obligation because of the current turmoil to express their appreciation of their relationship with God as their stronghold against earthly desires and struggles. We have had trials in our world before. We have experienced wars, the great depression, 9-11, etc. But we have never experienced the overwhelming amount of global change and conflict as we are today. It is so strong many have chosen to not watch the news any longer, many are just tuning out!
The most important thing I find Christian Business owners wanting to do is to be able to reach their people with the faith message without offending them.
I agree this is what many of us are called to do, we just don’t know how and are often scared and intimidated to do so. That is why I am here. I am here to help you through the process, to coach you to encourage you and to develop your Human Resource processes to help you be the company you want to be, not just for you but for God.
So yes dear readers, we are blessed to know the good news. We know God will protect us and carry us through anything that lies ahead. My challenge to you is to do so with encouragement to others around you. Too continue to shine the light for all to see, make people want to be like you for what you have in your heart. Bring more people to the party, many are looking for something because of these times, and you know what to give them.
In an economy where jobs are scarce, we are proud to be retained in assisting this wonderful non profit organization with filling this very import position. Please apply directly using the contact information below. Principles only, no agencies or recruiters thank you. ABWE is an equal opportunity employer.
