This blog series has been dedicated to introducing you to the concept of Stewardship. Stewardship, as I have explained before, takes on many forms: time, family, faith, talent, prayer and treasure. In my last post, I described stewardship as it relates to talent. In this post, we will explore the concept of Stewardship as it relates to prayer.
When we devote time to prayer, we deepen our relationship with God and become better prepared to offer ourselves in service to God and others. Many people approach prayer as a tool to use only when they want or need something from God. The prayer often sounds like, “Lord, help me through this problem and I will do X, Y and/or Z for you.” This becomes somewhat transactional and is the way that I found myself praying in the past. When I took a deep look into the way in which I approached prayer, I realized that I was not humbling myself before God, but simply trying to process a business transaction.
In reality, praying like this could be considered “Acts” Christianity or nothing more than quid pro quo, Latin for “this for that.”
The past several years have just been mind-numbing with change in our communities, our country and overseas as well. We have been bombarded with WikiLeaks, stock market ups and downs, record level unemployment, a housing crisis, threats from North Korea and Iran, and political turmoil in the USA.
However, as we navigate through all of this, we still find one part of our lives that has remained constant —God’s love for us. Regardless of issues we face or turmoil we navigate, we all have been blessed with a God who loves us. We should also be grateful to God that we have shelter, food, and clean water to drink. In addition, we have family and coworkers who love us.
Another aspect of Prayer that I shamefully admit that I have only recently learned is the opportunity for us to do a self-reflection of what is in our heart. I mean, I had heard of the concept, and embraced it superficially, just lightly reflecting on it, but never really made it something that I was going after with tenacity and vigor.
I have had the blessing of being coached by some incredible prayer warriors who have instilled in me the importance of searching areas of my heart that I have yet to release to God. Places of sin, despair, worry and lack of faith. This takes time to do, and it is actually fairly upsetting when you consciously outline to yourself the areas you have left to let go to God. It’s not easy. It takes humility and the willingness to release any amount of control thinking, but it is the most rewarding and liberating aspect of being a fully devoted follower of Christ.
As we approach probably what will be increasingly greater times of difficulty, I know that I am going to concentrate on thanking God, hopefully more so in my prayers than asking God for a good deal. So, personally, over the next few months, these are a few thoughts I will be praying and reflecting on:
When I pray, do I thank God more than I ask God for a deal?
Do I reflect and give thanks before every meal, regardless of circumstance or location?
What can I do for God and the advancement of His Kingdom?
Do I believe that everything I have is a gift from God?
Is prayer simply a task on my schedule that can be postponed or canceled?
Am I willing to make a commitment to prioritize prayer?
Do I believe that prayer consists simply of words and phrases, or do I believe that it impacts my relationship with God?
Have I considered inviting friends or family to join me in prayer?
Therefore, my challenge for you is this: Do you know what you are thankful for? And are you willing to thank God for all He has done for us, even in the face of all the adversity we experience? What are you thankful for? We would love to know. Please share your thoughts here with our community of readers.
This series has been focused on introducing you to the concept of Stewardship. Stewardship takes on many forms; time, family, faith, talent, prayer and treasure. In the previous post, I described stewardship as it relates to family. In this post, I will examine the concept of Stewardship as it relates to talent.
All of us are blessed with talents. These talents are what make each one of us unique, different from one another. It continues to amaze me as I grow older the stark uniqueness and individuality of all of us, regardless of our similarities in where and how we grew up, where we were educated or where we worship or work.
We clearly are so different from one another!
I believe that our Talents are created by God and are so special that they were determined before we were even put on this earth. Because of this, I think it is important that if we were all created uniquely for a special purpose, that we respect and understand our unique Talents and differences.
Having worked in HR for over twenty years and having witnessed some of the most unimaginable demonstrations of lack of leadership, I believe the most damaging are those leaders who fail to appreciate the Talent differences among the people who work for them and the organizations they lead. God created artistic people and God created analytical people. Without the stark difference of the Talents offered by each, we would still be living in primitive conditions. We must recognize the Talents of others and make an effort to lift all Talents up, and not just some.
The most damaging act a leader can commit is one of diminishing one’s Talents not only directly to the person but to the person’s co-workers. Several years ago there was a highly talented, big-thinking, out of the box, strategic manager who was leading the accounting department for a company I served. This guy would have never been able to get the company to where it was without the Talents he was given by God. His lack of resources, people, and finances were made up for by his sheer devotion and imagination as to how to get more done with less, and make it work. Unfortunately, he fell victim to a new boss. This new boss came into the organization accustomed to having large amounts of staff, resources, and finances. He quickly dismissed anything the big thinker was doing, often ridiculing him in front of others and embarrassing him ruthlessly for weeks. Ultimately, the accounting executive was pushed to the side. To this day, I don’t think the new leader has any concept of what his lack of appreciation for Talent had done to the organization.
That organization had potential, but now it barely gets by and people hate working there. How do I know? The employees keep calling me asking for help to get out!
My challenge to you, therefore, is to think deeply and consult with your loved ones on discovering what your Talents are. What Talents make you unique? Most important, how will you use these Talents within your family, your church, and your community?
My next challenge is for you to uncover what Talents your coworkers have. What makes them unique? How do they like to spend their time when they are not working?
As we continue to grow and prosper as the body of Christ, let us do so by understanding others and ourselves at a greater level, so we can rise above our differences and continue to build the Church for a better tomorrow.
I was blessed to spend the early part of my career as a staffing manager for light industrial jobs. One of the most valuable lessons I learned was not to judge people’s work ethic or abilities solely on their aptitude in filling out a job application or writing a resume. Some of the hardest working, most loyal and dedicated employees had the most difficult time writing an explanation of their previous job experience.
Resume writing and everything else that goes along with the job search is stressful. Most people are not taught how to track their performance and work product to build a comprehensive professional profile. Admittedly, my own resume was a hot mess until I reached out to a professional friend to give it a much needed makeover! Struggle in this area is commonplace. One would think this would make recruiters and hiring managers less critical of applications and resumes.
However, when I made the switch to more traditional HR, I found the exact opposite to be the custom. Candidates were being discarded for minor errors and/or choosing unsophisticated descriptors.
John 7:24 (NLT) – “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly”. In screening and reviewing resumes to find suitable candidates for open positions, look for 3 things:
Experience. Does the person’s work history establish practice in the same or similar type of role? Has the person ever worked in the same or similar industry? Did the person perform the same or similar tasks in a past position? (Romans 2:6 [NLT] – “He will judge everyone according to what they have done”)
Education. Has the person taken courses that would prepare him/her for this position? What kind of coursework has he/she completed that would teach the problem-solving skills necessary for success at this job? (Proverbs 18:15 [NKJ] – “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge”)
Enthusiasm. Does the tone of the resume display a positive attitude about work? Are there accomplishments which demonstrate excellence? Is there a pattern of progressive responsibility in the work that shows ambition? Do the projects outline the ability to both lead and provide support within a team? (Colossians 3:23 [NLT] – “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people”)
Do not be so concerned with superfluous things like formatting, stylized punctuation or accidentally typing “manger” instead of “manager.” Focusing heavily on unessential things will cause us to miss those diamonds in the rough.
We all make errors, both before and during our employment journeys. We have to use caution in judging others too harshly – especially knowing our own skills, abilities and practices are not necessarily at the best level they can be (Matthew 7).
Instead, by focusing on identifying the potential talent in the resumes we receive, we can rest assured we will yield good candidates and build a strong team of staff members to complete the work.
Buzz Rooney is a practicing HR Professional with over a decade of experience in the production, manufacturing and retail industries. She has Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies with a focus on Organizational Communication and Leadership as well as a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management. Buzz is also a blogger and part-time HR consultant.
This column is dedicated to introducing you to the concept of Stewardship. Stewardship takes on many forms; Time, Family, Faith, Talent, Prayer and Treasure. In the previous post in this series, I described stewardship as it relates to our time. In this post, I would like to introduce you to the concept of Stewardship of Family.
As I researched this article, I came across St. Patrick’s Church in Largo, Florida, that outlines seven signs of a stewardship family. They are:
time together
family prayer
respect
worshiping together
supporting one another
shared responsibilities
service to others
I would like to write about two of these areas, time together and supporting one another. The first one, time together, means just that, spending time together with no distractions, no cell phones, no TV and no Internet. It is hard to do with a culture so inundated with distractions, but it is important. I know one family with teens that has a “no texting” policy in their car. That way, the teens and their parents can have focused conversations, without distractions.
Time together can also be accomplished by volunteering in the community. What better way to demonstrate compassion than to help the elderly or the homeless together as a family? What is especially inspiring is when we hear stories of employees’ families who support other employees’ families in times of need. This is done not in a formal way, but out of concern for another employee’s situation.
Families helping families — what a wonderful way to share your family’s kindness.
The second area, supporting one another, can easily be accomplished by sharing household responsibilities. Shared responsibilities means that no job or household chore is restricted to parents or children. In order for a family to operate, it needs teamwork, which means that everyone pitches in, using their unique talents to help better the family. Children should not rely solely on the parents to do everything, and neither should parents rely solely on their children to carry the burdens of managing the household. It is so encouraging when we experience a family where each member feels it contributes to the good of the whole. A good example would be a family where the smaller children set the table, the teens help with dishes or cleaning, and the parents show their appreciation for this.
Living in Lancaster County has exposed me to the plain life of Amish and Mennonite people. When you spend time with a plain family, you quickly realize that the family functions are interdependent, all the way down to the four- and five-year-olds. Each family member has responsibilities, chores, and oftentimes if a chore is missed, it could result in a late meal or spoiled crops!
One aspect of helping to be a good Steward of your family is to instill a motto, a word, or a saying that can help guide the family though difficult times. A few years ago we had a series at church that was based solely on the word, “Others.” The organization of this series stemmed from one family’s experience with the word. You see, this word was so important for one family; it was the one word that was passed on to each new generation. In my family I use the three words, “God, Family, Education,” to try to keep us focused on what is important.
In closing, it is important to note that families almost always default to stewardship behavior because it is natural behavior, and most family members want to support each other. It is important to know how your family relates to these forms of Family Stewardship and in what areas your family is strong and what areas need work.
Please take some time thinking and discussing this with your family, for we only have one life to share with each other.
It is important that we all feel we contribute together with uplifting attitudes and, most important, with purpose and good intentions for our families.
Please help our community of readers by sharing experiences that you have had in your attempt to be a good Steward of your family. We appreciate your comments.
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.
In an economy that is yielding very little career opportunities, we are excited to be retained by this wonderful growing organization that provides superior website and management software solutions to churches and ministries in all 50 states and 28 countries.
Marketing Director
What you will do
You will lead the nationwide marketing effort for all Elexio products and services. You will make sure that churches in our sweet spot know who Elexio is, how we can serve them, and have a positive mental image of Elexio. You will maintain the consistency between our brand (who we really are) and the public image of who people think we are. You will encourage our church clients to expand into more of our products & services and connect new prospective churches with our sales team. You will demonstrate all our core values in the marketing efforts, with an emphasis on excellence. You will report to the CEO and communicate with other directors and staff.
Some Qualifications We Are Looking For
Experience in successfully marketing software/technology nationwide to progressive and growing Christ-centered churches.
Experience in serving as a church leader and knowing the mindset and challenges of the churches we serve and the church leaders we are reaching out to.
5 years of marketing experience, experience as a marketing director
Some Required Skills and Education
BA/BS In Marketing or related filed
Excellent people skills including personal and group communication (verbal and written)
Excellent time management- Build strong internal and external relationships
Brainstorming – being creative – initiate ideas and developing them
Strong artistic sense – ability to see a concept in your mind – knowing what looks outstanding
Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
MAC/PC, phone, instant message
Traits We Look For
Joyfulness, Enthusiastic, Determined, Discrete, Dependable, Sincere and Humble
About Elexio
Elexio is a Christian owned software company in Elizabethtown PA celebrating 28 years of serving ministries. God has blessed Elexio with an excellent staff of business professionals who are made up of pastors, youth leaders, worship leaders, etc. – people involved in ministry. Elexio provides superior website and management software solutions to churches and ministries in all 50 states and 28 countries.
Elexio offers a generous benefit program and an environment rich in enthusiasm, growth and provides appreciation for contributions made.
Due to the overwhelming response we anticipate we ask that you are patient during the selection and interview process. All qualified applicants will be notified.
Prior to contacting us please review the video about Elexio here.
Cover letters should include why you should be considered for the position and what would make you the best candidate. Please provide your experiences that will support the Mission while demonstrating and embracing the Core Values of Elexio.
Serious and confidential inquiries: HR@InHISNameHR.com
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Enjoy listening to Guest Mark A. Griffin and host Charlotte Cosden dialogue about the launch of Mark’s newly released book.
WVCH is a Blessing – Serving Greater Philadelphia and The Delaware Valley Christian Listeners for over 50 years!
Enjoy listening to this recorded version of WVCH’s weekly radio show “Be The Guest,” hosted by Charlotte Cosden. The topic is “How To Build A Kingdom-Minded Organization”. Guest Mark A. Griffin, Chief Consultant at In HIS Name HR shared his experiences in helping shape organizations to be Christ centered and profitable!
With over 20 years of Human Resources experience at both fortune (Kodak, Quaker Oats, and Merck Pharma) as well as small and mid-sized companies, Mark has seen it all.
Tune into this Podcast and enjoy Mark’s discussion with Charlotte on how you might best build “Kingdom Minded” organizations in today’s “politically correct” business world. Let Mark inspire you to be bold and brave in your faith, by ensuring Christ is in your workplace.
Ephrata Community Church Banquet Hall 70 Clay School Road, Ephrata 717.733.4071
All Business Owners and Marketplace Managers Welcome
Learn how you can best build a Kingdom-Minded organization in today’s “politically correct” business world.
Presenter Mark Griffin has seen it all in his more than 20 years of Human Resources experience gained by working with a wide range of organizations, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
Let Mark inspire you by sharing his experiences in helping a variety of organizations manage their beliefs in the reality of today’s workplace.
Leading an organization with Christ-centered values makes business sense. Mark will share why he believes Christ-centered organizations experience:
Lower absenteeism
Higher quality products
Less employee morale issues
Safer work environments
Better perceptions by customers and vendors
Mark will share how he helps organizations develop HR practices that reflect their core values and still build a high performance organization.
Although this presentation is focused on Christian leaders, all are welcome to attend. There is no cost. Contact Amy Pfautz at harvestnetinc@dejazzd.com with any questions.
In the previous post of this series, I introduced the concept of Stewardship. Stewardship takes on many forms; Time, Faith, Talent, Family, Prayer, and Treasure. Today, I would like to shed some light on Time. We all lead busy lives, whether we are driving our children to events, helping our family members with chores and child rearing, or just managing our daily commitments. We never seem to have enough Time.
Many of us fall victim to not having Time to help others. A perfect example of this was when, a few years ago, a colleague of mine at a company where I was leading HR, told me of a similar dilemma she had faced. She was an administrative employee who worked in a very rural area of our country. She shared with me some of her volunteering experiences.
A little over ten years ago, she began volunteering her Time at a local Muscular Dystrophy (MD) Foundation fundraiser. Not long after, her friend’s child was diagnosed with an MD-related disease. This was a turning point for her. She had to decide whether to go about her life every day without doing something to help others, or she could choose to make an impact on our world by helping others, by giving something back to the community. That day, she made the decision to donate her Time in a big way to the MD Foundation and has spent countless hours doing so since then. This young lady did not stop with the giving of her Time. When she saw that men and women of the armed services stationed overseas needed help from people back at home, she helped spearhead a grass roots program called, “Thanks to our Yanks.” She drove the effort to ensure that all money collected for this program through fundraising events went directly to providing personalized care packages for the troops, versus administrative fees from other organizations. Today, this program has provided over four hundred care packages to about fifty service men and woman in Mercer County, Ohio.
Wow, one young lady in the middle of a cornfield making a very real difference! My question to you, dear Christian business leader, is: Do you initiate and encourage this type of behavior? Do you foster a workplace that builds up your community? If you do, you are helping to build a “Kingdom Minded” organization.
I am going to challenge you further today to think deeply about what you have chosen to do with your Time in the community in which you live. What type of volunteering do you do? What organizations receive your time? I can tell you that, before I was saved, I did nothing. Then I grew in my faith and started to do more for others. Now, as I write this, I know I am taking myself even further to get other Christians motivated to ratchet it up, not only in themselves but in their companies!
We would love to hear from you on what it is you are doing to build a “Kingdom Minded” organization. This is a great time for you to tell us about what you do, or a time to reflect about what you could do in the future. Please feel free to comment on this topic.
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?
