The Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Purposeful Exile - My Journey

Sometimes a statement will really grab me, like the one I recently sent out on Twitter.  The saying seemed to provide context for the last 10 years of my life – what I call “My Decade in the Desert”. 

The statement goes like this… “Every Saint has a past, and every Sinner has a future”.   I must confess… and take responsibility for the fact that…. I have a past.  I have a past that is marked by frailty, failure, and fallout.  You see, as a pastor of 15 years, I succumbed to isolation, insulation, and insecurity – leading to a moral indiscretion that ultimately cost me my marriage, ministry, and good standing with my children and community.  Yup, sure enough… I have a past.

God saw my need for brokenness and complete consecration, and graciously invited me into the desert – to walk with him alone until I was reformed into a fit vessel for His service.  Hosea 2:14, 15 reads, “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. 15 There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor [trouble] a door of hope. There she will respond [sing] as in the days of her youth…”  So, in 2003, the decade in the dessert began – a decade of intimacy and wrestling with God while being in purposeful exile – a time where God would show me I have a future.  In the sovereign wisdom and grace of God, this extended time was needed to reshape a poorly functioning clay pot into a vessel of divine pleasure and purpose.  Jeremiah 18:4 says, “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”

 

Now, I’m rejoicing that I have a future.  Having been released from exile and the desert – I am in a season of new beginnings.  With a new dependency on God, I am back in church work and relationship.  I am grateful for the work He has done in me, and blessed to experience grace upon grace with a new season in front of me.  Truly, God has provided beauty instead of ashes, joy instead of mourning, and praise instead of a spirit of despair [Isaiah 61:3].  “Every Saint has a past, and every Sinner has a future”.  

Winning Teams

10 Tips for Effective Teams

Building a strong ministry team takes intentional planning. Use these ten tips to create an effective team that is committed to their mission and purpose.
1. Help each other be right rather than wrong.
2. Look for ways to make new ideas work rather than for reasons they won’t.
3. If in doubt, check it out rather than make negative assumptions.
4. Help each other win and take pride in each other’s victories.
5. Speak positively about each other and about your organization.
6. Maintain a positive mental attitude no matter what the circumstance.
7. Act with initiative and courage as if it all depends on you.
8. Do everything with enthusiasm––it’s contagious.
9. Believe in what you’re doing. Always persist.
10. Have fun!

Burn the Ships - No Turning Back...

Commitment is the foundation of all Success

This phrase “Burn The Ships” comes from a historic conquest of history when, in 1519, Spanish Conquistador Hernando Cortez landed in Mexico on the shores of the Yucatan, with only one objective…seize the great treasures known to be there, hoarded by the Aztecs. Cortez was committed to his mission and his quest for riches is legendary. Cortez was an excellent motivator, he convinced more than 500 soldiers and 100 sailors to set sail from Spain to Mexico, commanding 11 ships, to take the world’s riches treasure. The historic question is “how a small band of Spanish soldiers arrived in a strange country and swiftly brought about the overthrow of a large and powerful empire that was in power for over six centuries?”

For Cortez, the answer was easy. It was all or nothing! A Complete and Total Commitment. Here’s how Cortez got the “buy in” from the rest of his men. He took away the option of failure. It was conquer and be hero’s and enjoy the spoils of victory…or DIE! When Cortez and his men arrived on the shores of the Yucatan he rallied the men for one final pep talk before leading his men into battle, and utters these three words that changed the course of history. “Burn the Ships”.

He met with resistance from his men. "Burn the ships," he repeated. He then uttered these words "if we are going home, we are going home in their ships". With that, Cortez and his men burned their own ships, and by burning their own ships, the commitment level of the men was raised to a whole new level. A level much higher than any of the men, including Cortez, could have ever imagined.

Amazingly, the men conquered the Aztecs and had succeeded in something where others had been unsuccessful for six centuries. With the victory Cortez and his men took the treasure. Why did they win? They had no escape. No fall back position. They had no choice! It was "succeed or die". Their ships were burned. They had no way to get back. Their backs were to the wall.

To “really succeed” you must have an attitude much like that of Cortez and his men. Cortez and his men did not have a “crutch” or “fall back position”. They frankly didn’t have any options. It was simply “succeed or DIE”. Pretty strong position, isn’t it? How would you like to be engaged in fighting someone with that level of motivation and commitment?

This is the level of motivation and commitment you must have. The “BURN YOUR SHIP” level of motivation and commitment. Take away your crutches and excuses and burn the ships that are keeping you from achieving your goals. Identity the ships in your life that are keeping you from accomplishing dreams. I have a saying and it’s “Dream Big”. I have a new saying and it’s “Burn your Ship”. You see, whatever prevents you from achieving your goals and dreams are ships that must be burned. Not dismantled, or run ashore…but burned and destroyed.

If we know that our ships are still out there, when things get tough we instinctively head for our ships so we can escape. It's just human nature. The path of least resistance. This level of thinking and commitment sees sacrifice as a positive thing, not something weird or impossible, but something to be cherished and fought for. Cortez didn’t allow himself or his men to have the option of going back to Spain. By removing this option, Cortez and his men were forced to focus on how they could make the mission successful. And so it is with you. How can you make the missions in your life successful?

This is really a story about commitment. Commitment is the foundation of success. Not a single accomplishment is ever achieved without it. By focusing on commitment, we seal our future.

God's Work

This week, I will consciously give my work to God.

Excellence is a godly virtue, not just an old saying. If you try to do ministry "on the cheap," you'll forfeit ministry opportunities.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

~ Colossians 3:22-24

How fancy? How plain? Should my ministry look like a Broadway production? Or a humble storefront outpost?

The slaves of Colosse — a declining Turkish city in the days of Paul the apostle — could have been excused for doing shoddy work for their masters, who were by and large corrupt pagans or carnal Christians. Paul nevertheless admonished them to strive for excellence. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,” he said in Colossians 3:23, “as working for the Lord, not for men.”

A carpenter-slave, then, should assemble a chair the way he would assemble it if Christ himself might walk through the door for a spot-check at any moment.

A chef-slave should cook a meal — even for the crankiest customer — as if Jesus were sitting at the table.

Likewise for those of us in ministry. (Sometimes we feel like slaves, don’t we!) If Jesus were at the planning table ... if Jesus were in the congregation ... if Jesus were going to check my work later ... how would I do it right now?

So then, how should my ministry “look,” or “feel”? There’s no correct answer to the “plain or fancy” question. One person is led by the Spirit of God to present a modest, simple product, sensing keenly that this will please the Lord. The next person is led by the same Spirit to present a fabulous marvel — with the same confidence that this is exactly what Jesus will delight in.

The common denominator is hearing from God ... and pursuing that God-given vision with fervor, insisting on excellence within the parameters of God’s dream for my ministry.

People have different tastes, and they tend to gravitate toward ministries with tastes similar to their own. But regardless of taste, people respond to excellence — to the sensation that someone cared enough to give an effort their best. The excellent program you produced for radio or television, the excellent church service you prepared for Sunday morning, the excellent spreadsheet you presented at the ministry marketing meeting ... each one makes the unspoken statement: “I did this for my Lord.” And that level of quality — the passion for God that generated it — draws people. It’s uncommon in our world. People notice. And the one they notice isn’t me ... it’s Jesus.

My Prayer for the Next Seven Days...  God, I give you my work. I give you my ministry. Help me to see the face of Jesus in those I’m serving. Inspire me to give you my best; strengthen me for the sake of offering you something excellent, something worthy of you. I thank you, my Father. I pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.

A Taste of Spiritual Beauty - Ch. 15

• Being Satisfied with God means we embrace and delight in the beauty of God diffused in all his works and words.
• Jonathan Edwards [1746] was deeply concerned that people understand saving faith, lest they be deceived by their own experiences and have "presumptuous peace"
• Fruit does not come alongside a tree and make it good, but is produced by the healthy tree.
• A mere claim to faith [James] is to assent to the truth without delighting in it.
• Faith arises from a spiritual apprehension of the truth, or from the testimony of the Spirit with and by the truth in our hearts.
• We must have both understanding and embracing through the illumination of the Holy Spirit - and thus taste Christ as compellingly attractive.
• Apprehension includes spiritual delight.
• We must perceive, embrace, and approve, from the heart, the spiritual fitness of God's threatening... leading to a revulsion of sin and a withdrawal from the danger of sinning - pressing toward God and holiness.
• A strong call for decisions for Christ may bring people to crisis without contemplation - beware the parable of the soils and the words "I never knew you"
• In saving faith, we both affirm factual truth, but also embrace spiritual beauty.

When Life Gets Tough!

When Life Gets Tough!  James 1

Perspective – v. 2-11

Be careful not to think incorrectly…

Perseverance – v. 3,4, 12

            Be careful not to give up or give in…

Personal Responsibility – v. 13-15

            Be careful not to blame…

Trials and Temptations – James 1:2-15

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

⁹ Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. ¹⁰ But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹ For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

¹² Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

7 Last Words of Jesus on the Cross

7 Last Words

Embracing People, Embracing God, Embracing Purpose

Introductory Foundation:

A. In His Steps… 1 John 2:6 (NIV84)

⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

B. Self Denial and My Cross… Matthew 16:24, 25 (NIV84)

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

C. Like Him in His Death… Philippians 3:10 (NIV84)

¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Seven Recorded Sayings of Jesus on the Cross...

·        Embracing People

1. Luke 23:34 (NIV84)

³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

2. Luke 23:43 (NIV84)

⁴³ Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

3. John 19:26, 27 (NIV84)

When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

·        Embracing God

4. Matthew 27:46 (NIV84)

⁴⁶ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

7. Luke 23:46 (NIV84)

⁴⁶ Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

·        Embracing Purpose

5. John 19:28 (NIV84)

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled [Ps 69:21], Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”

6. John 19:30 (NIV84)

³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

10 Tips for Single Dads

1. Honor and respect their mother:
   Kids know what’s going on. They can read between the lines. They observe and they tend not to forget. Be kind to their mother, be cooperative, be positive, and never talk bad about her in their presence.
   
2. Step up and parent:
   Base the relationship on the fact of parenthood and reinforce the built-in expectation that comes with the role. Don’t act like you’re trying to win your kids’ friendship. You are the dad, end of story. Be one.
   
3. Refrain from competition with their mother:
   Our children don’t need you to be their friend, the “fun” parent, or the amusement park away from home. Your children need – and want – a home-away-from-home that feels like home. Kids connect to real life and being with dad needs to feel normal above anything else.
   
4. Maintain a lifestyle the kids can easily interface with:
   Part of being a parent is having a life the children can enter comfortably. Is your house or apartment child friendly? Do you maintain a clean and hospitable environment? Is your place a safe place for the kids? Being a divorced dad cannot be a return to your “bachelor pad” days.
   
5. Game night:
   Make being with dad special – but not in an extravagant way. Set up a regular “game night” routine and be consistent. Interaction by design leads to more natural interaction across the board.
   
6. Read books “together:”
   So you miss them when they’re with their mom. Fair enough. How about getting two copies of the same book, reading at the same pace, and then talking about it when you are together?
   
7. Keep in the education loop:
   Patent-teacher conferences, field trips, class parties, school plays. Be there. Make sure your children know that they are your priority. Not “fairly high on the list” but THE number one priority for dad.
   
8. Be conspicuously accessible:
   Conspicuously accessible means you answer their calls, return emails promptly, ask them about their important stuff and listen with attentiveness. Learn about and practice “active listening” skills.
   
9. Be their friend on Facebook:
   Be a consistent part of your children’s online community if they are on one. Don’t embarrass them, don’t comment on everything they ever post, and don’t try to “friend” all their contacts. But do maintain a visible presence. This is part of being in their neighborhood.
   
10. Consistency:
    We’ve mentioned this in more than one of these 10 suggestions. But it deserves a category all of its own. Kids are creatures of routine. Routine is how they learn security and where they belong. Make sure you are part of that definition of security. Make sure you are where they belong. You can’t do this any other way than one step at a time, predictably, and over the long haul.
    

Understanding Yourself...

Questions for Self Discovery: based on reflections of A. W. Tozer


1. What do you want most?

2. What do you think about most?

3. How do you use your money?

4. What do you do with your leisure time?

5. What company of people do you enjoy?

6. Who and what do you admire?

7. What do you laugh at?

Gary Coiro Sermons

John 14 Click Here

John 15 Click Here

John 17 Click Here

Matthew 23 Click Here

Matthew 28 Click Here

Luke 23 Click Here

Ephesians 5 [Light vs. Darkness] Click Here 

Ephesians 5 [Time & Priorities] Click Here

You Can't Take It With You...

Counting Forever

In the inaugural issue of the newsletter A Higher Purpose, published by the Great Commission Foundation, Campus Crusade for Christ president Steve Douglass says, “Frankly one thing that doesn’t count forever is wealth that is left over at the end of our lives, wealth unused in any worthy cause whatsoever. From a biblical point of view, you see that some day, eventually the end will come. As we read 2 Peter 3:10, we see that the earth will be burned up, there will be nothing left — just an ash heap. On that day, in the midst of all these ash heaps, the only thing a wealthy person will be able to say to a poor person is, ‘Oh look! My ash heap is bigger than your ash heap!’ Not significant!”

As we strive for significance, it is wholly appropriate that we should call others to significance as well, to join us in the quest, to make something of eternal value during our earthly lifetime.



* Like what you just read and want to learn more? Check out, More Than Money: The Truth About High-Capacity Givers.

Cry Out in the "Surprise"

This week, I will be surprised.

Life is fluid. Change is thrust upon us. Part of who you are in Christ is how you react to surprises.

Just when I think I’ve got everything figured out, something changes.

And that happens just about every day!

We look at a river, and it seems to flow along exactly the same route day after day, year after year. But in reality, the route of the river is always changing. The hardness of the rock that forms the channel, or the wind direction and velocity, nudge the water-flow against the edges of the channel. Gradually the pressure carves out a new route.

Or — suddenly — a tree falls, or a boulder tumbles down a mountain, and the water is forced to re-route instantly.

In any event, the pressure is constant, the change is constant, and our inability to prevent it is constant!

As ministry leaders, we tend to want to control events. We want to minimize risk, maximize positive potential — chart the course, see it through, celebrate success. It’s not a “power trip”; it’s passion for the mission!

But even so, it’s hopeless. The river is shifting its course. The lay of the land is different every day. A worker moves away; a terrorist act makes donors quit giving; another ministry pops up and somehow overlaps your mission.

How will I react to the surprises?

Dr. Darryl DelHousaye of Phoenix Seminary says the way to tell what’s really inside a Christian is to bump him and see what spills out. When someone yells “Surprise!”, what do I yell back?

Change is often — maybe even usually — painful. But pain is the most effective growth device in the world. The apostle Paul observes in Romans 5:3,4 that we can “rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” He’s mapping out the ideal spiritual growth curve of the Christ-follower’s life. To make me more like Christ, more like God’s ideal for me, he starts with a secret ingredient: pain!

The challenge of change has an equally potent side-effect: It more or less forces us to keep turning back to God for direction. When Jesus in Luke 18 tells the parable of the pushy widow and the unjust judge, he holds up the ideal of talking with God about our problems “day and night.” Jesus isn’t giving us carte blanche. The promise of this parable is for his followers who are willing to “always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1), “who cry out to him day and night” (Luke 18:7).

Ministry leadership is a wonderful source of pain, because it’s more than just new: It’s ever-new. It’s a constant source of the character-building pain of change! (Somebody say “Hooray.”) This week, someone will yell “Surprise!” I need to be ready to “cry out” to God — not just with a yelp for help in that first moment of shock, but “day and night”!

My Prayer for the Next Seven Days... God, please fill me up with your Spirit, so fully that when I’m bumped this week, it will be your Spirit that people see spilling out! Amen.

1 Peter 4:12-13
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Ministry is about Relationships

This week, I will renew relationships.

God values long-term relationship. This is the essence of biblical community.

There’s nothing quite like ministry to challenge relationships.

I know God has called me; I have a God-given vision — so I naturally feel strongly about the tasks that make up my mission.

Which means that when someone disagrees, my instincts won’t tend toward listening quietly, responding gently, loving warm-heartedly. No. My instincts will tend toward outrage! Disgust! Righteous indignation!

Spend a few years in ministry, and you’ll probably have numerous opportunities for grudge-holding ... and possibly even a few die-hard enemies. Or at least a short list of people you’re not speaking to.

But God seems to value my relationships even more than he values the tasks I’m accomplishing in the course of my ministry. There’s very little in the Bible promoting hit-and-run relationships. Hebrews 13:1 says, in the New International Version, “Keep on loving each other as brothers.” In the old days it was translated, “Let brotherly love continue.” In the original Greek, the word is meno — keep on — continue. It’s an ongoing concept.

In John 13:33,34, Jesus said very directly, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Interestingly, he didn’t say people would recognize our discipleship by the accomplishment of our God-given vision for ministry. Indeed, if I have to choose between succeeding in ministry and succeeding in relationships, Christ’s priority is success in relationships!

The high value that God places on community should inspire me to go beyond the repairing of broken relationships; I need to take the initiative in finding ways to encourage long-term relationships. What is my ministry’s relationship turnover ratio? The people I serve with in ministry — my fellow-workers, our volunteers, donors and supporters — how frequently are people quitting, getting tired, feeling burned-out, drifting away? Are there ways I could make workers feel more loved ... or make donors feel more appreciated ... or make volunteers feel more valuable?

It is literally true — more than just a cliché — that my ministry would not be the same without the specific individuals who are involved in it right now. 1 Corinthians 12:18 says, “in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” Each worker, volunteer, and donor is making a very real difference. They are as certainly “called by God” to my ministry as I am!

How can I express love to them this week?

My Prayer for the Next Seven Days... God, help me to love the people I work with, and the people who make my ministry possible. And guide me specifically — even if it seems uncomfortable to me — into a renewal with someone whose relationship with me has been broken. Bring healing, by the power of your love; and use me, however you see fit, to be an agent of that healing. Amen.

Grab Donor's Attention Quickly

From “Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog.”

Mark Rovner points out in a recent blog post, “Our brains evolved long ago to strain through the billions of sensory inputs for a few morsels of relevant info. If we can’t eat it, mate with it, or run away from it, we ignore it.”

In other words, if we know what’s coming, and it’s not critical to our survival, we don’t care.
That means you can’t start that appeal with the same old, same old, same old.  Your first lines really matter.  If they don’t grab you,they don’t matter.  I have always spent the most time on the first line of everything I’ve written – from the time I was a journalist to today.  That’s time well spent.

Are your first lines fresh?  If they aren’t, don’t despair.  My favorite writing trick is to delete the first paragraph of any piece of writing.  I’ve recommended this for so many organizations. Take look – is it better when you skip the part that was you, warming up?  Cut to the chase.  The pursuit of what comes next is what keeps us reading.

Always Working to Gain NEW Friends

The importance of “New Name Acquisition”

Many ministry leaders want to believe that their work is so exciting that people automatically want to get involved with it. Some feel constrained just to let God bring across their path whatever new donors He desires for them. But this wasn’t the pattern Jesus promoted: He was an activist recruiter. “Follow me,” He told His disciples-to-be. He found the paralytic in the temple. When He was looking to make an impact on people, He went where they were, He got in their faces. You, too, must work at acquiring new friends for your ministry. The art of “new name acquisition” or “prospecting” is as essential to the future of your ministry as brushing is to the future of your teeth. Ministries that don’t prospect dwindle. Don’t let this happen to you and your ministry.

* Like what you just read and want to learn more? Check out, The Seven Deadly Diseases of Ministry Marketing: Confessions of a Christian Fundraiser.

Supervision / Management Tips

From the NPT…

Many supervisors view their jobs as making sure they oversee as many cringing peons, grateful to hang on to their jobs no matter how wretched, as possible. It’s the American way in 2012, isn’t it?
Carlye Christianson, senior counsel and director of special projects for the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, doesn’t think so. She sees supervision as overseeing productivity and progress, in addition to coaching and mentoring. She sees low morale, poor performance and increased turnover as problems. Go figure.
During a recent Risk Management and Finance Summit for Nonprofits, Christianson reviewed the power of supervision (as she envisions it). For example, she offered her 10 keys to effective supervision:

• Provide support for development;
• Establish an open-door policy and one-on-one meetings;
• Praise and encourage;
• Set high expectations;
• Require accountability;
• Ensure understanding and buy-in to mission and vision;
• Instill independence;
• Share;
• Create ownership; and,
• Evaluate strengths and weaknesses.

She also reviewed common supervision mistakes:

• Supervising too closely;
• Failing to keep employees informed;
• Failing to connect employees with the organization’s mission (or “soul”);
• Failing to listen;
• Ignoring team dynamics; and,
• Failing to be available.

In addition, Christianson talked about performance management, not just supervising, but getting the most out of everyone.

• Allow employees to develop to full potential;
• Allow the organization to have informed and accurate information regarding career development, training needs, etc.; and,
• Develop information in a setting that allows employees to not be defensive and to respond favorably to feedback.

A Prayer about Jesus’ Desire for Us and Delight in Us

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/2012/08/12/a-prayer-about-jesus-desire-for-us-and-delight-in-us/

A Wonderful Devotional Prayer about Jesus’ Desire for Us and Delight in Us

Thank Donors

Katya's top 10 for thanking donors...

1. KNOW YOUR DONOR: Capture information on how your donors gave and what appeal they are supporting.  Did they give in response to a special appeal or at an event?  Were they asked to donate by one of your donor champions who was running a race to raise money for your cause?  You need these details to properly thank and cultivate them.

2. ALWAYS THANK YOUR DONORS: Always.  No exceptions.

3. THANK THEM EARLY: You should thank your donors within a few days of their gift. 

4. THANK THEM OFTEN:  Thank your donors several times, over time, and keep reporting back on the difference they have made.

5. THANK THEM ACCURATELY: Make sure you have correctly spelled the donor’s name, stated the amount and date of the donation, included appropriate language for tax deductions and carefully note if the gift was made in honor of someone else.

6. EXPRESS GRATITUDE: Say how pleased and thankful you were to get the donation.

7. FOCUS ON EMOTION: Tell a short, wonderful story or use a specific example that shows what the donor is making possible.  This is important so all donors feel great – and donors new to your cause grasp what it really means.  You want to tug at the heartstrings and bring your mission to life.  Some fun ideas: Take photos of your work and slip one of those into a mailed card.  Have a beneficiary write the thank-you email.

8. GIVE THE DONOR CREDIT: Your communications to your donors should use the word “you” a lot more than the word “we.”  Give your donors credit for what you do in every piece of outreach.  Be constantly on the lookout for ways to recognize your donors – in your annual report, on your website and at your events.

9. BE SPECIFIC ABOUT IMPACT: Make very clear how you will use the money and tie that impact back to the solicitation that was sent.  If you sent an appeal to save puppies, talk about how many puppies you will save!

10. MAKE IT PERSONAL: In addition to addressing the donor by name, you want to sign the appeal from a real person.  No “dear friend” or “dear supporter” salutations and no nameless signatories!  We recommend you get creative with who “signs” your electronic and mailed letters – a board member, a volunteer, a beneficiary can add significance to your acknowledgement.