Focus For Healthy & Sustained Growth
Joe Cala

As we continually study the trends of church growth and visitor retention we’ve nailed down a few areas in which we need to examine in order to maximize our opportunities in building healthy sustained growth.
 
I want to emphasize HEALTHY and SUSTAINED growth simply because there are many churches that are growing in an unhealthy way, compromising their message to bring numerical growth, along with other churches that have peaked fast, couldn’t handle the growth and instead of sustaining, they quickly diminish. Then there are the churches that are steadily increasing and growing strong in numbers as well as growing strong in their spiritual development.
 
The goal is Healthy & Sustained Growth. So what does that mean? Healthy growth is growth that is sound & prosperous. This is growth that comes from a healthy balance of nutrition from the word of God to the congregation, through services, ministries, conferences, and other channels used to allow the influence of the Word and the Spirit to minister to the person and affect a change in them. This is also achieved through social connections, groups and intellectual activities. This is a church that ministers to the spirit, soul and body. The ministry to all areas of humanity will provide a healthy balance to life, which in turn creates an atmosphere to attract people to stay and invite others to be a part of what’s happening there.
 
As we look at healthy and sustained church growth I’d like to focus on three areas. These are not the only areas that need focus but the three areas of focus today. Although we won’t touch on this one area involving the right people, the people and relationship aspect must always be front and center to aiding in providing healthy and sustained growth. So as we look at these three areas we are not dismissing the other areas not mentioned or fully focused on today.
 
Here are three areas to focus on:
1. Visitor retention is far more significant than visitor volume.
2. The right process translates to forward progress.
3. Listen to your visitors.
 
1. Visitor Retention is Far More Significant than Visitor Volume

This point in no way minimizes the importance of visitor volume. However, visitor volume is only maximized if a process for visitor retention is in place. Thank God for visitors coming in, but if we don’t have a process in place to harness them and channel them into the flock then we’re not handling God’s most precious treasures properly. God is sending the people and we’re just barely retaining between 10-17% of the ones that are coming in.

Years ago we didn’t maximize the opportunities that we had in our church as best as we could regarding visitor retention. We had a fantastic, God inspired idea. Our Pastor decided that we as a church were going to have a Fall Festival in October. We would rent the park in the center of town and have FREE Games, FREE Inflatable Rides, FREE Food, FREE Giveaways, FREE Drinks, FREE Face Painting, FREE Balloons, FREE Shirts, FREE Concert, FREE EVERYTHING for EVERYONE! It was incredible! We registered over 5,000 people in one day! Let me say that again! 5,000 people! A church of 200 members had 5,000 visitors experience our church event! Holy Cow! We actually had MORE than we expected for the first time ever! In usually being disappointed with the turn outs of past events this one actually worked. It worked so good that for some reason we weren’t going to do it the next year but the town pretty much made us because it was so good! Imagine that! An ungodly, non-Christian based Chamber of Commerce called us to have it! WHY would they do that you might ask? Simply because we were serving the community? As awesome as this was, we were in great anticipation to see how packed our service would be the next day and we couldn’t wait for the tremendous growth we were going to experience. However, to pretty much all of our surprise, we had only 1 visitor come to service the next day. After that, we never reached out to the people who came and filled out their registration cards. We just thought that they’d surely come to the church after we were so nice to them, but instead only about a total of 5 or so showed up in the next few months to come.

So what happened? We had an awesome opportunity but never maximized those visitors by putting together a process to retain them and get them connected into the church in which the Lord most likely drew them to. We prepared more on the event, then on how we would channel them back through our doors within the next few months after the event. We were more excited about the one time opportunity then we were working on helping them become a lifetime member.

Can you relate to having an event or function at your church that drew many people and afterwards never be able to fully maximize the guests that attended by getting them to continue to come back to services on a consistent basis? Have we forgotten why we do fundraisers, have conferences, have events and fellowships and every other thing we do? Yes to minister the Word! Yes to plant seed! Yes to water seed! Yes to harvest souls! But once we do all of that one time, what are we doing about getting them back again to do it again, and again, and again, and AGAIN!

“OUTSIDE THE BOX” THOUGHT OF THE DAY!

Here’s a great idea to help capture visitor information and allow you as a church to become more socially visible, that I can probably say with confidence that MOST CHURCHES ARE NOT DOING!

Have an area set up in your Guest Services Center with some iPad’s, tablets or laptops setup to allow people to Tweet that they are at your church, or check in on Facebook or Four Square that they are at your church and if they do provide them a gift BEFORE service in addition to the one they will get after service for visiting. Reward them for their participation.

2. The Right Process Translates to Forward Progress

So at the end of the day, we need a process to help us stay on track in retaining the people God sent to us. So what is a process? A process is defined as: A sequence of interdependent and linked procedures which, at every stage, consume one or more resources (employee time, energy, machines, money) to convert inputs (data, material, parts, etc.) into outputs. These outputs then serve as inputs for the next stage until a known goal or end result is reached.

So what is our known goal, or end result that we are aiming at to reach. Without this being clearly defined the process will not work properly. So for this purpose, our known goal is generally visitor retention. For example, specifically we want to grow by 50% this year. So now that we have the end result, what do we need to do to achieve this and reach our desired results? We now need to put together the individual interdependent and linked procedures necessary to turn our guests in to consistent returning members.

To help determine this process let’s see what we will need in Resources.

Resources:

1. The Right People
2. Visitor Card
3. Phone
4. Computer
5. Church Email Account
6. Church Youtube Account (optional for emailing links)
7. Email Templates
8. (Generic, Specific, Special Event, Guest Speaker, Testimonies, Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Bookstore Discount Coupons, Café Coupons, Updates, Surveys, Questionnaires, Holidays, Video Links to YouTube)
9. Library of Letters
10. (Generic, Specific, Special Event, Guest Speaker, Testimonies, Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Bookstore Discount Coupons, Café Coupons, Updates, Surveys, Questionnaires, Holidays)
11. Phone Scripts
12. Visitor Gifts
13. Program to store new visitor, potential and existing member information and data
14. Visitor email addresses, mailing addresses, phone number and contact names
15. Web-site (Updated and Fresh)
16. Invitation Cards (Events, Outreaches and Service)
17. Search Engine Optimization
18. Digital Marketing Campaigns
19. Facebook & Social Media

Now that you have your resources, here is an example process to help manage the follow up of a first time visitor after they visit. Your process is your action plan to reach your new visitors, potential members and existing members. Most churches only follow up with a guest for one week, sending an email, a letter and making a phone call. Here is a sample 40 day follow up process. This is only an example and can be changed and customized per church. You can adjust the amount of emails, phone calls, letters sent and gifts as you want, but let this give you a guide to start you in the direction of thinking of a long term follow up campaign.

16 Emails 4 Phone Calls  2 Letters 2 Gifts

The third important area of focus is:

3. Listen to Your Visitors

Your visitors will tell you how they want to be reached if you ask them the right questions on your visitor cards, when following up with them and while they’re at the church that day. I wrote about this last time on Tony Cooke’s Website under, Have You Looked at Your Visitor Cards Lately? This will also help you in developing a strategy to assist in your visitor retention processes. You can ask the right questions when you make your follow up calls after they visit to determine how people want to be handled, how they were handled and how you can adjust to properly handle them the next time they and other visitors come back. Your people and the community you live in will help you reach them if you will listen! As the scripture tells us in James 1:19 (NLT)… “You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry.” There is great wisdom in this verse that will help us in achieving our goals to reach Healthy & Sustained Growth for our churches. I trust these areas of focus will help work together with you in making the church experience for guests better!

Joe Cala is the Founder & CEO of ChurchSync and Joe Cala Ministries. He has authored, “Living Your Life Today The Full Proof Way!” “The Proven Formula of Success!” and Has created “The Next Step Visitor Follow Up System!” He is a seminar leader, traveling minister, contributor to Personal Excellence Magazine and editor of automotiveinternetsales.com. Visit www.churchsync.com for tons of Visitor Retention Strategies. Contact Joe at 848-248-0730 or by email at [email protected] to just say hi, schedule a seminar, on-site training, leadership training, and guest services training.

How the Health Care Mandate Affects Non-Profit Organizations
Mark Helland, C.P.A.

In previous articles, I have detailed the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (the “ACA” or “Obama Care” to some, depending entirely on your political persuasion!) and have discussed some of the things that non-profit organizations should be aware of. One very controversial aspect of the ACA is the employer mandate and the associated penalties for non-coverage required of individuals and certain businesses that fail to provide coverage all of which take affect in the 2014 tax year. It was thought by many that these provisions were unconstitutional and that the U.S. Supreme Court would strike them down. However, in June of this year, the Supreme Court upheld all provisions of the ACA, including the penalty and non-coverage provisions. As such, it is time to look ahead to understand and plan for how these provisions could affect your organization and your employee population.

The first thing to understand is that non-profit organizations are NOT exempt from the coverage and penalty provisions of the ACA. Many non-profit organizations have incorrectly assumed that by virtue of their non-profit status they are exempt from the requirement to provide health insurance and the penalties related to the failure to provide health insurance. Unfortunately, this is not case. All non-profit organizations, including churches and ministries are subject to the requirement to provide health insurance. However, it is very important to understand that only relatively large organizations are affected. Large employers with fifty (50) or more employees may be subject to two potential penalties – the “no coverage” penalty and the “unaffordable coverage” penalty. The penalties are sometimes referred to as the “employer mandate” because they effectively require employers to offer coverage or pay a penalty. Following are the rules that non-profit organizations need to start planning for which will begin as of 2014:

1. The “No Coverage” Penalty (also known as “Pay or Play”)

If an employer does not offer full-time employees, and their dependents, an opportunity to enroll in employer provided health insurance coverage and at least one full-time employee enrolls in a federally subsidized health insurance exchange and the employee received government subsidies to pay for exchange coverage, then the employer is subject to this penalty. It is important to understand the “and” part of this equation, because most of the information you read omits the second requirement and simply states that if you have over fifty employees you must provide health insurance. In effect, you could have over fifty employees, not provide coverage and be exempt from the penalty, but only if you have no employees who are covered by a federally subsidized health insurance exchange (which would be unlikely, but possible). The exchanges are available to individuals in which household income is less than 400% of the federal poverty level ($89,400 for a family of four in 2011). So, if all employees of an employer have a household income greater than 400% of the federal poverty level and are covered by an exchange, then these penalties would not apply. In reality, almost every employer will have at least one employee whose household income would potentially qualify them to be in an exchange. The “no coverage” penalty amounts to $2,000 for each of an employer’s full-time employees, however, in calculating the penalty the first thirty (30) employees are excluded. Employers can avoid this penalty completely by offering health coverage to full-time employees, but the “unaffordable coverage” penalty may still apply.

2. The “Unaffordable Coverage” Penalty (also known as “Free Rider”)

Even if an employer offers full-time employees, and their dependents, an opportunity to enroll in employer provided health insurance coverage, a potential for penalties still exists. The coverage offered by the employer must be both “affordable and valuable” to avoid this additional penalty. If at least one full-time employee enrolls in a federally subsidized health insurance exchange and is certified to receive government subsidies because the employer’s coverage is considered either unaffordable or low-value, then the employer is subject to this penalty. The “unaffordable coverage” penalty is $3,000 for each full-time employee who is certified to receive government subsidies and unlike the “no coverage” penalty, this one is not based on all full-time employees. Avoiding this penalty may actually not be that hard to overcome and close coordination with your health insurance agent is a must here.

Key Point:
A key question that I have in all of this, is how would an organization even know or be informed that they have an employee who is covered by a federally subsidized health insurance exchange? It would seem that asking employees this question would be a privacy violation or a prohibited question when interviewing and making hiring decisions. I have not been able to find a definitive answer to this question yet, but I am still researching.

The takeaway from all of this is that if you have over fifty employees and you currently offer health insurance, then you have much less to analyze to be in compliance. However, if you have over fifty employees and do not offer health insurance, your decision is much more complex. An analysis needs to be made to consider how the specter of employer penalties compares to the cost of providing health insurance. Also, in considering your employee population, if your organization provides health insurance that meets all of the requirements, so doing also means that the employees will not be eligible for the government subsidized exchanges. Employers may want to consider whether their employee population would be better served in an exchange with government subsidies or with employer-provided coverage.

Additionally, if your organization is small – i.e. less than twenty five (25) full-time employees, you need to make sure that you are getting good professional advice on the health care credit that is available to make providing coverage more affordable. Here is a hyperlink to my previous article for Tony Cooke Ministries on this topic: Health Care Reform and the Health Insurance Tax Credit by Mark Helland. My next article will focus on the individual penalties that are present in the ACA and how individuals who must provide health insurance for themselves can plan to comply with these provisions.

 

This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is shared with the understanding that neither the author nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional services. Laws and regulations are continually changing, and can vary according to location and time. No representation is made that the information herein is applicable for all locations and times. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

© Tony Cooke Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

Excerpt from “7 Unchanging Laws for Happiness and Success”
Pastor Doug Bird

Doug wandered into a Church in the small town of Marysville in 1979 and that night would forever change his life. That night he met Jesus and the life of a drug dealer that had no real direction took on a whole new direction. Shortly after that Doug was called into the ministry and he began to share Jesus with all his friends and former associates, street witnessing and becoming the youth pastor at the Church where he’d been saved. Read the rest of Doug Bird’s bio.

Happiness and success in life are found in knowing and applying the fundamentals. How many times have we heard that, yet is so true. Whether it’s in business, sports, ministry, or life, happiness and success happens when the fundamentals are emphasized and applied. There are unchanging laws that God has hardwired into his universe. Law’s like the law the seed, the law the ground, the law of harvest and many more, these laws work every time you apply them and they will bring happiness and success in your life.

A natural law is simply an unchanging law, that is, it works every time. The laws of mathematics work every time. The laws of physics work every time—as long as the right conditions are met. As an example, think about the law of gravity for a moment. Gravity is a natural law that works every time. You can stand on a rooftop and declare that you don’t believe in gravity and then jump off to prove your point. Guess what? You’re not going to hover there in mid-air, somehow levitating your body against the pull of gravity. Neither are you going to sprout wings and fly blissfully away. That’s not going to happen. The law of gravity says that what goes up must inevitably come down. So, if you jump off that roof, you’re going down! Why? It’s because the law of gravity works every time, whether you believe in it or not. It’s an unchanging law.

Another example of a natural law that works every time is the law of nature itself. We might call it the law of life and death. Everything that is born will also die. We must realize that one day every human, every plant, every living thing will one day die. There’s no escaping this law. “As for us, our life is like grass. We grow and flourish like a wild flower; then the wind blows on it, and it is gone—no one sees it again” (Psalms 103:15-16 TEV).

Then there are the supernatural laws of God. These are principles at work in the Universe that are beyond the bounds of science as we know it. Natural laws are open to investigation and can be discovered by the exercise of reason.

Supernatural laws are also open to investigation, but can only be discovered by the exercise of faith. We discover natural laws through science. We discover supernatural laws through revelation. Nevertheless, like natural laws, supernatural laws work every time, provided the right conditions are met.

Ignorance of God’s unchanging laws does not nullify those laws. What is true in the natural is also true in the spiritual. If you break a law, you suffer the consequences. If you apply the law, you reap the benefits.

The number one law of the Kingdom of God is the law of the seed. Let me emphasize that point: seeds “always” produce after their own kind. That’s one of the unchanging laws of God. You might say you don’t believe it, but your unbelief won’t change the outcomes. We always reap according to the seeds we sow. Why? Because God said so. It’s an absolute truth and law of nature that God has established.

If I understand the law of the seed, I understand that everything in my life, that everything I do in my life is a seed—my thoughts, my words, my actions—everything is a seed. What kind of harvest do I want in life? Do I want a good harvest or a bad harvest? It all depends on the type of seed I sow. A seed always produces after its own kind.

Points to Remember:

• The #1 Law of the Kingdom of God is the Law of the Seed.
• The Law of the Seed is simply that everything produces after its own kind.
• We plant seeds by our thoughts, words, and actions.
• What we sow determines what will grow.
• Sometimes we need to pray for a crop failure–it’s called repentance.

If we look at the teaching of Jesus in the Parable of the Sower, we find that there are four types of ground upon which the seed falls. Each one of these types of ground corresponds to an attitude on our part towards the seed. The law of the ground is the law of four attitudes for how we receive the seed.

The Bible says that if I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead, then I shall be saved (Rom. 10:9). Now, that Bible promise is a seed, and if I’ll receive that seed with a right heart, a right attitude, a right spirit; if I receive that seed with a no-turn-around commitment, then that seed will bring forth salvation. That seed doesn’t care that I was a burnt out drug addict. That seed doesn’t care that I was a hothead. That seed doesn’t care if I had a checkered past, even a criminal past. The seed doesn’t come up to us and ask for our resume or our references. No, the seed doesn’t care who you are, the seed doesn’t care what you have done, the seed doesn’t care about your skin color, your level of education, or what job you work. The seed doesn’t care whether you are rich ground or poor ground, church ground or non-church ground, Catholic ground or Presbyterian ground. The seed is just a seed—and it does what it is called to do, to bring forth eternal life.

But there is the law of the ground. The type of ground that the seed is planted in determines how well that seed will grow. The type of ground will determine whether or not that seed will bring forth according to the potential that is in it. According to the Parable of the Sower, there are four possible types of ground for the seed. There are four attitudes, four mentalities, four heart conditions that determine whether or not the seed will produce.

Points to Remember:

• How you receive determines how you will grow and produce in life.
• Your attitude is what determines what kind of ground you are.
• The seed promises success and happiness, but it can’t grow if it’s not planted in your heart.
• We have a choice on what kind of ground (attitude) we will be.

Click here to order your copy of “7 Unchanging Laws for Happiness and Success.”

How to Not be a Gutter Ball
Virgil Stokes

Virgil Stokes is a Pastor and Teacher, serving churches since 1980 in Oklahoma, New York, and Arizona. He and his wife, Judy, pioneered Faith Christian Fellowship of Tucson in 2004. Prior to entering ministry Virgil worked as a Registered Nurse in the field of mental health and addictions treatment. A recovering addict himself, Virgil has written and spoken extensively on Christian recovery. He is the author of several books, and is the founder of Faith Ministry Training Institute, a training program empowering local pastors to equip ministers in their own churches. Pastor Virgil is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and Rhema Bible Training Center. His passion is getting people out of the pews and into the harvest.

"Lord, keep me straight. Don’t let me get off!" I prayed that simple prayer again this week as I have many times over the years. Whenever I hear another story about a preacher who gets off the path and falls into some kind of mess, I pray for him and all those who have been damaged by his dereliction. Then I pray for myself.

People get in all kinds of messes. One guy got arrested because of a drug habit hidden for years under a veneer of ministerial perfection. Another fellow turned away from the message of faith and headed off into Old Testament legalism. Catastrophic, life-controlling sin brings reproach to the Kingdom and to the Message we all love. Doctrinal goofiness leads precious people down paths of fruitlessness and bondage.

One is no better, or worse, than the other. I don’t ever want to be in the position of explaining to the Lord why I got so far off the track that I damaged the ones He entrusted to me. "Lord, keep me straight. Don’t let me get off!"

Life is a lot like Kiddie Bowling. You are more likely to stay on the lane and hit some pins if you put bumpers in the gutters – something to bounce you back toward the middle of the road when you get off. Some good gutter bumpers for preachers are:

1. Daily personal prayer and bible study. The primary goal is always to be a good Christian, not a successful preacher. If you find yourself only praying about your message and your ministry, you are headed for the gutter. Keep the horse and the cart in the right order. Matt 10:38-39
2. Keep a good perspective on your own importance. None of us is essential to the Kingdom, nor are we unique. God got along fine before you showed up, and if you bail on Him He will raise up another one to do your job. Similarly, you are wonderful, but the troubles you face are common to man. Seek help from others who have been there. When you find yourself unable to take a day off because the church will die without you, or you hear yourself saying, "NOBODY understands my dilemma." You are almost a gutter ball. 1 Cor 4:7 /1 Co 10:13
3. Be careful about preaching stuff you haven’t heard someone else preach. You are not the sole prophet of the last days receiving special insights straight from Heaven. 2000 years of honest godly people have gone before you. Be careful about "fresh revelation." That little puff of pride that goes with saying, "The Lord showed me…" is the last yellow light flashing before you hit the gutter. 2 Peter 1:20 / Matt 18:16
4. Allow elders in the faith to speak into your life. That means have someone or some group of people who you respect, and allow them to help you maintain your walk and your ministry. Be accountable. You are a sheep. You need a shepherd. If your title has become part of your name in your own mind, and you are making major decisions without seeking wise counsel, you may
   already be in the gutter. 1 Peter 5:5-6 / Prov 11:14

Somebody Said: All men are liable to error; and most men are, in many points, by passion or interest, under temptation to it. —John Locke

Scripture Reading: Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed. (Proverbs 15:22 MSG)
 
I’m fairly certain none of us sets out to drive our life and ministry into the ditch. The problem is we allow our priorities to become skewed, sacrificing the important on the altar of expediency and pride. We all do it from time to time. The better our system of gutter bumpers, the quicker we get knocked back into the middle of the lane. One more time: "Lord, keep me straight. Don’t let me get off!"

Grace for Effectual Ministry – Locating, Cultivating, and Using Your Spiritual Giftings
Special Endowments for Special Tasks
By Guy Duininck

Guy Duininck earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethel College and attended Rhema Bible Training Center. Since 1981, Guy has traveled throughout the world teaching in local churches, Bible Schools and Ministers’ Conferences. With a strong emphasis on developing skilled spiritual leaders, strong local churches, and mature believers, Guy has significantly aided the Body of Christ in the places he travels. Guy has written five books, recorded six albums of his own music, and produced a number of audio teachings. The following article is an excerpt from Guy’s book, Grace for Effectual Ministry. You can obtain this book and learn more about Guy’s ministry by visiting his web-site at www.masterstouchministries.com. You can also find Guy on his Facebook page: Master’s Touch Ministries.

The specific task God assigns each believer determines the specific variety of ministry grace He endows them with. This truth is beautifully expressed by the Amplified Bible’s rendering of Paul’ words,

“According to the grace (the special endowment for my task) of God bestowed upon me, like a skillful architect and master builder I laid [the] foundation…”
I Corinthians 3:10 Amp

I don’t know if the men who drafted the Amplified Bible were aware of the significant revelation about ministry grace they brought out in their rendering of I Corinthians 3:10. In any case, their amplification of the word “grace” is very accurate. They referred to grace as a “special endowment for [a] task.”

God had assigned Paul a specific task. To enable him to fulfill that task, God specially endowed him. Paul’s task was to lay spiritual foundations as a wise masterbuilder. The special endowment which enabled him to fulfill that task was the ministry grace God bestowed upon him.

Financial Endowments

Financial endowments are sometimes made by wealthy individuals. The general purpose of any endowment is to enable others to pursue and accomplish the special interest of the one who made the endowment. Endowments are not random gifts or spur of the moment investments, but are well thought out financial plans. By making financial endowments, endowers seek to ensure that interests they hold dear will be pursued by others, sometimes even after their death.

The person who makes an endowment chooses someone to manage his endowment. The chosen manager will oversee the endowment and administer it at the time and in the manner specified by the endower. No matter what other needs are present or how tempted the manager may be to use the endowment in another way, it can only be used as specified by the endower.

If a wealthy man had a strong interest in Spanish students becoming marine biologists, he could make a financial endowment to a particular university specifying that every year a full scholarship be granted to the most qualified Spanish student studying in that field. The university, as manager of the endowment, would be responsible to administer the appropriate amount of money each year to a student who met the criteria.

Another individual might make an endowment to a charitable organization that cares for the poor, specifying that $5,000 be given each year to a single mother who was raising a physically handicapped child. The charitable organization, as manager of the endowment, would be responsible to administer that money each year to a single mother who met the pre-determined criteria.

Old Testament Endowments

In the Old Testament, God enabled men to accomplish the special tasks He assigned by endowing them with special abilities. For example, when He wanted a tabernacle built, He called Bezaleel and Aholiab and filled them with “the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship” [Ex. 31:2, 6]. He “put wisdom” in these men’s hearts so they “knew how to work all manner of work” [Ex. 35:35]. By the means of special endowments these men knew “how to work all manner of work” and made everything the Lord commanded [Ex. 36:1-39:31]. Specially endowed men also participated in the building of Solomon’s temple. When Solomon requested skilled and cunning men from Huram, he sent him those men and said,

“And now I have sent a cunning man, endued [endowed] with un- derstanding…skilful to work in gold…silver…brass…iron…stone…timber…fine linen…graving…”
II Chronicles 2:13-14

Near the beginning of his reign, Solomon requested for himself and received from God a substantial endowment of wisdom to rule Israel. Realizing that he was not qualified to perform the leadership task God had assigned him, he had asked for wisdom, saying,

“And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in…Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people.”
I Kings 4:7-9

Although Solomon had been chosen by God to lead the nation of Israel, he felt like a child who didn’t know how to go out or come in. Because he felt inadequate, he asked God to grant him wisdom; the ability he needed for the work God called him to. God answered Solomon with these words,

“Because thou hast asked this thing…for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart…”
I Kings 3:11-12

God gave Solomon a “wise and understanding heart.” By that special endowment of wisdom, he was able to serve as king and fulfilled the work God had called him to.

New Testament Grace Endowments

Immediately prior to His final ascent into heaven, Jesus commissioned the church to continue His ministry. He told His disciples,

“All power is given unto me…Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature…as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you…”
Matthew 28:18-19; Mark 16:15; John 20:21

Jesus not only commissioned the church to continue His ministry. He also endowed the church with the full measure of His ministry ability so that she could fulfill the great task given to her. Notice these words about that divine endowing,

“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he…gave gifts unto men…”
Ephesians 4:7-8

Because of His deep love for the human race, Jesus supernaturally endowed the church, ensuring that the work He began would continue and succeed after He was gone. Some in the church were endowed with apostolic grace-gifts. Some were endowed with pastoral grace-gifts. Some were endowed with teaching grace-gifts. Others were endowed with healing grace-gifts, exhortation grace-gifts, giving grace-gifts, teaching grace-gifts, practical service grace-gifts, and administrative grace-gifts.

Peter’s words as rendered by the Amplified Bible offer us wonderful insight into New Testament grace endowments. He wrote,

“As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God’s many-sided grace…”
I Peter 4:10 Amp

Every believer has received a “gracious divine endowment.” These divine endowments enable believers to accomplish things they could not accomplish by their own means. Without grace endowments, no believer — not even the strongest, wisest, richest, smartest, and most personally developed — would have the means to accomplish the ministry they are called to. Grace endowments make effective ministry possible!
In the context of teaching the Corinthian church about ministry, Paul wrote,

“Now there are distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments [extraordinary powers distinguishing certain Christians, due to the power of Divine grace operating in their souls by the Holy Spirit.”
I Corinthians 12:4 Amp

The Amplified Bible’s rendering of I Corinthians 12:4 expresses the doctrine of grace for effectual ministry in a profound way. It reveals that Christians are different from one another because of the “distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments” given to them. It reveals that every Christian possesses a unique “extra-ordinary power” for service “due to the power of Divine grace” operating in them.

Paul’s and Peter’s Grace Endowments

Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia about his and Peter’s unique commissions and unique grace endowments. His words highlight the significant relationship between the task God assigns each believer and the grace endowment which enables them to accomplish that task. He wrote,

“…the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John…perceived the grace that was given unto me…”
Galatians 2:7-9

The apostle Peter was commissioned by God to go to the circumcision. Therefore, God “wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision.” God assigned Peter the task of ministering to the Jews and, therefore, endowed him with the ability to minister to the Jews. Peter’s commission and his endowment were harmonious.

The apostle Paul was commissioned by God to go to the Gentiles. Therefore, God “was mighty in [him] toward the Gentiles.” God assigned Paul the task of ministering to the Gentiles and, therefore, endowed him with the ability to minister to the Gentiles. Paul’s commission and his endowment were harmonious.

Supernatural Sufficiency for Service

Paul referred to his supernatural endowment for service in his second letter to the Corinthians when he wrote,

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers…”
II Corinthians 3:5-6

Paul and his partners did not consider themselves to be sufficient of themselves for their ministries. The word “sufficient” comes from the Greek hikanos and means, “enough, or sufficient in ability.” The word “of” comes from the Greek ek and denotes the point of origin of something. According to Paul, there was nothing that originated within himself or within any of his ministry associates that made them sufficient for their ministry assignments.

Paul did not say, however, that he and his partners were insufficient for their tasks. He said, rather, “but our sufficiency is of God.” Here the word “sufficiency” comes from the Greek hikanotes and means, “the ability or competency to accomplish a thing.” Paul’s sufficiency was “of God.” In other words, God the Source endowed Paul and his partners with a divine competency to accomplish their ministry assignments.

The Amplified Bible renders Paul’s words this way,

“…but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.”
II Corinthians 3:5

In verse six, Paul said that God made he and his ministry partners “able ministers.” The word “able” comes from the Greek hikanoo which means, “to equip one with adequate powers to perform duties.” Paul and his ministry associates were endowed by God with adequate powers and the necessary sufficiency to perform their ministry duties!

Paul confirmed that he was endowed with supernatural ability in his first letter to Timothy when he wrote,

“And I thank Christ Jesus our lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry…”
I Timothy 1:12

Paul said that the Lord had “enabled” him. The word “enabled” comes from the Greek endunamoo which literally means, “inward dunamis.” To be enabled means, “to be inwardly endued with the power to accomplish whatever is willed.” The Lord Jesus not only put Paul into the ministry; He also put dunamis into Paul so that he could accomplish his ministry.

A few years ago, I was speaking with the pastor of a church where I was ministering. During our conversation, he asked for my advice concerning a problem in his church. I got quiet and listened to my heart to see if the Holy Spirit had anything special to say. Before I could think, I heard myself ask this pastor, “Are you sure you are called by God to be a pastor?” He thought for a moment and answered in the affirmative. Then I asked him, “Are you sure you are called by God to pastor this church?” Again, he answered in the affirmative. Then I told him, “It is not possible that you are truly called to pastor this church and don’t know what to do.” He looked at me in a kind of surprised way and said, “You know, you are right. I actually do know what to do. I was just a little unsure of myself.”

When God calls any believer to any assignment, He endows them with the supernatural sufficiency and the adequate power to accomplish that assignment. God will never give a believer an assignment that supersedes the divine sufficiency He has granted. No believer, then, should ever suppose that he is under-endowed for his task!

Timothy’s Grace Endowment

Paul exhorted Timothy to pay attention to his special inward min- istry endowment with these words,

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”
I Timothy 4:14

Timothy’s gift [charisma] was not a special anointing that came upon him unexpectedly or an occasional manifestation of the Spirit. His gift was a resident inward endowment of God-ability that had been imparted to him during a sacred time of prayer, prophecy, and laying on of hands. This gift was “given” to Timothy. “Given” comes from the Greek didomi which means, “to give over or to commit to someone’s care something to be administered.” According to Paul, Timothy could either neglect his resident inward endowment or he could cultivate and use it.

Weymouth translates I Timothy 4:14 this way,

“Do not be careless about the gifts with which you are endowed.” I Timothy 4:14

The Amplified Bible renders Paul’s words to Timothy this way,

“Do not neglect the gift which is in you, that special inward endowment, which was directly imparted to you by the Holy Spirit…”
I Timothy 4:14 Amp

According to the Amplified Bible, Timothy’s grace-gift was a “special inward endowment” directly imparted to him by the Holy Spirit.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul exhorted him with these words,

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.”
II Timothy 1:6

Again, Paul reminded Timothy of his indwelling charisma, or grace-gift, and exhorted him to pay attention to it. Evidently, Timothy’s resident gift did not stir him up. Rather, Timothy was to stir up his resident gift.

In some cases, as with Paul and Timothy, God can impart or enhance a grace-gift through the laying on of hands.

I remember a meeting I attended in 1981 before I started to travel in my teaching ministry. Kenneth E. Hagin was teaching in that meeting, but he also took time to lay hands on those who were going into full time ministry. I went forward in that service and he laid his hands on me. While driving home after that meeting I said to myself, almost without conscious thought, “I am ready to teach now.” I believe that a grace to teach was either imparted to me at that time or that a teaching grace I already possessed was actuated or enhanced.

In a meeting I conducted several years ago something similar happened. A young musician in the church where I was ministering approached me after my teaching and asked me to lay hands on him to enhance his music ministry. Initially I hesitated, but then felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to do so. When I laid hands on him, I felt something go into him and watched as he fell to the floor. I knew that something special had transpired. A year later this young man reported to me that his ministry had changed significantly, that his song writing had been greatly enhanced, and that he and his wife had won an award as amateur Christian musicians.

More recently, I felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to lay hands on a teaching elder in a local church. I sensed that God wanted to add something to that person in terms of teaching ability. I followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, laid hands on that person, and ministered a brief word of knowledge to them. Several months later the pastor of the church remarked to me that the person I had ministered to was noticeably more effective in their teaching.

Grace endowments continue to be measured out by the Lord Jesus right up to this present day. For every need in the world and for every purpose of God a vessel is called, saved, placed in the body of Christ, and endowed with a unique ministry grace. By the means of supernatural grace endowments, chosen vessels accomplish the unique tasks God assigns them in His kingdom.

Don’t Be a Blind Magoo—Get a Vision!
by Marvin Yoder

Marvin and his wife, Leah, are the founding pastors of LifePointe Church in Mattoon, Illinois. Marvin is a graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center and is also enrolled in the MDiv Program at Oral Roberts University. Marvin has a rich ministerial background, having pastored several churches, working in Christian education, and traveling extensively as an itinerant minister. Prior to starting the church in Mattoon, Marvin was heavily involved in staff at Rhema, serving as an instructor, Dean, and as an Associate Pastor. Marvin has authored several books and study guides, including Movin’ On Up and The Traveling Minister’s Handbook. Marvin and Leah have three children, Christina Anne, Nichole Joy, and Audrey Danielle.

One of my favorite comedy movies was Mr. Magoo. Mr. Quincy Magoo is an eccentric millionaire with very bad eyesight who refuses to use eyeglasses and therefore always gets into trouble. During a museum robbery he accidentally gets a priceless gem called the Star of Kuristan, and begins to trace the way for the arch-criminals whose idea was to steal the gem, while two federal agents lead the manhunt for Mr. Magoo himself.1

The problem in trying to relate this movie to real life is that it’s delusional . . . people with bad vision just don’t come out on top in life like Mr. Magoo did. It’s absolutely essential that a person has good eyesight, and just as importantly, that they have a good vision of their future.

What is vision? Books abound on the subject but here are two ideas on what vision is: [1] seeing what others do not see [2] having a plan of where you want to go. Chuck Swindoll said, “When I think of vision, I have in mind the ability to see above and beyond the majority.” 2 I also think of what George Barna said, “Vision is a picture held in your mind’s eye of the way things could or should be in the days ahead.” 3

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) tells us “Where there is no vision, the people perish . . .” Other  translations make it clear that this is referring to a person or people who see something because of having received some kind of communication from God, i.e. “revelation” (NKJV), “guidance” (CEV), “prophetic vision” (ESV). This helps us to conclude that God did not intend for us to have a vision of our future apart from His guidance, revelation, or prophetic insight.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 tells us to write the vision so that we know where we are going. Why? Because the vision will not all happen right away (it will tarry or delay in its coming). Writing down the vision helps us to stay in faith about what God has spoken to us to do.

If you ask people what they want to do in life, many have no answer. When you ask people what their purpose is in life, most cannot tell you. This seems true of Christians as much as it is of those who are not. Most people do not have a one year plan in mind, let alone have it written down. Because of operating this way they have no anchor, and drift along in life on whatever streams of circumstances that they find themselves in.

Many people don’t realize that God has a plan for their life, ministry or church—they’re just trying to survive. Others don’t feel like they can follow God’s plan. Some don’t realize the value of having a vision. Others simply don’t care enough to develop a vision for their life, ministry, and church. Consequently, many individuals, ministers, or churches are not able to step into the future God had planned for them.

As we look at the necessity of having a vision, let me mention five misconceptions that people have:

1. Having a vision is all you need to be successful. Seldom is having one thing all you need to be successful. It’s like looking at an iceberg . . . there’s a whole lot more to a person’s success than what you can readily see. Usually, the visible part of what a person does to have success is a small part of all they really do. So, having a vision is necessary and vital, but realize it is only one of many ingredients you need to be successful.
2. Having a vision means I don’t have to do things other people have to do. Having a vision is no substitute for things like financial management, people skills, Biblical knowledge, or just plain hard work. Some people look at having a vision as being a spiritual experience that eliminates the need for anything else. These type of people should remember the words of Vance Havner, “The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs.”4 We should realize that having a vision often positions a person for the next thing they need to do.
3. Having vision makes you a competent leader. A competent leader will have a vision, but his level of competency is determined by a number of things, especially how he can influence others with the vision he has. A competent leader is able to influence other people to go with him on the same journey to accomplish the desired task. Remember “he who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.” (John C. Maxwell)5
4. Having vision will solve all your problems. In the world of medicine, no one medication will take care of all the things that people have wrong in their body. It’s that way with the rest of the world—there is no cure-all for every problem you encounter. Actually, while implementing a vision, you may encounter problems you didn’t have before!
5. Having vision will automatically cause you to reach new levels in life and ministry. However, in actuality nothing is automatic in life. Having vision will set you up for the next thing you have to do, whether it’s to pray accurately, raise funds, connect with the right people, be at the right place at the right time, or simply what to do next.

The above-mentioned misconceptions are simply that…wrong ideas people have about what vision will do for them. Having pointed out these misconceptions, let me now say that without a vision of what you plan to do, you probably won’t be very successful, be a competent leader, solve all your problems, or reach new levels of life and ministry.

It is a proven fact that people with a vision that they have written out accomplish more than people who do not. Having no vision is like being in a boat with no motor or anchor—simply drifting along with no specific direction in mind. Peter Marshall once said, “Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for – because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.” 6 So, we should realize that having a vision will help you focus on the specific direction you want or need to go.

I can think of five reasons why having a vision on an individual level, a minister level, and a church level is absolutely essential:

1. Vision will help you not be controlled by opinions, obstacles, opposition, or opportunities. This is the challenge that every individual and organization faces—to be who God called them to be and do, regardless of what others think or say. Here I want to be clear about something—I am not advocating that disregarding opinions of others to focus on the vision does away with the need for accountability and submission, and dialogue with others we hold in high esteem is not necessary. Needs arise, and crises come to everyone, but having a vision will guide us through the maze. Everyone has to make choices because of what confronts them; however, every situation should be evaluated in the light of what God has shown for us to be and do. In the midst of many voices and opinions, your vision will point you in the right direction.
2. Vision will strengthen you in your journey. A person with a vision will be empowered to do what others cannot do! Having a picture within or on paper of a desired future will fuel a person’s determination and energize them to keep going when others are ready to quit. People who gaze steadfastly at their God-given vision will also experience a God-given strength to accomplish the assignment. Often there is lots of excitement when a vision is received. However, often there is a significant period of time between the receiving and fulfillment of the vision, and strength is needed every step of the way. The Israelites spent forty years journeying to the Promised Land. It was many years between the time David was anointed to be king of Israel to the time he actually was the king. Paul said in Acts 26:19, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” Paul’s Christian journey was not easy nor comfortable, but Paul declared that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13, NKJV). How was he strengthened in Christ? In part by the visionary, revelational words God spoke to him on the Damascus Road that guided him the rest of his life!
3. Vision will help you do the right things along the way. Every journey is made up of many steps, and every great venture has many tasks. Too often Christians are waiting on God to do something, when in fact, God is waiting for them to identify the next step so they can arrive at the right place and do the right things. So the challenge everyone faces is to know you’re taking the right steps or doing the right thing at the right time in the middle of the journey. One uncorrected step taken in the wrong direction will lead you away from your goal rather than to it. In the middle of the journey, it is easy to lose sight of the intended goal. Each step in the journey is important and necessary. A student must face each test so that he will graduate. A sculptor must make many taps in the right places with the hammer and chisel to bring forth a statue. A writer has to type the right words in order to write a book. A carpenter nails many boards together in the right way to build a house. A farmer plows each furrow properly so the seed can be sown because he wants a harvest. Aubrey Malphurs stated that vision paints “a portrait of what God intends for the ministry to accomplish so all can see it.” 7 A successful journey requires a constant and continued looking at the vision to ensure that at any given point they are on the correct route leading to the desired destination.
4. Vision will help you recognize your destination. Someone once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, anywhere will do.” Recognizing your destination is not difficult when a person has repeatedly seen it in their mind’s eye before they actually get there. Reaching your desired destination is no accident. One does not become a doctor, attorney, chemist, or national politician without a plan. People who achieve great things in ministry do so because they have the desired result in mind long before they get there. They have received communication from God, written an action plan, identified steps in the desired direction, and ended up where God had spoken to them to go. Abraham did not end up at his destination by accident. Moses did not wake up one day at the edge of the Promised Land and wonder how they got there. David’s victory over Goliath was not a fluke—he had taken previous steps in fighting a bear and a lion. Jesus did not appear on earth two thousand years ago because He accidently fell off His seat in heaven and landed on planet Earth. He knew where He came from, why He was here, and where His destination was. God had a vision before the foundations of the world existed to redeem mankind through the shed blood of Christ on Calvary. Jesus never faltered one step, and never lost focus of His desired destination—to be seated at the right hand of God the Father, ever interceding for us!
5. Vision will enable you to please the Lord. Perhaps this is one of the least considered factors in determining what to do with our lives and ministries. All too often ministers and ministries are simply trying to survive the day, stay on the map another year, and pray that Jesus would come quickly. Yet Jesus, in depicting how the kingdom of God would work, told of the nobleman who instructed his servants, “Occupy until I come.” (Luke 19:12-13, KJV). Other translations say “trade” (RV), “do business” (NKJV), or “engage” (ESV). In other words, these servants were to follow the instructions of their master to accomplish specific tasks to reach a desired result. Notice the instructions the nobleman gave to them provided vision for them. In the end each one of them clearly knew whether they had reached the desired goal or not, and consequently, pleased their master. We should all desire to hear the words the nobleman spoke when he returned to his servants, “Well done!” (Luke 19:17, NKJV).

We should all go through this earthly journey with one ultimate goal—to reach a place called heaven. God help us not to lose sight of our future in heaven and just focus on earthly enjoyment or fleshly desires. George Barna stated that “the essence of vision for you, as a Christian, is radical obedience to God’s special calling upon your life.” 8 Having a vision—revelation, prophetic insight, guidance from God—is absolutely essential so that we can see what others cannot yet see, and make plans for a future we have not yet experienced.

 

VISION RESOURCE LIST

BOOKS:

Visioneering, by Andy Stanley, Multnomah Publishers

Developing Vision for Ministry in the 21st Century, by Aubrey Malphurs, Baker Books

The Power of Vision, by George Barna, Regal Books

Timing is Everything, by Denis Waitley, Thomas Nelson

Reaching Your Dreams, by Tommy Barnett, Charisma House

Turning Vision Into Action, by George Barna, Regal Books

Faith Goals, by Dave Williams, Decapolis Publishing

Ministry Momentum, by Wayne Schmidt, Wesleyan Publishing House

How To Reach Your Life Goals, by Peter J. Daniels, Honor Books

Your Road Map For Success, by John C. Maxwell, Thomas Nelson

 

CD SERIES:

The Incredible Power of Vision, by Joe McGee

                                                                
1 Mr. Magoo movie review, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Magoo_
2 Chuck Swindoll, http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Vision-Quotes/
3 George Barna, The Power Of Vision (Ventura: Regal Books, 1992) 29
4 Vance Havner, http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/thematic_quotes/vision_quotes.html
5 John C. Maxwell, Developing the Leader Within You (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1993) 1
6 Peter Marshall, http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Vision-Quotes/
7 Aubrey Malphurs, Developing a Vision for Ministry in the 21st Century (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999) 22
8 George Barna, Turning Vision Into Action (Ventura: Regal Books, 1996) 49

Don’t Be a Blind Magoo – Get a Vision (Part 2)
by Marvin Yoder

Marvin and his wife, Leah, are the founding pastors of LifePointe Church in Mattoon, Illinois. Marvin is a graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center and is also enrolled in the MDiv Program at Oral Roberts University. Marvin has a rich ministerial background, having pastored several churches, working in Christian education, and traveling extensively as an itinerant minister. Prior to starting the church in Mattoon, Marvin was heavily involved in staff at Rhema, serving as an instructor, Dean, and as an Associate Pastor. Marvin has authored several books and study guides, including Movin’ On Up and The Traveling Minister’s Handbook. Marvin and Leah have three children, Christina Anne, Nichole Joy, and Audrey Danielle.

Read Part 1 of this article.

As a kid, I wanted to be a lot of things. For a while I wanted to be a cowboy. Then, I wanted to be an FBI agent until I found out the requirements for being an agent, and I didn’t want to do that anymore. I wanted to be a baseball player, and then I wanted to be a mechanic and work on cars. My ideas of what I wanted to do kept changing as I grew up because of what I heard about these things. Hearing about something is exciting. It creates a desire within you to do or be what you’re hearing about.

I wanted to be somebody…do something…and go somewhere in life. But I found out that wanting to do something isn’t enough. Nothing is automatic in this life. I had to make some decisions. I had to wake up and go do the right things that would cause me to end up being or doing what I wanted to do.

Going through life is not like it’s portrayed in the movies. The comedy movie, Mr. Magoo, depicts Quincy Magoo as having very bad eyesight and consequently getting into a lot of trouble but he finally comes out on top and everything is great. However, in real life, you cannot act like blind Mr. Magoo and expect to come out on top! The truth is, living like that will keep you from reaching your goals and living the life that God has for you. Fulfilling your purpose in life involves understanding the need for a vision and then taking steps to implement that vision into your life and your church or ministry.

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) states that “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” The word “vision” in other translations is “revelation (NKJV), “guidance” (CEV), or “prophetic insight” (ESV). God wants to help you develop a vision for your life, or your business, or your church. God is a great planner—before the foundations of the world He planned out His creation! He also spent around 1,500 years assigning different individuals to write down His vision for mankind and put it into a book called the Bible. You can count on it—every word written in the Bible will come to pass!

The truth is, every person who is considered one of the “great people of the Bible” dared to implement and then act on the vision—revelation, guidance, prophetic insight—that God gave to them. Abraham dared to leave his country to go to another land. Moses became the deliverer of Israel. Noah dared to build a boat according to God’s instructions. David became a king. The disciples became fishers of men. Mary gave birth to the Son of God. Paul became a great missionary for Christ.

Often people get excited when they hear about having a vision but they never implement a vision for their life or ministry. Here are four reasons that contribute to this:

1. It is easier to hear about having a vision than to implement a vision. Life is kind of like a football game—lots of people are excited about football and love to watch the game, but only a few pay the price to practice so they can implement the plays needed to participate in the game. These people are also the only ones who get paid. In any profession, the people who will achieve anything significant are those who actually develop a vision of their future, and then take action steps accordingly. Disillusionment and deception occur when a person hears about something, gets excited about it, and then never does anything to attain it. (James 1:22)
2. Some think that developing a vision would limit what God could do for them. Lots of spiritual, well meaning believers do not focus specifically on what God has planned for them. They often say, “I just want whatever the Lord has for me” or “All things are possible with God.” These people have the wrong idea of how God works. Without implementing a vision, you will experience very little of God’s plan. God’s plan includes certain things for individuals or ministry, and through implementing a vision you can focus on and attain these things.
3. Some people (and churches) are too busy taking care of today’s problems to implement vision for their future. Many people are caught up in the daily grind, only dealing with their immediate problems, and mostly live reactionary to their current circumstances. They never take a portion of today to prepare for their tomorrow. Sadly, these peoples’ future will not be much different from what they have today.
4. Some people or organizations do not want change. Joel Barker stated that “Those with the greatest vested interest in the present paradigm are least likely to see the new paradigm.” 1 Some people are busy defending their present position and are not interested in any kind of change. Other people’s goals are to get all their ducks in a row and keep them that way. But it’s like one person said, “I finally got all my ducks in a row, and then someone shot them.” The truth is, change will happen whether you are prepared for it or not. By implementing vision, you can be properly prepared for change when it happens, and it can lead you to a better life.   

However, you may be one of those people who is excited about having a vision. You see the Biblical pattern of people following a vision. You may have pushed aside any excuses for not following God’s vision for your life. So what do you do next? It’s time to implement the vision into your life and ministry! Here are a few guidelines…

First, Identify Your Mission in Life.

Prayer and seeking God is necessary in the beginning stages of obtaining a godly vision. In this environment the Holy Spirit can communicate with you about your mission in life. Otherwise you may come up with a plan that leaves God out, and you won’t please Him. Ask God to show you why you exist. You need to know why you are here on this planet. Ask God what your calling is, and the purpose of your ministry is.

No one is born an accident in the mind of God. Every person has an assignment to fulfill. No ministry is raised up without God having a certain mission for them to accomplish. Frederick Buechner said, “The place where God calls you is where your deep gladness and the world’s hunger intersect.” 2 On the Damascus Road, God told Paul his mission in life—taking the Gospel to the Gentiles. Paul did not spend his life trying to do something different, or be like someone else. Later he wrote that he obeyed the heavenly vision (Acts 26:19), and that he had finished his course (2 Tim 4:7).

If it’s in your heart to do something or be in ministry, perhaps God gave you those thoughts. Proverbs 16:3 (NKJV) tells us “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” So God will direct your thoughts if you commit yourself to do what He wants. Once you hear from God concerning your purpose in life, write it down. Keep it in front of you and let it be a guiding light that directs your steps.

Next, Create a Dream Sheet of What You Can Visualize.

Next, after identifying your purpose in life, use your imagination to visualize what is needed to fulfill your purpose, and make a list of those items. This is your vision at the present time. Later it may change, but for now it is important that you begin to visualize all you can. Ask yourself some questions like the following. What do you want to do in life? What kind of work does this involve? Where do you have to live to fulfill your mission? How much money will this take? What successful people do you want to meet to help you? What places do you need to see that will provide input into fulfilling your mission? How much education or training do you need to accomplish your mission? What gifts and talents did God deposit within you to help you achieve your mission?

If you’re developing a vision for your church or ministry, make a list about what you can do in your community to fulfill your purpose. Dare to think big—take the attitude that money or resources are no obstacle. What kind of skills and giftings do the people in your organization have? What is positive about your location? What things can you do to change peoples’ lives? How can you reach the people in your community for Christ? How can you show the love of God to them? Instead of waiting for people to come to your church, how can you take the Gospel to the community?  

The important thing is to write these things down. Habakkuk 2:2 (NKJV) tells us “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.” In this setting God had given the prophet a revelation of future things concerning Israel. God told him to write it down, so that people could see it and follow it. Even though it may take awhile, yet it will surely come to pass. In the same way, what God speaks to you may take awhile to happen, but it will happen when you follow it.

As you write your dreams and thoughts on paper, they don’t have to be in a certain order—just get them on paper where you can see it. This makes your thoughts and dreams something real and concrete. Writing them down clarifies them in your mind and gives you a better perspective so you can make the right decisions. Remember, without a written plan not much will happen, and what does happen may be mostly accidental.
 
Actually, this is the way many things work in life. Before houses are built, a blueprint is drawn on paper. For effective production, a company has a written Standard Operating Procedures Manual or a Policies and Procedures Handbook. For cities and towns to be established, they have a city plan and laws written down. For the United States to become a country, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written.
 
Finally, Put Time Lines with Each Item

Once you have your mission written down and made a list of thoughts and dreams, it is time to prioritize them. You cannot do everything at once, but to get started you must identify what to do first. Psalms 37:23 (NKJV) tells us, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord . . .” God leads us step by step into fulfilling our mission in life. He does not expect us to do everything overnight, but He does expect us to get started.

I suggest making four columns and labeling them “One Year Plan”, “Three Year Plan”, “Five Year Plan”, and Twenty Year Plan.” Put every item in your dream list in one of these columns. Now you have taken what you visualized and put them in a time frame of when it could happen. Certain things have to be done in the first year so that the things in the next three or five years can be done. Going someplace is accomplished by a series of steps. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Big things are accomplished by breaking it down into manageable steps.

Denis Waitley states that “successful people are at the right place at the right time to a great extent because they have learned to take certain action steps in proper sequence.” 3 This is especially important in order for your family or church people to follow you when you implement your vision. People can’t accomplish the vision in one giant leap, but they can take sequential steps in the right direction.

Another way to prioritize your dream list is to divide the items into categories under these three questions:

1. What you have to do. These items should be your first priority to do. No ifs, ands or buts . . . you have got to do these things, whether you like to do them or not. These are non-negotiable things you must do just to survive and stay out of trouble.
2. What you should do. This is a list of things that would benefit you and improve your life or organization if you did them. You can basically survive without doing these things but it would improve your life and organization if you did them.
3. What you would like to do. Here is where everyone would like to live, but this is often not the real world. Consequently, these items should be your last priority. No matter what you do in life, there will be things you like to do and things you don’t like to do. Hopefully, developing your vision will enable you to be involved in something where there are more things you like than you dislike.

 
Prioritizing the items on your dream sheet will help you accomplish the right things at the right time. Timing Is Everything, Denis Waitley compares seasons of success with the seasons of the year: winter as a time of planning and dreaming, spring as a time to plant and start new things, summer as a time to continue building and persevering with the things you started, and finally, fall as a time of harvesting the fruit of your labors. In this way the progress of individuals, projects and, organizations is prioritized, and the appropriate actions can be taken at any given time.

Prioritizing can help you identify what is most important and valuable to you and your church or ministry. No matter how you choose to prioritize your dream list, you have to find a way to make sure you get the important things done. E. C. McKenzie stated that “it is extremely easy for us to give our major attention to minor things.” 4 By finding some way to prioritize your dream list, you turn dreams into written goals with a time line in which to achieve it.

In summary, having a vision and implementing it into your life is primarily so that you can please the Lord, and also do something that is satisfying and fulfilling in your heart. You cannot do everything, but God has enabled each one to do something valuable for the kingdom of God, and in so doing, enrich our own lives. George Barna said, “In all cases…a total commitment to God’s vision for your life is the most appropriate and the most honorable course of action.” 5 Let’s go do it!

1 Joel Barker, Leading When God Is Moving, Wayne Schmidt (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 1996) 11
2 Frederick Buechner, Leading When God Is Moving, Wayne Schmidt (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 1996) 27
3 E.C. McKensie, Leading When God Is Moving, Wayne Schmidt (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House 1996) 85
4 Denis Waitley, Timing Is Everything (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1992) 17
5 George Barna, Turning Vision Into Action (Ventura: Regal Books, 1996) 49

Grace: God’s Grace is the Game Changer
Pastor Gerald Brooks

Gerald Brooks is the senior pastor of Grace Outreach Center in Plano, Texas. In addition to pastoring a thriving and vibrant church, Pastor Brooks continues to influence thousands of pastors with teaching on leadership. Check out his web-site. Pastor Brooks recently sent this outline to 1,500 pastors and encouraged them to share it with their congregations.

Grace: God’s Grace is the Game Changer

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Grace is the basis of transformation by which we who were dead in trespasses and sins are made alive.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Grace is God doing for us what we could never do ourselves. When we couldn’t go up there, He came down here.

The doctrine of Grace is simple; God creates possibilities for us that we would never have without Him. 

But every doctrine is followed by principles.

• Speak Grace – Our Words

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

• Serve with Grace – Our Gifts 

1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

• Shout Grace – Our Problems

Zechariah 4:7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.

• Share through Grace – Our Giving

2 Corinthians 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

• Stand in Grace – Our Position

Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

• Sustained by Grace – Our Strength

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

• Secured by Grace – Our Relationship 

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Yet if we are not careful, we can frustrate God’s grace, ignoring that to whom much is given much is required.

Galatians 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

• Grace is not a replacement for growth; We are to grow in Grace.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

• Grace is not a substitute for obedience; God’s grace is not a license for disobedience.

Romans 1:5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

• Grace is not a shortcut for ignoring faithfulness.     

1 Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

The FAB of Follow Up
By Joe Cala

Joe Cala is the author of, “Living Your Life Today – The Fool Proof Way!” and “The Proven Formula of Success!” traveling minister, seminar leader, creator of “The Next Step Visitor Follow-Up System”, contributor of Personal Excellence Magazine and the founder of Joe Cala Ministries. Visit www.calaministries.org and contact Joe at 848-248-0730 or by email at [email protected] to receive a free “Next Step Visitor Follow-Up System” Sample Packet and a Complimentary 30 minute Customized Strategy Session for your Church.

 

 

 

So what in the world does Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS) have to do with Visitor Follow-Up Systems (VFS)?

The Feature (What it is) – An anti-lock braking system, or ABS is a safety system which prevents the wheels on a motor vehicle from locking up (or ceasing to rotate) while braking.

The Advantage (The value it adds to the product) – What is the advantage in having this on your vehicle? The anti-lock braking system was designed to allow the driver the ability to steer around an object while braking. So the primary advantage is the ability to steer the vehicle out of an accident, instead of locking the wheel and skidding into an accident.

The Benefit (The value it adds to you) – How does this benefit you? You are safer, receive reduced insurance rates for safety features and lessen your chances of accidents caused by your brakes locking up and skidding.

The Bottom Line (What it all means) – No matter who the manufacturer of the vehicle is, Anti-Lock Brakes provide the consumer with the peace of mind and knowledge that if they have ABS on their vehicle they will ultimately be safer in an emergency stopping situation.

So what does all this have to do with Visitor Follow-Up? The answer is simple. If I was to tell you that basically every new vehicle that is sold today has ABS brakes and kept going without pointing out the FAB, (Feature, Advantage, Benefit), you probably wouldn’t care whether your car had it or not. However, if I properly tell you and clearly explain the FAB, the Feature (What it is), the Advantage, (The value it adds to the product) and the Benefit, (The value it adds to you), you can now see not only that the vehicle has the feature of ABS but you can also see the importance and value of why you need to have ABS on your vehicle, and why you need to have a vehicle with ABS.

The same is true with Visitor Follow-Up Systems (VFS).

The Feature (What it is) – A Visitor Follow-Up System is used to help churches retain and connect visitors and potential members into lifetime members.

The Advantage (The value it adds to the product – the church) – What is the advantage in having this in your church? The Visitor Follow-Up System is designed to empower the church with the tools necessary to organize the right People, maximize the proper Products, and utilize a prepared Process so that the visitor can escalate into a lifetime member of the church.

The Benefit (The value it adds to you) – How does this benefit you? You as the Pastor receive another person given by God to help fund His mandates, invest their abilities, gifts and talents into your local body and get actively involved in building His church with you.

The Bottom Line (What it all means) – No matter what denominational, inter-denominational or non-denominational church the visitor visits, Visitor Follow-Up Systems provide the pastor and internal leadership with the products, processes and knowledge that are needed to empower them to more effectively escalate visitors into lifetime active members of their church which will ultimately help advance the Kingdom of God and build the local house of God in the area in which it is located.

All Visitor Follow-Up Systems are NOT Created Equal
You see, not all (VFS) Visitor Follow-Up Systems are created equal. When I ask Pastors what they do to follow up with their visitors, the response is very familiar. For the most part I’ll hear pastors tell me that their Follow-Up System to the visitor consists of “A phone call,” “a letter,” and maybe if they’re really aggressive, “a visit to the house to pray with them.” At that point I ask, “now after that week is over and they didn’t come back, now what do you do?”

Most churches today don’t do much after one week. Some go into two weeks with follow-up. Very little go beyond three to four weeks with any kind of Follow-Up. Less than one percent digs into the pile of visitor cards from over a year ago to resend a letter, an email or even make a phone call to re-invite them back to another service again. We have a gold mine of opportunities inside the drawers of past visitors waiting for us to reach back out to them. What if we just sent one email or letter to every visitor who came within the last two years to re-invite them back out to a special service. What if one percent showed up? It’s still one percent more than we had. We can’t lose something we don’t have, so let’s come up with a plan to go back after the ones who didn’t stay and retain these visitors! What does this scripture say to you? Luke 15:4-5 (New King James Version) “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”

The First Time Visitor
It’s time we start realizing that the First-Time Visitor is more than just a part of the announcements. How welcomed and valuable do you think the First Time Visitor will feel if we say, “Sorry, I almost forgot, if this is your first time here please raise your hands, we’d like to welcome you to our service!” The Visitor is your opportunity to grow the church. In the business world you need opportunities to do business in order to do business. In the church world you need visitors to grow the church. The First Time Visitor is a valuable and important part of ministry.

Most so called Follow-Up Systems that I mentioned above have been used and are still being used producing little to no results. From what I’ve seen and researched, there aren’t many Follow-Up Systems that vary in the “How to” aspects of retention. These practices are what most churches that are in existence today have built there growth on. But with these previous follow-up practices the average church has failed to retain 83-90% of the people God sent to visit. In other words, only 10-17% of the visitors that are coming through the church doors are being retained.

In simpler terms, for every 100 people that visit the church, only 10-17 are staying. These numbers are not good. They produce some results, but just because we have produced some results doesn’t mean we have produced the best results possible, right??? Even a broken clock is right two times a day, but that doesn’t mean we should never consider fixing it. An effective Visitor Follow-Up System should arm you with the proper Products, prepared Processes, organization of People and suggestions of Promotions to help you maximize every opportunity to retain your visitors.

Facts to Consider from Dr. Dean Radtke, founder of Ministry Management & Leadership

– The average church fails to meet the needs, disciple and therefore fails to retain 83-90% of the people that God sends to their doors for ministry.

– God’s provision for leaders & finances to accomplish His Great Commission are lost in the 83–90% of people not retained. He sent them. He provided. He funds His mandates. We lost them — many for years before they attend somewhere again. Some never do.

– Most pastors do not know how poor their retention/assimilation rate is & how pathetic their response to the Great Commission.

– Your church is a spiritual hospital. There is a crisis in your emergency room. 83-90% of the people who come to you hurting & searching for help — go home without their needs met.

– The average church in the United States retains 17% of those people God sends them.

– The average pastor has no idea where he stands and what to do about it.

The Importance of Follow-Up
As you consistently follow-up with your visitors, you are keeping yourself, the church and your services in front of them at all times. Follow-up is vital. Businesses constantly follow-up with their first time and existing clientele to maximize every opportunity they can in order to adopt them as their own. As a church we should be that much more diligent to attend to and Follow-Up with God’s people.

As a church we provide a service to the community which we are located in. When a visitor comes into our church they will not be able to see everything the church has for them and their families in only one visit. Their first visit may be their last. This is the reason follow-up is so vitally important. It is our responsibility to do everything in our power to show them our church has everything they need for themselves, their families and their friends. It is so much more than just praying and believing they will come back. Those days are long gone. With the world competing and diligently working on retaining them to its agenda for their lives, we need to equally and even more so work on retaining them to the Lord’s agenda for their lives.

James 2:17 (New International Version) “…In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

If we do not put any corresponding actions to our believing that they will come back than our believing is powerless. If we really believe they will come back than let’s follow-up with them through contacting them by email, letter, phone calls, text and in person.

Through these follow-up processes we will be providing to our visitors and potential members our service times, staff member information, contacts, ministry opportunities, outreaches, testimonials, uplifting & encouraging messages, feedback questionnaires, updates on events, video emails, community involvement and importance of membership to our local church.

From Visitor to Lifetime Member
Referring back into the business world, I have sat in meetings where we would look at ways to recapture clients who have not been in the store for over a year. A business will not think it to be strange to spend thousands of dollars a month to go back after these clients. They want you to become their client, buy their products and utilize their services for a lifetime and not only one time. They see the value of every person to their company and will invest whatever it takes to win them over again. How much more should we be focusing our efforts towards Gods kingdom and His people?

Proverbs 27:23 (New International Version) “Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.”

We may not be in the business world but we are in the Family Business! Church is the Father’s Business that we are apart of and have been called into. What about us? What are we doing to recapture a church member who has been missing in action for over a year? Is there a plan to go after them, or are we comfortable with the numbers and people we have? Do we really care about these people as God does? Are we doing everything in our power and resources to influence their lives for Jesus? If we do not have any plan than how can we expect any results? We need not be complacent any longer. God wants us to use the resources we have to reach His people for Christ. Time is short and God is a God of order who expects us to have a plan in place to retain and account for the people He sends to us.

We hope that they’ll see enough to convince them to stay and hear the Word and realize that this is where God has called them. Some may be in tune enough to know that this is where they need to go to church, but mostly others will walk out the church doors and have the weight of the world and the craziness of life distract them and overwhelm them so much to make them not remember to come back and forget how good they felt and how powerful the message was when they were there.

So it’s so important that we do what we can to seek and save those who are lost, floating around and not connected to a local body. The visitor is the reason the doors are opened. We want visitors to come but once they come we want to make sure we do everything possible to help them see that they should come back and stay.

Here’s a question for you to consider. If I were a visitor why should I come to your church? Write down 5 reasons. Are they good enough? Do they speak to meeting the needs of the people visiting?

Here’s another question I’m going to ask. If I were a visitor why wouldn’t I want to come to your church? Write down 5 possibilities you can think of. What would hold me back from ever visiting your church?

A first time visitor only has one visit to determine whether they want to come back for a second time. If you only have one chance to let them see the full impact of your ministry than what are you showing them? Are you showing them that your church has an atmosphere of love and acceptance? Are you showing them that they can fit in here? Are they seeing that they can be included? Or do they feel that they were never really welcomed at all?

Pray for clear direction and the right People to put in place to manage and run a prepared Process, utilizing every Product possible to help retain every visitor the Lord sends to your church in 2010!

To receive a free “Next Step Visitor Follow-Up System” Sample Packet and a Complimentary 30 minute Customized Strategy Session for your Church contact me today.

 

First Impressions: Saving Souls Begins with Clean Restrooms
By John R. LaBruzzo CHA

Known for his entrepreneurial and intuitive management style which has created value and profitability for clients and company’s alike, John LaBruzzo brings thirty plus years of leadership experience to hospitality rooms and food and beverage operations, new project development and staff training and development in his consulting practice. With a functional speciality in food and beverage concepting and development; John has opened nine notable hotels from the ground up during his career as either General Manager or Development Team member. Among them, the Waverly in Atlanta, the Ritz Carlton in Washington, DC, The Peabody in Orlando and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels in Orlando, Florida..

John is an expert on the dynamics of “brand in-culturation” that takes the promise of the operating brand and translating that promise into sustainable programs and techniques at the operating level. These programs and techniques are presented in either onsite training programs for staff and management or delivered via a series of direct application consulting initiatives to return properties to former product and performance levels. John’s focus in the “brand in-culturation” segment of his consulting practice is made relevant in that his platform is one of direct experience and involvement as a General Manager charged with opening new hotels or turning ailing ones around.

John has earned the coveted CHA designation of the American Hotel and Lodging Association and has presented programs on hospitality leadership at the major hotel schools around the country.

Back in the day when Frank Borman was the President and CEO of Eastern Airlines there were abundant stories of his rampages with senior and junior managers on the never-ending quest to pursue excellence and to build the traveling public’s confidence in the then floundering airline.

Maybe it was Borman’s military background or the time he spent in the space program; either way he never was known as a leader that allowed for the integrity of the big picture to be diminished by the inconsistency of small details gone astray… witness if you will the exchange between Borman and some of his managers when he was trying to make the point that passengers needed to be able to have a sense of confidence in the quality of the airlines maintenance efforts…

Borman, using an airline cabin as a classroom, proceeded to demonstrate his point as he pulled down one of the service trays from a seat back to reveal to the astonishment of the assembled management cadre that the surface of the tray had not seen any cleaning since the plane had landed from its flight… the surface of the tray was stained with the spilled residue of coffee and meals past… Bormans’ anger and elevated tone of voice was not intended to be a lecture on the necessity for cleaning the tray surfaces between flights… it was meant to demonstrate that the lack of cleanliness in this small detail when viewed by the passenger was tantamount to an indictment of Eastern Airlines overall maintenance program… or the lack of it!

This lapse in detail was the visible breaking of an unspoken bond between passenger and airline that the airline would do everything to make sure that the passengers would be safe. Eastern Airlines made sure that its pilots were competent and their planes were well maintained. Dirty seat trays could be misconstrued by the passengers to mean that Eastern Airlines was going soft on taking care of their airplanes… the impression of not taking care of the trays could easily have said that Eastern didn’t bother to maintain the hydraulic brake lines either.

First impressions are lasting impressions… and if you take that first impression apart… whatever it might be, you would find that the composite of that first impression was gathered around a series of sometime separate impressions… individually they might tell a singular story, but when viewed on an end-to-end basis, they read like a novel. Needless to say you want those first impressions of your church to read like a classic and not a horror story.

Getting ready for Sunday service is daunting… sermon, songs, prayers and microphones, video cameras and lights… the order of service must be perfect! But what about the parking lot, the front drive, the carpet in the lobby and the area underneath the pews… and how about those restrooms? Neat, clean, supplied, everything working? Not too dissimilar from Chairman Borman’s rant about the seat trays not being clean, a church whose housekeeping and maintenance are spotty will surely give rise to faulty first impressions.

Eastern Airlines had a marvelous service tagline… ”At Eastern we earn our wings every day!” When the thousands of EAL employees saw this tagline or heard it spoken in advertising; they knew that their culture demanded that they never accept anything less than product and service excellence from themselves… this culture set a high value on creating and maintaining a solid first impression.

Doing the Lord’s work should carry with it no less stringent a demand for the delivery of a solid first impression to those who come to your church whether it is for the first or the five hundredth time. Our God is a God of order… what he created for us shows a lot of thought and execution… can we aspire as a church to do no less in the way we prepare for our guests on Sunday morning. Earning your “wings” everyday at your church begins with knowing what are the series of impressions you want to create on a consistent basis, documenting what processes you need to have in place to deliver that impression… training your staff to put it together (make sure you know what it is supposed to look like when it is done so you can communicate clearly to the staff)… and lastly inspecting what you expect.

Some years ago when I first became a hotel General Manager, a mentor of mine told me that the great GM’s knew how to do a lot of things well, but the really great GM’s knew how to do simple things well ….and often!

Making sure that all of your first impression triggers are in place this Sunday morning will speak volumes about the quality of your church and the fact that you were expecting your guest. God bless you.

Does Your Church Need a Financial Check-up?
By Mark Helland

Mark Helland, CPA is a partner with the public accounting firm of Elliott, Dozier and Helland, PC which is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mark specializes in audit and tax related issues for church and ministry clients across the United States. Mark’s firm works with hundreds of churches and ministries across the U.S. and is available for assistance on this issue. To contact Mark on this topic or for assistance on any other tax, accounting or church audit and compliance need, Mark can be contacted via email at [email protected] or by phone at (888) 893-1259 or (918) 488-0880.

Our church needs an audit! That is the phone call that I have received so many times from pastors and churches across the country during my career. In most instances, this call is the result of one of the following events or “triggers”:

1. the church is trying to obtain financing or already has outside bank financing and the bank is requiring some level of financial review,
2. fraud has occurred in the church and/or
3. the church congregation is questioning the use of church funds, etc.

While some churches have made it a policy to have some level of financial review or “check-up” on an annual basis, the three situations noted above seem to prompt the need for help from an outside CPA firm in many cases. What I seem to find in many cases is that pastors, church business administrators and church board members many times don’t fully understand what “an audit” entails or if this is really the level of service that they even need. This article will hopefully help give pastors, churches and ministries a quick synopsis of the menu of financial “check-ups” that are available and the level of service offered for each one.

A comprehensive set of financial statements with footnotes is perhaps the best way to evaluate a church or ministry’s performance and, from a lender’s perspective, to determine its ability to repay debt. Generally speaking, there are two types of financial statements – audited and un-audited. Audited financial statements are those statements that have been examined by an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm, who has expressed their professional opinion of the organization. The CPA firm is bound by generally accepted auditing standards and "General Accepted Accounting Principles" (“GAAP”). GAAP is essentially a very complex set of rules as to how financial information should be reported and how financial transactions should be recorded. Un-audited financial statements contain no such professional opinion of the organization’s compliance with GAAP and to some degree this limits their usefulness for a lender to evaluate the financial health of the organization. Following is a more comprehensive explanation of the three levels of service.

Financial Statement Audits
Audited financial statements provide the highest degree of assurance to financial statement users, but this is also the most expense alternative to a church or ministry. In an audit, an independent CPA firm uses various techniques to verify the accuracy of the information in the financial statements, and then expresses an opinion on the fairness of the financial statements. The CPA firm provides written assurance that financial reports are ‘fairly presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Audit standards also require that the internal controls of the organization be evaluated in order to assess control risks present within the organization. For many churches, internal controls are most likely insufficient, so this is a critical factor of an audit that is not present for a review or a compilation. The final product of an audit is a set of financial statements with full footnotes that explain many key aspects of the financial statements and the nature of the organization and its policies. Additionally, a report is issued to management which details any internal control deficiencies that were noted during the audit and corrective measures that should be implemented.

Financial Statement Reviews
Reviewed financial statements provide a much lower degree of assurance as opposed to audited financial statements, albeit at a much lower cost. During a review, the CPA firm makes inquiries and performs analytical procedures, which allows the CPA firm to express limited assurance that it is not aware of any material changes that should be made to the financial statements for them to be in accordance with generally accepted accounting policies. For example, during a review a CPA firm would likely ask management how inventory quantities are determined, as compared to audit procedures for inventory which would include observation of the taking of physical inventory. Additionally, there is no formal consideration of internal controls and the documentation of weaknesses as noted in an audit. While a review does not provide the same degree of assurance as an audit, the form of the financial statements and footnotes issued are essentially the same as those issued in an audit and some financial statement users may find it to be an acceptable alternative.

Financial Statement Compilations
Compiled financial statements provide no assurance whatsoever to financial statement users, and generally a compilation does not include the statement of cash flows or footnotes to the financial statements. In a compilation, the role of the CPA firm is to simply assist management in preparing the financial statements. The CPA firm is not obliged to verify the information that is presented, nor is it obliged to offer any level of assurance as to whether the financial statements meet any of the professional standards. In a compilation, the CPA firm only agrees to present the financial statements in the appropriate format and make certain that the data presented is in the correct format and is clerically accurate. Compilations are obviously the cheapest alternative of the three financial statement presentation alternatives.

Agreed Upon Procedures Engagements
Agreed upon procedures engagements do not provide a set of financial statements or footnotes and basically are a specialized engagement whereby an organization can enlist the help of a CPA firm to investigate and report on a specified issue. For example, a church might ask a CPA firm to see whether or not their church’s internal controls over its offering count procedures are adequate or whether or not the church is in compliance with major IRS requirements for non-profit organizations. In other words, all that the CPA firm reports on in this type of engagement is the pre-defined issue(s) that is of concern to the organization. We sometimes refer to more broad scope engagements as a “church compliance” engagement where many issues can be addressed, without any financial statements being issued.

Ultimately, it is up to each church or ministry to determine what is the best fit to them in terms of cost and to define who the financial statement users are and what their requirements or needs might be. For smaller churches and ministries, we generally recommend either a compilation or preferably a review. The cost of an audit can be significant and if the church’s lender is amenable to compilation or review this can be the more cost effective way to go. While the church or ministry would forgo the additional assurance and consideration of internal controls that an audit affords, it may be possible to specifically target areas of concern by pairing a lower cost agreed upon procedures engagement with the compilation or review. For example, if controls over a specific church function are a concern, the church could enlist an independent CPA firm to specifically address these controls rather than considering ALL controls of the organization.

For larger churches or ministries, we strongly recommend an audit or at a minimum, a review engagement. While the definition of “large” is somewhat vague and hard to pinpoint, I would consider any church with over five hundred members to be relatively large. For this type of church or ministry, it is important to stay ahead of the curve and make sure that financial statements are accurate. I have seen many cases where the church had a sudden need for financing and the church had never had the financial statements examined by an external CPA firm. In the majority of these cases, there were significant problems that had gone unnoticed for years and the cost of performing the engagement was much higher and/or the lender was “surprised” or not impressed with the financial health of the organization. Additionally, it is very important for the church congregation to have confidence that the church’s financial statements are strong and that the church is operating as a good steward of their contributions. An outside audit or review performed by a CPA firm can provide this level of assurance and confidence. Given the present state of the economy, we would predict that information requirements will only continue to increase in future years and that churches and ministries should prepare themselves for these new realities. Our firm provides audit, review, compilation and agreed upon procedures engagement services to dozens of churches and ministries across the United States and we feel count ourselves as blessed to serve you and help you accomplish your goals!

 

This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is shared with the understanding that neither the author nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional services. Laws and regulations are continually changing, and can vary according to location and time. No representation is made that the information herein is applicable for all locations and times. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

© Tony Cooke Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

Five Ways to Fight Fraud in Your Church or Ministry Organization
By Mark Helland, CPA

Mark Helland, CPA is a partner with the accounting firm of Elliott, Dozier and Helland, PC which is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For further information on this topic, Mark’s firm has a short report on basic fraud prevention tactics which is available to you at no cost. Mark can be contacted via email at [email protected] or by phone at (918) 627-2286.

“A church should be run like a business.” In my nearly twenty years of performing audits and reviews of churches and ministries, if I had a nickel for every time I have heard that comment I could be residing on a tropical island somewhere! From my experience, the comment has a kernel of truth to it in some respects, but as we all know it is not accurate in many other respects. However, there is one area where church and ministry organizations should be run like business organizations and that is in the area of internal controls over financial reporting.

Maintaining strong and effective internal controls is critical for all organizations, regardless of for-profit or non-profit status and regardless of size. Unfortunately, financial fraud (i.e. embezzlement, misappropriation of funds, etc.) is a fairly common crime in America and religious organizations are certainly not immune from the occurrence of this crime. There are many reasons for the continued growth of financial fraud. Fraud typically initially takes place due to extreme financial stress on an employee’s life as a result of certain life events (i.e. high amounts of debt, divorce, addictions such as gambling, etc.). However, from my experience the major reason why financial fraud continues to grow is that the perpetrators, even if caught red-handed, are rarely prosecuted. I have personally worked with many organizations who have been victimized by dishonest accounting employees and I have seen only one situation where the employer was actually able to get local law enforcement to vigorously prosecute the offender. In many cases, local law enforcement has “bigger fish to fry” and either requires an impossible amount of documentation of the theft or is simply not interested. The end result usually is that the fraudster is not prosecuted, is not bound to make any form of reparation to the organization and the record of the fraudster in effect remains clean. This invariably allows the fraudster to move on to the next organization to do the same thing again and in many cases, it has emboldened them to commit even greater acts as they feel as if they are bullet proof.

A strong internal control structure has many components, but following are some very effective, low-cost ways that you can strengthen internal controls and keep your organization safe from fraud:

1. Control access to bank statements.

Never allow an individual who has direct access to bank accounts (i.e. access to blank check stock, check signing authorization, reconciling the bank statement, etc.) to initially receive and open the monthly bank statement(s). This is one of the easiest ways for fraud to go undiscovered as the images of checks that were unauthorized or forged are initially being received by the person that committed the act. Even if the bank statement were to be subsequently reviewed by someone else, the individual who received the bank statement could have removed or altered certain check images or data to hide transactions.

The good news is that there is a very easy solution to this problem. Simply change the mailing address on all bank statements to the address of a trusted individual such as a senior pastor, administrative pastor or better yet, a board member or deacon. The key factor here, is the individual that you choose should be someone who does not have any access to the organization’s bank accounts – in effect, the individual should be a neutral third party who is “auditing” the monthly bank statements for irregularities. The designated individual should then look for irregularities such as checks made payable to unusual or unapproved vendors, unauthorized check signors, forged signatures of authorized signors, payroll checks to unknown employees, payroll checks to employees for the wrong amounts, etc. If you can only implement one step from this article, implementing this step will greatly enhance your organization’s internal controls.

2. Require dual signatures on checks for larger dollar amounts.

Ideally, all checks would have dual signatures by authorized check signors, but this is just not realistic in a fast-moving, dynamic church or ministry environment. A more realistic policy is to require that any check over a certain amount, for example $1,000, be signed by two people. Ideally, the two authorized signors of “large” checks should be the individual in charge of finance and accounting and a board member. Furthermore, the board member chosen to co-sign large checks should not be the same board member selected to review bank statements as listed in the previous point. I recognize that this is a bit cumbersome and may require a degree of coordination, but that is kind of the point. Large checks should require a greater degree of thought and consideration before they go out the door.

3. Restricted funds need extra tracking and caution.

One of my biggest “pet peeves” as an auditor is when restricted funds are co-mingled with unrestricted funds. Donations that have been designated for a restricted purpose by the donor should never be deposited into a bank account with unrestricted funds. If your church or ministry receives restricted donations, a separate bank account should be maintained specifically for these funds. These donations can then be tracked and payments can be made directly out of this account for the restricted purpose(s). Depositing restricted funds in an account with unrestricted is dangerous as it is far too easy to “forget” that these funds were restricted by the donor for a certain purpose.

4. Make sure that payroll taxes are being paid.

The most critical payment that your organization can make on a monthly basis is the payment of payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and state and local tax authorities. If you want to get in trouble quickly, failing to make a payroll tax deposit or failing to make such payments timely is the best way to do it. The penalties for any mistakes in this area are enormous and the IRS is becoming much less forgiving of errors in this area. This is also an area where the fraudsters that I mentioned earlier love to operate. Rather than remitting the payroll taxes to the tax authorities, a frequent fraud is to instead remit these amounts to a shell company or organization that they have formed. The check made payable to “IRS” which they provided to you for signature can easily be changed to FIRST ROOFING, LLC or FIRST FEDERAL BANK, etc. Your best bet here, especially if your organization is small, is to outsource your payroll to a third party provider such as Paychex , ADP or a local CPA firm where you can be sure that the payroll is being done correctly and that all deposits are being made. The cost for this type of service is minimal as compared to the payroll costs of keeping an employee on staff. If you do decide to have your payroll done in house, again make sure that someone is “auditing” the payroll function to make sure that all payroll tax deposits are being remitted correctly and timely.

5. Place a priority on the accounting and finance function.

From my experience in working with churches and ministries, many seem to greatly underestimate the importance of the accounting and finance function. It is a widespread practice for accounting and finance employees in churches and ministries to be paid far below the “market” rate for their skills. Further, in is not uncommon for churches to require that all employees also be church members. I have no problem with this requirement per se, but this requirement combined with below market compensation greatly diminishes the pool of qualified, desirable candidates. Accounting is a complex area and while anyone can call themselves an accountant or bookkeeper, very few truly understand the intricacies of balance sheets, income statements and statements of cash flows. Consider increasing compensation levels for key accounting and finance employees and I am confident that your church or ministry will have much better, more qualified candidates from which to select.

 

This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is shared with the understanding that neither the author nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional services. Laws and regulations are continually changing, and can vary according to location and time. No representation is made that the information herein is applicable for all locations and times. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

© Tony Cooke Ministries, Inc. All Rights Reserved