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But it was just a little white lie…

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This post is based on material from Dave Anderson’s book, How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK. It is the first post in a series of five in which we will address common character issues for leaders. Our first character issue is the little white lie.

white lie

Just A White Lie?

“But it was just a little white lie, right?”

How many times have you heard (or thought) this? I know we have all told someone they looked good when, in fact, they may not have. Maybe you told someone you liked their haircut or their new pair of shoes. You get the idea. I am not here to argue that point. I want to know if this behavior is okay in your business. Is it okay to tell white lies as a Christian in business?

Let’s try another line with which you may be more familiar…

“Who is it?…Just tell them that I am not here.”

If you have an assistant or receptionist, I am sure you have said something like this before. If not, congratulations! If so, can you justify saying something like this when you know it is not true? If your people see or hear you saying things like this, what effect do you think it has on their opinion of you? What effect does it have on their own behavior? If it is left unchecked, what behavior does it eventually lead to?

The white lie is so common in our world that most people do not even realize they are telling one. It can take many forms. Some of these may seem harmless (or even helpful) at the time. Some of them are a little more dangerous, but they are justified as being safer than telling the truth (at least at that moment!). Regardless of the rationalization, I think we need to take a long, hard look at this topic.

What Is The Expectation?

So what are we to do as Christian business owners and leaders? What is the expectation of us?

Well, as you probably guessed, I think we need to turn to the Bible for our answer. If we look at Ephesians 4:25, we will see the following verse:

Therefore, putting away all lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

Obviously, I could point to many other verses that make it clear that we are not to lie, but to tell the truth. This is God’s expectation of us. It is not dependent upon circumstances or conditions. It does not apply only to some people, but to all who claim the name of Jesus.

Good Advice

In How To Run Your Business By The Book, Dave Anderson gives the following key advice:

  1. Tell the truth even when it is not easy, cheap, popular, or convenient.

  2. Tell the truth because it is right, it pleases God, it protects your personal integrity, and honors, rather than diminishes, everyone who hears what you say.

  3. Never, ever ask someone to sin for you by instructing them to lie on your behalf. This is an abuse of your power, position, relationship, and friendship and can destroy your witness as a Christian.

I will leave you with this verse from Luke 16:10…

Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much.

I encourage you to start watching what you say. Increase your awareness of your words and make sure you are not falling into this trap.

Have you been guilty of little white lies?

Do you see the danger in where they lead?

What is your plan to change this behavior?

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When Should You Say No?

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In a previous post about the Pitfalls of Running A Christian Business, one of the specific pitfalls I mentioned was that many people think a Christian business should never say no to anything! They evidently believe that having a Christian philosophy means we should agree to help anyone with any cause they have. I am not sure of the basis for this feeling, but I have seen it repeatedly exhibited since we began to attempt to integrate our faith into our business.

say no

WHY Say No?

Before we look at WHEN you should say no, let’s answer another question – one that is central to this post. WHY should you say no to some opportunities? I mean, within reason, shouldn’t we always be prepared to help others? If we say no, are we not turning away those in need? If we say no, are we not missing some good opportunities to impact people?

The truth is we are. When we say no to some opportunities, we are turning some away that are in need and we are missing some good opportunities to impact people. The problem for most people is that they cannot see that it is critical to say no to some good opportunities in order to be available to take advantage of the best opportunities.

Good vs. Great?

Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, said that good is the enemy of great. He says we have too few great schools because we have too many good ones. We do not have enough great businesses because we have too many good ones. The same goes for churches, organizations, etc. The problem is that too many people and organizations settle for being good rather than striving for being great!

Rather than saying “Yes!” to every good opportunity that comes along, we should instead save our efforts for the best ones. Rather than spreading ourselves too thin by taking on every good project, we should focus on those that are the best. In this way we are maximizing our effectiveness. We are also leaving those “good” opportunities to someone else that may have a “best” fit with them.

What Next?

So, let’s say you get this philosophy and you agree with it. Now you want to know what to do next. How do you take this philosophy and execute in the Christian business? How do you apply this to your life as a Christian leader?

Let’s look at a few key steps in this process.

    2. Determine your mission

      In what area(s) are you going to focus? What is your purpose?

    3. Determine your resources

      How much time, money, effort, etc. do you have to give to your various roles?

    4. Build in some cushion

      Do not forget to build in some cushion or margin when determining available resources. You should maintain this margin for those times you underestimate a need or when you simply cannot say no!

    5. Be proactive

      Don’t sit and wait on the best opportunities to come to you. Go find them! Create them! Begin investing your resources for an eternal return!

You can use this same list as your litmus test for opportunities that come your way. Does this opportunity fit your gifts? Is it within your mission’s area of focus? Do you have the resources to take it on? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you should think hard about saying no to the opportunity.

Still Unsure?

If you are still unsure, ask yourself this question. If the opportunity fits at least two of these criteria, is it important enough to you that you would be willing to spend some of your cushion in the third category in order to take it on? Sometimes there are simply reasons we know we should not say no. If we have the margin to spend, it can sometimes make sense to say yes.

What first came to mind when you thought about something you should have declined?

Have you had a successful experience saying no?

What are the obstacles to you saying no?

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How Do You Become A Ministry Superstar?

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Average is all around us. If you don’t believe me, just take a look around and see what you find. It is simply uncommon to see a superstar, someone performing at levels that most people think are beyond their own reach. Whether you are looking at sports teams, businesses, schools, or churches, average is just too common. So what does it take to break from average and become a ministry superstar?

ministry superstar

In my last post, I talked about how our desire to be an impact player is often not matched up with our preparation. So many people want to be great, but are not willing to pay the price. Others may be willing, but not sure what to do.

I will not even attempt to tell you everything you could do to prepare for greatness. I will instead share three simple, common traits most often found in those people who have shown greater consistent impact in ministry. Buck Jacobs, founder of the C12 Group, calls these people “ministry superstars.” These three traits come from his observations during his decades of experience working with Christian business leaders.

A God-focused Mission Statement

The first trait of Buck’s ministry superstars is that they have a God-focused mission statement. Regardless of the size of the organization, those with a mission statement that honors God have greater ministry impact. The same is true for businesses or individual leaders. As I described in a previous post, mission statements capture the organization’s purpose or fundamental reason for existing. A God honoring mission statement sets the path toward greater ministry impact.

They Lead!

The second characteristic of ministry superstars is that they lead! Ministry superstars recognize that ministry does not just happen. They know they cannot sit around and wait on ministry opportunities to come to them. They are intentional with their time, talents, and treasure. They know what they are to be doing and they do it. They also enlist others in the effort. These ministry superstars draw others to them because of their focus.

Intimate Daily Quiet Time With God

The final trait of Buck’s ministry superstars is that they have an intimate daily quiet time with God. This is not a quick verse-of-the-day calendar and prayer-headed-out-the-door type of quiet time. This is not a once or twice a week devotional reading when the mood strikes.

No, the ones who consistently make the greatest impact in ministry are those who spend consistent quality time with their Creator. God is personal and wants a personal relationship with each of us. He has given us His Word and told us to hide it in our hearts. Jesus lived as our model in this as he did nothing other than what He heard from the Father. He could only do this if He spent regular time in prayer. We are to do the same.

While this is certainly not the only way to spend quiet time with God every day, Buck offers the following structure as an option.

    1. 30 minutes reading the Bible (always include a Gospel chapter)
    2. 15 minutes reading marketplace ministry materials
    3. 15 minutes in prayer
    4. 15 minutes to journal

Ministry Superstar?

If these three traits are supposed to be indicators of ministry superstar potential, do they match up with Scripture? I would consider the Greatest Commandments and the Great Commission to be our Scriptural benchmarks. When I compare Buck’s three traits to these mandates, I think they fit. As we said earlier, this is certainly not an exhaustive list of traits. At the same time, I believe we would do well to start here and make continuous progress.

What does your quiet time look like?

Do you lead or do you wait for ministry to happen?

Is your mission statement God-focused?

What do you need to change today?

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Are You an Impact Player?

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An impact player is someone who changes the game when he or she steps onto the court. You know the kind I am talking about. When it appears they may have been injured, the crowd gasps! The team does not want to lose them, even for a short time. These are the players that we all strive to be in our fields…at least that is what we say.

impact playerRecently, my daughters tried out for and made the local middle school girls basketball team. Now they are athletic, but they have not actually played organized basketball in several years. Soccer has been their dominant sport. In soccer, they have been impact players for years!

My Surprise

Last night, I watched something that surprised me. Last night was their first basketball game of the season. I truly do not know what I was expecting to see. Maybe I thought it would be a slight step ahead of the last time I saw them play (when they were 7, now they are 12). Maybe, I just pictured a cute game of basketball because dad’s think that way about their daughters. Regardless, I did not see what I was expecting to see.

Not Prepared

I witnessed a game that was MUCH faster paced and more aggressive than I ever imagined! I was blown away. Because my girls had not played organized ball in several years, they were told to watch the first game and get a feel for the flow. I am glad he held them out of this game. They were simply not prepared. Neither was I!

After the game, we talked. They were frustrated with not being starters and not even getting to play. We discussed what they needed to do to catch up. They are so athletic and competitive that they can if they put their mind to it. Each of them can be an impact player!

Preparation To Come

Fortunately, we also have a friend that was a hometown hero and star on her high school girls basketball team. She still holds scoring records there after more than ten years! She has agreed to spend some time with my daughters, giving them some one-on-two coaching. She knows what to do and I believe they can do it. It will take work on their part, but I know they can pull it off.

What Is The Point?

So, what is the point to all of this? My point is that many of us go to work every day expecting to make a difference. If you are a regular reader of this blog, then I assume you also go to work hoping to impact people there for eternity. I will assume we all want to be an impact player that makes a difference in God’s Kingdom when we step into our everyday roles.

Let me ask you this…if that is the case, how are you doing at your preparation? What does your quiet time with God look like? How much time every day are you spending with your Lord to grow spiritually so you can fight the battle at the level it is being fought around you?

Results Without Preparation?

Would it have been reasonable for me or my daughters to have expected starting positions on the basketball team with little to no real preparation? Is it reasonable for you or me to expect different results in life?

How is it that so many people can go out on a day to day basis, expecting to change the world for Jesus, without spending significant time in Bible study, prayer, and one-on-one seeking of God’s will?

I guess it is understandable when we occasionally get off track and skip our quiet time or let it get stale. I know none of us are perfect.

Impact Player?

What is not understandable is when we are shocked at the results we see! We are genuinely surprised when we trip and fall into temptation. We are stunned when things begin to unravel around us. We just don’t understand why the people we want so desperately to reach will not listen to what we have to say. Is this consistent with being an impact player?

How can this be?

In my next post, I will give you some suggestions on how to power up your ministry impact! In the meantime, I am going to leave you with these questions.

On a scale of 1-10, how would God rate your quiet time with Him? Consider quantity and quality!

If your score is less than you think He would like it to be, what are you going to do about it?

What is your very next step?

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How To Measure Spiritual Value Added

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spiritual valueAs owners or leaders in Christian businesses, we should be looking at our businesses from an eternal perspective. Profitability is a must and team development is critical to our success, but the impact we have on eternity (spiritual value) should be our primary concern. Quite simply, nothing else will last.

Spiritual Value Added

When all is said and done and we stand in judgment, nothing material from this world will count. Only what we have done that survives the fire will matter. While there are no metrics that fully capture this eternal impact we desire, I believe we must do the best we can to track our efforts in this area. Let’s look at Spiritual Value Added (SVA) from C12’s Tri-Value model.

As the final component of the Tri-Value Model from the C12 Group, SVA consists of three elements (a.k.a. “The Three S’s”)”

    1. Salvation – those coming to know Jesus for the first time
    2. Sanctification – helping believers to grow or be strengthened in their faith
    3. Service – giving money or service to those in need, especially the “least among us”

Each of these elements requires different actions from us. Each has different results that we can expect. If we are serious about evaluating our performance from an eternal perspective, then we need to measure both our actions and the results they produce. We need to do this for each of The Three S’s!

Salvation

Let’s first look at Salvation. The first thing we must realize about this element is that we cannot make it happen! Nothing we can do will save anyone…that is the job of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, we certainly can make sure that we are spreading the Word – teaching people about the gospel message. Here are a couple of examples of when this could happen:

    1. Chaplain is given permission by employee to share the reason for his faith
    2. Gospel-centered devotion is shared with all employees
    3. Gospel is shared at company-sponsored Boy’s & Girls Club Christmas party
    4. New Testament given as gift after a transaction with a customer

Rate you and your team are doing in this area on a 1-10 scale compared to your potential. You will also want to have a system to gather the results – those who actually turned their lives over to Jesus. This is probably the most difficult to track because you may never find out about some decisions. Other times you may have just planted the seed and someone else will be there to see it harvested. Regardless, start counting those you are aware of and see what happens.

Sanctification

The next “S” is Sanctification. The activities in this area can range from Bible studies or classes offered to employees, customers, or anyone you choose. Any work done to teach, strengthen, or support believers in their walk with Christ should be counted here. Some examples include:

    1. Lunch-and-Learn video series offered to employees, customers, vendors
    2. Small group studies held at lunch or before/after work
    3. Classes offered to employees and their families on financial or marriage issues

Again, rate you and your team on a 1-10 scale compared to your potential. For the results in this area, you want to count how many people participated.

Service

The final “S” is Service. There are many ways you and your team can give to those in need. Get creative and include as many employees as possible. While it may be easier to just write a check at the end of the year and be done with it, you will miss incredible blessings if you do. here are some examples:

    1. Sponsor a Thanksgiving meal at a local shelter & enlist employees to volunteer
    2. Sponsor a team of employees in a local event like the March of Dimes walk-a-thon
    3. Sponsor a kids organization with Christmas toys & let employees do the shopping!

Rate yourselves on a 1-10 scale the same as before, comparing your actions with your potential. The results here are fairly easy to track. Whether you count the money given in dollars or percent of net profit, either works. I would also count the number of man-hours your employees log.

So there it is – Spiritual Value Added – the final component of the Tri-Value model series. Get started evaluating your performance and let me know how you are doing. If you are at all disappointed at your current performance, remember this is not a sprint! Just decide to make a change for the better and get on your horse and ride!

Looking back over all three assessments (TVA, EVA, SVA), where are you the weakest?

What will it take for you to see improvement when you do this assessment again next year?

What is your first step?

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How To Measure Economic Performance With Added Value

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With all of the metrics available to a business owner or leader today, how are you supposed to know which ones are the most important? Which are the best indicators of your economic performance as the leader of your business? I do not believe you can completely boil all possibilities down to one measurement that tells the whole story. At the same time, by measuring the economic added value to your business from year to year, I think you can get most of the picture.

added value

Added Value

This is the third post in a series on the C12 Group‘s Tri-Value model for measuring the performance of the leadership in a business. In the first post, I did an overview of the Tri-Value model and its purpose. In the second post, we looked at Team Value Added component of the model. Here, in the third post, we will focus on Economic Value Added (EVA) component.

Simply put, EVA measures whether the business’ value is being sufficiently increased or spent by the leadership responsible. Let’s start by taking a look at the formula itself:

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Operating Profit – Taxes – Cost of Capital Employed = EVA

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Breaking It Down

Operating Profit is easy to define: Gross Sales – (Cost of Goods Sold + Selling, General & Administrative Costs). Taxes are also easy to understand and quantify. It is the true Cost of Capital that causes a little more confusion.

The first response is usually to consider the cost of capital as what is paid to borrow it. This is not necessarily incorrect, but it only tells a small part of the story. We really need to dig a little deeper to get the rest of the story.

This description from the C12 material says it better than I can:

The total of all the invested capital tied up in the business (i.e. real estate, equipment, inventory, working capital, assets of all kinds) should be producing a return equal to or greater than the same amount if used to purchase another investment of equal risk.

While it is not critical that we go into too much detail about the risk, it is generally agreed that a conservative risk return is 10% for most businesses. I would argue that it should be higher, but you really need to settle on a number that is comfortable for you.

The Risk

Quite simply, if you sold the business and everything you have invested in it, how much cash would you have? If you invested that cash, over a long period of time in a similar-risk investment, what return would you expect to receive? Go with that number here. Why would you accept less? (There are arguments here, but we will save those for later!)

Taking that number (we will use 10%), along with the total market value of your business, you should be able to finish the equation. To make it easier to follow, I will use sample numbers assuming the following:

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(Market Value = $500,000) X (Return = 10%) = Cost of Capital $50,000

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added value

Now, in this example, the leadership produced $20,000 in added value. If Operating Profit had been less than $80,000 for the year, then they would have actually spent value, rather than adding it.

Of course, this is not the ultimate measurement. C12 still recommends benchmarking the performance of your business against comparable businesses in your industry. You also need to know your own critical metrics for your business – those numbers that drive the health and performance of the company.

How did your business do in this exercise?

Are you showing added value or spent value?

If you are spending value, what needs to change?

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How To Measure Team Performance with Added Value

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In my last post, I gave you a brief overview of the C12 Group’s model for measuring the performance of a company’s leadership. As business owners and leaders, we need to make sure we are building added value in our organization. As Christian business owners and leaders, we need to make sure we are doing this from an eternal perspective. Used as a part of our own annual assessment of our performance, the C12 Tri-Value model helps us to do this.

team performance

The Tri-Value component we will tackle in this post is Team Value Added (TVA). TVA is concerned with our team performance as a whole as well as how each individual member of our team operates within our business. Now, how you define “team” here is up to you. For me, with 100 employees, 18 managers, and 4 members of my Leadership Team (Inner Circle), I choose to evaluate the Leadership Team.

For you, the “team” may be your entire company. It may just be your management team or the department you supervise. Regardless, I would try not to pick a group that is too big. While there is not a recommended number in the C12 material, I would suggest you stick with a max of seven or eight. If you go any larger than that, the individual evaluations become difficult.

Team Dimension

To start, let’s look at the team dimension of TVA. In looking at our team as a whole, we want to look at the synergy of the team. Below are some questions we want to answer from year to year (or a frequency of your choice) on a scale from 1-10, watching the trends to see if the team value is increasing or decreasing….

    1. Is your team positive, supportive, and complimentary to each other?
    2. Are they setting and meeting ‘stretch’ targets that require teamwork?
    3. Are they innovating and pushing the envelope?
    4. Are they developing their replacements?
    5. Are they participating in the ministry dimension more fully?
    6. Are they thankful or becoming complacent?
    7. How is their attendance and work ethic?
    8. Is loyalty high and turnover low?

Individual Dimension

Next, we want to look at our team as individuals. Consider your individual team members and answer the following question for each of them, also on a scale from 1-10. If more valuable, note what they did to achieve that, using the choices listed below.

    Is this person more or less valuable to the business this year?
    A. Taking training
    B. Skill development
    C. Extra work or effort to ministry goals
    D. New innovations
    E. More dependable or loyal
    F. More input
    G. Attitude improvement
    H. Other

Now that you have evaluated their added value, now it is time to rate your role in that added value. Answer the following “How” question for each individual on your team, on a scale of 1-10. Then answer the “What” portion of the question with the choices listed below.

    How and what have I done to facilitate their added value this year?
    A. Personal encouragement
    B. Modeling / mentoring
    C. Recognition
    D. Rewards
    E. Training
    F. Other

Finally, we will take a look at how your individual team members are doing at developing their own team members or direct reports. Using the same scale from 1-10, score each individual member of your team on the following question. Again, note the “How” using the choices below.

    Is my staff adding value by developing their direct reports?
    A. Personal encouragement
    B. Modeling / mentoring
    C. Recognition
    D. Rewards
    E. Training
    F. Other

That is all there is to the actual evaluation of your Team Value Added. Obviously, the next step in this process is to take your scores and look for the opportunities to improve. Congratulate yourself and your team on your areas of strength and continue to work hard there. At the same time, take the steps necessary to bring your lower scores up over the next year. With intentional planning, you should be able to see significant progress!

[box]Email me HERE for a sample TVA Assessment document.[/box]

How did you and your team do?

What were your strengths? Your weaknesses?

What is the next step you need to take to improve?

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Added Value: A Good Measure Of Your Performance?

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As the owner or leader in your business, one of your main functions is to create added value in the organization. How do you measure your performance in this area?

If you are in corporate America, there are a number of metrics that analysts use to gauge your performance. If you are in a small business or non-profit organization, these metrics are likely different. Being a Christian business owner or leader adds a twist to this issue.

added value

Perspective

Adding value to your business can be defined differently, depending on your perspective. We are going to look at this method from the perspective of a Christian business owner or leader.

The C12 Group has a model for measuring this added value in the Christian business. However, the main difference between the C12 model and almost all other models is the perspective. While most businesses measure success or performance on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, the C12 model is very different.

Tri-Value Model

In stark contrast to most other business added value models, C12’s Tri-Value model considers the eternal perspective. Rather than judging a business’ leadership based on short-term performance only, this model takes a more balanced approach. The Tri-Value model is certainly not the final word on measuring performance. Instead, it is designed as a tool to keep us focused on the truly important areas of our jobs as well as to facilitate accountability in those areas.

In this post, I will give you a brief overview of this model. In the following three posts, we will look at each of the three components in more detail.

added value

Overview

The first component of the Tri-Value model is Team Value Added (TVA). This measurement deals with how well we are creating added value within the team of people that work in our company. There are two main categories in TVA. The first looks at how well the team is operating as a whole. The second category considers the development of the individuals on the team.

The second component is Economic Value Added (EVA). EVA measures whether the business is worth more in solid equity from year to year. It is a simple formula that helps us determine if we are adding to our company’s value or spending it.

Finally, the third component of the Tri-Value model is Spiritual Value Added (SVA). If we are truly looking at our company from an eternal perspective, and I cannot think of a single good reason why we would not, then this is our most important measurement. SVA attempts to measure the eternal fruit our company is producing.

Disclaimer

Please do not think that I am saying that all performance can be measured with numbers. Nor can we quantify all spiritual aspects of ministry in business. That is simply not possible. There are some aspects of business success that are impossible to put into a formula. Certainly, the Holy Spirit works in ways we cannot even understand, much less measure!

Instead, this type of model is intended to be a tool to elicit discussion and create conversation around our performance as it compares to our vision. The Tri-Value model should be used as a part of an ongoing planning and assessment process in your leadership of the business. If so, it can provide clear accountability for your leadership while helping you to remain true to your eternal vision.

Make sure to follow along all week as we break this model down into its components and look at how to use it!

What tools are you currently using to measure your performance in your business?

Do you feel these tools are effective at gauging your performance from the eternal perspective?

What benefits do you see in the Tri-Value model?

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Take Action (Now)!

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take actionDid you read my post from Wednesday, Taking Action: Owner’s Manual for Life?

If not, why not?
Stop right now and go read it.

I will be right here waiting on you. Go ahead…I mean it!

Observations

Okay, now that you have read my post on Taking Action, I bet you have some observations. You probably do. In fact, I am almost sure that everyone reading this right now has some questions or comments about Wednesday’s post. Some of you are wondering which Bible translation we are using. Some of you think the cover was a little on the cheesy side. Others are probably doing the math on $1.50 a piece for roughly 2,500 books.

Regardless of your thoughts, I want you to put them on hold for a moment. In case you missed the following weaknesses in my post, I want to point out a few more for you!

My Observations

First, did you notice that I said we were still working on the details of the process for all of the people that will be involved in making this happen? Did you happen to see that I am not yet sure of the text on the stickers that will go on the inside cover? Finally, did it register with you that I did not go into much detail about how we would answer the phone calls? I also left out how we would track any responses to somehow gauge our results.

So, why am I pointing this out? What is my point?

Plan or Take Action?

Seth Godin talks about how we should “ship” a product before it is perfect or before we know absolutely that it will succeed. According to Godin, what usually keeps us from doing this is resistance. Whether this resistance is a fear of failure, criticism, or rejection, or maybe an overactive need for perfection, we too often give in to it and fail to take action!

Sometimes planning can delay our decision to take action. I am NOT saying that we should not plan. We should! I did a whole series on Strategic Ministry Planning. However, in certain situations, it may make the most sense just to pull the trigger and go into action.

Catalyst for Action

In an effort to blow through this barrier in our business, I posted Wednesday about our “decision” to move forward with the Owner’s Manuals For Life idea. What you don’t know is that my post was so vague in the details I mentioned above because none of those details had been determined! Our team had agreed to the idea, but had not taken any real action. I used that post as a catalyst to move us forward to take action!

I called my brother (and partner in the business) this afternoon to find out when we could have the first shipment of New Testaments. He responded, “Well, according to your post Wednesday, I guess I should already have them!” We laughed, but then took the next three minutes to determine our next steps to move this project forward. No meeting necessary. We simply decided how to take action!

I believe our first New Testaments will begin leaving out of here in gloveboxes in the next ten days (depending on shipping)! I will keep you posted!

Where do you need to take action?

What resistance are you allowing to slow you down?

When are you going to decide enough is enough?

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Taking Action: Owner’s Manual For Life!

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In my post on Action Plans in the series on Strategic Ministry Planning, I mentioned one piece of advice. That advice was to make sure there was at least one action step you could take starting the next day! Rather than focusing all of your attention on planning, I recommended taking action! I also told you in my last post (Are You Living The Story?) that I was committing to living the story more, rather than just telling it!

taking action

Taking Action

Well, in an effort to live out what I am blogging about, our team has made the decision to start taking action and move forward on an idea that has been lingering around here for quite a while. While this idea will not change the world, it may change just one life…and that’s enough, isn’t it?

If you remember, in my post on the Brainstorm Session in Strategic Ministry Planning I mentioned how the Buck Knives Company inserts a simple message from Al Buck in the box with every knife they sell. This message talks about how their company views God as their Senior Partner and encourages the reader to seek God for themselves. I think this is a great idea!

As an automobile dealership group, we retail and wholesale roughly 2,000 – 2,600 new and used vehicles every year. As our team looked for ministry opportunities (similar to that of Buck Knives) that would leverage this volume, we came across one idea that is very simple and cost effective.

Owner’s Manual For Life

Beginning now, we are going to start placing a copy of the New Testament in the glovebox of every vehicle we retail or wholesale. The unique thing about this New Testament is the cover (shown below). As you can see, each one is titled, “Owner’s Manual For Life.” That is perfect for a glovebox, right?

taking actionWe are still working on documenting the process for every employee involved, but I know this much: Each one will have a sticker inside the cover with a message from me to the reader, stating that I believe this book to be the most important book they will ever encounter. I will have a couple of phone numbers for them to call if they want help understanding what they are reading. These numbers will ring straight to my office phone or our corporate chaplain.

Sowing Seeds

These New Testaments will go to all of our retail customers. They will also go to other dealers who trade new cars with us for the purpose of meeting a customers request for color or equipment change. In addition, we will include a copy in the glovebox of every used vehicle we wholesale to another dealer for sale on their lot. The eventual audience will be widely varied and God only knows when and how the books will actually be found! It is our responsibility to sow the seeds.

We do not plan to review the presence of this book with the customers or the dealers. The New Testament will simply be placed in every vehicle during the prep process prior to going on the lot. The cost of these New Testaments is only $1.50 a piece! I think this is a phenomenal opportunity to literally spread God’s Word!

What do you think?

Is there a similar action you can commit to take today?

What are you waiting for?