Seven Keys & Principles For Effective Christian Business & Ministry
Good News...you're not an accident. You're not a victim of circumstance. You're not some puppet manipulated by some unknown, cosmic force with a sense of humor. God loves you and He really does have your best interests in mind. God has a plan for you. The Bible says:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jer. 29:11)

God made you and loves you and desires more of you than for you to simply be saved. He is at work and is inviting you to discover your destiny in Him. In reality, it's not important what you think about yourself or what others say about you or what you're not, what's important is what God says about you. Here's a few key thoughts from the Bible and what your Father says about you:

You are the apple of His eye; you have everlasting life; you have abundant life; you are an heir of God; you are a coheir with Christ; God is working for your good; you are being conformed into Christ's likeness; you are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world; you are chosen in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight; your body is his temple; you are marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit; you are God's workmanship; you are an overcomer; you have been given fullness in Christ; you are strong in the Lord; you can do all things through him who gives you strength; you are more than conquerors through him who loves you; you are called to a holy life; you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your soul; you are a chosen person; a royal priesthood; a holy nation; a person belonging to God. (Ps. 17:8; Jer. 31:3; John 6:47; John 10:10; Rom. 8:17; Rom 8:28; Rom. 8:29; Mth. 5:13; Mth. 5:14; Eph. 1:4; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 1:13; Eph. 2:10; 1 John 5:4; Col. 2:10; Eph. 1:7; Eph. 6:10; Phil. 4:13; Rom. 8:37; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet. 1:9; 1 Pet. 2:9)

You Are Not An Accident, Victim Nor Afterthought...You Are Special
God's purpose for you was not an afterthought; it was settled before the foundation of the world. You are here to serve and honor God. If you have believed in Christ, you can rejoice in the fact that God has always known you. God's love is eternal. His wisdom and power are supreme. He will guide and protect you until you one day stand in his presence.

You're On A Journey...It Has A Beginning, A Middle, And An End...It's A Process
God has a plan and the pattern is Christ Jesus. The goal is to become like Christ. You will never understand your journey until you understand your destination. Knowing your destination, where you're going, gives you an interpretation and an explanation of your journey. If you don't know where you're going, you won't understand the trip.

God says He is taking all of us somewhere as a family. Nothing is wasted in God. He has already decided your destination; you are to become like Jesus. To what degree, is up to you; it's your choice.

Recently, I was invited to go to Boston on a business trip. As the crow flies, Boston is hundreds of miles northeast of Texas. But to get to Boston, I first had to drive southwest to Midland, board a westbound plane headed to Dallas, and finally, board another plane headed northeast to Boston. If all I was concerned about was the immediate direction, I would have thought I was off-course when headed opposite of my desired destination.

Similarly, God may be taking you in a direction today that appears to be off-course, but in fact, is exactly right on course in His "big picture" scheme of things. In other words, if I were to take a 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, toss it up into the air, and after it landed all over the floor, asked you to put it together without having the picture, you would soon become frustrated, disappointed, and eventually, quit. Glory to God...He has given us the picture, Jesus. That's who we're supposed to look like when the puzzle is put together. It's a process.

Understanding Your Destination Helps Interpret The Process
If you don't know where you're headed, you will become frustrated and soon think of yourself as a victim and that God does not love you. The fact is is that you will find yourself in storm after storm on your journey. Storms are not setbacks. They're opportunities for growth. The principal is that just because you're walking in Christ does not mean that you won't be in a storm. Storms are wake-up calls. The truth is, you're either coming out of a storm, in a storm or headed into one. But there will always be a storm. The Bible says:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." (James 1:2)

The Bible doesn't say if you face trials, but whenever you face them. Jesus' half brother, James, writes that you will have trials and that it is possible to profit from them. The point is not to pretend to be happy when you face pain, but to have a positive outlook ("consider it pure joy") because of what trials can produce in your life. James tells you to turn your hardships into times of learning. Tough times can teach you perseverance. The power from holiness comes only in the fire of holiness.

You can't really know the depth of your character until you see how you react under pressure. It's easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can you still be kind when others are treating you unfairly? God wants to make you mature and complete, not to keep you from all pain. In fact, God is not covenant bound to provide your happiness.

Instead of complaining about your struggles, you should see them as opportunities for growth. Thank God for promising to be with you in rough times. Ask him to help you solve your problems or to give you the strength to endure them. Then be patient. God will not leave you alone with your problems; he will stay close and help you grow.

If You Put Confidence In Your Boat...Get Ready To Take On Water
"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down." (Mth. 14:22-32)

God wants you to push out into the deep. And we all have the tendency to cling to our boats. Our boats represent our insecurities, our old ways of doing things, our self-sufficient tendencies, our attitudes, etc. Whatever has worked for us in the past is what we cling to in today's storm. This made sound mad, but, if you know the storm is of divine origin, you could actually enjoy the process. If you can understand how God is processing you, you could better interpret life's events, storms, a little more accurately.

Think about it in these terms, just as Jesus went up on the mountainside to pray, He is today on Mount Zion praying, interceding for you. Just as the disciples launched far out into the sea, you are most likely way out in some situation, too. Just as Jesus did not come in the first, second, third, but the fourth watch, He most likely will not come for you any earlier today. He knows exactly when you're prepared to trust Him, setting aside whatever device you've trusted in, your boat, and crying out "Save me!" That's when He can really save you.

I remember once trying to save a cousin from drowning. He nearly killed me trying to save himself. What I did not realize was that in my efforts to save him, out of my compassion to help, I actually did more harm than good. Both of us nearly drowned. What I learned was what the Coast Guard and trained life guards all know; you must be patient and wait until the person is near total exhaustion, in total desperation, before you help, or you can make matters worse.

Likewise, I've learned to distinguish the difference from cries of deliverance from pain and real tears of willingness to change. Whenever I've had to discipline my children with a paddle, they always cry out at the tops of their lungs before I ever apply the board of instruction. The first time I saw this I thought I had killed my kids. Later, I learned that my kids had developed a false cry and wanted deliverance from the pain. Their hearts had not changed. Trust me, God knows the difference in us, too. He waits until we are utterly desperate. We want a quick fix and God wants an eternal heart change. The question is always how can you know when? Here's a revelation for you.

You'll always know when your desperation is at its peak; when you have more faith in God to supernaturally walk on the impossible, water, than you do in your confidence in your natural abilities to resolve the issue. God wants you to trust Him. Your boat, no matter how unsinkable it may appear to you, is like the Titanic to God. Floating glaciers were designed by Him, too.

Storms Are A Part Of God's Rehabilitation Plan
Sometimes God sends storms. Satan sometimes sends storms. And yes, there are even self-inflicted storms. But all of these storms are redemptive in Christ Jesus.

Your storm will not last forever. Once God's purpose for the storm is complete, the storm is over. Whatever God wants to change in you is changed, the sun comes out, the clouds clear, and if you look closely, you'll see new clouds on the horizon. Don't be surprised.

Storms build character. Expect storms. Jesus set aside deity and became the first Spirit-filled believer. Look what He did. You have the same potential in you. Jesus did not cheat. He didn't try to find a shortcut in the long process of character development. Remember, you're not a victim tossed about the whims of every storm. Realize God is trying to get your attention to change something in your life. Humbly acknowledge your weakness, cry out to Him, and He will pour out grace. God's ways are for the desperate; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Always interpret events in the light of where God is taking you. It's always supernatural when you walk away from your natural confidences, your security blankets. If you will surrender to God, your storm is almost over.

You Get Saved In A Moment...Your Growth In Christ Is Progressive And Takes A Lifetime
The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Christ. This process will not be complete until you see Christ face to face (1 Cor. 13:12; Phil. 3:21), but knowing that it is our ultimate destiny should motivate you to purify yourself. To purify means to keep morally straight, free from the corruption of sin. God also purifies you, but there is action you must take to remain morally fit:

"Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure." (1 Tim. 5:22)

"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." (James 4:8)

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." (1 Pet. 1:22)

What God Begins He Will Finish
The Bible says God began a good work in you and will continue it throughout your lifetime and will finish it when you meet him face to face. God's work for you began when Christ died on the cross in your place. His work in you began when you first believed. Now the Holy Spirit lives in you, enabling you to be more like Christ every day.

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul describes the process of Christian growth and maturity. Likewise, this process began when you accepted Jesus and continues until Christ returns.

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:6)

Do you ever feel as though you aren't growing in your spiritual life? Here's good news...when God starts a project, he completes it! As with the Philippians, God will help you grow in grace until he has completed his work in your life. When you are discouraged, remember that God won't give up on you. He promises to finish the work he has begun. When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings, remember God's promise and provision. Don't let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to him.

God Is At Work
God is at work in "all things" not just a few hand-selected incidents for your good. This does not mean that all that happens to you is good. Evil is everywhere in our fallen world, but God is able to turn everything around for your long-range good.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." (Rom. 8:28-30)

Many Christians believe God is working to make them happy. That's not what the Bible teaches. The Bible says God loves you so much that He disciplines you for your own good (Deut. 8:5; Ps. 94:10; Prov. 3:12; Heb. 12:6, 10). God is not working to make you happy, but to bring about his purpose for you. But, this promise is not for everybody. The promise can only be claimed by those who:

1. Love God

2. Are called according to his purpose

Those who are "called" are those the Holy Spirit convinces and enables to receive Christ. Such people have a new perspective, a new mind-set on life. They can be identified as those who:

1. Trust in God, not life's treasures

2. Look for their security in heaven, not on earth

3. Learn to accept, not resent, pain and persecution because God is with them

God's Ultimate Purpose For You Is To Make You Like Christ
As you become more and more like Christ, you will discover your true self, the person you were created to be. How can you be conformed to Christ's likeness? By reading and obeying the Word, by studying Christ's life on earth through the Gospels, by being filled with his Spirit, by observing other mature, seasoned saints, and by doing his work in the world.

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)

Beginning With The End In Mind First
To start with the end in mind means to begin with a clear picture of your end result. The "521" principle, the parable of the talents, describes the consequences of two attitudes to Christ's return. The person who diligently prepares for it, proactively seeing the end first, by investing his or her time and talent to serve God will be rewarded. The person who has no heart for the work of the kingdom––reactively responding to situations without seeing the "big picture" will be punished. God rewards faithfulness. Those who bear no fruit for God's kingdom cannot expect to be treated the same as those who are faithful.

"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" Mth. 25:14-30).

Here's the story. The master divided the money (talents) among his servants according to their abilities. Understand that it was the master who gave the servants their abilities and he decided who got what. No one received more or less than he could handle. If he failed in his assignment, his excuse could not be that he was overwhelmed. Failure could come only from laziness or hatred toward the master.

The talents represent any kind of resource you are given. God gives you time, gifts, and other resources according to your abilities, and he expects you to invest them wisely until he returns. You are responsible to use well what God has given you; you will be held accountable. The issue is not how much you have, but how well you use what you have.

Jesus is coming back you know this is true. Does this mean you should quit your job in order to serve God? It might, if God calls you do so, but what it really means is that you are to use your time, talents, and treasures diligently in order to serve God completely in whatever you do. For a few people, this may mean changing professions. For most of us, it means doing our daily work out of love for God, doing it with excellence, as if we're running a marathon and not a short, fast race. It's a process. Pace yourself as a life-style over a lifetime.

Don't make excuses to avoid doing what God calls you to do. If God truly is your Master, you must obey willingly. Your time, abilities, and money aren't yours in the first place, you are a caretaker, overseer, manager, not the owner. This is not popular, fashionable, or politically correct, but when you ignore, squander, or abuse what you are given, according to the Bible, you are rebellious and deserve to be punished. It will be by God's mercy that many aren't beaten like a well-worn rug.

God Knew You Before Your Mother Was Born
In fact, the Bible says you were on God's mind and He knew you even before the foundation of the world! Before you were in your mother's mind, you were on God's mind. He knew your name, how tall you would be, your shoe size. He knew your wife. And the Bible says He chose you. According to His counsel, He established a destiny plan for your life. God is so good...it's not just that you're deciding your destiny, you're discovering it. You don't have to make it happen. You just have to trust Him, obey, and take the path He prearranged for you.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph. 2:10).

The Bible says God wrote your name in the Lamb's Book of Life before He created the earth. Think about it: Before God created the earth, He knew your name. Your destiny was set before the foundation of the earth. If you catch this, you can truly say, "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad...because I have a destiny!

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will" (Eph. 1:4-5).

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph. 2:10).

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations" (Jer. 1:5).

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" (Ps. 139:13-14)

"Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Ps. 139:16).

Making The Right Choice
The circumstances surrounding your life may not have been perfect. Your mother may not have wanted a child. Your father may not have been there for you. He may have been an abusive alcoholic or physically abusive, or all the above, but everything in Christ Jesus is redemptive. God knew you and predetermined a purpose for you. In the minds of men, you may have been thought of as an accident. But in the mind of God you were planned, wanted, and predestined to be a part of His family. It is important to understand that all of God's plans are based on foreknowledge. Romans 8:29 says:

"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined."

What that means is that because God knows you, your desires and choices, He can plan accordingly. You are not a puppet on a string, manipulated by some unseen heavenly host. Your will is a part of God's plan for you. Remember, everything in Christ Jesus is redemptive if you learn something from it!

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live" (Deut. 30:19).

God foreknew your choices, but He still leaves you with the right to choose. For example, He knew the person you would choose to marry. Based on that choice, God planned a destiny for you that will work within your marriage. He has led you, influenced you, and directed your steps when you didn't even recognize it. That is why you shouldn't say, "I married the wrong person," or "God had another spouse for me." Once you choose, that person becomes a part of God's plan for you.

Things do not happen because of fate, chance, luck, or happenstance. In fact, if you are in Christ Jesus, these words should not even be in your vocabulary.

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God knew you before you were born and He has a plan for you in your life.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. To be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." (Eph. 1:3, 6, 10-11).

God's Destiny For You
The word destiny is virtually absent in today's Christianity. It brings many thoughts and questions to mind. It's almost thought of as something mystical. Still, committed followers of God should be interested in their destiny. Destiny can be defined as a course or path in life that a person seeks to take.

Some believe that one's destiny is an act of "fate" or a result of chance. They think they have no control over their life's course or outcome. But the Bible teaches both that God has planned a wonderful life and destiny for you and that you have a responsibility to discover and live it.

"A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." We must do our part and God will surely do His." (Pro. 16:9)

Our role is to discover and live in God's desired destiny for us. There is a goal He desires you to accomplish. You can begin this process today, taking positive steps toward your destiny.

Achieving your destiny is a process. It can be compared to fullback's job in a football game. His team begins on the 20 yard line. His destiny is the goal line, 80 yards away. His immediate destiny is a first down, just ten yards away. As he gains yardage, he's achieving his destiny. But he won't achieve his ultimate destiny until he gets the ball all the way across the goal line.

Step by step, you can move along your destiny path. As you do, you are fulfilling your destiny. Ultimately, your touchdown is to hear Jesus say,

"Well done, good and faithful servant" (Mth. 25:23).

Six Preliminary Steps To Discovering Your Purpose & LifePlan
1. Pray for God's guidance. You might begin with:
Father, help me to be all that You created me to be. Help me to see myself through your eyes. Help me to throw off the negativity of the past––the judgments, the criticisms, and limitations imposed on me by people, religion, and society. Oh God, help me rise to that higher level of life. Help me to discover the path you have set before me. Help me to have courage to take steps toward discovering all that you have desired of me. I now trust you to show me what you have in mind for me, to become conformed into Jesus' likeness, and becoming a part of your destiny for me.

2. Discover God's purposes:
These purposes are God's eternal purposes found in the Bible and should be exactly the same for every person, church, or Christian business: the expression will be unique for each. It is strongly recommended that you take your time in this process. If you are working as a group, it should be done in a group setting.

Just as the foundation in a building is the most important facet in the building, this beginning process is the most important. Though some will already know these eternal purposes, they may never have implemented all of the core concepts in a balanced approach. It is paramount that as a team/family/body that everyone involved come to understand and "discover" these truths if there is to be real ownership by all. This is the "concrete work" that will become a secure anchor during the storms that inevitably will come against the Lord's family-house. The more rooted in the manifold wisdom (five areas) that God has given us, the more like Christ and the longer lasting will the expression become and remain. It is not unusual for this part of the process to take several months and to collect numerous pages of notes. If you are working as a group, the discussions will be insightful and very enlightening. Show appreciation for every individual's comments about the meanings of each portion of God's Word. Don't judge the various observations, just write them down––empathize to all that there are no rights or wrongs––everyone's opinion is important! Once you compile the total of all the comments you will realize amazing conclusions! The following are a minimal listing of God's Word on purpose that should be considered at length in this foundational step. As each of these Scriptures are reviewed, filter each through the following four questions (this applies whether you are discovering God's purpose for yourself, your church, or a business): Mth. 5:13-16; 9:35; 16:15-19; 22:36-40; 24:14; 25:34-40; 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2:41-47; Rom. 12:1-8; 15:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 5:17-20; Gal. 5:13-15; 6:1-2; Eph. 2:19-22; 3:14; 4:11-13; Col. 3:15-17; 1 Thess. 5:11; Heb. 10:24-25; 13:7, 17; 1 Pet. 2:9-10; 1 John 4:7-8:

a. Why do you exist?

b. What are you to be? Who and what are you?

c. What are you to do? What does God want done through you in the world?

d. How are you to do it?

3. Determine your core values:

a. Your core values must be in agreement with God's Word.

b. Your core values are statements you cannot live without and would be willing to die for.

c. Your core values are significant, measurable, and eternally based.

d. Your core values can be determined by asking yourself these questions:

What is the deepest desire of your heart? (Ps. 37:4)

What stirs your passion? (Ps. 69:9; Prov. 20:24)

What flows naturally out of you? (Rom. 12:4-6)

Where do you bring forth fruit or produce good results? (Mth. 12:33; Eph. 1:11; Ps. 91:16; Gen. 1:28. 2:18; Prov. 3:9-10; Mth. 22:39)

What is the witness of the Holy Spirit in your spirit? (Rom. 8:14, 16)

What do mature Christians see in you? (Pro. 18:1; Pro. 11:14; Ps. 1:1; Pro. 13:20)

What career or ministry do you feel the peace of God about pursuing? (Phil. 4:6-7; Is. 26:3; Col. 3:15)

What thoughts, visions, or dreams are impossible to put out of your mind? (Acts 2:17; Pro. 20:27)

To what can you give 100 percent of yourself for your entire life? (1 John 3:16; 2 Tim. 4:7)

What do people want to gather around and help you accomplish? (Acts 16:10)

My Core Values:

1.

Scripture Reference:

2.

Scripture Reference:

3.

Scripture Reference:

4.

Scripture Reference:

4. Develop your purpose/lifeplan statement based on your core values:
Purpose is like direction, like going west. You go west, but you never arrive there. Purpose is directional. Purpose can never be accomplished in your lifetime. It is a life-style. An example: "I want to maintain a healthy life-style."

a. Begin by writing out a rough, general paragraph based on your core value statements

b. Reduce your paragraph to one very focused sentence.

1. Rough Paragraph: .

2. Focused Purpose Sentence: .

5. Develop goals from your purpose/lifeplan:
Goals keep you headed toward your purpose. Goals are specific, measurable and attainable. Goals are more specific than purpose statements, but do not spell out the needed action to accomplish them. An example: "I want to lose 25 pounds by the end of this year."

a. Take each part of your purpose/lifeplan and write out your goals.

Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Goal 3:

6. Develop strategies from your goals:
Strategies are the ways you will accomplish your goals. They are measurable, time specific and become your action plan. An example: "I will work out three times each week for a period of 20 minutes each session, cut out sweets except on Sundays, and never, ever go back for seconds."

a. Take each goal and write out a strategy statement.

Goal 1: Strategies

1.

2.

3.

Goal 2: Strategies

1.

2.

3.

Goal 3: Strategies

1.

2.

3.

Seven Key Biblical Truths: Leadership By Servanthood
"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." (Luke 16:8)

Once you've discovered and implemented the above corporate core values, purpose, mission, vision, goals and strategy statements, consider these seven key Biblical truths. In a nutshell, these are "leadership by servanthood" concepts. At the heart, it is "putting people first; a commitment to people, family members, staff, employees and/or customers."

Based on the top 100 companies doing business in the U.S. and abroad for the past 100 years, there have been seven key traits identified through research. These seven Biblical traits, if integrated into your thinking and purpose, can become a part of your overall strategy, position, and become a very formidable competitive force. These strategies are more than concepts...they are a life-style and foundational in nature. Individuals, families, churches, and Christian companies planning for decades of long-term growth and stability, regardless of economy, circumstance, or marketing pressures build to last. In order, they are:

1) Make sure your employees know their jobs are secure and in the hands of God

2) Be selective in your hiring basing qualifications more on character than ability

3) Leadership team development that is self managing and encouraging

4) Pay well, very well: through one or more of the following

a) gain sharing

b) profit sharing

c) stock ownership

5) Commit to initial and ongoing employee training (write out the vision, speak the vision, keep saying the vision until everyone knows your vision)

6) Eliminate any status differences:

a) Communicate from the top down that every person is valuable and part of the team, all are partners, team, or associates...not just an employee;

b) Executive salary in line with team orientation (this one is one of the most difficult for upper management to swallow...but one of the most important ingredients for long-term health);

7) Share information:

a) Employee compensation is disclosed (this actually has the opposite effect whereas "hiddeness" promotes status, rivalry, one-ups-manship, and eventual company erosion;

b) Disclosure of company profitability either quarterly or annually;

c) Disclosure of company purpose/mission/goals/strategy (if you implement all seven of these core values, you would not have to worry that your competition would duplicate your strategy...relatively few companies have what it takes to implement these "long-term" core values.

I have also developed a Christian business/ministry marketing overview that continues where this study leaves off. Please feel free to contact me for a free copy.

Grow in grace and truth,

Doug Morrell

CORE Notes From Doug