The Shoestring Conspiracy

What's happening in Fresno - The Walmat Hunger Initiative

2010-12-31T11:25:00.000-08:00

2008-06-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Sermon By Russell H. Conwell
Sunday Morning, December 1, 1912.

Courtesy of Grace Baptist Church of Bluebell, PA.

We are here to unveil this picture of Hattie May Wiatt, a little girl who died in 1886. Years have gone rapidly by, but she still speaks. We intend to put this picture in the pastor's study, in the most prominent place, and keep it there through the years to come, that people as they pass through may ask: 'What meaneth that picture?' And the story, simple and wonderful, may be told.

Little Hattie May Wiatt lived in a house near the church in which we then worshipped, at Berks and Mervine, which is now occupied by the Christian Church. It was a small church and was crowded, tickets of admission were obtained sometimes weeks in advance for every service. The Sunday school was as crowded as the rest of the congregation, and one day when I came down to the church, to attend Sabbath school, I found a number of children outside. They were greatly disturbed because they could not get in, on account of the crowd of children already in the Sunday school rooms of the church, and little Hattie May Wiatt, who lived near by, had brought her books and a contribution, and was standing by the gate, hesitating whether to go back home or wait and try to get in later. I took her up in my arms, lifted her to my shoulder, and then as she held on to my head - an embrace I never can forget - I carried her through the crowd in the hall, into the Sunday school room, and seated her in a chair away back in a dark corner. The next morning as I came down to the church from my home I came by their house and she was going up the street to school. As we met, I said: 'Hattie, we are going to have a larger Sunday school room soon', and she said: 'I hope you will. It is so crowded that I am afraid to go there alone'. 'Well', I replied, 'When we get the money with which to erect a school building we are going to construct one large enough to get all the little children in, and we are going to begin very soon to raise the money for it'. It was only in my mind as a kind of imaginary vision, but I wished to make conversation with the child. The next that I heard about it was that Hattie was very sick, and they asked me to come in and see the child, which I did, and prayed with her. I walked up the street, praying for the little girl's recovery, and yet all the time with the conviction that it was not to be.

Hattie May Wiatt died. She had gathered 57 cents - some have written 54 - which was left as her contribution towards securing another building for the children. After the funeral the mother handed me the little bag with the gathered 57 cents. I took it to the church and stated that we had the first gift toward the new Sunday school building; that little Hattie May Wiatt, who had gone on into the Shining World, had left behind her this gift towards it. I then changed all the money into pennies and offered them for sale. I received about $250 for the 57 pennies; and 54 of those cents were returned to me by the people who bought them. I then had them put in a frame where they could be seen and exhibited them, and we received by a sale of the $250 changed into pennies money enough to buy the next house north of the church at Berks and Mervine. That house was bought by the Wiatt Mite Society, which was organized for the purpose of taking the 57 cents and enlarging on them sufficiently to buy the property for the Primary Department of the Sunday school. In the Wiatt Mite Society was Mr. Edward O. Elliott ( now one of our trustees) who has charge of this picture, and was then a member.

Then when the crowd became so great we could no longer get in there, the thought impressed itself upon our congregation, 'We ought to have a larger church and a larger Sunday school room'. Faith in God was the characteristic of this people, and they said, 'We can do it', notwithstanding the fact that the church had a mortgage on it then, I think, of $30,000, and that we had no money in advance. Yet the conviction was strong that we ought to build a larger church, and some ventured so far, though then it seemed absurd, to say that we might 'build on Broad Street somewhere'. But the Wiatt Mite Society, using the influence of Hattie May Wiatt's first deposit, raised the money to pay, as I said, for the house, and then the undertaking was before us, whether we would go out and try to build a large church. I walked over to see Mr. Baird, who lived on the corner where the German Athletic Association now has its meetings, and asked him what he wanted for this lot on which the Temple now stands.

He said that he wanted $30,000. I told him that we had only 54 cents toward the $30,000, but that we were foolish enough to think that some time we would yet own that lot. Encouraged by what he said, and with no opposition on the part of the Board of Deacons, I went around again to talk with him, and asked him if he would not hold the lot for five years. Mr. Baird said: 'I have been thinking this matter over and have made up my mind I will sell you that lot for $25,000, taking $5,000 less than I think it is worth, and I will take the 54 cents as the first payment and you may give me a mortgage for the rest at 5%. I went back and so reported to the church, and they said: 'Well, we can raise more money that 54 cents', but I went over and left the 54 cents with Mr. Baird and took a receipt for it as a part payment on the lot. Mr. Baird afterwards returned the 54 cents as another gift. Thus we bought the lot, and thus encouraged of God step by step, we went on constructing this building. We owed $109,000 when it was done, but we had courage and faith in God then. We could hardly have dreamed then that in the number of years that followed this people, without wealth, each giving only as he could afford from his earnings, could have paid off so great a debt without any outside help. The only outside help that we really received was from Mr. Bucknell. Although our church was then called the Grace Baptist Church, he was not willing that we should call the new building a church until the mortgage was paid. He gave us $10,000 on the condition that we call this building by some other name than the Grace Baptist Church, and that accounts for its being called The Temple instead of the Grace Church. Afterwards, when we did pay off the mortgage accounts, we dedicated the building and have a right now to call it whatever we choose, but after 21 years of being named as it is, there is no reason why we should change it, and there is no hope of doing so if we should undertake it. It will always be known as The Temple. I must state here also that in the house purchased by the sale of the 57 cents was organized The Temple University.

Now, giving simply that brief introduction to the history of Hattie May Wiatt, I wish to call your attention to two or three important lessons in connection with it:

Who are the really great of this world? Who are the mighty? Is it the king, the emperor, the president, the famous, estimated by the kingdom of heaven and on the books of God? How little we know. Our nation has given credit to Washington, to Jefferson, to Lafayette,t o the great Pitt of England, to the great generals and writers, and to great financiers like Morris, but there is one person hardly over mentioned in our history who had so much influence in our affairs that as a nation we ought to have her picture in every public hall and in every school; yet because she was a young woman she seems to have been lost to the sight of the world. That was the Princess Elizabeth, sister of Louis XVI, of France. That little woman who was a treasure of femine loveliness, with a heart as pure and bright as any that ever beat in the breast of woman; she who lived in the aristocracy of that time, but who plead for the starving, common people and protested again against Marie Antoinette's use of the public money as she did at Versailles, and spent her life in charity and loving kindness. She laid the foundation for the victory of this nation. Those who read history know that we could not have hoped for freedom if Rochambeau had not come to this country, if the French had not indorsed us, and if the French had not fought England on the waters and lands of Europe while we were trying to fight our battles here. If it had not been for Yorktown and its surrender we could never have hoped to obtain our freedom from what was then the tyrannous king of England. Who sent Rochambeau, who used the influence that brought his coming about? In some of the correspndence of Benjamin Franklin, who represented us at the Court of France, we find that the princess, a lovely young woman, was well acquainted with him and liked to talk with him upon philosophy and upon American ideas. She served as a 'go-between' with Franklin and the queen, who used her influence with the king; for Louis XVI reminds one of Henry Ward Beecher's statement with reference to his church in Ohio, when he said: 'It had only 19 members, 18 were women and the other one was nothing'. Louis XVI was really nothing, and Marie Antoinette was the power indeed behind the throne, and behind Marie Antoinette was the Princess Elizabeth. It was she who opened the way for Franklin to reach the ear of the king. It was she who went to the Prime Minister of France and secured from him the condemnation of the arms, which were sold for a few cents apiece to America, yet were just as good as the best made in the world. It was she who secured the influence of the king to declare war on England in order that he might help America to her liberty. It was that young woman, acting all the time with continued energy, with prayer as well as with her social influence as one of the royal family, who really secured to us our liberty. Yet how little is said of her. In the great records of the history of mankind she should occupy a leading place. When I think of that innocent, sweet woman going to the guillotine on that morning in the old cart, encouraging all the humbler ones in the cart with her to keep up t heir courage, to hold their faith in God and to believe in a future world; when I see that noble, patriotic martyr going to that great square where she was beheaded, I see one of the great martyrs of earth. Yet in history, I say, we find our nation remarkably silent concerning her. And so in the history of Hattie May Wiatt - the name is new to some of you. She was a school girl, living in one of the homes of the industrious, honorable, upright and saving classes of society, not of the wealthy and great, yet think how her life was used; think what God did with her and the great, yet think how her life was used; thaink what God did with her and the 54 cents that was used of hers. A glance at it would put many to shame. Think of this large church; think of the membership added to it - over 5600 - since that time. Think of the influence of its membership going out and spreading over the world. Think of the influence of the Sabbath school carried on in this great building for more than twenty years. Then think of the institutions this church founded. Think of the Samaritan Hospital and the thousands of sick people that have been cured there, and the thousands of poor that are ministered to every year. I received the report of the Samaritan Hospital for October last Saturday and find that during the month 2540 had visited the dispensary. By multiplying that by twelve to get the average for a year, we find that over 30,000 people every year go to the dispensary of that one hospital, and that does not include the inner wards for the poor or the private rooms. Then there is the other hopital, the Garrestson, also taken up by the poeple of this church. Without this church, it could never have been started. There they ministered in one single year to over 14,000 workmen, wounded and broken and dying. When we think, I say, of the ministrations of these hospitals that were started by the influence of this church and supported in the .... in the beginning by members of this church, what a long roll it is of the deeds of Christian kindness. Think of how in that Wiatt house were begun the very first classes of the Temple College. The Wiatt Mite Society provided the seats, the books and the teachers. Thus it began as an evening school, and it has gone on growing and developing through the years. That house, bought for 54 cents in the first place, was sold and the proceeds given to the Temple College in order that it might open on Park avenue, and when we moved out of the original church that was given bodily to the Temple College, and the college sold it to the Christian Church and used the money to erect a building next door to us on Broad Street. Think of the influence of that 57 cents just for a moment. Almost 80,000 young people have gone through the classes of the Temple University, and think where they are. A year ago we estimated that there were 500 young men and women in the business department who earned nothing before they went there and who, after six months' instruction, were earning from $5 to $15 a week. Think of the added income, of the added comforts, which even the smallest departments had given, and then think of the Departments of Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Theology, Household Arts, the Normal School and the Teachers' College - nearly 4000 are now going in and out its various doors in various parts of the city. Just estimate how they will go and teach thousands more, and how those thousands will in turn teach many thousands more in their lifetime; think how it sweeps the world in a century with one techer, multiplying himself or herself a hundred times, perhaps, nearly every year. Two years ago - the smallest year of that work, - we took statistics of the Temple University students to learn their religious connection, and, of course, we found all kinds of religions because it is an undenominational institution. We ascertained that 504 young men of all denominations were studying for the Gospel ministry, in a single year. Now, if we graduate - and certainly we do - at least a hundred a year into the ministry of the various denominations, think what must have come to pass in twenty years. Think of it - two thousand people preaching the Gospel because Hattie May Wiatt invested her 54 cents; because she laid the foundations and gave her life for it.

I wish I had time to extend these remarks until you could realize more than one can without details. But I want to draw one or two more lessons and at once. In the first place, the people had faith in God, and they went ahead, trusting Him, and He has followed all the way. He has kept and protected us through every step with great care, and the future is just as safe, certainly, as is the past. Hattie May Wiatt was being used to do a mighty work. We sometimes think that when a life stops in eight years, or in ten, it is a shortened life, and that it is a broken life, that it was never completed. But in God's sight, every life is complete. Whether taken at eight, ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, or seventy years, every life is complete, when God takes it; hence, that is the case with the life of Hattie May Wiatt. Think of the sorrow that was in that home. I shall never forget the broken-hearted state of the family and friends who came to the funeral. Think of that mother sorrowing through all these years. I am making her heart more tender every moment as I speak, I am arousing within her the memory of those days which a mother can never forget. But Hattie died at the right time, she was called of God at exactly the moment when it was best for earth and for the kingdom to come that she should go. Her life was filled out, it was complete, and when we think of the influence of it upon the world, upon all the ages, we feel as though she was one of the greatest of earth who had accomplished that which leaders of armies had failed to do, and that which kings upon their thrones could not accomplish. Her life was just as long as any other.

The other thought that I would have dwelled upon if I had the time, is that being dead she yet speaks. Men may have powers of eloquence, they may sing with all the sweetness of angelic voices, and yet they may not speak as Hattie May Wiatt speaks tonight, as she will speak through your life as you go out and do differently from what you would have done if you had not been here. Hattie May Wiatt is speaking in tones of eloquence, sweet, divine and powerful, moving on upon the ages. Many men are counted great, many men are given credit for that which they do not do, but here is a life filled with motive power that sweeps on for all time. Twenty years and more have gone, and is she twenty years older in Heaven? When her mother meets her there will she be twenty years older than she was when she went?

When that little lad brought five loaves and two small fishes to be used of Christ for His great work of feeding the five thousand, it was precisely the same thing that Hattie May Wiatt did when she brought her 57 cents, and that lad and Hattie May Wiatt are now in the land on high. Does she see us? Yes, she does. It is one of the great comforts of life that every person is used of God, that every individual is loved just as closely and in careful detail as though he were the only person on this earth. Think of that, my brother, my sister, if there were not another person living on earth God could not take any more individual care of you than He now does. He sees and knows you; though you may think your life is humble, unknown, hidden, yet God sees all, and your life has probably just as great an influence for the uplift of mankind and the progress of His kingdom as has been the life of those who are seemingly great, seemingly famous in this world. There is no difference before God. The humblest of His Christian servants is doing just as much for His kingdom, when waiting, or doing faithfully their little duty, as are the seemingly great; and Hattie May Wiatt looks down from the towers of Heaven upon this world and sees all these myriads of powerful influences moving out upon the earth and shaping the course of the world beyond anything we can dream. She is happy on high with the thought that her life was so full, that it was so complete, that she lived really to be so old in the influences she threw upon this earth.

Build Hope

2008-05-31T15:09:00.001-07:00

A bit more than a shoestring ...

A lot less than a less rewarding vacation

Leadership Investment Strategies

2007-08-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

Vanishing Leadership

It is one of the tasks of a great leader to vanish.

There are many leadership skills involving our hands: the hand up, the extended hand, the hands on demonstration, the hand on the shoulder and the hand off.

That's right, the hand off with its accompanying attitude of "hands off." It is also called, "the hand over."

In business and ministry, we will find ourselves endlessly serving one task, one location, and one small group of people if we are unable, unwilling, or uninspired to duplicate ourselves and vanish into the woodwork.

Vanishing leadership is real leadership. It mentors, prepares, and duplicates itself in others with the specific goal of giving away a role or task and all the credit and accolades that go with it.

Great leaders are always grooming successors.

By the way, into the woodwork does not mean unavailable for counsel, accountability, and encouragement. It just means that the leader is generous and intelligent enough to know that his or her effectiveness is either severely limited or profoundly enhanced by the willingness and ability to duplicate and vanish.

To develop this idea, let us examine the concepts of "Hands On" and "Hands Off" to ascertain when each is most appropriate in leadership.

HANDS ON

We need to keep out hands on a task while we are training new leadership. The extent to which we keep our hands on will be informed by the following factors:

H - Help is needed in learning skills, concepts, internalizing the mission, and getting the job done at a minimal level.
A - Assimilation of the philosophy and values of the organization are still in formation.
N - Negative attitudes, behaviors, and conversational patterns are being "unlearned."
D - Dependence on the mentor/coach is constant.

O - Optimum performance comes with close supervision.
N - Necessity dictates that the tasks be closely monitored for quality assurance.

HANDS OFF

H - Help is still needed, but it can be offered more often from a distance and at broader intervals.
A - Assimilation of philosophy and values is beginning to take hold. The work has moved from head to heart.
N - Negative factors are less pronounced, easily recognized, and managed.
D - Delegation of entire projects is taking place.

O - Optimum performance is enhanced by trust and disengagement.
F - Formation of a sense of ownership by the new leaders in the organization, its reputation, its future, and its excellence is becoming evident.
F - Formal recognition of the new leader's leadership abilities and skills has instilled a sense of confidence and accountability.

Each of these requires further explanation and development, but you can get the point. The transference of leadership may be gradual, but it must also be a constant commitment if an organization, ministry, or business is to grow in number and influence.

Posted at 07:32 PM in Business Opportunities, Reflections, The Entrepreneur's Table, The Shoestring Conspiracy - Ministry Ideas | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 18, 2007

How to Make Someone's Day!

Let me start by saying that if you chose to open this posting and read it, that is a good sign that you are on the right track and your heart is in the right place. You have already moved from the realm of unlikely positive outcome to likely positive outcome. You have identified making someone's day as an intention in your life and that kind of intentionality is a real key to accomplishment.

Proverbs 18:1 says,

"An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends;
he defies all sound judgment."

It is in the pursuit that our judgment is magnified.

So I may leave it at that for today. To be friendly and to desire the good for someone else today will move you far down the road of being a blessing. When you wish someone well, it is communicated in your attitude, your words, and your deeds. you cannot help but be an encouragement to all who are receptive and in need.

What Counts?

2007-05-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

What you count is an alert to what counts in your life and work. If you are in ministry and you value people, you will count people. If you are in business, you will count contacts, activities, and profits even if quality comes first. If you value time, you will measure it. If you value effort, you will keep track of it.

Whatever counts, you count.

That does not make it "all about numbers," but numbers are among other factors, a useful tool for measuring how much time, effort, and resouce expenditure it takes to be effective in moving toward the things that really count.

They can also be helpful in alerting us to where we can shave off efforts and save time and money.

If you would be successful, don't neglect your digits.

A Block Party Baptism

2007-04-28T16:53:00.001-07:00

Tie Them Together

2007-03-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here's an old technique for getting more life and service from shoestrings - Tie them together. White and red, black and green - It doesn't matter.

It is called patchwork by some and collaboration by others.

Unlikely teams come together to work in symbiotic relationships for the Kingdom of God.

Look for people and build teams.

What Is Your Passion

2007-03-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

When we speak of passion-based ministries, people sometimes wonder how to identify that sort of calling in themselves and others. Here are some questions to propel you into thought and prayer:

What breaks your heart? You simply cannot bear to see people hurting in this way or for this work to be undone.
What rings your bell?When you are engaged in this kind of work, you are exhilarated and ev en if you are dead tired, engagement in this area pumps you up.
What fills your mouth? You talk about it andcan't stop.
What occupies your thoughts? You have lots of ideas floating around and you are preoccupied with this one issue.
what warms your spirit? You have a sense of inner reward when you engage in this ministry.
What draws you to prayer?
What can you picture yourself doing for the rest of your life?

Begin to work on these in a journal and something will emerge that will look a lot like a passion-based ministry.

Do Something

2007-03-09T21:34:00.000-08:00

In C"hasing Daylight", Erwin McManus reminds us to just do something.

It is easier to turn around a moving vehicle than one that is parked.

Another Strand

2007-03-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

Some folks are getting left behind in the Internet revolution as more and more people switch from paper to e-mail as a primary mode of communication. Maybe someone could set up e-mail banks that would help older folks stay in touch with their younger relatives across the country. They could type and print and do a lot of good.

Calling Tree

2007-03-04T17:15:00.000-08:00

How many people would it take to develop a tree that that could get every person who needed a phone call (for encouragement, health, safety, fellowship, friendship, whatever) called every week?

Perhaps it would not take as many as you think if you consider the lessons from the world of multi-level, network marketing: Each person who is the recipient of this ministry is given the opportunity to be a ministry provider.

There is very little training necessary and not much administration.

But the benefits could be transforming.

Finger in the Wind

2007-03-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

Shoestring conspiring is about breathing together in an atmosphere of possibility and hope. It is not about taking the barometer reading of avaialble resources before formulating our dreams and attempting great things for God.

It is about starting with what we have ... but it is never about letting our present circumstances shape or limit our vision for the future.

I just thought I needed to say that.

Take One Along

2007-03-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

This is such a shoestring ministry that it is a no-brainer. Is there anywhere you go every week that sokme senior adult might also need to go? The grocery store? The barber shop? The bank? Could you swing by and pick up that person and stop for a cup of coffee on the way home? This is low-effort and maximum impact.

Not Yet ... But Maybe You Will

2007-02-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

I can't do everything, but I can think of many things.

I come to the office early one day a week and leave in a hurry. It is about time for the school bus to stop in front of our church that I am leaving. Recently, I noticed that teenagers are finding shelter in the doorways of the building while waiting for their school buses.

Now, if someone from my church reads this and gets a vision for it, all you will need are some hot drinks, a thermos, and some disposable cups along with a little time and you can establish a dynamic ministry.

On a shoestring.

Shoestrings Are Cheap

2007-02-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

I wrote a while back about broken shoestrings.

Now, I must confess something. I seldom replace them. I tie frayed ends together and make do. I have several pair of really nice shoes with broken strings that I could easily replace.

Why don't I?

It is picky, tedious work. It requires going to the store for a nickle and dime item (I actually don't know what they cost), coming home, untying the old, and replacing it - sometimes with small finger movements.

"Poor baby," you must be saying. "It is soooo haaaaard being you."

I know - and I could argue that time is money or ministry and you could argue about how much more effective I would be if I would just invest a little bit of time, effort, and coin in some little things - a little effort with a big return.

And you would be right.

I told you that you were smart. Do you get the point?

Let's give a Little attention to detail and benefit greatly.

Broken Shoestrings

2006-09-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

What happens when your shoestring breaks? If you are like me, you don't have any spares on hand, so you tie the two broken ends together and make do. But for how long do you go on with that state of affairs. I suppose one could go indefinitely if he had (a) no time to go to go to a discount store and pick up a pair and/or (b) no money.

It is a fair analogy for ministry when we are talking about maximum impact on a minimum budget. It is also a fairly good corrective to my main thesis that you don't need a lot of money and other resources to do ministry. Sometimes you just have to spend a little bit of money and a little bit of time to fine tune, repair, or complete a mission.

A little time and a little money might just get you out of the holding pattern and add a little bit of class to your image.

There is nothing like a cheap set of new shoestrings to really brighten up a pair of sneakers.

The Art of Amazement Blog

2006-09-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Art of Amazement Blog is a wonderful Jewish perspective by Rabbi Seinfeld on any number of issues -most related specifically to Judaism, but many others transferable to our faith as well. When one thinks of impacting the world on a shoestring, I have seen little to compare with his "Kindness Experiment." I will be reading more of the Art of Amazement. - Tom Sims

When Things Don't Add Up

2006-07-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

So, we can do some things with a little bit of money and resources, but what about those times when everything dries up and there is no money?

We must ask ourselves then what motivated us to get started and if the same factors and calling are still present? What were the resources ear-marked for the project before it was conceived? None?

If that is the case, it is as good a middle as it is a begining.

It may be that we just need to remain faithful.

Broken Shoestrings

2006-06-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Our shoes are on our feet and ready to be tied. We are somewhere between desparately late and deeply enthused about what is to come of our days. The last thing we want to do is spend one more moment than necessary in the mundane tasks of tying strings or or buttoning shirts. Yet, they must be done and, when all goes well, life is good.

Ministry is very good when the details behave predictably.

But then, in a flash, without warning, a perfectly good shoestring breaks.

A perfectly formulated plan goes awry.

In that moment, our task become laser focused. We must cope and deal with the task at hand. We either have to knot them or replace them.

Never underestimate the importance and joy of a pair of new shoestrings, strong and sturdy on a pair of old shoes or even on a new pair. Not only are they functional, but they spruce things up.

Details are seldom glamorous, but if you are doing ministry on a shoestring, you need to tend to them.

Photograph by Maira Kouvara - http://www.sxc.hu/profile/mai05 - Thanks!

Loose Shoestrings

2006-06-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

It doesn't cost a dime to tie your shoes.

But if you don't stoop over and do it, they will become an obstacle to you.

Ministry on a shoestring involves, among other things, not leaving undone the little things that might go unnoticied until they become hindrances. Tyoing up loose ends is not exciting but it is so very necessary.

Partner Blog

2006-06-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

This blog is paired with another of mine related to transformational ministry and building transformational communities:

Transformational Communities

Senior Adults

2006-06-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

The Shoestring Conspiracy

“Senior Adults: Mission Field and Resource”

Senior adults are a rapidly growing segment of our population destined to make their mark on this century. As a church considers ministry on a shoestring, it should look to its older adults as both a group of people in need of ministry and as a mighty army of potential ministers.

Modern seniors will not be content to sit out their sixties, seventies, or even eighties and beyond. However as some grow infirmed because of health issues, keep in mind some meaningful possibilities for serving these who have served so long and well:

Shopping sprees with them or on their behalf.
Help them keep up a lifetime of correspondence.
Taking a senior to lunch and a show.
Walking clubs.
Help with chores.

In many cases, seniors themselves will be at the forefront of these ministries, but young people will be blessed by their exposure as well. In addition, older adults can:

Manage a prayer ministry that supports and encourages your other ministries.
Establish and maintain ministries over the telephone.
Foster grandparents.
Reading to children.
Baking cookies and cakes for visitation and special events.

If You Feed Them

2006-06-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Shoestring Conspiracy

“If You Feed Them, They Will Come”

Food is a universal common denominator among humans. We all need it and most of us enjoy it. For centuries, people have gathered around meals as a medium for social interaction and a way of demonstrating love and friendship. In the New Testament, food is associated with fellowship, thanksgiving, ministry to human need, and symbolism. Fellowship meals, food distribution, outreach events, block parties, and soup kitchens all have their places in the history of the Kingdom of God.

There are “purists” in the kingdom camp who believe that people should “come to church” without needing incentives such as mashed potatoes and chicken. There are those who question the “motives” of families who only call the church when they need groceries in an emergency.

The pattern of Jesus is honesty in this regard. He does not ask us to examine the motives of others, but our own—to search deeper and to sense the more profound hunger within our souls for spiritual truth and nourishment.

But His example and command always involved feeding the hunger of people, meeting them where they were and taking them to the next level. That is the strategy that I believe is both biblical and practical—connecting with human need, real and perceived, and allowing God to touch the hearts of people as they come into contact with them through us. We must give with no thought of return and serve with no requirement of gratitude or reward. It is the Jesus way.

Brokering Minstries

2006-06-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

The Shoestring Conspiracy

“Brokering Ministries”

How does a church with limited personnel and financial resources have a great impact upon its community and the lives of the people with who it comes into contact? If it is not possible to accomplish everything that you dream of doing for your neighborhoods, do not despair. There is a way to provide significant services without increasing your church’s budget or staff base.

The church is in an ideal position to serve as a “broker” of services to the larger community. Among the assets that we bring to this task are these:

· The ability to gather, store, digest, and disseminate information and make referrals.
· A platform for service providers to speak to congregations and groups within the congregation.
· A publishing instrument for “getting the word out.”
· Space for outside groups to use for offices, meetings, or “contact points.”
· Partnerships with agencies and missional groups for sharing human resources and expertise.
Potential board members.

Empowering

2006-06-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

The Shoestring Conspiracy—Empowering

It is a word that may mean different things to different people. It has theological meat and fat at the same time. Our task is to trim the fat and chew on the meat.

The fat to be trimmed is any notion that we possess great power in and of ourselves divorced from a relationship with God. It is a superficial exercise to merely help people realize their own potential because that will sell them short and we will settle for less than they can be.

In the common place world where we do what some people erroneously dismiss as “social ministry,” we are dealing with supernatural power and theological truth at such a depths hat it is difficult to fathom.

The meat of the matter is that God is the source of our power and we have been called to help people and communities to connect with Him and realize their potential in Him. In a ministry of empowering we must exercise faith at whole new levels than we ever have before. We must learn trust that that God can work in the midst of individuals and communities to do for more than we could ask or think. We live out the love of God in magnified ways. We practice grace to the extreme. We demonstrate mercy. We, as St. Francis said, preach the gospel daily and when necessary, use words. The great question is whether we believe that God’s power is all we’ve ever said it was and whether or not He has the power to change lives and communities.

Instilling Belief

2006-06-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

In ministry, we are in the business of helping people believe—first in God, then in the possibilities of God working in and through them to accomplish His purposes. Belief is the most powerful attitude in the universe. It is absolutely essential for realizing God’s promises and our own potential under God. It is the great missing component of people’s lives who are defeated, discouraged, and frustrated by the details of life. Belief precedes reality because it is rooted in faith: “the SUBTANCE of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 1:1).

Faith is substantive. Therefore we can build it on a shoestring. We don’t need any resources other than substantive belief to build belief. As we share our faith, we lend our confidence and hope to people who are operating on a deficit. The wonderful story of Stone Soup illustrates the power of positive belief when it is shared and multiplied in the lives of people and in communities.

Do you believe in God enough to believe in His potential for the people among whom He has called you to serve? If so, start communicating that faith and instilling it in others. Then, step back and see what He can and will accomplish through you.

Urgency

2006-06-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

The Shoestring Conspiracy—Urgency

Urgency is a poor substitute for priority. When we establish an understanding of what is truly important based upon God’s abiding principles and mission, we need to stick with it. The reality is that the moment we prioritize our ministries, diversions will emerge, distractions will appear, and urgency will shout in our ears, “Stop and take care of me NOW!”

We need to be able to say “no” to urgency any time it steps outside the boundaries of our priorities. Yes, there will be emergencies that must be faced as they arise. There will be extraneous details that must be handled. The problem arises when every urgent matter presents itself with the same emergency motif and ministry life becomes one great series of emergencies. We have fire departments to put out fires.

What is your focus? Make sure it receives a prominent place on your calendar and that you do your best to follow your calendar. Leave time for incidentals. Leave cushion for emergencies. Live by grace because you won’t meet all of your goals. But, know this, if you heed every urgent cry, you will meet none of them because your life will be controlled by something far less than your God-given priorities. Follow Rick Warren’s advice and lead a purpose-driven life.

Worship or Evangelism / Mission

2006-06-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

There is no competition between the concept of the church as a worshiping community and the church as a people on mission? The worship of God can only take place in and through the lives of regenerate people who worship in spirit and in truth. In order for there to be assembled, a body of believers who can truly exalt the Lord, they must be called out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

The call to worship that resounds throughout history is an evangelistic call. It is a summons to recognize that God is Sovereign over all things and that He is worthy of our worship. But that message also recognizes and publishes the truth that fallen man can bring no offering that God can accept except as he or she has been cleansed by the loving, gracious, and merciful redemptive act of God Himself in Jesus Christ.

God's love compels the worshiper to propagate the message of grace. God's passion for the lost to come into a loving and worshiping whole-life relationship with Him is the driving force of the mission of Christ and of the early church. He will not be contained in temples made with hands, but has chosen to make sanctuaries of the human heart and declare that reasonable worship extends beyond recitations and prostration to the presentation of our bodies as living sacrifices.

Then, when we come to sing, kneel, bow, shout, and lift our hands, it is a continuation of whole-life worship, which include discipleship, evangelism, and ministry to hurting humanity. When the benediction is pronounced, there is no cessation of worship - only continuance at an even deeper level because we have been equipped, inspired, and sent forth.

Evangelism is a way of saying:

"Come, let us worship the Lord, for He alone is worthy. Come before Him all you people of His making, whose souls are restless until they rest in Him. He has loved you with an everlasting love and calls you into relationship with Him. Hear the truth and receive the Spirit. Come freely and without reservation for the table has been set. Jesus Himself, God's Son, is your host. He has blotted out all your sins by His own sacrificial death. Come, all you who are poor and feeble, who have no offering to bring to the altar; the price has been paid, the offering made. Bring only your sins and your selves. Come and receive mercy and grace. Come with thanksgiving. Come with tears. Come with laughter. Come, consecrate your lives to His praise and glory. Come; find reconciliation with God and with one another. Come, come, come.”

And so, the worshiping community invites to the world, constantly, fervently, and passionately to the assembly of praise for God's own sake and for the sake of them whom He loves so profoundly. The Son of Man came, not to be honored, but to seek and to save that which was lost.

And so, He is worthy of all honor. Having emptied Himself for the mission, He has a Name that is above every name. All will bow; all will declare His Lordship - but God has expressed a decided preference that all come by grace rather than by ultimate coercion. He would far rather invite than demand. He will employ every persuasive means that might somehow touch the hearts of men and women. He will move upon His servants to become all things to all men so that by all means, some might be save.

Passion

2006-06-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

The Shoestring Conspiracy—Passion

Let's face it. Ministry on a shoestring requires an elevated level of commitment. When you are short on resources, you must draw on something else, something deep and limitless.

Passion if the at the root of our energy for ministry. It is that God-given quality that enthuses us with clarity of vision and depth of conviction. Without passion, we whither. With a vibrant passion we can overcome obstacles and rise above our moods. Passion reminds us of our essential purpose and drives us forward. Some characteristics of passionate people are:

P—Positive Priorities—Instead of avoidance behavior, people with passion move toward their commitments aligning themselves with those activities that support the causes for which they are passionate.

A—Active Attitude Adjustments –Passionate people are constantly adjusting their own attitudes and actively tuning their minds in the direction of their goals and objectives.

S—Sincerity— There is no faking real passion. It bubbles up from within and is nurtured by our committed actions.

S – Simplicity—Passionate people can explain their mission to you in a few short sentences. Since it is clear to them, they can make it clear for you.

I—Inspiration—People with true God-given passion for ministry know the reality of God breathing His purpose through His Spirit into their lives. The calling is His and they are driven by that knowledge.

O—Open “Outwardness”— Not necessarily extroverts, passionate people love to talk about their mission and cause. It splashed out of their lives and is contagious.

N—Non-Negotiable— People with passion are not easily deterred from a mission. It becomes one of the non-negotiable values of their lives.