Spring 2014
The theme for Spring 2014 is “Kingdom Outcomes.”
Measuring ministry outcomes
When Bridgette’s sponsors received an updated photo of her from El Salvador, they were concerned. Bridgette’s picture was sullen and serious. This wasn’t the same little girl whose winsome smile and hands-on-the-hips confidence had won their hearts in her original sponsorship picture.
They contacted Compassion. Were bad things happening to Bridgette? Could Compassion’s staff investigate? After all, the whole idea of ...
Defining your mission, vision, and values
When we meet with people to discuss strengthening their Human Resource (HR) practices, we often use the term “kingdom-minded organization.” More often than not, they are intrigued as to precisely how we define such a considerably broad scope or approach. Certainly, many Christian business people, pastors, and consultants have their own ideas as to what constitutes a kingdom-minded organization.
My ...
Principles for greater Kingdom impact
Do you really believe that any good can come from social media? If we were candid, many of us would wonder how social media could have any significant kingdom impact … or maybe any positive kingdom impact. After all, social media platforms are some of the greatest time wasters and distractions of our day.
In 1961, then Federal Communications Commission Chairman Newton N. Minow, famously called comm...
How effective is your ministry?
If you were asked why your organization exists, what would you answer?
As a Christian ministry, your answer would likely point to meeting spiritual needs and addressing human needs — demonstrating and declaring the love of Jesus in word and deed to advance the kingdom of God.
Certainly, you would detail the important, “good works” your organization accomplishes.
Now, just imagine ...
Outcomes assessment and Christian higher education
Higher education has come slowly to true outcomes assessment. Christian higher education has been no exception. We have made plans for years — even plans that we called “strategic.” We have certainly done “evaluation” of students. We have regularly evaluated each other through the peer accreditation process. But in all of this, we have focused more often on “inputs” rath...
Leadership lessons from a life of ministry
Leaders are learners. At least that’s my experience. I’m a reader, so I learn a lot from the blogs, articles, and books I read. I also learn because I’m (by background) a curious journalist and I ask a lot of questions. And, hopefully, I keep my eyes open to absorb what I observe.
But in the five decades I have been in vocational ministry, in many different leadership roles, this is clear: I...
World Vision's Rich Stearns on completing our kingdom mission
CLA President and CEO Tami Heim, recently interviewed Rich Stearns, president and CEO of World Vision, U.S.
Stearns is the former CEO for Parker Brothers Games and Lenox. He holds a B.A. in neurobiology from Cornell University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Following a sense of God’s call on his life, he resigned from Lenox in 1998 t...
Three defining characteristics
Kingdom Outcomes is the theme of the 2014 Christian Leadership Alliance National Conference. So we thought it would be helpful to explore this question: What are kingdom outcomes?
We propose that kingdom outcomes have three characteristics:
1. They are the byproduct of obedience to the Holy Spirit. Kingdom outcomes are filled, led, and em...
How to maintain a healthy tempo
How would those closest to you — your spouse, a close friend, or a team member — describe the melody of your life? Would they suggest a light-hearted Bach fugue or a dramatic Beethoven symphony? How would they characterize the tempo and the dynamics of your life?
“He was busy.”
“She made things happen.”
...
Leading and measuring belong together!
I totally understand that the degree of change and the pace of change will be different for every person and organization. That is not my concern. What I am concerned about is, for the most part, leaders of faith-based nonprofits are under the illusion that they are making progress when every indicator around them says they are not. Simply put, the solutions nonprofits — even faith-based nonprofits — are trying ...