Life and Mission

Tom Lane is the apostolic senior pastor at Gateway Church and author of Tested and Approved: 21 Lessons for Life and Ministry

Tom Lane is the apostolic senior pastor at Gateway Church in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. As an elder, he provides spiritual governance for Gateway’s ministries. As a pastor to pastors, Tom is a long-term, trusted Christian leader. Tom has written many books including Heritage: A Father’s Influence to the Generations, Foundations of Healthy Church Government, and he coauthored Strong Women and the Men Who Love Them with his wife, Jan.

https://gatewaypublishing.com/products/tested-and-approved

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Some thoughts on the hope of Christmas, and I share shorts from my friends in the Christian Podcasters Association.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."   Luke 2:10

Several friends eager to run into the New Year have asked me, “Do you have your word for 2021?” Actually, I don't have a single word. I have a phrase from the song O Holy Night. The soaring, triumphant anthem for a world so drained and exhausted that it knows our only hope is to look up.   

I imagine us all on our knees, weak and heavy, turning just enough to catch a furtive glance of someone moving. Emmanuel, our Savior. God with us. But He's not what we expected!   What is this?   He's just a baby!   We need a king!   We run after the tangible but fleeting hope of humans and human systems that can only offer the illusion of security. The promise of rest never realized.

Until…   

One night in a small town, a lonely couple with nowhere to go settles among the animals and lays their newborn in a manger. As the baby cries his first breaths, the sky grows bright over the hill country. Startled shepherds rise to investigate, then fall back to the ground in awe and wonder. The light and the sound of the angels' song is nearly too much to bear. With their heads still pressed to the ground, they turn just enough to glimpse the heavenly choir. Gasping for breath, overwhelmed. Praises tumble from their lips as a thrill of hope invigorates their souls.   

Through the years, the angels' praise continues. But our jaded, impatient world, discontent and numb, marches on from season to season. Have we lost enough strength to fall to our knees? It's the weary world that rejoices. The weary world suspects we were meant for more.   The rest of Bethlehem went about its business that night. But the baby's exhausted parents and the shepherds; they were the ones who noticed. It was the weary ones on their knees that gained that thrill of hope.   

The truth of Christmas is that we cannot save ourselves.   
The promise of Christmas is that God loved us so completely that He sent His son to save us.   

"The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn."
  - O Holy Night   

He wrapped us in a starry sky, calling us to look up. He gave His only son to us. Wonderful Counselor. Prince of Peace. The government shall be upon His shoulders, and of His kingdom, there shall be no end.   

This year has been challenging, but not without hope. Weary ones, may this week of in-between be filled with the wonder of Christ's birth and the thrill of hope that only He can bring.   
~Kay

Also this week, I'm sharing short takes from my friends in the Christian Podcasters Association:

Letters from Home Podcast, by Meg Glesener
https://lettersfromhomepodcast.com/
https://www.twitter.com/letters_podcast

Life, Repurposed Podcast, by Michelle Rayburn
http://www.liferepurposed.me
https://twitter.com/michellerayburn

Truce Podcast, by Chris Staron
https://trucepodcast.com/
https://twitter.com/trucepodcast

Moments with Moni Podcast, by Monika Hardy
https://www.momentswithmoni.com
https://twitter.com/Monika_Hardy

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Sometimes a single word or phrase has the power to change the course of our lives, and “Chickening IN” is that word for JJ Gutierrez. This little twist on a familiar phrase launched JJ into a transformational journey from fear to faith. Her book, Chickening IN: From Fear to Courageous Faith, 8 Pillars of Transformation, is a practical guide to defeating fear and doubt. I spoke with JJ in February, but we especially need her message today.

Overcoming fear is a process. One step follows another, with small, sometimes imperceptible forward movement. That first step of faith, saying “God, I’m terrified,” invites Him into the conversation. As He speaks truth, we are able to take those practical steps we need to take.

How many times have you “chickened out”? Chickening IN is an invitation to a lifestyle of courage and faith.

Links

JJ Gutierrez, Courage Challenger and Mentor – chickeningin.com
Get the book (affiliate link): Chickening IN: From Fear to Courageous Faith, 8 Pillars of Transformation
Find JJ on Instagram and Facebook

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How do you define success? Is it financial? Family? Creative or business achievements? Or does it have to do with something else?

Tim Winders is a Performance Coach and author who specializes in helping Executive Teams and Entrepreneurial Leaders maximize their potential by looking beyond traditional “cookie-cutter” methods that often limit the creative process. A lifelong student, he thrives on helping people discover how to live outside of the box and walk out their unique God-given calling. In his own life, he has frequently taken the road less traveled, and found great satisfaction off the beaten path. As host of the SeekGoCreate podcast, Tim goes to the out of the way places to bring you people who redefine success and impact our world in remarkable ways as dreamers, movers, strategists, and connectors.

Tim's SeekGoCreate Podcast
@SeekGoCreate

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

What happens when you play catch every day for a year?

Ethan Bryan played catch on New Year's Day with his daughters. Then they had an idea. "Dad, what if you played catch every day for an entire year?"

That's 365 days of catch! It's 500 catch partners, 10 states, and 12,000 miles, rain, wind, and snow. It's about play, letting our guard down, and connecting with each other.

Do you have a story about how play connected you to something bigger?
 
Links
A Year of Playing Catch: What a Simple Daily Experiment Taught Me About Life, by Ethan Bryan

ethanbryan.com

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Today I’d like to take my 14 years experience managing a nonprofits and offer help for leaders in this area. 

Download the guide at kayhelm.com/npguide.

1) A Spirituality of Fundraising, by Henri J.M. Nouwen

You can read this through in one sitting. It’s only 50-60 pages. And it deals with the most important part of your fundraising–your mind. So many people start because of passion, but then run into a wall because fundraising feels like begging. So we’ve got to change our mindset. This is a book that invites us to examine our hearts, motives, and methods and align these with God’s word. If you come to me for fundraising coaching, Session One homework is to read this book.

2) FREEDOM Fundraising Framework: 7 Steps to Build and Sustain Your Next Campaign, by Mary Valloni

This book outlines Mary’s FREEDOM Fundraising Framework. Raising funds successfully and consistently requires strategy! The Freedom framework gives you that strategy, from clarifying your mission and message to building and deploying your teams and making your difference! I interviewed Mary in episode 42, and Mary has a podcast called Fundraising Freedom.

3) Fully Funded Academy

This resource is specifically for missionaries raising support. Fully Funded Academy is a monthly membership training program that gives you the clarity and confidence to launch, grow, and scale your financial support base. If you need more 1:1 support, I'm a Fully Funded Certified Coach.

4) Cairification, from Claire Axelrad

There are really only two blogs you need to follow. The first one is “Clairification” from Claire Axelrad. This blog is a tremendous source of knowledge on all things fundraising and philanthropy.

5) The Storytelling Nonprofit

The next blog is the Storytelling Nonprofit, from Vanessa Chase Lockshin. I interviewed Vanessa in episode 27. As the   Storytelling Nonprofit, Vanessa’s focus is on recognizing, collecting and telling stories that help donors connect with our cause.

6) GuideStar (now part of Candid)

You need to be sure your organization is listed on GuideStar, and that you keep your listing updated each year. This is the place where foundations and funders will look to verify your information, got make sure you are a legit 501c3. So when you apply for a grant, and when you apply to get listed on other nonprofit sites like TechSoup, they need to find you here.

7) TechSoup

This next one will save you TONS of money on software and tech. Do NOT go to sketchy discount software stores where you could end up with pirated software, or malware. Get the real deal.

8) ECFA

For Christian nonprofit organizations, I want to mention ECFA. Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.  They produce some of the best resources (books, guides, webinars, and more) to guide your organization in areas of good governance and financial accountability. If you are just beginning the process of starting a nonprofit, start here! Use their resources for building a strong board and organizational structure that will serve you well for many years. 

Get the nonprofit fundraising guide, at kayhelm.com/npguide

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Brian J Dixon on making money in ministry, taking care of relationships, and having those difficult but important conversations.


Connect with Brian
Website: https://briandixon.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/brianjdixon/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drbrianjdixon

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More about Hope*Writers: lifeandmission.com/hope

Disclosure: Links may be affiliate links. If you decide to purchase any of these resources, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Joyce Glass is The Write Coach, helping writers through the process of writing and completing their books.

Key Takeaways

• There is a process to writing
• Share your work for accountability
• Get prayer covering
• Get in a writing community
• Writing is a skill you can learn
• Writing, editing, and research are all different things. Don't try to do them all at once!
• Break large projects in to smaller parts
• Get the help you need

Links
Connect with Joyce at TheWriteCoach.biz
Podcast - The Write Hour

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Doubt can be a gift, because it alerts us when something's amiss. Here's a way to engage doubt without getting burned.

We rarely see doubt as a good thing. It’s been called a dream-killer. Something to overcome or push through. And certainly, doubt can be destructive. But I propose we take another look at the gift of doubt.

Doubt can be hard to define but it plays out in indecision, hesitation, busywork, loss of enthusiasm, etc. When we encounter doubt, the first response is often fear. 

How is doubt a gift?

I say doubt is a gift because it alerts us when something’s amiss. There’s an inconsistency somewhere. Something differs from our understanding. Doubt calls us to examine things more closely. It’s normal and okay to have doubts, especially when we're in unfamiliar territory, or when we’re doing something new.

In the Bible, the disciples didn’t believe the women who came back and reported Jesus was no longer in the grave. It was a new thing. “Doubting” Thomas, gets a bad rep for asking for proof of the resurrected Christ, but Jesus doesn’t rebuke him for it. Instead, he invites Thomas to test and see. He didn’t push Thomas away; Jesus invited Thomas to come closer.

How we respond to doubt is important.

If we fear doubt, we push it away or ignore it. We cover it with platitudes and affirmations. So there’s this big monster doubt over in the corner, and we start moving around it, avoiding it, tip-toeing past so we don’t wake it up. We leave larger and larger chunks of our lives unexplored and dangerous.

If we give it freedom to roam about unchecked, it steals from us. It nags and worries. It criticizes. Like a raging fire, destroying everything in its path.

Like fire, if we set boundaries and engage doubt with respect, it can work for us. It can be a good thing, when properly contained.

Think for a moment about a beef brisket. It’s tough. It comes from an unglamorous part of the cow. But if you apply a slow, gentle fire, that meat turns into something tender that melts in your mouth. It becomes memorable, rich, and flavorful. And what about sugar? It has one flavor. Sweet. Just sweet. Nothing but sweet. It has no aroma, it’s only one-dimensional. But when you apply heat, it browns and caramelizes and it develops over 100 flavor compounds. That process is permanent. Fire (heat) forever changes that food. You cook something, and it never goes back to the way it was.

If doubt is like fire, then it can help us engage our ideas at a deeper level. Look at things from different angles, check our assumptions. And that can lead to innovation, growth, breakthrough, and discovery.

How to engage doubt without getting burned:

Get the right people in the kitchen. Relationships help us see truth. Explore the doubt with people you can trust. Not the people who will tell you they never believed in your dream, anyway. They could’ve told you it would never work. That’s like throwing gasoline on the fire, and somebody will get burned.

But you also don’t want to go to the people who just tell you how great you are and how it’ll all work out. They’ll make you feel better, but it will not be helpful. You won’t get that rich flavor profile because they won’t let the fire burn hot enough. And please, don’t let people in your kitchen who don’t know anything about cooking!

You need people with the knowledge and stamina to stay in a hot kitchen long enough to help you draw all the flavor out of this thing. You might need an expert in your field, or someone with more experience, or you may just need a great coach.

Exploring these things demands honesty and vulnerability. If our perceptions or assumptions turn out to be wrong, then changing them can take courage. 

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Interview with Mike Lane of Hope Bridges, a nonprofit serving over one-hundred children in northern Thailand with food, clothing, education, and basic health care.

Resources

Hopebridges.org
The most life-changing coffee you’ve ever had.

Join the Life and Mission Community 

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!