The Metron Manager Project

I’m sure you are all aware of the nightmare happening in Ukraine. There is truly evil that is at work in the world and we are seeing that fully displayed. Keep all the political leaders in prayer including our president. The human condition is truly fragile and desperately in need of the protection, restoration and renovation.

If God did it before He can do it again. 

As I prayed about this situation in Ukraine I was reminded by the Lord about the similar circumstances that the Allies faced in WW2. If you haven’t read the book titled ‘REES HOWELLS INTERCESSOR’ by Norman Grubb, you will be incredibly challenged and strengthened in your faith. 

Rees Howell was a key figure in the Welsch revival of the early 20th century and went on to lead a profoundly effective prayer and intercession movement throughout WW2. I wanted to share an account of how God moved through Rees and his group that dramatically affected the outcome of key battles in WW2. This account of just 1 instance will encourage you that God can and Will work through the prayer and intercession of his people to address the course of human events. We need God to move powerfully in Ukraine and if he did it before he can do it again…

You may have seen the social media post from a pastor in Ukraine reporting specific answers to specific prayer. Well it really happened. Check out this interview with pastor Josh Wilson of New Heights Church in Bentonville Arkansas and former missionary to Ukraine, Brittney Boatman. God used these two individuals and a prayer meeting during the February 27 Sunday Service that affected the war in Ukraine. Check out their story.

See the original post here: https://www.facebook.com/jswilso/posts/10106104825507747

God works through the prayers of His people.

"Spiritual Authority is rooted in identity, expanded in intimacy and activated by faith."

The best book I read in 2021 was Spiritual Authority by Dr. Rob Reimer and today I had the privilege of interviewing the author! This was epic.

Rev. Dr. Reimer is Professor of Pastoral Theology at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, NY. and the founding pastor of South Shore Community Church in Massachusetts. He is the founder of a ministry called Renewal International.

Dr. Reimer is also an accomplished author. His books include Soul Care, River Dwellers, Spiritual Authority, Calm in the Storm, Deep Faith and Pathways to the King.

Follow along as Dr. Reimer takes us on a deep dive into the concept and practice of spiritual authority!

This was such a powerful discussion. You will love the way Dr. Reimer shares deep truths in an accessible way. He is so authentic and walks in the spiritual authority that he talks about.

Check out these highlights:

• What is spiritual authority?
• His personal journey of discovering spiritual authority through a season of serious discontent
• Seeking the hand of God instead of the presence of God
• The root of spiritual authority : identity - intimacy - faith
• The distinction between Authority and Authoritarian
• Practical co-laboring with Christ
• Where does spiritual authority come from? How does one get it?
• How do you know if you or someone has spiritual authority
• Success is submission

Learn more about Dr. Reimer's ministry at: https://renewalinternational.org

This was my first experience with becoming the target of a full-blown riot. There was no reasoning with the crowd as they continued to shout, yell, and wave umbrellas in our direction. What had begun with our team quietly praying had now turned into a very dangerous situation. 

In my spirit I heard the Lord say, “You command this crowd.” Obediently, and without much consideration, I stepped forward and raised my hands up over the crowd and said, “In the name of Jesus, I command peace over this crowd!” 

“Kingdom exploits are always done in Jesus’ name, as Jesus’ ambassadors, as sons and daughters of the King. Authority is the Right to USE someone else’s power” - Quote from Dr. Rob Reimer on page 56 of his book titled ‘Spiritual Authority’

So there is a LOT going on in your metron that makes no sense. There is a lot that is not manageable using human wisdom, talent or academic knowledge. What makes it possible for everyone to be a metron manager in the Kingdom of God is that everyone who submits to Christ as Lord is authorized to use HIS power for HIS purposes. The believer finds themselves authorized to act and speak on behalf of the government … the government of heaven.

Follow along as I share my own testimony of discovering the operational power and authority of God that is available to us in Christ Jesus.

Friends, you can do this. You can learn to manage your sphere of influence with authority. I am going to continue to equip you as best as I can so that you can succeed as best as you can, in Christ Jesus.

The first investment in this effort to equip you regarding spiritual authority is going to come strait from the expert. Dr. Rob Reimer, author of the best book on spiritual authority I’ve ever read. He will be featured on an upcoming episode of this podcast.

Do you wonder if Great Commission companies and Redemptive Entrepreneurship are even possible realities in this day and age? Have you struggled to understand how your calling to the workplace actually fits into the design of the Kingdom of God? 

If so, you MUST hear this interview with Field Agent Chief Strategy Officer and Co-Founder Henry Ho!

Henry was a founding member of P&G’s Global Walmart Customer Team in 1988 and has worked with Walmart for over 33 years.  Henry’s international experience includes Walmart Asia Team Leader, Country Manager of Procter & Gamble Hong Kong, and Asia Region Category Management and Shopper Insights Leader.

Born in Macau to a single mother, living with 4 siblings in a 1 room apartment and then immigrating to the USA, Henry has come from humble beginnings. He now has over 40 years of work experience in high level corporate positions and pioneered multiple redemptive companies. 

This discussion will give you SOLID and actionable guidance for how to succeed as a believer in any workplace context. Henry speaks into the following topics with authority, authenticity and deep experience.

• Principles of a Great Commission company
• Are Kingdom companies actually a possibility?
• The value of corporate and entrepreneurial work
• What do you do when you work in a very non-redemptive environment?
• There are 3 Bottom-Lines in a Kingdom company
• People are always the focus 
• How do you know if you are ready to be an entrepreneur?
• What is the first thing you should do if you are stepping into an entrepreneurial calling?
• What are the real ‘wins’ as a believer in the workplace?
• Intentionality is the KEY
• The nuts and bolts of ‘On Mission' living
• Go - Serve - Do Good
• Why success matters in business
• God is always enough - Beware of your DREAMS

YOU can contact Henry Ho through LinkedIn. Contact him if you would like mentoring and community to help you on your journey!

Listen into this LIVE talk I shared at the 1st ever Northwest Arkansas Marketplace Missions Consultation!

Follow along as I share some key thoughts on missionized theology of work and set the stage for a crucial discussion on the marketplace and the future of missions. This was a vibrant discussion with input from a solid group of working professionals who are called to work and care about the Great Commission.

Are you called to the workplace? Do you want your voice to help discover the path forward for marketplace missions? Join us and contribute! If you would like to participate in future consultations follow us on Facebook and Instagram for event details. 

Learn more at: www.MetronManager.com

Quick Highlights: 

• Did you know that all work is intended to be brought under the authority of Jesus? Or ‘Missionized’?
• Did you know vocation and work are inherently missional by design in the scriptures! 
• Did you know that the cultural mandate [theology of work] is directly connected to the language in the Great Commission? 
• Did you know that half of the Great Commission is a qualitative command? 
• Did you know that work is actually a primary means for the advancement of the Kingdom?

Today I get to share a real life personal testimony with you... a testimony of accidentally bringing Heaven into the job from Hell!

If you’ve been following the program you have heard me interview a number of redemptive entrepreneurs who have made a real kingdom impact and brought transformation to various regions around the world. These are incredible people and inspiring stories. But you may be thinking “I’m never going to start a company… much less a missional enterprise so what does this theology of work stuff mean to me, in my day to day job?”

That is a fair question. I would suggest that working at a job where you can’t prescribe a preferred culture but are subject to a worldly system, can actually be harder than succeeding as an entrepreneur.

Follow along in this episode as I share a life shaping personal testimony of how I accidentally brought Heaven into a job from Hell. I was young, inexperienced and untrained, yet God used me to reach an entire company because of my willingness to represent Him in the midst of a workplace that was run by darkness.

Hear the story of how I was confronted by an entire staff of angry people who were determined to get me to join them in corruption... and how God turned that moment around to defeat darkness. If it could happen through me it can happen through you!

This crazy true story illustrates exactly why theology of work matters and why your vocation is the very means through which God establishes HIS kingdom.

Join me as I interview Jennifer and follow her deep journey into redemptive entrepreneurship. Jennifer shares an honest reflection on humble beginnings, a corporate position with Walmart, training leaders and attempting an apparel start up in Ethiopia. You will gain real world insight into the challenges and realities of starting a redemptive business in a very difficult environment. Cultural whiplash, team approaches, theology of work issues and solid advice for mission minded professionals are featured in this authentic discussion. 

Jennifer Mathews began her professional career at Walmart HQ in 2008 working in apparel and marketing for 3 years. She worked for a non-profit in Addis, Ababa Ethiopia for 18 months doing leadership development then attempted to start a leather handbag business to employ marginalized peoples in Ethiopia. She lived in Germany for 2.5 years doing non-profit work among refugees and currently resides in Northwest Arkansas. Jennifer now works as a Housing Specialist at Canopy, a refugee resettlement organization.

Highlights include:

• Don’t despise the days of small beginnings 
• How working a Corporate position with Walmart HQ prepared Jennifer for missions
• An unlikely startup in Ethiopia
• What happens when our work does not work out
• How to keep your God story moving forward in your vocation
• A journey of recovering the dignity and mission of work
• Advice for young professionals who want to impact the broken places in the world
• As we work and as we build… we demonstrate a different Kingdom 
• We are saved from something and also saved UNTO something
• Community as KEY to success
• What would Jennifer tell her ‘young self’ if she could before she went into the work world
• Advice for single women who are called to redemptive entrepreneurship 
• Theological challenges impacting investors, funding and modes of operation
• What will HELP you and what will HURT you
• Can you trust your Gut instinct as a believer?

2022 is officially upon us! We need to become CRISES PROOF going into this new year!

As we welcome 2022 we have a pretty wild work world emerging. I just saw that there have been almost 5 million people quit their jobs here in the USA in 2021… yet we have also seen almost 5 million new companies started at the same time!

As everyone seems to be trying to find a new way forward I’d like to share some thoughts to help you on this journey.

One of the dynamics that has become evident as we muddle through the later part of this global pandemic is that our cultures have largely failed the stress test. Under pressure, everything we have relied on has been shown to be pretty unstable. Reliability is a rare commodity these days. In this global crack up a lot of people have decided to find a new way forward. This may looked like a mass exodus from social norms or the great resignation with millions of people moving on from their jobs.

So In this new reality we are seeing a lot of people look to start their own businesses. People want to become entrepreneurs… innovators… rebuilders… this has become a huge aspect of the ‘new way forward’. This is a pretty big shock to the system economically but it is also a great opportunity  for Christians to shape the culture of the workplace.

Follow along as I share the secret to becoming a Crises Proof individual and shaping a Crises Proof corporate culture.

Highlights Include:

• Affirmation of your desire to find a new way forward
• Building to survive the next Stress Test
• Why the collapse?
• The new way forward is actually an old way up
• Build it right from the beginning
• The culture of the new way forward
• Keys to Stability and the Non-Plussed life
• Spiritual 'down-line' in the workplace
• The trap of isolation
• The Key is not going it alone...even if you are doing it alone

In this episode I have the opportunity to have Heather Lacy on the program! Heather and her husband Scott lived in Thailand for the last 10 years and she founded a Business as Mission company called Breathe. Currently Heather is the Director of Mobilization for Beautiful Feet Ministries and public speaker and teacher on the topics of redemptive entrepreneurship, cultural intelligence and making Kingdom disciples while running a profitable business.

If you have ever wondered what it takes to run a successful business as mission enterprise, especially as a woman in a foreign country, then you will love this interview! Heather shares a compelling story of she and her husbands journey into redemptive entrepreneurship in Thailand.

Here are some highlights!

• A redemptive story of standing up a profitable business in Thailand!
• Women as entrepreneurial leaders and lead disciple makers
• 3 keys to Cross Cultural Intelligence (CQ) that will set you up for success in any work environment whether in a foreign company or in your home country.
• How you cultivate influence in a work environment
• How you message the gospel into a cross cultural environment in order to first connect rather than just convert
• What is the gospel you are actually bringing into your environment?
• Are you discipling ‘salvation culture’ or ‘Kingdom culture’ into your disciples?
• Biblically informed is not enough… you have to be culturally informed!