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Write The Vision

Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:2-3).

Some think that leadership in ministry is more difficult than in business. Their reasoning is that with employees a paycheck can be used as leverage, thus "volunteers" are more difficult to manage than employees. When I hear this the idiom carrot and stick comes to mind, it is characterized by the use of both reward and punishment to induce cooperation, driving a mule on by either holding out a carrot or whipping it with a stick. The focus is on getting the mule to cooperate. Collaboration includes cooperation and it is based on the establishment of a relationship involving trust, respect, and commitment.[1] Collaboration mimics the biblical idea of body, where each member has a gift, a function, and the ligaments which tie the members together are managers who instruct to build up the body into it's head, it's purpose. As believers business is a ministry and ministry is a business. God's principles are the same, many operations but the same God, helping us to be expedient at doing His operations (1 Corinthians 12:6-7).

NASA is rated as one of the top organizations to work for, quite surprising since it is a government organization with many processes and procedures.[2] NASA's vision is to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind.[3] Cool vision. Google won the 2014 “Best Company To Work For” award by Fortune Magazine.[4] Their mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.[5] Although known for their laid back culture and service to the community, like GoogleServe 2013, Google is serious about doing business. Another company Saleforce was ranked as Fortune's top paying company but it was not listed as a top company to work for and a recent survey of their employees revealed that 70% thought engagement was the most important motivating factor, not pay. The same study by the Federal Reserve found this conclusion, that engagement is the most important factor.

NASA and Google are very technological driven companies, employing many scientists and engineers. They both have a unique culture where there is engagement of the people. Engagement would be defined as the emotional commitment the person has to the organization and its goals. Engaged people lead to higher service, quality, and productivity, which leads to higher satisfaction, which leads to higher returns. The parable of the talents puts forth this idea, "Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten talents, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’" If faithful in small then faithful in much, a principle of God. Successful companies have established core principles that are written plain on tablets. Google has "ten things we know to be true" and NASA has core and governing principles which states "mission success delivers on our commitment to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us."[6][7]

Write the vision; make it plain on tablets." Great companies understand "the vital role of core principles (i.e., values, purpose, vision) in helping us to communicate, gain buy-in, shape and motivate our team, and plan and execute more effectively. The alternative is to merely ‘bump along,’ reacting to events while busily lost in activity, and continuing to operate and act as we always have. As leaders, we know more is possible – even necessary – for the long-term health and stewardship" of an organization.[8] The C12 Group is an organization whose mission is "to change the world by bringing forth the Kingdom of God in the marketplace through the companies and lives of those He calls to run businesses for Him."[9] At the core of C12 is the belief of finishing well, "keeping the end in mind, we press on, maintaining both eternal perspective & kingdom priorities as we pursue long-range stewardship with vision, planning & sound generational succession aimed at sustaining our company's ministry impact." The impact of C12 is tremendous.[10]

Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it" (Habakkuk 2:2-3). The idea is to run the race well. "We need to be sure that our purpose and vision are firmly founded on an unshakable set of worthy core values which are consistently modeled, communicated, and reinforced. The reality is that organizations lacking such clear direction suffer from compromised performance, unnecessary confusion among competing agendas, and needless staff frustration"[12]  There are many operations of God, we are called to be expedient at these operations.[11] And while our operations differ, He is still the same and operates all in all to help us to be expedient. These principles apply to personal core values; I am made righteous not through my own works but through the works of Christ, I am created for his workmanship to do good works that he has prepared for me (Ephesians 2:10), it is from Grace that I do good works and Grace compels me to be profitable so that others might know His love. As believers we must insist on these things that we may be careful to devote ourselves to good works, which is excellent and profitable for people (Titus 3:8).

C12 May 2014 Preview 

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