Friday, January 22, 2010
... there is freedom ...
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
International Teams Intern: 'It's a Great Life'
Julia has worked with refugees in Kenya since 2006 as part of a multi-national team composed of Canadian, Kenyan, Filipina, Nigerian, and American workers.
Julia's team conducts literacy, ESL, Bible studies and sewing classes. They offer counseling, organize community development projects and advocate on behalf of refugees, primarily women and children. They raise money for student scholarships, uniforms, books and lunches. The team serves refugees from Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Congo and the Great Lakes region of eastern Africa.
"I feel very blessed to be able to work as an intern in Kenya. To go where God leads is the beginning of a great adventure and the best place you could be in. I'm a relational person so working in Kenya and meeting people--it's a great life."
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Grindstone Church Team to Visit Uganda
Impact Uganda Leader Dave Adams will lead a team of 6 from Grindstone Church in Waterdown on their first ITCA missions trip to Uganda departing January 11.
The team will consist of Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Teaching, Matt Pamplin; Elder, Doug Veenstra; Paul Dear; Judi Martin; Irene Boonstra and Dave Adam's wife, Jennifer Adams. Gary Sharpe, Director of International Programs will also accompany the team. The Grindstone team will explore the possibility of a strategic partnership with Impact Uganda's national leader, Anne Mwangi.
During their inaugural visit, the Grindstone team will meet Anne for the first time and participate in the ministries she leads. They will teach at the ILTP (International Leadership Training Program) school, minister at the refugee ministry women's group, and serve in the children's feeding program.
A large amount of donated clothing will be distributed including 100 soccer uniforms. In addition, 25 backpacks and a digital camera have also been donated.
Two of the team members with construction experience will work on renovations and general repair in the ILTP building.
"This is a wonderful example of how International Teams helps churches help the poor," Adams said. "International Teams is brokering the relationship between a well-resourced Canadian church and a fledgling ministry to marginalized people in Uganda."
Donations to Impact Uganda: Click Here http://bit.ly/3Dy4qs.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
The Prince & The Pauper Exercise (Repost from Tim Sanders Blog)
The Prince & The Pauper Exercise:
Earlier this week, Prince William lived out at least one side of the famous story of The Prince and The Pauper. After all, it's in his DNA. When William slept rough in the streets recently, he carried forward his mother's vision of increasing awareness about the plight of homeless teens in London.
While some may cast a cynical eye towards William's efforts (along with front page publicity and goodwill it generated), I look at the exercise as a win/win/win venture that all of us should draw from insight from.
For Prince William, this exercise is a coming of age story for a young leader. First of all, he makes the move from sympathy to empathy when it comes to the issue of homelessness. Before this night of "sleeping rough," he felt bad for the poor (sympathy). After the experience, "he could only imagine...," which takes his understanding of the situation to a higher level. This is also the level that the poor would like to be thought of at too. The homeless don't want pity. They want safety, food and to feel good. Pretty much the same thing all of us want. I think Prince William gets that a little bit better now.
The second benefit to the young leader is that he's smashing his fears by confronting them through the experience of being destitute. Last year, I viewed a five minute talk by Tim Ferriss on 'Practical Pessimism." In it, he shared ideas from Stoicism that suggested that the powerful, rich and noble all experience poverty and eat what the beggars eat and wear what they wear. The exercise, helps the have-alots confront their greatest fear: Losing all the stuff. I predict the exercise will help Prince William feel fearless when it comes to moments or even extended periods of not having more cash than you can count.
For the homeless he encountered, there are benefits too. For some, he gave them a shot of hope, believing that help might be on the way. For others, the attentive appearance of Prince William in their hood gave them a voice to the world - and a dose of dignity too.
Done with taste, you can benefit from this exercise too. You can find a way to immerse yourself in the intersection of the community's biggest needs and your greatest assets. Who knows, you might be the only person reaching out this year.
Is there a customer in need? In my first book, I shared the story of Michael Rawlins (former CEO of Pizza Hut). Each Friday, he called his best customers to check on service, thank them for their loyalty and hear out their life stories. One day, he called a single mother of five that worked three jobs to make ends meet. While he didn't walk in her shoes for a day, he listened empathetically. For both of them, it was a life changing conversation. Thanks to Google Books, you can read The Pizza Hut story for all the details.
What is the analog in your business? What did your mother (think founder) care about? Are you still carrying that cause on?
Tim Sanders
Earlier this week, Prince William lived out at least one side of the famous story of The Prince and The Pauper. After all, it's in his DNA. When William slept rough in the streets recently, he carried forward his mother's vision of increasing awareness about the plight of homeless teens in London.
While some may cast a cynical eye towards William's efforts (along with front page publicity and goodwill it generated), I look at the exercise as a win/win/win venture that all of us should draw from insight from.
For Prince William, this exercise is a coming of age story for a young leader. First of all, he makes the move from sympathy to empathy when it comes to the issue of homelessness. Before this night of "sleeping rough," he felt bad for the poor (sympathy). After the experience, "he could only imagine...," which takes his understanding of the situation to a higher level. This is also the level that the poor would like to be thought of at too. The homeless don't want pity. They want safety, food and to feel good. Pretty much the same thing all of us want. I think Prince William gets that a little bit better now.
The second benefit to the young leader is that he's smashing his fears by confronting them through the experience of being destitute. Last year, I viewed a five minute talk by Tim Ferriss on 'Practical Pessimism." In it, he shared ideas from Stoicism that suggested that the powerful, rich and noble all experience poverty and eat what the beggars eat and wear what they wear. The exercise, helps the have-alots confront their greatest fear: Losing all the stuff. I predict the exercise will help Prince William feel fearless when it comes to moments or even extended periods of not having more cash than you can count.
For the homeless he encountered, there are benefits too. For some, he gave them a shot of hope, believing that help might be on the way. For others, the attentive appearance of Prince William in their hood gave them a voice to the world - and a dose of dignity too.
Done with taste, you can benefit from this exercise too. You can find a way to immerse yourself in the intersection of the community's biggest needs and your greatest assets. Who knows, you might be the only person reaching out this year.
Is there a customer in need? In my first book, I shared the story of Michael Rawlins (former CEO of Pizza Hut). Each Friday, he called his best customers to check on service, thank them for their loyalty and hear out their life stories. One day, he called a single mother of five that worked three jobs to make ends meet. While he didn't walk in her shoes for a day, he listened empathetically. For both of them, it was a life changing conversation. Thanks to Google Books, you can read The Pizza Hut story for all the details.
What is the analog in your business? What did your mother (think founder) care about? Are you still carrying that cause on?
Tim Sanders
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