A New Prayer for a Congregation’s Spending Plan
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.
The following prayer is the most frequently requested item I've written. We recently removed it from the Design Group International store, and decided to make it public domain. We will do the same thing in the next blog post with a related prayer: "New prayer for a congregational spending plan."
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.
Our Anniversary Party Runs throughout February 2012!
We are a little late celebrating the 10th anniversary of the book, but want to say Happy Anniversary anyway!
In 2001, the book
Speaking About Money: Reducing the Tension was published as the last major work from
The Giving Project. The book grew out of a seminar long-time Mennonite pastor and church leader Peter Wiebe and I taught around the country, helping ministry leaders get in touch with their own money story, how money messages are constructed but easily become confused, and how to navigate one's way to more effective money communication across diverse constituencies.
If you've heard the labels Impoverished Hopefuls, Freely Givers or Blessed Poor, you're hearing from someone who participated in one of the workshops or benefitted from the material found in this book.
I was honored to work with Peter Wiebe(pictured at right) in this effort and still hear the laughter of his booming bass. He was my mother's pastor when she was a youth group member in Northern Indiana, and now attends church with my brother and his family in Arizona.
These connections with Peter and my family are a reminder how the tapestry of our lives are deeply intertwined in ways we cannot fully see. Money is one of the threads and that tapestry and those of us leading organizations that serve others do well to be in touch with its intricate weave. Who we are and what we say in these matters will impact those who come after us . . .years after us.
Happy Anniversary!
-mark l vincent
p.s. You can join the celebration by entering our drawing during February 2012. We will award three organizations with copies of the book for their entire board. Click on the box below to enter:
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.
Ensuring the success of interim ministry- A paraphrase of Titus 1:5-2:1
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.
I am committed to read a lot of biographies and memoirs in 2012. Design Group International grew so much in 2011 that we made some internal changes to better serve our clients and our Senior Design Partners challenged me to live more fully into the CEO role. A reading list of significantly accomplished and respected people emerged. I expect some of what I discover will find its way into this blog from time to time.
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.
I’ve been involved in what is now the Credentialed Christian Nonprofit Leader (CCNL) program since the late 1990’s, watching it morph and grow and become a professional credential to be taken seriously. When you see the CCNL designation behind someone’s name you can be assured of the following nine conveyances:
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.
"There are 10 spikes to a rail, 400 rails to a mile, 1,800 miles to San Francisco--21,000,000 times those sledges to be swung: 21,000,000 times are they to come down with their sharp punctuation before the great work of modern America is complete."
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.
Confusing reduced expense with an improved cash flow
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.
Confusing a monthly report with a real-time management tool
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All blogs reflect the thoughts of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Design Group International, Inc.