Skip to main content

What To Do First to Make a Profit

The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat  ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're  not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director.  Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year.  God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started inve

Have you lost friends?

A friend of mine recently posted on their facebook status, asking if anyone else had lost old friends over a social networking site. It appears that they had lost long time friends they have known over many years after just recently becoming friends on a social networking site. Evidently the friends discovered more about them than they previously knew. It was nothing illegal or inappropriate, just the same thing most all of us share such as status updates, foods we're eating, movies we're seeing, places we're going, photos, blog posts on various subjects not to mention a political view or two. After the "friends" post a nasty dissenting comment or two, they "de-friend" the person or become such an argumentative nuisance, they wish they did! My friend was a bit disheartened that this happened to them, yet not enough to stop being exactly who they are. I have other pastor friends who have actually lost people from their church through involvement with a social networking site. That is becoming more common. As much as it unites people and helps you keep in touch with folks in the church, it can also create "drama" that is just unbelievable. Who could ever imagine even a few short years ago that a pastor would get a call of concern over what somebody had posted on their facebook? [sigh] A friend of mine who is a pastor's wife told me yesterday that she and her husband completely deleted their facebook accounts recently because people who are disgruntled and have left their church are now posting negative remarks on people's pages about them and their church. How immature and sad!

I understand all this as I've had similar things to all the above happen to me on occasion. Perhaps this occurs because through a social networking site people hear from us every day who used to not really hear from us any other time than an occasional card, phone call, wedding, funeral, holiday, occasional e-mail, or family reunion. Now those same people hear something from us everyday, so there is a greater chance we will say something they take issue with. One little status blurb that you think the recent health care bill is scarier than any book Stephen King has ever written can unleash a plethora of nasty comments and send your third cousin or your old friend you met years ago at summer camp packing. Delete, delete, delete they go.

I have to confess, I don't mind. I figure first of all, if they are that shallow to get upset over the fact that I posted in my status that I took my daughter to see Twilight or that I shared a swimsuit photo, let them go. Second, if they find out more about me and that leads them to not want to be in relationship, hasn't it served to more help me figure out who is important in my life and who my real friends should be?

Some consider it hurtful...I consider it a helpful, time saving service.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Don't you just want to tell people that junior high ended a long time ago?!?!?!
Amy said…
I've lost FB friends for one reason or another. I really don't care. It's really their issue, not mine. Even still...its pretty sad.
Anonymous said…
My doctor is also my friend from high school and has a facebook. From time to time my husband will read what she has written and he'll say to me "this is your doctor"?. But he needs to remember that she's normal like everyone else and has a life too outside of being a doctor. She's a great person, with a wonderful personality and likes to have fun.
DaNella Auten said…
I purposefully have not invited my new boss to be my friend on facebook even though I know she has one, I want to keep work seperated from home some...

Popular posts from this blog

Relevant Church doing something...

incredibly RELEVANT!

I just heard some news today that really inspired me. A church here in Tampa, Relevant Church is doing a new thing this month called the "30 Days Sex Challenge." (I've never visited the church but Pastor Trinity - our children's pastor - has visited or has met some people from this church and he was very impressed.) Realizing that this is a major element missing from some marriages (the frequency factor) their lead pastor, Paul Wirth, has issued a challenge for all the married couples to have sex for 30 days in a row. At the same time he has issued a challenge for all unmarrieds to completely abstain from sex. Of course we know the Bible says that those who are unmarried should not have sex in the first place but the point is, a lot of unmarried's aren't obeying the Lord's command to abstain and this is just one pastor's way of trying to get them to see that indeed, there is a better way! (God's way!) At the same time, many married couples are not

What Verbal Abuse is Really Like, and Why We Must Care
Guest Post: Terri von Wood

In my speaking travels, I meet the most amazing people. Some are connections that go beyond just a night or a weekend of preac hing. One day on my journey, I met Terri von Wood, and we immediately clicked and have been friends ever since.  Just a reminder that all of our guest bloggers this week are available to chat with you in the comment section here on the blog or on my facebook page where the blog is also published.   *** People who have never suffered through or witnessed abuse (including pastors) often don't know how to help women in abusive situations. Knowledge is power and it is my belief that if the church understood the prevalence of abuse, help would be made available.  First, we must acknowledge that the divorce rate is the same  in the church as in the world.  Second, we must understand that the 50% divorce rate does not include all the women who are abused but stay because they do not know what else to do or do not have anyone to turn to.  If those women we

Excellent teaching on Criticism

My friend Pastor Leanne posted this today on her Myspace blog and I thought it was excellent and so timely. It's a blog post from Pastor Perry Noble , about criticism. I think it's perfect for the pastors at Relevant Church right now, as well as any other person going through this. I would like to note that when he says, "when God begins to move" it wouldn't necessarily just pertain to your church but to your life, your family, your marriage, anything that concerns you. I have found that the greater God does things in my life and the more He blessed me the more I should expect it. This teaching is good, so good I was almost wavin' a hanky in my office. Okay, here we go... You Will Be Criticized When God Begins To Move–Expect It And Get Over It. (Pastor Perry Noble at http://www.perrynoble.com/ ) I've never met a devil worshiper–to my knowledge that is. When I first became a Christian I was convinced that I needed to do all that I could to be ready to comba