Tuesday, October 18, 2005

The Business Model of the Church

Permit me to take a spin on this topic, one that may strike controversy but please don’t question my heart.

What is the church’s business model? Can a congregation survive and thrive without being business conscience? I say no, and here is why.

What is the church’s product?

“What?” you say. “A church has a product?”

I propose that a church like any other company has a product. Those churches that are successful have created a business model of sorts around the gospel, every Bible-believing church’s product that is. Think about a church and how it gets its message out. Is this not marketing? Think about how a church finances a new building project. Is this not Financial Planning? What about a budget? Does not a church have fixed and variable costs and variable income based on attendance? Does not a mega church create other revenue streams by having ticketed large-scale productions, donations from TV ministries, Sermon products, and Book sales?

So why then do churches fail? Are they responsible with their money? Some are, some are not. Those who are have huge complexes in which they teach God’s word, but not all buildings last because some churches build on a rock and some one sand, both physically and metaphorically.

A church in its outset should create a business model. What kind of church are they going to be? Are they going to be a family centered church, a seeker-sensitive church, or are they going to be a dead church? Who is the target audience? What is the demographic makeup of the church and is that conducive to the style of leadership the pastor has and the style of worship the church will be conducting? How will the church gets its message out? TV? Radio? Internet? Pod casting? How important is presentation to the pastor and to the people of that area in where the church is located?

All of these questions should be addressed by every church and plan formed in how to achieve the maximum affect through each of these points so as to maximize the distribution of the church’s product, the good news of Jesus Christ.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Why is life so complicated?

The fall was devastating. As life goes on and the faults of human nature become more evident to me, I realize how big of a deal the fall was.

I cannot imagine what life would have been like if man had not sinned against God. We would all be perfect, we would not toil the land, we would not have all of the adverse emotional conditions that sin brought to us. We would still be in the garden enjoying what we were created for, fellowship with God.

But as man became more corrupt, life has become harder and harder. Some would say that life 100 years ago was much harder than it is now. Perhaps physically one could say that. Technology has spoiled the human race all together. Life in hard times was painful, but hapiness came much easier I think. Now hapiness come with to high a price.

Doc the other day had a sermon on being lonely. He was talking about finding hapiness in God because Faith in His will was all that was needed. Relationships with man or woman is not as neccesary for hapiness as the relationship with God. I realize that more now than ever.

At some point in anyones life, there will come a time when it seems as though no man on earth is there for you when you need it. The only person who will never fail you is God. When I am lonely and I have no one to turn to, God is till there waiting. The earthly desires that are sinful in God's eyes dont even give a temporary relief.

So in understanding that God is here with me, and that in my low points, He still has by future planned for me in His best interests, why am I longing for more? Why in my humanity can I not be happy in Him alone?

I sound in this writting like I'm falling apart. I'm not. I just feel like I'm working so hard to uphold my commitments to man without any return on my toil, both from man and from God. So what am I looking for? More money? Love? Recognition? Material items? I dont know.

i have felt the peace of God many times in my life at critical points when I needed it most. I fell right now that I am once again at one of those cross roads, waiting for the next step, desiring more. I pray that I am not searching for this for me, but for Him. Do I already have it and I just cannot see it? If that is the case why am I not happy? Why am I searching for more?

According to the Bible, i have everything that i need for hapiness. I have eternal salvation, and a God that is with me every day even when in my humanity I sin against him. Society tells me that I dont have much; a home, an education, a job, food on most days, and more convenience than 80% of the world, and a ton of debt.If one would compare me to the american dream, I have it. I even have influence in my work, and an opportunity to mentor people, but yet I need the mentorship. I need the encouragement. Do I have a low self esteem? i dont know. Many would say I have leadership, but do all leaders have a high self esteem?

Adults tell adolescents to enjoy the time in their life where they dont have the stress of adulthoofd upon them. Every adolescent refuses to listen to adults. I would love to return to the times i had in early high school. College is supposed to be the best years of your life. For me I fought for it.

God grant me the peace in you that I'm searching for. Guide my steps and calm my heart. Do not allow me to desire the things of this earth, allow me instead to invest my time here on earth for you. Time will not heal the wounds of humanity on my life, only You can. i need more of you and less of this earth.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

I really should spell check

I didnt realize how many spelling and sentence errors there were in this thing. I sit a type, and what comes out comes out.

Please ignore the grammatical garbage and search for the real sustance of this blog...me.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Disappointment

People often think of LU or a Church as a safe haven. I submit, it is a bubble. Bubbles are interesting phenomena. Bubbles dont always pop. they can inflate, deflate, stretch, conform, and yes sometimes explode.

Today a bubble exploded again for me. Working at a Christian place, I deal with the same politics that the business world has, sometimes worse here then there, I deal with relationships with co workers, budget deficiencies, policy breeches, and uneducated people who think they already know what they came here, a university, to learn.

Someone decided within the past three days that they needed or desired a mixing console more than Liberty, and took it upon themselves to take that unit home. While theft is not uncommon here at LU, quite the contrary as a matter of fact, I felt as though this act was a direct hit on me personally. It was not, I'm aware of that, however, I fight for this department. I work long hours, I bleed on the job, literally, and I sweat profusley. In short, my job is not always cake.

This hard work over the past couple of years in developing a bleeding department into a functional teaching unit has been a passion of mine and my main purpose for being here at the school. Now that I have finished my degree, it has never been more the case.

A wise man from North Carolina, and a personal business friend once told me: "Kevin, no one will ever care about your department as much as you will." The same man told me fixing inexpensive gear is "like taking a hamster to the vet". Wisdom comes in all shapes a sizes, and I wished that I wish that I had a bit of that wisdom today when I faced this ordeal. Working over 60 hours this week added to this frustration. Perhaps a day off is called for.

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Thankfulness

Lord,

I just talked to a dear friend of mine. I wish I coud say the call was uplifting. It was devasting. He has been married a little longer than I, he was married during the conflict in Iraq. The other night he was telling his wife that he had been in contact with an old fling over the phone, had never seen her in person, even given the opportunity recently. His wife in anger told him of an affair she had during the war while in Iraq after they were married.

Needless to say my friend crushed. I'm touched that he called me to vent, though I wish now I knew more of what to tell him. Instead of fumbling, I passed the ball to a Pastor I know.

Two things I learned from this. Marraige is fragile. Even strong couples can fall, but the aftermath is as delicate as the marriage itself. i thank You for this friend. I pray that he is able to come through this, what ever the course of action may be. I pray for his daughter, that whatever the outcome, she knows and understands the love her father, both earthly and heavenly, has for her, and that through this painful time, the healing process and the Grace of God will allow her to love her parents. More importanly, i pray that You restore their marriage.

I thank You for my wife and family, for her faithfulness to me. For my children with whom I could not live without. I'm thankful for my Parents and the sacrifice they have made for each other through the hard times and trials You have placed in their lives.

I need more of You.

Your Son,

Kevin

Friday, July 01, 2005

Apply What You Learn

I can now call myself a reader. Through all of school I could not stand the act, but now I find freedom in it, a place where I attempt to shut the world out and yet understand that world while I read.

One of the books I've read recently is "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Farrazzi. He is a marketing guru who wrote a book on utilizing and developing your personal network. Now in busniess, it is all about who you know and not about what you know. So I tried it out. I emailed a personal mentor of mind who lives here in the burg and asked him, exactly in the manor suggested in this book, if he knew anyone in the real estate industry that he would feel comfortable introducing me to.

2 Days later I had an interview. The man tried to talk me out of it in a vein attempt to test me. I wouldnt give in. He said the first step was to get my license, a 60 clock hour class, and a 65 dollar test. The class is offered at a local school here, not LU.

This is where God's providence comes in. With my benefits at the school, I am allowed to take $1500.00 in classes, per year, in which liberty does not offer. To make a long story short, I couldnt pay for the 290.00 class at the local school, but as it turns out LU is going to pay for it as part of this benefit.

In talking with a couple of friends, I found one that wants to take the class with me, his will be paid for as well by the school.

In this interview the other day, my interviewer O.J. (white guy) told me a story of a woman who wanted to start selling. She had not worked in 32 years, she was a house wife. OJ told her that he didnt hire people in her condition, but she told him that if God wanted her to be a realtor than that is what she was going to do, with or without this company. He hired her.

This woman was a huge success. God has placed this vision and connection in front of me, along with a connection into the largest privately owned realty firm in the US, and an attitude given to me by this woman, If God wants this to happen, then I will follow.

Its been a great week.

Sunday, June 26, 2005

Bath Time Rush


P1010475.JPG
Originally uploaded by KevinPoole.
We love our bath time. Just a reminder, you call can view some photos that I have put on line at Flickr. go to www.flickr.com and look for user kevinpoole. Enjoy!

Friday, June 24, 2005

Habits

I have been reading alot about habits recently. Several books have been written that explain what habits effective people have, what habits sucessful businesses have, and what habits those in which society turns their heads at.

With all this reading, one has to think about their own life. Primarily, my reading has changed my thoughts on how people are to be treated, what my relationships with others mean to my life and work, and my personal relationship with my wife.

I have chosen to remove some harmful things in my life, resolved to add some healthy things, and found yet another struggle in life. As if trying to pay the bills when making pennies even after I graduated college, raising a family, loving a wife, and my masters degree wasnt enough, now I'm into reading for recreation, loosing weight, and staying healthy.

More than anything, I have come to love mentoring people to find ways in their lives that they can improve themselves. Most of the people around me are college students, and therefore are here to learn, which makes giving advice and teaching easier, and it allows me to keep myself in check.

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Graduation of Joy

This is the season of beginnings. Commencements that is. Frist mine, now Joy, and at Liberty, we have 6 HS graduations that we service. I have sat through many. Large schools, small schools, public and private. This morning at Montrose Christian school, I saw a united class. One of close friendships, memories, and a longing to move on yet not leave the present moment. If every student in America, or the world for that matter, could have the experiences these students had in which personal, meaningful relationships were developed, we would have a much better workforce, a much better society, and perhaps less strife.

Pretty impressive for a class of only 23. Perhaps that says something for small schools and intimate classroom settings.

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Liberty University 2005 Graduation



Originally uploaded by KevinPoole.
After 5 years, a lot of money, a wife and two kids, I finally completed the first step in my quest to take over the world!

Friday, May 06, 2005

Mentor

I heard someone say today, "Man, is it hard to Graduate." I empathized with that statement when I heard it, and even after completing my final class period of my undergrad career, I still feel like I havn't finished it all. I think I walk across the stage, I still will not feel completion. Do we ever feel that?

i have never had a professor have such a profound effect on me as I had this semester. At the end of each semester, we as students are asked to evaluate our professors with basic questions and a scantron. In most cases, you have compliants about professors, thier ideosyncricies, their approach to thing, or just how they treat you. This year I met a man who was what he taught, down to the very scripture that he quoted. Not in all of my education have i come across a man who embodied everything that he taught. Moreover, he challenged me to look at things on a personal level such as my temperment, my charcter, my faith, my approach to work and life.

The definiton of mentor is "advisor, guide, guru, counsel...". The definition of teacher is "educator, tutor, instructor. The term professor is a teach that is tenured, and a scholar. This man would not call himself a professor per this definition, and he is too humble, though blunt, to tell you he is a mentor, but the word teacher is an insult I feel. This man is a mentor to his students, not becuase they choose him to be one, but because he embodies what that word means.

While his class challeged me academically, his character challenged me personally, and through this I have been able to pass along to those who work for me his wisdom, experience, service to our school and nation, and hopefully someday his example that he showed to me.

This is what college is about. Great mentors bestowing upon those who pay absorbadant amounts of money, much of which these mentors never see, in order to perhaps absorb an iota of this wisdom these great people hae worked a lifetime to craft and pass along.

Wish there were more like this man at Liberty. Sadly he is one of a couple that I can count on one hand.

Thank you for all that you have done.

Monday, May 02, 2005

Something to write about.

The girls grow so much every day yet I find that I have little to write about that doesnt seem insignificant. We can take little actions like smiling, cooing, praying, climbing as things that we expect them to do and therefore I wouldnt think about writing about them.

Kaylah loves to do anything that Daddy wants to do. Golf, looking on the computer with me, watching TV shows with me, yet she wont ride in my new car with me. I think there is something that she loved about the pickup truck that I used to have. Me too. I miss it.

Madison loves pulling up on things. Everything. She will pull up on the couch, the hamper, her bouncy seat, the dining room chairs, anything. She can clearly say da da and ma ma, but not much else. She is crawling all over the place. She is now eating baby food really well, most times an entire jar of something each meal, even though she is still very small.

Deborah is attempting to finish the semester. She is very busy taming Kaylah, and chasing Maddie, and cleaning up after me, that she rarley has time to primp herself. Not many other women could keep up with her, and still look as beautiful as she does.

College is coming to a close for me. The next step is my Real Estate Liscence, a tax class, and starting my MBA here at LU, all while attempting to grow an audio department from 11 employees to 30, and designing a solution to provide a growing Univeristy with the next phase in it's growth. My work also allows me to mentor students in character development and professionalism, something that I take great pride in and which helps me cope with the limitations and frustrations of a University set in a Ministry mindset.

God is teaching me patience and allowing me to see my self from the inside out, not from what the world sees from the outside. I'm reading a couple of leadership books in my leisure. One is the Seven Habits of Highly Effective people. I'm hoping through my reading, I can gain a better understanding of personal effectiveness, and through that be able to teach my famly and those I work with elements that will help them through life as well.

My mom has recently started a new career path. She has gone back to school and obtained a certification which gives her the title of Certified Legal Nurse Consultant. After obtaining this, she incorporated a business, Certified Legal Nurse Constulting Services. My Mother, Father, and I make up the Board of Directors, and through my assitance they have been able to start a company from scratch. Our service is presenting expert witness on behalf of plaintiff or defendant in medical malpractice cases. I am mearly the business mind in this venture, my father the money, and my mother the expert. She hopes to be able to remove herself from the hospital she serves in by 1-2 years from now.

To those of you who are reading this site frequently, I hope that you research RSS technology, and how it will help you know when I have updated posts. Hopefully this site is helpful and informative, but it is more a way for me to communicate and be creative. Some where that I can put my thoughts down.

Good Night.

Friday, April 29, 2005

Christmas Family


Christmas Family
Originally uploaded by KevinPoole.

Crazy Hair


Crazy Hair
Originally uploaded by KevinPoole.
Bath time is always interesting with two young girls.

Total Cuteness


Total Cuteness
Originally uploaded by KevinPoole.

I'm stuck


I'm stuck
Originally uploaded by KevinPoole.
Taken at the play ground on fine spring afternoon.

Adorable


Adorable
Originally uploaded by KevinPoole.
Nough Said

Coming of Age.

10 years ago, the world thought we would be changed by cable TV. Then the internet, however, changed it all. Now we can access Intellectual property of any human, anywhere on earth, anytime we want.

So this Blog thing has caught on more than I had thought. With the increase in people asking me about my family and what I do, I thought it time to publish what is happening in my life, and the life of my family. With my coming of age, graduating from college, and attempting this parenting thing, its time that I start sharing with people the things that I have learned as well as updates about my family.

With the purpose of this Blog site established, email me and let me know if you would like to be added to an email list that will let you know when I post news about me, my family, Liberty, the music and audio industry, business, deep thoughts, and useless nonsense that free speech allows me to create.

You can also receive updates of this blog via RSS feed from the main page.

Good Night