www.connected123.com
Volume 13, Issue 2
Who Is InService America?
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CALL CENTER?
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29 Years of Service
Corporate Mission of ISA Collectively our mission is to enhance the relationship between our clients and their customers; demand measurable results; recreate an environment of high integrity; utilize the knowledge skills and service history of our team to provide financial growth for our clients and our company.
The most . e ic v r e s a alue ant high v is to have w r e s t m n u s e li n c o ny c Our sue for a t ISA we is A . g e in c t n a e ie r r t frus it is to b vice expe t r n e s a t r r e o p m o . bad cust nts how im eone on the phone e g a r u o ial to som are essent emphasize speak to m s y ia e s h u t h he t n n e wh rs and e l to get t e a n ic n a it r impactful m c , ts e o ls . It is a ntly. Agen ne, volum e o ie c t n ic ie r f r e f e p e p o x r n P er e atio ave great at custom re inform h e u r t o g p t a a c t r n d a o n f ly a ny We w ered quick er base. A owledge. n m k o t h s u it c w calls answ perience! and their equipped x s ll e t e n r w e e li e m c o b r t cus n ou must n betwee ate a bad anagement e io r m t c a s u ic n a n o u c u m in s ont com issue eas with c of these r a n w e s o e d h k t a bre e on to improv e iv r t s e W training. and agent ! serve you s u g in t t u for le Thank yo nsend Carl Tow
InService America 2013 129 Vista Centre Drive Forest, Virginia 24551 1.800.870.9865 / Fax 1.434.316.7407 Proud Winner of the “Top 50 Award” for Contact Centers Over the Last 13 Years www.inserviceamerica.com 2 • Stay Connected 2012
contents
A Little Bit About Lynchburg
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Who Is InService America?
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Call Center Reporting
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Call Center Agent Successful Scripting Methods 7 Why Should I Use Pick&Pack Fulfillment Through ISA?
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Call Services 9 Outbound Calling Campaigns
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featured
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What Makes A Good Call Center? 12 Accessing Your Internal Operating System Called Instinct
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Instinct Sneak Peek: Ch. 1
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Celebrate America 22 Restaurant Etiquette: Sharing Much More than a Meal... By Making the Gospel Part of our Daily Routines! 30 Small Groups: Are Your Leaders Relationally Prepared? 34 Why Christians Now Rule Hollywood 36 Faith Driven Consumer Partnership Development Using Teleforum Hope Out Loud
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Staff Article 46 Staff Information
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New Clients 50
Published by Stay Connected Designer: Andrea Lewis Editor: Katie McCaffrey Advertising Information - Contact 1-800-870-9865
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A Little Bit About Lynchburg
Downtown Lynchburg Skyline and the John Lynch Bridge across the James River
Lynchburg is a scenic city located in the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Central Virginia. The area has an extensive history beginning with its founding on the James River in the 1760’s by John Lynch as “Lynch’s Ferry.” Today the city has an urban population of over 96,000, including the suburbs of Madison Heights, Timberlake and Forest. The 1990 census by the U.S. Census Bureau lists the Metropolitan Statistical Area of Lynchburg (which includes Amherst, Bedford and Campbell counties and the cities of Bedford and Lynchburg) as having a population of 193,928. Lynchburg’s economy is based on the many high-tech manufacturing companies located here including cellular communications, nuclear energy, and machinery. This manufacturing and research orientation represents a shift from the mill-based economy of the past, which included foundries, shoes and textiles. Education is well-represented here with four area private colleges and a public community college. Health care includes two hospitals, one of which, Lynchburg General, has been recently renovated into a state-ofthe-art facility for the next century. Lynchburg has the largest number of churches per capita of any city in the USA.
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Who Is InService America? Our company was named “In His Service” in 1985. We are a faith-based marketing company, headquartered in Forest, Virginia. InService is the leader in supporting direct response for media ministries, community outreach and ministry development. ISA has been voted one of the top 50 contact centers over the last fifteen years. InService America was the first exclusive communication contact center for radio and television ministry media response in the United States. We process over 80 million dollars of faith (product) sales annually. Monthly products include selling over 350,000 DVD, CD and Christian products per month. In addition, we sell over 100,000 tickets to Christian conferences and events per year. Our fundraising campaigns for Faith Groups have exceeded over 1 billion dollars since our company was founded. We have sold more Christian products directly to consumers and to churches than any other company over the last 20 years! We operate 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year. InService America chose Central Virginia as our primary location because of Liberty University. Liberty is the largest evangelical school in
the United States with over 11,000 residential students and 100,000 distance-learning students. Liberty students are diversified representing over 75 different denominations and come from all 50 states and 45 foreign countries. These students are recruited through 36,000 churches in America and various missionary partnerships. Liberty has many home church connections that allow us to stay connected to many church organizations. Our trained agents provide prayer counseling with our constituents once they contact us. We average over 30,000 prayer counseling sessions per month. These agents understand the product, church and event market extremely well. This gives InService a competitive advantage. InService has 375 employees and has over 275 years of management staff experience working with faith based organizations. Many Liberty students join our management staff once they graduate. Our agents exercise a level of customer service that can be found no where else. No secular organization could train what
our people already know. InService clients reach over 150 million households each week through radio, television and the internet. Our client base includes fifteen of the top 25 media ministries in the country and we have under contract five of the top attended Churches in the United States. Clients include the top four Christian Television Networks. Which gives us a distinct advantage over our competition to know the top executives in these organizations. When we get assigned to execute a project and we need support partnerships, we already have the relationships developed. We do not need to create gimmicks to find them; we pick up the phone and call them.
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Inbound Call Center Reporting InService has introduced a series of new real time reports that include: •
Flash reports: summary of call performance, calls offered, calls answered, abandons, after call time, revenue, revenue by caller. These reports are broken out by time, by hour, day and week and are also cumulative.
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Zip code report: this report shows revenue produced by zip code. This report is perfect to help purchase OTO media time.
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Product report: summary of product sales by media source. This report evaluates cross sells, up sells and donations.
Graphs: all reports are broken into vertical graphs or pie charts.
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Call Center Agent Successful Scripting Methods KNOW
HAVE
Methods to diplomatically delay objections.
A list of expected objections & answers to them.
Methods to properly answer objections.
A list of effective transition phrases.
THINK Your goal for each call & proximity Visual reminders of your goals to overall daily targets. & targets. “I will answer no objection before it is the right time.” “There is an answer to every objection.” DO
“With each call I am getting closer to my target.”
Delay most objections if they are made before your first close. Answer those post-close objections & close again. Record the outcome of each call. (Where resistance was aroused, etc.)
DON’T DO
Answer any objection before it is time, or argue any minor points. Answer any objection without attaching a close-line to it. Fail to learn from calling, and calculate needed changes in approach.
Scripts should be tested frequently. Scripts generally do not require a change in theme of the appeal. Most changes require greater direction or more facts to meet the objections the COMMUNICATOR’s are getting. It is always good to get suggested changes from the supervisory staff and COMMUNICATOR staff. Occasionally, rewrites must be done to identify the donor or buyers “hot” button or to clarify the information to make calls smoother. The most effective way to determine the effectiveness of a rewritten script is to split test. Split testing requires that the ISA Call Staff assign group codes to selected agents that will test each script. This involves an account/operations combined effort to get the necessary results. Before going with a script rewrite exclusively and possibly effecting production, always perform the split test. We want to get input from our clients and place equal hours on each project so it is a fair test. Script rewrites should not be isolated to the first few days of calling. Regardless of the stage of the program performance can be improved if a rewrite or changes to the script are made.
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Why
Should
I Use
Pick
&
Pack
Ful
fill ment
Through
ISA? 8 • Stay Connected
Here are some excellent reasons to convince you why: • We have over 80,000 cubic feet of warehouse storage space in order to manage your valuable inventory neatly, safely and accurately. InService America, Inc. also provides you with inventory reporting that will assist in preempting backorders by setting item line reorder points to alert you when your products are running low. • Your items are verified and checked with accuracy upon arrival, for an appease comfort level that your vender orders or inventory transfers are received to InService America, Inc. properly. Receiving tickets can be faxed or e-faxed for thorough inventory accountability. • We possess an accurate pick and pack system so that all of the requested products are picked in program batches based on a quantity available on our in-house inventory system. (If you are also using our inbound or outbound call center, this is a tremendous advantage because it allows the caller to know immediately if the requested item is available and when it will be shipped.) Once the items are picked, they are ready for packaging. • Since items are picked early in the morning they can be staged according to the fulfillment program for packing. The packing may consist of items placed in various cushioned jiffy packages or in sizeable boxes. The package is then checked against the individual components listed on the packing slip. At the end of each programpacking batch, items are checked against a corresponding packing list to make sure that there are neither remaining picked items to be packed nor that there are packages without product. • Your packages are packed with care and integrity. Packages are handled as if they were our own. This is a value-added service that not every fulfillment shop cares to strive for. • Pick and Pack orders are sent out the next business day by either the file receipt or the inbound/outbound order placement. The packages are then shipped by either UPS overnight, 2nd day air, ground or 3-day select. We also have the ability to ship USPS, priority, 1st class, or bulk rate. If a bulk rate or non-profit presort is selected there is a minimum requirement of 200 unique addresses per mailing program for drop shipment.
Call Services InService America delivers innovative solutions that improve client’s ROI and nurture long term, profitable relationships with their customers. InService America can provide: Order Entry, Tele-thons, Radio-thons, Reactivate donors, Lapsed donor appeals, Call Acquisition, Emergency Relief, Prayer Calls, Capital Campaigns, and Awareness Campaigns. INBOUND SERVICES Convert your incoming calls into sales with our Christian staff. Get more results with cross-selling and up-selling using our skilled, professional customer service representatives. Our highly trained agents can provide customer service, order entry and salvation prayer. We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! We never close. We provide excellent service to meet your objectives and goals. RADIO/TELEVISION-A-THONS lnService America has a long standing track record serving as the telethon, praise-a-than and sharea-than response center. Having the ability to quickly adapt to change, deploy multiple response lines and increase capacity has set us apart as a leader in our industry. Whether ISA keys transactions into your system directly or creates a custom inbound application to support your event campaign needs, payment processing and data transfer processes can all be done ensuring a seamless secure process for you and your team. Whether focusing on capturing donations or praying for your constituents, ISA stands ready to implement an effective and productive plan of action to ensure your event needs are met. CUSTOMER SERVICE lnService America, recognized as one of the TOP 50 Inbound Contact Centers for the last 11 consecutive years, stands ready to offer strategic solutions to your every communication need. Focused on providing excellent customer service extending beyond traditional telemarketing, at lnService America we pride ourselves in serving as the voice to your ministry with professionalism, compassion and integrity. The process begins with an initial call between you and the ISA team where your needs are assessed and a strategic solution and timeline is developed. During this initial call you will be introduced to your account manager. Our account managers have years of experience working on direct response media and customer service campaigns. Each day our account management team analyzes revenue to cost, response times, agent performance metrics, dispositional trends and placement comparisons. lnService assigns one account manager as the liaison between the client and ISA operations. EFFECTIVE RELIEF When disaster strikes and the needs reach critical levels, lnService America can easily and effectively launch a rapid response campaign. Providing you with an integrated solution or custom build an application to support the rapid response needs and “capture donations, pledges and/or requests.” InService America has the ability to assign, turn up and go live with a toll free number in a matter of hours. The rapid response campaigns may be integrated with a viral marketing solution to further engage your constituents with an email or voice broadcasting campaign. ISA also offers a social media solution to get the word out and bring awareness to your call to action. connected123.com • 9
Outbound Calling Campaigns DONOR RETENTION Donor retention is the life line of a non-profit organization; it is much easier and less expensive to retain a donor than it is to acquire a new donor. The donor is the life blood for any non-profit organization. How a non-profit treats their donors will have a significant impact on the organization’s ability to raise money and to grow. How much do you really know about your donors? Have you asked your donors what they like or even dislike concerning your organization? How often do you communicate with your donors? These questions are just the start to building a retention program that works! The key is to communicate and connect with your donor base. Routinely donors want to feel appreciated, welcomed and want to know how their money is being utilized. InService has developed retention programs with newsletters, toolbar downloads, electronic video updates and free offers from corporate sponsors. Our outreach includes placing outgoing calls to raise funds for different donor segmentations.
ACTIVE DONOR REACTIVATION Active donors are donors renewing their financial support to your organization within the last 12 months. We prepare a mail strategy with a follow-up calling plan to maximize conversion rates. A normal closing rate is 30 to 40% These are the most valuable donors in your database as they are familiar with your organization and are actively giving to your organization. These donors have an active affiliation with the organization.
LAPSED DONOR RENEWAL A lapsed donor is a donor that had an affiliation with the organization, however, they have not had been active for a specified period of time. Often a reminder call will help facilitate a donor to give. Our experience is that we have twenty to thirty percent conversion rate. A lapsed donor can be defined as a donor who has not made a contribution to your organization within the last 1-3 years, while those who haven’t contributed in 3+ years can be classified as former donors. Our experience affirms that there is value in pursuing lapsed donors because they are not unfamiliar with your organization’s mission and they cared enough about it to donate previously. An outbound calling campaign will allow you to determine why the donor stopped giving. Possible causes include forgetfulness, loss of interest, distractions or opposition to some aspect of your organization. Many organizations have forgotten their lapsed donors or have not pursued them because they feel there may not be value or cost effective. InService America can partner with your organization and provide a cost effective lapsed donor renewal campaign.
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InService is one of the most respected providers of Outbound Telephone Marketing and Customer Care in the U. S. Since we opened our doors, we have been dedicated too providing our clients with a creative approach to telephone marketing, quality service and superior bottom-line results. Our philosophy from the beginning has been to build long-term partnerships with our clients and their supporters. We have provided services for ministries, non-profits, media companies and sales organizations. Our calling campaigns include:
ACQUISITION FUNDRAISING New donor acquisition is an integral part of donor retention and attracting new donors is key to maintaining an active database of donors. Most non-profits experience a loss of ten to fifteen percent or greater of donors annually. ISA has implemented hundreds of effective acquisition campaigns over twenty five years. ISA can design and implement a new donor or acquisition program that will compliment your active and lapsed donor fundraising efforts. Social Media, Viral Marketing and Outreach Events are a very effective way to identify new donors.
PREMIUMS FOR DONATIONS
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN A capital campaign is a time-limited effort by a non-profit organization to raise significant dollars for a specific project. It is a ‘call-to-action’ to support a specific cause. Often the money raised is to fund the acquisition, construction, or renovation of a building. Sometimes, capital campaigns are used to build an endowment for the future. In other cases, capital campaigns fund an extraordinary expenditure such as an expensive piece of equipment. Capital campaigns have a beginning and an end, but often span several years. A capital campaign employs all of the usual means of raising funds such as direct mail and follow-up calls. Capital campaigns require extraordinary preparation and skillful execution. ISA can partner with you and implement an effective capital campaign that will compliment all of your other fundraising efforts.
Often a product offer is an excellent tool to engage, retain or increase response for a donation. Many products such as a lapel pin, bracelet, book, journal or commemorative product will engage a donation.
MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
ISA DATABASE Our database has 59 million consumer names and 147,000 churches. Our database is utilized only for existing clients. It is very effective in acquiring new donors.
An effective tool to retain interest with donors is to create a membership program. Members receive special recognition and are offered invitations for special seating at events, discounts for products and VIP park service tours. Benefits such as insurance, general retail, travel, etc. This strategy would engage corporate sponsorships dollars. These sponsors would provide marketing dollars to develop the membership program. connected123.com •
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WHAT MAKES A GOOD CALL BY: CARL TOWNSEND
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CENTER? G
ood call centers have a strong culture where it’s employees work from a common set of values and beliefs and are bound by a common purpose and strong focus on the businesses objectives. Good management continually aligns everything that the call center does with its business objectives and desired culture. A call center is hired to generate revenue, sales, donations and assist in meeting is customer’s needs. It is also in place to develop customer retention. In order to be effective, the call center must cultivate customer loyalty and make things as easy as possible for the customer. The call center needs to be available when the customer needs it and have access to all of the information that is necessary to answer questions. It is a mistake to believe that revenue, efficiency and customer satisfaction are distinct goals. Only satisfied customers will continue to buy products. If the call center is an obstacle, the customer will stop calling. This is why communication between the call center and the client is crucial. Everything should be aligned in perfect order. Agents should know everything about what is occurring in the organization from direct mail, television and radio production, e-mail, events and new media purchases. You can’t plan for what you don’t know. When a call center fails to provide essential information on every call it creates inefficiency. It can also create duplication by the caller calling again for something that they just received in the mail which makes the customer do more than they wanted to. At ISA we want to focus on the essentials to insure that the machinery is working well. The Good: 1. Everyone has to have goals at every level of our company. The ultimate goal is to create customer satisfaction. 2. We will answer calls and e-mails quickly. 3. High employee morale is essential. 4. We want to be prepared to handle customer needs on the first call. 5. We need a good process to collect and present data performance. Everyone should know where they stand daily, weekly and monthly. 6. EFFICIENCY! Calls are consistent in length and quality. 7. Everyone is engaged but not overly taxed. 8. We want to improve processes continually to make constant gains in service. The Bad and the Ugly: 1. Long delays for customers to get through. 2. No one ever gets placed on hold on the call jockey. 3. Never receiving updates on the latest news of what is occurring. 4. Low employee numbers and high turnover. 5. No way to measure customer satisfaction. 6. Staff working in crisis mode and running from fire to fire instead of getting ahead of the problems. connected123.com •
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Internal Operating System Called Instinct Accessing Your
I was talking with a good friend of mine recently, and he wanted to pull up an email on his phone to share some information with me. As he scrolled his finger across the brilliantly illuminated, mega-pixelated screen of his smart phone, he began to get more and more frustrated. “I know it’s here somewhere,” he said. “I just don’t know how to find it.” He continued tapping buttons, trying to access the different functions on his phone. My friend never could find what he was looking for—not that I’ve ever been in that situation!—and we laughed it off and continued our conversation.
But, it got me thinking.
So often we know there’s more inside of us—a lot more talent, energy, passion, drive, and strength—than we’re able to access. Like remembering a name on the tip of your tongue, you know these things reside in you but it’s hard to trust such knowledge when you can’t utilize it as deliberately and effectively as you would like. I’m convinced this is where our instincts come in. We are much smarter than any phone in our ability to rise to an opportunity life brings our way. Your instincts can be the ultimate operating system for all that’s within you. Like a treasure map for your soul’s satisfaction, your instinctive wisdom directs you to hidden riches. Somewhere in your passions lie the clues to your deeper purpose. Recognize
the divine investment placed within you and garner all your resources to steward this treasure for the future success you will achieve. All that you need is within you and can be accessed instinctively—it just takes practice. Understanding this truth secretes confidence, which helps you release your inherent resilient power. Yes, it’s a privilege to see innovation spring forward so quickly and technology create so many forums through which we can convey our ideas. And yet, while we have more ways to exchange ideas as a result of technological influence, no iPad, iPhone, Skype, Google Hangout, or Tweet can access the ideas, innovations, and inventions we want to exchange. Technology can only enhance the way we convey them. Absolutely nothing we have created will replace how we have been designed. These technological artifacts assist us in communicating ideas, but none of them create the ideas we communicate. The data they transfer, share, and compute is only what we program in them. So then, the most precious resource we have to date is not around us but inside of us! It’s simply amazing that we can dialog with others all over the world in real time without physically leaving our couch. But this global connectivity isn’t what makes us great. What makes us great is not the vehicles from which we speak, but rather that which we have to say through them! ■
Turn the page to read a Sneak Peak of T.D. connected123.com Jakes new book!•>>> 15
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Sneak Peek: Chapter 1 Instinct Has a Rhythm Our instincts are the treasure map for our soul’s satisfaction. Following our instincts can make the crucial distinction between what we are good at—our vocation or skill set—and what we are good for—the fulfillment of our purposeful potential. When you’re truly engaged with your life’s calling, whether in the boutique, the banquet hall, or the boardroom, you rely on something that cannot be taught. I’m convinced that our instincts can provide the combination we need to align our unique variables with our callings and release the treasure within us. When harnessed, refined, and heeded, our instincts can provide the key to unlocking our most productive, most satisfying, most joyful lives. We often recognize people who seem to thrive by instinct. Fashion designers who do what they do beyond the training they received, with a flair for the latest trends that’s inherent and instinctive. Interior decorators and others in the graphic arts may wield this gift as well, but they are not the only ones. Athletes in the “zone,” or investors with a keen sense of timing, performers with the courage to audition for a role outside their fans’ expectations. They all know what it means to function by their own unique internal compass. If you have ever had the privilege of working with someone like this, then you know they can take the mundane and make it magical. They can take the most simplistic equipment and produce the most superlative results. Often they maximize their training with their unique flair. No matter what you call it, the truly gifted simply have that extra something that seemingly others don’t have or don’t tap into the way they should. Unfortunately, much of what I see
today isn’t about fulfilling one’s true potential as much as it is about appearing to fulfill what other people expect. Too many people want the appearance of winning rather than the practices and hard work that create a true champion. They mistake the prize for the art of winning and will ultimately buy a trophy without ever running a race. They didn’t take the class; they bought the diploma. They aren’t successful; they just have the props. They aren’t driven to achieve something; they just bust their gut to appear busy to everyone around them. The irony is what these people fail to realize. When you’re living by instinct, then you will naturally enhance everything and everyone around you. In other words, success will come naturally! When both your intellect and instincts are aligned, then producing the fruits of your labors brings satisfaction beyond measure. Now, it will still require hard work and dedication on your part, but the internal satisfaction will fuel your desire to achieve even larger dreams. Based on the fact that we are all inherently creative people, if we are in touch with our instincts, then we will naturally increase our endeavors. When you don’t become fixated on winning the prize or appearing successful, and instead pursue your passions, then you will discover the fulfillment that comes from living by instinct.
Feel the Rhythm Consider this: scientists tell us that even our cells have instincts. Imagine my amazement when I spoke with physicians who revealed the way our physical cells operate. They say even our cells function based on what has been genetically programmed within them. Instinct is interwoven into the very fiber of our DNA. connected123.com •
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We all begin as a single cell, a product of an egg and a sperm. They unite to form a zygote, the result of the fertilized egg, the single cell that will evolve from a human forming to become a human being. This New cell undergoes a series of rapid divisions that produce a blastocyst, the initial ball of new cells. The blastocyst then multiplies into many daughter cells. One expert describes these cells as being “pluri-potential.” In other words, each of these cells has the potential to differentiate into new cells of many different varieties. Some “daughter cells” instinctively become skin cells, bone cells, spleen cells, and cardiac cells or brain cells. The inherent imprint of these cells activates them to become what they were predestined to be. This inherent sense of identity based on function is truly astounding. Doctors explain that the cardiac cells are “auto-rhythmic” cells. They actually vibrate and beat together instinctively at the same tempo—before they ever unite with each other and function as the heart! Even drummers in an orchestra need a conductor to set a rhythm, but these cells instinctively catch the same beat and have the same rhythm. They draw together and beat together to the same rhythm. Learning about these “cell instincts” made me think of the old camp song taken from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel—you know, the foot bone connected to the leg bone and the leg bone connected to the hip bone and so forth. Now, I’m not a doctor, and I’m sure not here to sing around a campfire. But what I want you to see is that the body develops by cells that find their rightful place because they know what they were made to do! These cells vibrate to the tempo of their purpose even before they’re operating and performing their function. So how about you—are you in sync with your inner wisdom about your strengths, abilities, talents, and unique contribution to the world? Or is your life somehow offbeat to your inner melody? Have you lost your rhythm because you have not found your place to define and activate your unique 18 • Stay Connected
contribution? One of the great tragedies of life is not discovering the people, culture, and careers that are part of your tribe and moving to the same beat. You may have experienced the discord that comes when those around you move to the beat of a drummer different than your own. Successful businesses, healthy relationships, and most collaborative endeavors require a syncopated alignment of roles, responsibilities, and rhythms. Entrepreneurs often need employees with a work ethic and flexibility similar to their own. It’s frustrating when you have an urgent idea that requires execution at midnight and a team member who cannot be reached until the following day. It’s not wrong to set boundaries and limits on work, but people need to be on the same page of music so the orchestra can play together. Similarly, romantic partners often discover they’re out of step because one desires a waltz while the other’s leading a tango. Contentment comes when you find the people, places, and events in life you were created to im-
pact. Most individuals who lead rich, productive lives do so because they allow their instincts to guide them to the intersection of the head and heart, the place where their deepest passions and sharpest skills align with destiny. They succeed instinctively because they each know their own tempo and recognize it in the individuals and institutions with whom they collaborate.
Connect to Your Calling If you have ever felt misaligned, this book is for you. If you have lost the rhythm, the passion, or the thrill of living in alignment that you once glimpsed, then keep reading. As he did with the very cells that comprise our bodies and the dry bones that were joined together for new life, God has given us deeper instincts to be attracted to those things that fit a higher and better purpose.
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Never settle for less than God’s best for your life. Some people have the courage to move beyond the ordinary, from the methodical mediocre into the revolutionary realization of where they belong. You can have this sense of belonging only when you connect to your core calling. If you believe in calling, as I do, you understand it’s more than the motivation to minister that clergy experience. The calling to creativity, the calling to teach, to give, to build, are all part of allowing your instinct to guide you to the “something more” that you suspect is out there. Who can deny that some people move into their life’s purpose with the skill of a child prodigy when he first touches a violin? They’re aware of a compelling sense of attraction and engagement that cannot merely be taught but can only be caught. I’ve known musicians who played the piano from childhood, many without lessons. They just sat down at the keyboard and felt connected to it. It’s a sad thing to live your life without this deep-rooted sense of connection to your purpose. Like a lightbulb without a lamp, this kind of disconnect fosters dark and foreboding feelings in the soul. Whether you are the manager or the employee, the homemaker or the home builder, what matters most is that you have been awakened to your purpose and enlightened to the inner fulfillment that it affords. Early in my life I myself was haunted by feelings that I was created for more than I could access in my environment. The only reason I moved beyond the many potholes and pit stops I encountered is because of an instinctive allure pulling me toward something up ahead on the road that I had to find! I refused to stop and settle for less than
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the explosive exploration of what God had placed within me. There is no secret formula for learning to listen to your instincts. These pages before you merely offer my sparks toward kindling the blaze of your own incandescent, instinctive alignment, the deeper and fuller life you were created to attain. So as we journey together, let’s remove the smoke and mirrors and ask the questions at the heart of our truest self. If we seek meaning in our motives, perhaps the answer will not be the voice of God shouting at us from the heavens but in the whisper of our God-given instincts deep within. You see, Scripture tells us, Out of the heart flow the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). The heart can’t read. It can’t draw and it surely can’t drive. But if we will listen to its drumbeat, if we have the courage to be wooed by its wisdom, then we will find our answer. We could spend the rest of our lives in a rhythm so in sync that the melodious sounds we make transform all areas of our lives into an integrated, harmonic symphony of satisfaction. As we grow and go forward, our master Creator may be wooing you instinctively into a place where your intellect can flourish and your heart can rest. If cells move until they connect and form the highly complicated and efficient beings we call humans, then maybe we need to put our ears to the heart of the matter and catch the beat. Maybe we need to stop choosing people purely by résumés and rationales that have led us headfirst into disappointment. We need instead to find people who are in sync with our beat and form a more perfect union with those who hear the same rhythm! It is time for us to find the thing we were created to do, the people we were meant to affect, and the power that comes from alignment with purpose. Having had unique opportunities to sit at the table with champions in almost every imaginable field today, I’ve found that peo-
ple who accomplish massive feats don’t play by man-made rules. They are trendsetters and game changers. They lead the world into paradigm shifts that we can only study after they’ve done what they set out to do. They negotiate unprecedented deals, build beyond borders, and innovate virtually every area with amazing accomplishments. They do it because they don’t play out their lives by prewritten scripts. They aren’t afraid to leave the cages of comfort and head to the jungles of judicious risk and discovery. These people of whom the world takes notice dare not to fit in but aren’t afraid to stand out. They don’t run in a pack or stay with the herd. They know where they’re going and where they belong. I’m not suggesting that we take our script from others. The low-grade plagiarism of popularity will never lead you to true contentment. But I am saying perhaps it is possible to learn from the risk-takers committed to living instinctively, listening beyond information and example, for the inspiration of igniting your purpose. If you are already doing what you were created to do, then I want to help you enhance your success. And if you are not, I hope your days of following other drummers will diminish as you listen for the unique, syncopated beat within yourself. If you listen, it will guide you like a magnet to steel. All else is misguided. Most peo-
ple are manipulated by the approval of others, the paycheck that supports them, and the lifestyle that has handcuffed them to the brass ring of perceived success. On this path we eventually live like slaves to a man-made system. We chase the goals of others instead of pursuing our own dreams. We anesthetize our despair with the next purchase, pill, or plunder. We do what we think we should instead of living beyond what logic alone can dictate. If these words resonate with you and reverberate with what you know to be true, then it’s time to decode your own instincts, increase your areas of advancement, and illuminate the dark corners of disappointment at the edges of your life. I truly believe that following your instincts will transform your workplace, liberate your career, and enhance your relationships. Make no mistake, these pages can only offer you clues to stimulate your own process of discovery. The answers you seek are already inside you. So if you’re ready to unlock the confines of where you are to discover the freedom of where you were meant to be, then let’s get started. Your instinct is the key! ■
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Celebrate America, a 14-day National Event in Washington, DC, Announces Initial List of Speakers (Washington, DC – June 1, 2014) — Celebrate America, a 14-day mega event to be held in Washington, DC July 1st through the 19th at DAR Constitution Hall, is proud to announce its initial list of confirmed speakers, with many more to come. The event, a celebration of America’s spiritual heritage, will focus on the desperate need for a Spiritual Awakening in our nation. Celebrate America is a united, bipartisan call to action, invoking the guidance of divine providence in America. “We are daunted by unparalleled challenges in America today, and in every election candidates tell us they have the answers. But after each election, nothing gets better, and our nation continues its rapid decline. Our economic problems, our moral problems, and the brokenness of our society can only be addressed in one way – by returning to our roots, by humbling ourselves in repentance as a nation and relying upon God for the answers,” said Dr. Rodney-Howard Browne, leader of Celebrate America. “God’s not done with America yet, He is giving us the opportunity to turn from our wicked ways, to acknowledge that we don’t have the answers, and to call on His name in our time of crisis. We are going to do that—together. We will pray for our leaders, we will ask God to bless them and we will pray over Washington, DC, like never before.” Celebrate America will be held July 1st-19th, when America turns 238 years old. During these 14 days, the event will remind the nation what the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution have meant to this land in a celebration of the heritage of America and its Founding Fathers who acknowledged “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.” Collectively, the speakers will remind Americans of the impact of the great spiritual awakenings in our past and pray for another Great Awakening to heal and restore our land.
INITIAL LIST OF SPEAKERS Celebrate America Event’s Initial List of Speakers Include: Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne; Liberty University’s Mat Staver; Ministry Leader Mark Blitz; Pastor C.L. Bryant; Author Jonathan Cahn; Senate Pastor Benny Tate; Pastor Guillermo Maldonado; Bishop Harry Jackson; Ministry Leader Pat Schatzline; Pastor Deron Cloud; Radio Host KrisAnne Hall; Pastor Jack Stagman; Pastor Joel Stockstill; and more. 22 • Stay Connected
EVENT PARTNERS The Washington Times, Faith Driven Consumer, InService America, Restore America, Christian Coalition of America, World Net Daily, Gun Owners of America, Bikers to DC, Christian Television Network, and Cornerstone Television Network
EVENT DETAILS • • • • • • •
Mission Statement: The only hope for America is a Spiritual Awakening to bring this nation back to God and its founding purpose, and to restore the Constitution. Goal: to send a message to “take back America by putting God first—back into America.” Daily Schedule: Each morning of the conference, participants are invited to join the Power Evangelism Team at 10 a.m. on the National Mall. Each evening, the event begins 7 p.m. at DAR Constitution Hall. Admission: free Location: DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D Street NW, Washington, DC, 20006 Website: celebrateamericadc.com For more information call 1 (800) 215-3146
ABOUT DR. RODNEY HOWARD-BROWNE Drs. Rodney and his wife, Adonica Howard-Browne, are the founders of the River at Tampa Bay Church, River Bible Institute, River School of Worship, and River School of Government in Tampa, Florida.
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SPEAKER BIOS
CELEBRATEAMERICAPETITION.COM
Drs. Rodney and Adonica Howard-Browne Drs. Rodney and Adonica Howard-Browne are the founders of The River at Tampa Bay Church, River Bible Institute, River School of Worship, and River School of Government in Tampa, Florida. Rodney and Adonica have been called by God to reach out to the nations – whilst keeping America as their primary mission field. Their heart is to see the Church – the Body of Christ – revived, and the lost won to Christ. They have conducted a number of mass crusades and many outreaches, but their heart is also to train and equip others to bring in the harvest – from one-on-one evangelism to outreaches that reach tens, hundreds, thousands and even tens of thousands. Every soul matters and every salvation is a victory for the kingdom of God! Jerry Boykin Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William G. “Jerry” Boykin serves as Family Research Council’s Executive Vice President, with responsibility for overseeing day-to-day operations including policy, church ministries, finance, development, communications, human resources, facilities, information technology, constituent communications and customer service. He was one of the original members of the US Army’s Delta Force. He was privileged to ultimately command these elite warriors in combat operations. Later, Jerry Boykin commanded all the Army’s Green Berets as well as the Special Warfare Center and School. In all, Lt. Gen. Boykin spent 36 years in the army, serving his last four years as the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. He is an ordained minister with a passion for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and encouraging Christians to become warriors in God’s Kingdom. Matthew Staver Matthew Staver is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Liberty Counsel, a religious liberty litigation, education, and policy organization. Mr. Staver helped to pioneer a new legal strategy in relation to religious liberty in the US by using the free speech clause of the First Amendment of the US Constitution in the 1990s. Mr. Staver is the Vice
President of Liberty University and the Dean at Liberty University School of Law. During his distinguished career, Dean Staver has authored over ten books and published over 210 legal opinions. In addition, he has written several hundred articles on religious freedom and constitutional law, and has published ten law review and journal articles. He has both written opinions for and argued before the Supreme Court as well as testified before Congress and currently serves on the Commission on Accountability and Policy for Religious Organization. Deron Cloud Deron Cloud is the pastor of Soul Factory with the vision of changing lives from the inside out by leading people into a growing relationship with Christ. Mr. Cloud is the writer and producer of a play entitled The Boyfriend Girlfriend Thang, which covers the results of sexual immorality. He strives to tell young people and adults how it really is by talking about issues that people only talk about behind closed doors in an effort to help them to see the consequences of their behavior. Deron Cloud has a long history of working with parents, youth and young adults. He looks forward to teaming up with those who are deliberately working to stop the epidemic of sexual immorality that is assassinating the youth’s minds and their character. Dr. Rev. Paul Murray Dr. Paul Murray is the National Co-Chair and Executive Director of the Coalition For American Renewal, a nationwide network of leaders of faith who have come together with the common mission to call our nation to live up to its founding ideals. An ordained minister and pastor who has served in ministry for more than 20 years, Murray is a District Superintendent of the New York / Mid-Atlantic Region of the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ, (ALJC).
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Mark Biltz Mark Biltz, founder of El Shaddai Ministries in Washington State, is a well-known and popular commentator on the feasts of the Lord. In 2007, Pastor Biltz first discovered the correlation between when blood moons fell on feast days and key historical world events. He found the divine link between prophecy, heavenly signs, historical events, and when they intersect. Throughout history God, the Master Timekeeper, has used the heavenly bodies to communicate to us when significant events will happen. Pastor Biltz has spoken at congregations and conferences in Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada as well as throughout the United States. He has been interviewed by FOX television, appeared on the Sid Roth television broadcast as well as on Prophecy in the News. Reverend Jack Stagman Reverend Stagman is a native of Johannesburg, South Africa. Passionately driven to make a difference, he served as an entrepreneurial business leader for twenty-four years, and cofounded the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) in 1994, which is one of the fastest growing political parties in South Africa. In 1998, he was ordained as a minister in South Africa. Rev. Stagman’s is called by God to use his knowledge as a business entrepreneur, politician, minister, coach, international public speaker and networker to create solutions to bring about transformation in the US. Reverend C.L. Bryant C. L. Bryant is an American Baptist minister, radio host, television host, and the former president of the NAACP’s chapter in Garland, Texas Chapter. As a licensed and ordained Baptist minister and pastor of 35 years, Rev. Bryant has traveled extensively throughout the US and South America, including missionary journeys in the Amazon. He is a self-professed “Democratic Radical” turned Conservative and now believes the values that he once vehemently upheld have led the Black community into a state of bondage to the US government. Reverend Bryant is an independent filmmaker who produced the documentary Run-
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away Slave, a movie about the race to free the Black community from the slavery of tyranny and progressive policies. Reverend Bryant founded “One Nation Back To God”, a grassroots coalition of people committed to personal liberty, American exceptionalism and opportunity with an emphasis on traditional morals and conservative values. KrisAnne Hall KrisAnne Hall is an attorney and former prosecutor who travels the country teaching the Constitution and the history that gave us our founding documents. Host of The KrisAnne Hall Show, she pulls no punches, puts Liberty First and gives no quarter to those who hide behind party labels. Like no other host KrisAnne you will tell you what the founders had to say on today’s relevant issues. Mrs. Hall is a disabled Army veteran, a Russian linguist, a mother, a pastor’s wife and a patriot. She received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Blackburn College in 1991 and her JD from the University of Florida, Levin College of Law and is a former Russian Linguist for the US Army. She worked as a state prosecutor and with a prominent law firm defending religious liberty and first amendment rights. She was awarded the Freedom Fighter award by Americans for Prosperity, the Certificate of Achievement from the Sons of the Revolution for her defense of liberty, and the Congressman James Blair Award for Defending the Constitution. Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. Harry R. Jackson, Jr. is the Senior Pastor of Hope Christian Church and the Presiding Bishop of the International Communion of Evangelical Churches, a network of over 1000+ churches around the world. Bishop Jackson is the founder and president of High Impact Leadership Coalition, which exists to protect the moral compass of America and be an agent of healing to our nation by educating and empowering churches, community and political leaders. The energy of this organization and the grassroots mobilization produced by it have impacted government officials locally, in multiple states, and in the federal government.
Apostle Guillermo Maldonado Apostle Guillermo Maldonado is the Senior Pastor and founder of King Jesus International Ministry (Ministerio Internacional El Rey Jesus) considered one of the fastest growing multicultural churches in the United States. Apostle Maldonado’s vision is to develop Kingdom leaders and see the visible manifestation of God’s supernatural power. His ministry has over 100 churches under its spiritual covering in a growing network that extends throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Dr. Maldonado has authored over 50 books and manuals, many of which have been translated into other languages. In addition, his television program, Time for Change, is seen worldwide by millions of people. Apostle Maldonado holds a Doctorate in Divinity from Vision International University and a Masters in Practical Theology from Oral Roberts University. Pat Schatzline Pat Schatzline is one of America’s leading communicators, and evangelists to students, and adults. Pat and his wife Karen co-founded Mercy Seat Ministries in 1997. Mr. Schatzline has ministered to over 2 million people as he has traveled the globe ministering God’s love and power at churches, conferences, camps, retreats, and universities. He is known for his crazy humor, unique ability to communicate God’s word with passion and illustrations, and most of all for his deep desire to see a generation of adults and youth experience the power of God and God’s amazing love. He is known as a father and mentor of many of America’s top leaders. Jonathan Cahn Jonathan Cahn is President of Hope of the World ministries, Senior Pastor and Messianic Rabbi of the the Jerusalem Center/ Beth Israel in Wayne, New Jersey. He is also the author of the best selling book’The Harbinger’. His teachings are broadcast daily over hundreds of radio stations throughout the United States and the world and on television. He ministers, as did the first Jewish messengers of the Gospel, sharing the message of Messiah to Jew and Gentile, Israel, and the nations. He has ministered before mass gather-
ings in India, Nigeria, Cuba, Mizoram, Honduras, Haiti and throughout the world. His teachings are widely known for revealing the deep mysteries of God’s word and for the restoring of the new covenant message to its original biblically Jewish richness and power. To learn more about these and other speakers, visit the Speakers page at: www.celebrateamericapetition.com
In a time of great peril, the light of liberty grows dimmer with every passing day.
Your nation needs you in D.C. this July!
July 1 – 19, 2014 ENLIST TODAY AT:
1-800-215-3146 CelebrateAmericaPetition.com FREE ADMISSION -------------------------------------DATES: July 1 – 5, 2014 (Tuesday-Saturday) - 7PM Nightly July 8 – 12, 2014 (Tuesday – Saturday) - 7PM Nightly July 16 – 19, 2014 (Wednesday – Saturday) - 7PM Nightly LOCATION: DAR Constitution Hall 1776 D Street NW Washington, DC 20006 POWER EVANGELISM: July 1-19, 2014 Tuesdays – Saturdays at 10AM --------------------------------------CelebrateAmericaPetition.Com 1-800-215-3146 NOTE: Please, keep this card in your Bible and begin praying for America, her leaders, and for this event, Celebrate America. Thank you for your prayers and support!
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Sharing Much More than a Meal . . . By Making the Gospel Part of our Daily Routines!
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ou may recall the national hoopla about a year ago when a pastor in Missouri responded to a waiter by writing on their bill, “I only give God 10 percent, why should I give you 18 percent!” The story quickly went viral and became yet another negative issue for the church to absorb. Personally, I believe it is time for Christians to wake up and face the reality that in the court of public perception . . . we are often our own worst enemies! With that in mind, I would imagine that most of you go to some type of restaurant or fast-food chain on a weekly basis. In each case, there is always someone assigned to serve you by taking your order, providing a glass of “sweet” tea, etc. Yet, according to information gained through questioning countless waiters and waitresses over the years, it appears that most of those who work in restaurants do not enjoy serving the “church” crowd! In fact, it is embarrassing to acknowledge, but in many cases the hardest time to get people to work serving tables is on Sunday afternoon. To quote a Christian restaurant owner from Southern Virginia, the workers often say that, “church people are mean!”
At the very least, it appears that many people who make their living serving tables find “church” people to be “rude, cheap, and very demanding!” Unfortunately, it seems that we are quick to criticize and even more committed at short-changing the tip. C’mon folks . . . wake up and smell the coffee (pun intended)! Has it occurred to you that the person serving your table may represent a divine encounter? All it takes is a willingness to see that person through the eyes of Christ. For instance, as a family, whenever a server comes to our table we always tell them something like: “We know that you put up with a lot of negative demands in your job, yet we want to be a blessing. First, I promise to give a good tip (minimum of 25 % regardless of the service, remember that the waiter or waitress is always more important than the service or the meal!).” We then request, “Will you please give us the privilege of praying for you as we thank God for our meal . . . is there anything we can specifically pray for?” On numerous occasions I have had servers break down and begin crying. One
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young lady mentioned that her mother tried to commit suicide the night before. Another person lost their mother the previous week. In still another case, a young man was in the middle of horrible divorce proceedings, he was totally devastated! Believe me, responses like this happen more often than you might imagine. One of my favorite experiences occurred at a hotel one night in Northern Ohio, when God used a $7.00 tip for a $10.00 pizza to open the door to the gospel for a young man named Nate. When asked about a prayer request, he expressed concern for his family because of the recent death of his grandfather. In the end, a simple prayer and compassion opened the door to discuss eternal matters and eventually Nate received Christ. A similar experience happened a few years ago with an 18 year old young lady at an Atlanta restaurant. As she approached the table to take our order, she was asked if there was anything we could pray for in 30 • Stay Connected
reference to her life. Surprisingly, she related the story of how her grandmother had been warning her that her life was quickly headed for destruction. She said that her grandmother often told her she needed to be saved, but never explained what she meant. The reality of those words must have cut deep, because eventually she responded by asking us to pray that someone could explain to her how to be saved! As you might imagine, we were more than willing to share the Gospel and within minutes she insisted on bowing her head at the side of the table and surrendered her life to Christ! WOW, now that’s a divine encounter! Trust me, I could tell you hundreds of similar stories. All it takes is a willing spirit and a little boldness . . . the Holy Spirit will do the rest! As I often tell my students at Liberty University, “the only way to assure that nothing will happen is to give into fear and to remain silent!”
Other suggestions may be as simple as: • Tipping workers at fast-food restaurants (I enjoy their surprised faces!). You can also do it at drive-thru windows. • Why not buy a person’s meal across from you in a restaurant or behind you in line at a fast-food establishment, ice cream shop, or Starbucks, etc! • The same can be done at drive-thru windows by paying for the car behind you in line. One pastor in Richmond, VA did this at Starbucks and found out later that his actions started an impromptu movement as the people in the next fourteen cars mimicked his generosity and paid the bill for the next car in line!!! • A final suggestion is to send teams into restaurants offering to serve them by cleaning restrooms, windows, or picking up trash in the parking lot. Keep in mind that in some situations one can utilize connection cards with pertinent church information. In every encounter, let the people know that Christ loves them and you do too! Share your spiritual story, and be ready to respond with the message of eternal life!
Dr. David Wheeler is a Strategic Partner with ISA and a Professor of Evangelism at Liberty University and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also the Director of the Center for Ministry Training, and is the coauthor of several books: Evangelism Is, Servant Evangelism, Great Commission to Worship, Worship and Witness, and Minister to Others. Dr. Wheeler quite often leads conferences on Servant Evangelism, Rebooting the Family, Men’s Conferences, Revitalizing the Church, etc., across the country. If you would like to contact him, his email is dwheeler2@liberty.edu. connected123.com •
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Introducing Heavenly Foods with a mission of:
• Taking care of the people • Helping the people of America and the world • Offering an alternate to the government • Providing a way for the church to help its own
Food delivery, specially prepared for those living alone or underprivileged.
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HeavenlyFoodsUSA.org 1.800.216.3610
Liberty Home Bible Institute
- Learn from home - Earn 30 college credits - Independent/Group Bible Study - Great Homeschooling Tool - Study on Your Time Order Now! LibertyInstituteOnline.com 1-866-349-6629
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Small Groups Are Your Leaders Relationally Prepared? Churches that emphasize small group ministry may be under-utilizing their most important resource: the leaders. Debbie Swindoll offers two ways to go deeper.
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n the last three decades, evangelical churches have emphasized getting their members regularly engaged with one another in small group settings. The term “small group” is now a catch-phrase for gatherings where congregants meet to study, discuss, pray, and find personal connection with others in the church body. Running a small group program is no small task. Practical and logistical needs—gathering leaders, finding meeting space, organizing signups—often vie for our attention, requiring time and focus to simply keep small group offerings available. But there is probably no greater temptation in small group ministry than to believe that if we can just get people together, meaningful ministry will happen. Merely providing a place for people to connect is not a guarantee that anything spiritually significant will take place in
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small groups. Church administrators need to think through the spiritual purpose of their small group communities, and then take steps to prepare their small group leaders for spiritual leadership. First, defining the spiritual purpose of your small group ministry is a matter of prayer and discernment. Consider what Scripture says about how the Body of Christ ought to relate with one another. For example, do you want… …to foster a community where relationships grow deep, both with God and with one another? …to create a safe place where God’s love is given and received? …to make authentic conversation among Christians the rule, not the exception, in the church?
Next, how will you be intentional about achieving this spiritual purpose? Let me suggest that a great place to start is to provide relational training to those staff members and volunteers who lead small groups. Group leaders are not just organizers, room hosts, or even discussion facilitators. They have the potential to be front-line ministers and relational guides. A relationally trained leader can set the stage for any number of ministry opportunities by… …practicing humility and hospitality in their interactions as a model for others,
Relational training for small group leaders is hard to find, and you may not have the time or resources to build your own. That’s why we created a six week, self-starting training called The Art of Spiritual Leadership. We help small group leaders in the church with the four skills listed above, supporting them with individual and group activities that form the basis for new relational habits. Small group relationships are powerful opportunities for personal connection. May God give you wisdom as you relationally prepare your leaders to model God’s transforming love.
…offering and encouraging attentive listening skills, …keeping an eye and ear attentive to God’s work and involvement in the group, and …making prayer a priority of their leadership, proactive and reactive to each ministry moment.
Would you like to learn more about our small group leader training? Contact us (debbie@ecswisdom.org) for a free preview copy of The Art of Spiritual Leadership.
Debbie Swindoll is the founder and director of the Evangelical Center for Spiritual Wisdom (ecswisdom.org), a parachurch ministry that helps Christians build deep and transformative relationships with God and one another. connected123.com •
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Why Christians Now Rule Hollywood This Holy Week sees an unprecedented four faithbased films bringing in the box office bucks. Next up? God gets a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. When last weekend’s box office numbers were revealed one superstar came out on top. It wasn’t Denzel Washington, Robert Downey, Jr. or any of the other usual names from Hollywood’s A-list. In fact, this A-lister did not even appear in any film credits at all, but may have just become Hollywood’s hottest commodity. The new power player: God, or more specifically God and his many Christian followers. For the first time, two Christian themed films appeared in two of the top box office slots. Russell Crowe’s Noah, inspired by the Bible story, was number one, raking in a hefty $44 million. It’s box office dominance inspired a flood (no pun intended) of pun-ny headlines, among them “Noah Floats, Sabotage Drowns” from Forbes. But what’s more shocking to Hollywood insiders is the 36 • Stay Connected
appearance of God’s Not Dead on the box office power list. The fifth most popular film in America for the second week in a row tells the story of a Christian college student locked in a battle
of wills against a professor who is an atheist. Despite a tiny budget and it’s lack of marquee stars (TV actors Kevin Sorbo and Dean Cain appear) the film has pulled in more than $20 million at the box office so far. But the two movies are not the only ones establishing Christian themed films,
and the people who see them, as a major Hollywood force to be reckoned with. Last month, Son of God surpassed box office expectations. Heaven is for Real, a film based on the bestselling book, has now been released, and expectations are high. “It feels like we’re in a special moment that has never happened before in Hollywood where you have this many faith-based movies being released by not just independent filmmakers but now the big studios,” said Paul Lauer, founder and CEO of Motive Entertainment, the leading film marketing firm for reaching Christian audiences. “This Holy Week there will be four major feature films in theaters at the same time and that’s unprecedented.” Lauer launched his firm a little over a decade ago with a plan to focus on targeting underserved religious audiences, unchartered territory at the time. Months after opening he was introduced to Mel Gibson who told him about a faith-inspired film he wanted to release. That film became the mega-hit
Passion of the Christ. Motive Entertainment led the groundbreaking grassroots marketing campaign targeting Christians through churches and other non-traditional marketing venues that helped make Passion of the Christ, an independent film, one of the most successful films of all time. But even after its success, films about faith did not become ubiquitous the way many genres do after one film succeeds. According to Scott A. Shuford, founder of FrontGate Media, a firm specializing in reaching Christian audiences online, Hollywood was slow to recognize the power and scope of Christian consumers. “I think at first Hollywood business people got confused between a reli-
gion and a market.” Shuford, whose firm was one of those involved in the marketing of Noah, went on to explain that while Hollywood has been serving African Americans and Latinos as distinct markets with distinct interests, they struggled to see Christians the same way and as a result didn’t invest resources in that community. As such, “The Passion of the Christ was initially treated as a fluke.” But that is finally changing due to the sheer box office numbers of Christian themed films. “We’re seeing some of the best film product right now being targeted to this audience,” he said. Calling 2014 a “banner year” for faith-based films, Paul Lauer predicted, “As each of these films achieves
a measure of success I think more and more filmmakers and studios and distributors and financiers and actors and directors and everybody will say ‘this could be a rewarding area to get into’.” But Lauer, whose firm also led grassroots campaigns for the films Chronicles of Narnia and Son of God, speculated that the success of this year’s faith-based films could have implications in Hollywood beyond the box office. “I think the other thing that will happen [is] there are people of faith all throughout Hollywood who already work in studios as directors and producers and writers and many of them are excited about working on movies like this now that it’s OK to do so,” he said. “It’s almost like we’re
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having a coming out of the closet for people of faith in the community. And as that happens we’ll get [an] even more organic growth of faith-based and inspirational movies coming from people that are already embedded in the system, like Mark and Roma.” He was referring to reality TV mogul Mark Burnett, the super producer of Survivor, among other shows, and his wife, Touched by an Angel actress, Roma Downey. They produced last year’s hit television mini series on The Bible. Whether Christian stories gaining ground in Hollywood is a good thing for Christians, may ultimately depend on who is telling the stories. The
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film Noah, directed by Darren Aronofsky, has sparked a great deal of controversy from allegations that say it strays too far from Biblical text, to criticisms it omits the word God from the story altogether. (The word “creator” is used.) One Christian unhappy with the film has posted his own version online. Penny Nance, President of the Christian conservative women’s group, Concerned Women for America said in an email “Beginning with ‘The Passion of the Christ’, Hollywood recognized that there is a Christian market that can be extremely profitable, and we’re happy about that. Unfortunately, their enthusiasm for our money doesn’t
always match their enthusiasm for our message. However, family friendly content that creates an opportunity for conversation is always a positive thing.” For his part, Noah star Russell Crowe dismissed criticism of the film as overreaction and more specifically “absolute stupidity.” Asked if the success of Noah and God’s Not Dead this week officially answers the question of whether there is a strong market for Christian themed Hollywood fare, Scott Shuford had this to say. “There isn’t any question whether there is a market. The question [to Hollywood] is do you want to be a part of it? ■
Church Movie Nights! Are you in need of a different way to reach your community? Do you want to promote fellowship among your believers? Want a youth event that will attract friends? You can host a Movie Night at your church or even show the movie outside with our portable movie screens! With our Standard Movie Night Package you will receive 1 DVD, the license to display the film, a promotional movie trailer, 4 display posters, 100 bulletin inserts, and 10 additional copies of the film to distribute or sell among your congregation. Call today for more information!
800-251-1152
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Consumers vs. Critics: Faith Driven Consumer Organizing a #MomsNightOut Elitist Movie Critics Could Not be More Out of Touch, Group Leading Effort to Support Refreshing Faith-Driven Comedy (Raleigh, NC – May 16, 2014) — Faith Driven Consumer™ — the group behind the IStandWithPhil.com movement which played a leading role in Phil Robertson’s return to Duck Dynasty, the #OpenZilla campaign for workplace tolerance at Mozilla, the ongoing Year of The Bible Movie initiative tracking the commercial viability of major Hollywood films courting faith audiences, and the 17,000 strong and growing FlipThisDecision.com campaign supporting the Benham Twins — continues to advocate for 46 million people who spend $1.75 trillion annually. Today, Faith Driven Consumer is embarking on a new initiative. MOMS’ NIGHT OUT, the Sony/Tri-Star/AFFIRM/Provident Films comedy which rated a solid 3.5 stars from Faith Driven Consumer’s Faith-Friendly Film Reviews, has been panned by elitist critics who have called the film “anti-feminist,” “archaic,” “depressively regressive” and “borderline dangerous.” In response, Faith Driven Consumer is organizing a #MomsNightOut to garner the support of the consumers who ultimately decide the film’s fate in the entertainment marketplace.
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“If you read many of the reviews on Moms’ Night Out, it’s clear that critics don’t understand the culture, much less the deeply held biblical worldview of Faith Driven Consumers. Some critics are outright hostile to our viewpoint and values. If you don’t venture out of the echo-chamber of political correctness, you can’t understand why audiences resonate with this genuinely fun, faith-friendly comedy,” said Chris Stone, Certified Brand Strategist and Founder of Faith Driven Consumer. “We are calling on Faith Driven Consumers everywhere to do one thing: go buy a ticket and take a public stand for motherhood. Faith Driven Consumer is engaging hundreds of thousands of people over the next few days with this message, and we are going to the movies.” Faith Driven Consumer is immediately engaging in an effort to encourage its community to get out and support MOMS’ NIGHT OUT, a film with an overwhelming 86% audience support and just 15% critic support on Rotten Tomatoes.
New Venture, Faith Driven Entertainment, Offers Unparalleled Expertise and Access to Active Christian Consumer Community of 82 Million Faith Driven Consumer Founder and President of InService Americ Team Up to Deliver Insight- Driven Results for the Entertainment Industry (Raleigh, NC – June 1, 2014) — As the “Year of the Bible Movie” continues in earnest, Faith Driven Consumer founder Chris Stone and InServiceAmerica President and CEO Carl Townsend are announcing a new venture to connect entertainment brands and products with both Faith Driven Consumers™ and the broader Christian market. Faith Driven Entertainment – which leverages its active, opted-‐in community of more than 82 million Christian consumers nationwide – offers unique expertise and an unparalleled suite of solutions for entertainment brands marketing faith-compatible and family-friendly products.
About Faith Driven Consumer Faith Driven Consumer (FDC) is a movement representing 46 million consumers — 15% of the U.S. Population — who spend $1.75 trillion annually. Founded in 2009 by Chris Stone, a Certified Brand Strategist who has helped billiondollar companies build bridges between brands and their target audiences, FDC is creating an affinity in the marketplace of goods, services and ideas between this rapidly emerging and economically powerful segment of the Christian market and brands that are relatively more compatible with a biblical worldview. As the national voice for Christians driven to stewardship and action, FaithDrivenConsumer.com provides a digital community offering resources for making more faith-conscious decisions and take-action opportunities for engaging brands and the culture. With more than 300,000 members (and counting!) and a database of over 80 million active American Christians, FDC mobilizes and motivates Christians to match their wallets with their worldview--leveraging their legitimate voice in the public square—creating a more faithfriendly marketplace.
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partnership development
When growing a partnership program, many organizations focus more on identifying new partners than they do retaining existing partners. TeleForum is an outstanding strategic technology for Partnership Development that provides the tools to address both aspects of a partnership development initiative. 42 • Stay Connected
retention Hosting a regular predictable series exclusive to partners adds more value to the relationship over time. The content should be informative and allow existing partners to have access to the personalities that they would not normally have access to. Throughout the program giving the partner the opportunity to interact through live question and answer sessions and real time surveys will help the organization understand their partners’ needs and wants better. Hosting a monthly exclusive partner TeleForum in a series will allow partners to plan to participate and set aside time to listen to most of the program. Ultimately, the organization will gain access to real metrics and feedback to evolve the organization in the direction that the partners want it to go.
using teleforum by carl townsend
new partnerships
using video forum
TeleForum is an excellent public relations tool. It allows people to learn more about an organization from the comfort of their couch. The most effective use of this is to conduct a monthly informative TeleForum with an ongoing TeleForum Registration process. The registration can be promoted on websites, social media, direct mail, and through existing partners’ word of mouth or social sharing. Conducting a series of informative TeleForum events with content catering to a new audience will organically raise interest in partnership programs. Through these events, the organization will be able to utilize call metrics and poll questions to gage interest of participants in partnership programs and use for follow up.
Adding a live video component with content rich slides is an excellent way of connecting with potential partners that you do not know about. Prospective partners can learn more about the organization in a highly interactive environment. The video/web generation is more likely to participate if you bring the event to the social media space and the content is also more likely to be shared with friends and families. The ability to maintain a library of previous Video Forum events on websites and the ISA Now platform will extend the shelf-life of the content and allow prospective partners to consume the content any time day or night. It is recommended that in selecting from the planned TeleForum events, in both the Retention series and New Partnership series, to add Video. ď Ž connected123.com •
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t was a cold Sunday evening in November 2006 when the life our family knew came to a screeching stop. Everything changed in a split second! We were traveling home from church in our family van after watching Jennifer, our fifteen year old daughter, sing in her first choir concert -- suddenly without warning a drunk driver going 80 miles per hour ran head-on into us and then over-top of us. The combined impact of the wreck was 125 miles per hour. All four of our family members were sent to different hospitals. Jennifer suffered a traumatic brain injury and wasn’t expected to make it through the night. Andy and I had major life-threatening injuries. Joshua, our 11 year old son witnessed the entire accident as he was the first to wake up. None of us should have survived but God had a different plan. God tells us in Isaiah 55:8, 9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Since the day of that accident, our
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family has been on a long journey of healing both physically and emotionally. Our Lord and Savior has been with us every step of the way and He has taught us some powerful lessons while being in the darkest valley of life. The Lord has never once left our side. The promises of God’s word are faithful and true. They are promises that we can claim and stand on each and every day. As our family travels and speaks through our Hope Out Loud (www.hopeoutloud. com) ministry, all types of people--men, women, young and old--run up to us afterwards and ask “How did you make it? How did you survive? I’m hurting, confused and broken please help me!” It is amazing how God is using our story to bring HOPE to hurting people. We all need HOPE everyday. Life is painful and it does hurt, but there are answers!
God has taught us three lessons that we have learned from Jennifer and her incredible response of faith and hope:
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PRAY OUT LOUD: Cry out to Jesus wherever you are, when you feel you can’t go on! He is there and He is listening. He will not leave you or forsake you!!
SING SONGS OF OUT LOUD: Sing your favorite hymn or praise song OUT LOUD. It may be one that you learned when you were a child, like, “Jesus loves me this I know.” You are inviting God’s presence and the enemy will flee. The most commonly asked question to Jennifer and our family is “How did you forgive the drunk driver or the police officer who let him go?” Forgiveness is a choice. We choose to forgive because:
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God commands us to forgive and Jesus modeled it for us on the cross.(Matthew 6: 14, 15 and Luke 23:34.)
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CLAIM GOD’S PROMISES OUT LOUD: Quote your favorite scripture verses and promises from God’s word OUT LOUD. Believe them and stand confidently on them. Renew your mind with HIS truth. The enemy has to flee. Try this one, Isaiah 41:10,“Fear not, for I am with you: be not dismayed for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help thee; yes, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Wow, what amazing promises!!
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We want to be free. We forgive for our own freedom, rather than be held captive by someone or something.
We do not want anything to limit all that God has for us to accomplish for HIM!! We choose forgiveness so we can be used by God to our fullest!!
Every day we all have a choice to be bitter or better. Our family chooses to allow God to use our tragedy for HIS glory and our prayer is that people connected123.com • 45 would see Jesus in us and run to HIM for healing, peace and abundant life.
Staff Article: John Brown V.P. Account Services
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y life experiences have uniquely prepared me for my work at InService America. I was raised in a Christian home in the then very conservative Orange County, California during the 60’s and 70’s. My parents were pretty narrow politically and practiced a fairly exclusionary Christianity…if you didn’t belong to their style of Baptist church well, you just were a little suspect. But they loved the Lord sincerely. At that same time in Orange County a church phenomenon was beginning to take shape, the likes of which most had never seen. A pastor started a small Bible study group in his home and was reaching out to the growing “hippie culture”, blessed by the warm sun, surf, ample amounts of marijuana and resident LSD-guru, Timothy Leary. That pastor was Chuck Smith and of course that church was what would become Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, ground zero for the rise of the Jesus Movement. Experiencing Christianity in a church that prided itself on separation and at the same time seeing the rise of the Jesus Movement all around me I grappled with just who God was and did He really want His children,
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although differing in some non-salvific doctrines, to live apart from one another. As a young teenager I developed an acute interest in various churches, denominations and church leaders. I read the bad, mostly from the various newsletters that came to the house, but also saw the good in the lives of others around me who didn’t go to the same church I did. They looked different from me, really different. You could see I had ears at first glance; their ears were hidden behind hair, lot’s of hair! I wore shoes; they took more of the barefoot approach. My pants were starched; they seemed to like holes in theirs. But they seemed to love the same Jesus I loved! That was a little unsettling and refreshing at the same time. Christian TV was taking root. Local Orange County TV station Channel 40, was just starting out. As an 11 year-old boy I remember watching it the very first night it came on the air. We “didn’t agree with them” but watched it out of curiosity. Channel 40 would grow into what later become the TBN Network. About that time a few pastors from my church decided they were going back to a church in Virginia that had a large TV ministry
presence to help build a Christian college. Years later I would follow and attend what would become Liberty University. My experiences and curiosity was varied. I knew God’s view of His body was bigger than the view I was taught to see and I wanted to learn more about it. Having moved back to Southern California in the mid 80’s there was a church growth explosion going on. My wife and I attended a couple but never felt at home. By “happenstance” I ran into an old friend from college at the airport in Los Angeles. Mark was a gospel singer and I asked what he was doing in town. He said he was there to sing at a church called Saddleback and I should come hear him. So I took Mark up on the offer. I had never heard of this church called Saddleback even though it was just 30 minutes down the road and I was “pretty up” on the church scene. But once I walked into this high school gym with about 1,500 others I felt at home. I would attend Saddleback Church for 25 years as it grew to one of the largest churches in the country and later serve on the staff as the Director of the Singles Ministry. During this time I participated and taught in small group
conferences to pastors and leaders from many different denominations…again seeing God at work among His body. I didn’t agree with all of their theology but I believed they loved the Lord and it was a blessing and a joy to share in sweet fellowship. In 2011, having moved to the east coast and having had the privilege of working in donor relations for two Christian media ministries, I had a “chance” meeting with Carl Townsend, President of InService America. That meeting would last over three hours as we discussed the same people we knew and shared our journeys together. My knowledge of the evangelical church and movement coupled with experience in donor relations and Christian media was tailored made to work with InService America which I have now done for 3 ½ years. It has been so rewarding to be involved in what is truly ministry here with our clients and to use the experience God has allowed me and the interests I have to serve His kingdom, all right back here in Lynchburg, VA. And I see such a wonderful variety of the Body here as well. God is good!
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B I O S S T A F F 48 • Stay Connected
Carl Townsend, CEO and Founder - President, CEO, Founder of InService America - Over 35 years in the call center industry - Recipient of five Direct Marketing Association Awards - Recipient of INC’s Top 500 Small Businesses - Winner of the Blue Chip Enterprise Award - Married 33 years. One child and two grandchildren - Sunday School Teacher Jim E. Fitzpatrick III, Chief Financial Officer - Has been with ISA since April 2008 and currently serves as a Member of the Executive Team reporting to the President. In addition to normal finance and treasury, Jim is responsible for strategic planning and implementation. - Chief negotiator on all contracts and agreements. - Had established a CPA firm and led that for 18 years. Proficient in tax, tax collections and all financial facets of small business, Jim sold the practice in April 2008. - Jim served as Vice Mayor on the Amherst Town Council and was a member from 1991-1993. - Also Pastor, Cowboy Church. Shaun V. Skow, Director of IT - Has served at ISA for 8 years - Has served in the following roles at ISA: Programmer/Analyst, Project Manager, Senior Programmer/Analyst, Director of IT - 26 years of programming experience, 3 years of experience as a department coordinator Lloyd McWhorter, Jr., Chief Operations Officer - Over 27 years experience in the telemarketing and call center industry - Prior to joining ISA served as VP, Sales & Customer Care at Urban Ministries Inc., Executive Director of the National Call Center for Home Box Office. - Lloyd also serves as Director of the Christian Education Ministry at Waukegan Community Church - Married 31 years; has 3 children and 3 grand children John A. Brown, V.P. Accounts Management - Joined at ISA as Senior Account Executive, then moved to Vice President of Sales & Marketing. - Many years of experience in sales and marketing in both the secular and minis try world working for companies including USAir, Cargill, Inc and the ministries of Open Doors, USA and INSP Network. - Also served on staff as Director of Singles Ministry at Saddleback Church in Mission Vicjo, CA. Jane White, Director of Account Service - Has served at ISA 8 years - Has served at ISA as a call center agent, trainer and account executive - Has over 20 years of call center experience. Prior to ISA Jane worked at J. Crew for 15 years. - Married with two children Wayne Lee, Director of IT Department - Served as R & D director for a public high tech company - Served assistant professor at University of Electronic Science and Technology of China - Was visiting scholar at Technische Universität Clausthal, Germany - Software Architect/Engineer with 20+ years software development experience - MS Degree in engineering
Leah Townsend, Director of Human Services - Over 25 years in the call center industry - Supervisor quality control, training and Employment Development - Married 37 years. One child and two grandchildren.
Gary Sullivan, Director of Operations/Project Director - Has served at ISA for five years - Has served as Outbound Manager, Senior Manager-Inbound, Call Center Manager
Joe Vaughan, Outbound/Sales Manager - Former account executive for Comcast - Married, Two Children, Four Grandchildren - 2009 President’s Club Member - Member Liberty Baptist Church, Appomattox, VA - Mission Trips to Poland, India, Madagascar and Guatemala Shantae Beverly, Manager of Inbound Services - Has served at ISA for 9 years - Has served at ISA as Customer Service Representative, Human Resources Assistant, Payroll Assistant, Business Analyst
Joan Tweedy, Business Analyst - Has served ISA for 15 years - Has 2 children (1 with the Lord), and 4 grandchildren - Born in New Orleans, LA - Enjoys reading and knitting in free time, and has a love for animals. Dean Pruitt, Business Analyst - Has served at ISA for 3 years - Has served as a special project worker, inbound/outbound agents - Former youth pastor
Sandy Mayberry, Human Resources Manager - Previously served at ISA in the capacity of Director of Administration, and Executive Assistant to President & CEO, Carl Townsend. - Master of Management and Leadership degree from Liberty University. - Married to Dave; one son, Christian who is a Graduate student at Liberty University. - Active Member of Thomas Road Baptist Church. Andrea Lewis, Creative & Graphics Manager - Joined ISA as Sales Associate, then moved to Graphic Design. - BS in Visual Communication Arts: Studio Art, from Liberty University. - Has worked as photographer for two films, and has 4 years of experience in graphics and design. - Married to Aaron and member of Thomas Road Baptist Church choir. connected123.com •
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New Clients Faith Driven Consumer is a movement representing 46 million consumers — 15% of the U.S. population — who spend $1.75 trillion annually. We connect these consumers with companies that are relatively more compatible with a biblical worldview. For more information see pages 34-35.
Celebrate America is an event that will focus on the desperate need for a Spiritual Awakening in our nation. Led by Pastor Dr. Rodney HowardBrowne, Celebrate America is a united, bipartisan call to action, invoking the guidance of divine providence in America. See pages 22-23 for details.
Heavenly Foods offers a new way to help take care of people and provide healthy food options. They also provide a way for the local church to help individuals who need assistance without a need for government help. Food delivery, specially prepared for those living alone or underprivileged.
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Archdiocese of Newark: “We, The Church in the Archdiocese of Newark, are Catholic Christians who recognize and acknowledge the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, the expression of the Father’s gift of love for all people. Empowered by the Spirit of the rise Christ, we are called, as individuals and as a community, to be living witnesses of Christ’s presence and His ongoing mission in our society.”
Today’s Walk: “As the Broadcast Ministry of Valley Baptist Church, Today’s Walk features the teaching and preaching of Dr. Roger Spradlin, co-pastor for the last 26 years of Valley Baptist in Bakersfield, California. Today’s Walk has one purpose: reach people for Christ. We do that through the presentation of the gospel using mass media, including television and radio. Our goal is also to strengthen Christians in their daily walk with relevant and practical teaching from God’s word. Our broadcast ministry is not televangelism, it’s simply a glimpse into our weekly worship services.”
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