Twoten Issue 6 - Q1 2014 by TwoTen Magazine, Inc.

Good News

Fox News Correspondent Shannon Bream

Mark Burnett Emmy Award Winning T.V. Producer

Anne Beiler Auntie Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Founder

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Contents

14 Cover Story

30 26

Features

Good News: On Location With Shannon Bream

The Beauty Of The Scar

Mark Burnett: Expanding Your Brand & Growing Your Faith

Defying Pretzel Logic

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The Fox News correspondent discusses her faith, the media and politics and how she thinks about God’s plan for her future.

Dave Munson explains why scarred leather is beautiful and how it’s helping his business reach the world for Christ.

The award-winning producer discusses how he follows God’s lead as “The Bible” mini-series continues to have eternal impacts.

The tragedies and triumphs of “Auntie” Anne Beiler and how the pretzel entrepreneur learned to give to get to give again. Table of Contents

48 42

VOLUME 2

ISSUE 6 Q1 2014

Columns & Departments Welcome 06

National Ministry – TwoTen Magazine desires to embrace and elevate the workplace ministry movement.

Is Jesus a Relevant Role Model for Us Today? – Timeless leadership skills used by Jesus.

Articles 36

Training Champions For Christ – TwoTen Magazine takes an inside look at Liberty University.

Fashion, Faith and Freedom – How God is using 3Strands to save lives and souls.

Kingdom Silhouettes – Maximizing the footprint of your impact.

My Third Career: A Catapult, Not A Carrier – Humbly living the life you’ve been called to live.

Columns & Departments 58

Ask Dave On Business – Dave Ramsey answers real-life questions from business owners.

4 Attributes Of An Effective Workplace Witness – God’s ideal for the spirit-led worker.

Being A Daniel – Alan Robertson on having the courage to stand up for God.

Separation & Divorce – Getting employees the care they need during difficult times.

A For-Good, For-Profit Technology Startup – Getting creative to address economic challenges.

Learning To Expect The Unexpected – The absence of margin in our lives.

TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

Founders of TwoTen Magazine, John Faulkner and Richard W. Hayes.

NATIONAL MINISTRY Business ministry. Faith at work. Work as worship. No matter what you call it, the workplace ministry movement is exciting and growing. At TwoTen Magazine our desire is to embrace and elevate this movement by uniting individual organizations and their leaders for the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ together. When business and ministry collides it can be easy to fall into a competitive mind-set. But we believe that the better these groups are individually, the better we will be collectively and the more people we will be able to reach, not just as TwoTen Magazine, but as the Church. Over the past year and a half, we have traveled nationwide forming relationships with leaders, authors, educators, ministries

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and businesses. We want to unite and advance together because separately we are reaching a small percentage of our target audiences. Issue 6 continues to introduce business ministries and leaders who are focused on presenting the Gospel through their passions and gifts. Yes, if you ask the World, some of these organizations and individuals may be in competition for your attention or business. But with Jesus at the center, TwoTen Magazine recognizes the value of uniting them, and we hope youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll agree. In the following pages, we hear from Fox News correspondent Shannon Bream who clings to her faith while acknowledging the importance of truth and facts as a reporter. National Ministry

Dave Munson of Saddleback Leather, Co. embraces scars in the leather handbags he produces and also in the testimonies and stories of the people around us. While Mark Burnett, creator of the History Channel’s mini-series “The Bible,” reveals the challenge and joy of immersing your faith in your work, and Anne Beiler of Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels shares the way in which God utilized a pretzel to transform her life through grace. We also receive insight from Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges regarding the relevance of Jesus as a role model for today’s leaders. Speaking of leaders, TwoTen Magazine takes a look inside Liberty University and the next generation of Christian leaders graduating from the institution. Ken Petersen, CEO of Apricot Lane Boutique and 3Strands Global, works alongside other Christian CEOs through Convene to propel one another into firmer faith and business growth. Chris Patton of Mike Patton Auto Family focuses his leadership on making an impact for Christ, and Bob Buford tells his story of becoming an encourager. Joining us again in Issue 6 is the Robertson family of Duck Commander. Alan Robertson explains the inspiration he finds in the Bible’s story of Daniel to live bolder and work harder in all aspects of life. TwoTen Magazine thanks our quarterly, contributing columnists for returning in this issue to offer wisdom for Christian leaders in the workplace, including Dave Ramsey, Os Hillman, Mark Cress, Jordan Raynor and Dr. Paul White. It is our desire that you would join us in our push for unification and robust growth within the workplace ministry movement.

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Office: (855) 4 TwoTen | team@twotenmag.com | @twotenmag

John Faulkner

Founder & Editor in Chief Mark Whitaker Executive Editor Julie Faulkner Features Editor George Cline Associate Editor Miranda Faulkner-Smith Operations Manager Chandler Hayes Copy Editor Emily Moschner Copywriter John H. Rains, III General Counsel

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Richard W. Hayes Founder & Publisher

Chris Whitten Creative Director Luke Haydel Project Manager Paul Tejera Technology Director Mike Crisp Social Media Manager Mike Glesenkamp Web Manager Robin Stafstrom Production Manager Nicole Armas Distribution Manager

Contributors Bob Buford Tricia Despres Mark Cress

Founding Contributors Ken Blanchard Jordan Raynor

Dave Ramsey Edward L. Flom

Buck Jacobs Mark Whitaker

About TwoTen Magazine The TwoTen brand was inspired by the New Testament Bible verse Ephesians 2:10, which says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Our Mission is to inspire, encourage and equip business leaders with Christian principles to make an eternal, positive impact on everyone that God has entrusted them to serve.

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Founder & Editor In Chief

Founder & Publisher

Os Hillman Jessica Burchfield Phil Hodges Lisa Huetteman Dr. Paul White Alan Robertson

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John Faulkner

Richard W. Hayes

© 2014 Two Ten Magazine, Inc. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinion of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher and/or TwoTen Magazine. The contents of advertisements and advertorials are entirely the responsibility of advertisers. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited submissions and manuscripts.

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IS JESUS A RELEVANT ROLE MODEL FOR LEADERS TODAY? BY: KEN BLANCHARD & PHIL HODGES

A COMMON BARRIER TO EMBRACING JESUS AS A LEADERSHIP ROLE MODEL LIES IN SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE RELEVANCE OF HIS TEACHING TO YOUR SPECIFIC LEADERSHIP SITUATIONS. WE ARE, IN MANY WAYS, FACED WITH THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT PETER FACED WHEN JESUS ASKED HIM TO DO SOME HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND UNORTHODOX THINGS REGARDING HIS FISHING BUSINESS. 8

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Is Jesus A Relevant Role Model For Leaders Today?

Here was the situation as described in Luke 5:1–11: “One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, a great crowd pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon [Peter], its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing! But if you say so, we’ll try again.” And this time their nets were so full they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “O, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.” For he was awestruck by the size of their catch, as were the others with him. His partners James and John, Zebedee’s sons, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.” (NLT) What do you think was going through Peter’s mind when he replied, “Master, we have been fishing all night and we haven’t caught a thing?” It sounds like he might have been thinking something along the lines of this: “I have been listening to Jesus address the crowds with great power and wisdom. I really respect Him as a teacher and for His knowledge of God’s Word, but now He has asked me to do something that goes totally against my own knowledge and instincts about how to run my business. He doesn’t know fishing. I know fish and fishing; it’s my business, and this is not a practical plan. If I do what He says, it is probably going to be a waste of time and energy, and my workers are going to wonder if I have lost my mind.” Peter’s skepticism, however, did not prevent him from taking a leap of faith because of who gave him the instructions. Because of his faith, he experienced miraculous results, and he was overwhelmed by what he perceived was too great a gap between himself and what Jesus would require of him. Jesus sought to calm Peter’s doubts and fears and issued an invitation to come and be transformed for a higher purpose. And He is issuing the same call to us. Jesus knows fish. He also knows your business, whether it is in the service of an organization or in a life role. TwoTenMagazine.com

One way of putting Jesus to the test would be to apply the same criteria to His knowledge, experience, and success that you would to the hiring of a business consultant. Take a few minutes and consider if you would hire Jesus as your leadership consultant based on His earthly experience. To help you in this decision-making process, reflect on the following leadership challenges you might be facing, and then ask yourself, “Does Jesus have any relevant practical knowledge or experience in dealing with the following types of leadership issues I face day to day?”

YES

CHECK AN OPTION TO THE LEFT.

Working with or living and caring for imperfect people. Taking time to train, develop, and delegate. Under constant scrutiny and testing of commitment and integrity. Required to handle rejection, criticism, and opposition. Facing fierce competition and conflicting demands from friends and foes. Tempted by instant gratification, recognition, and misuse of power. Facing serious personnel issues, including turnover and betrayal. Required to communicate in a multicultural environment. The need to challenge the status quo and hierarchy to bring about change. The need to communicate a radically new vision of the future. The need to call attention to poor leadership at great personal risk. The need to put career or relationships on the line to serve a higher purpose. TwoTen Magazine

“

We can never

sufficiently realize the

wonder of the fact that Jesus understands a day’s work and knows the difficulty of making ends meet.”

knows the frustration of ill-mannered customers and clients who won’t pay their bills. He knows the difficulties of living in an ordinary home and in a big family, and He knows the problems that beset us in the everyday world. Think about how Jesus would do your job differently than you would. As the following scriptures suggest, Jesus wants to do His work in you and through you: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Matthew 11:28–29 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

Chances are you answered “yes” to every situation. Why? Because Jesus had experience in every situation you face. The book of Hebrews says of Jesus,

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” – John 15:7

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” – Hebrews 2:18

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” – John 14:15–18

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. But we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive every mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” – Hebrews 4:15–16

In addition to His leadership resume, Jesus understood from years of personal experience the challenges of daily life and work. Although Jesus was God, He was not ashamed to do a man’s work. He spent the first thirty years of His life on earth as a workingman—the carpenter of Nazareth. We can never sufficiently realize the wonder of the fact that Jesus understands a day’s work and knows the difficulty of making ends meet. He

Pause and Reflect If you are skeptical about adopting Jesus as your leadership role model, write down your reasons. What is it about Jesus that is causing you to doubt? What is it about you that is causing you to hold back? VICTORY

Billy Graham: Messenger Of Hope Ken Blanchard currently serves as the Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies. In addition to being a renowned speaker, consultant, and bestselling author, his book The One Minute Manager has sold over 13 million copies and has been translated into 37 languages. He has co-authored over 30 other best selling books. Phil

Hodges,

industrial and Ken Blanchard & Phil Hodges

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Is Jesus A Relevant Role Model For Leaders Today?

Helping Organizations

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“

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go .”

– Joshua 1:9

PURPOSE “All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them.” - Oswald Chambers -

...meditate on these things.

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Good News: On Location With Shannon Bream

GOOD NEWS

O N L O C AT I O N W I T H S H A N N O N B R E A M BY MARK WHITAKER

Since its founding as our Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital in 1790, Washington D.C. has been the hallowed ground where some of the greatest leaders in history have charted the direction of our nation and ultimately the world. The men and women that comprise the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government wield tremendous power to affect the lives of millions of people for generations. Along with that power comes the temptation to use it for personal gain, which breeds the types of corruption that has given politicians such a bad reputation. In a recent Gallop Poll, politicians ranked second to last in a survey of the most trusted professionals. TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

or the past six years, Shannon Bream has been the Fox News Channel correspondent responsible for covering the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. It is a world away from Tallahassee, Florida where she was born and raised, and where she attended North Florida Christian High School. Shannon went on to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia where she graduated with a business degree and then returned to Tallahassee to attend law school at Florida State University and interned with Florida Congressman Bill McCollum. After graduating law school, Shannon moved to Tampa, Florida where she pursued a career in law, but it didn’t give her the fulfillment she desired. When an opportunity arose to work with a local news station, she made a career change. In 2001, after a year of working for an ABC affiliate in Tampa, she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. She worked for a CBS News affiliate as a reporter for three years before moving on to Washington D.C., first working as a news anchor for an NBC affiliate and then to her current position with Fox News. In May 2013, Shannon had the honor of giving Liberty University’s 40th commencement speech. She was the first female in the school’s history and also the first Liberty University graduate since its accreditation in 1980 to provide the keynote address. We caught up with Shannon to find out how she integrates her faith into her profession and her views on Christian leadership.

TwoTen

You work in one of the most powerful cities in the world and meet powerful leaders every day. As you cover and learn about them, what, in your opinion, makes a good, effective leader?

Shannon Bream

I think it takes someone who is willing to listen to many different viewpoints, and then act on her own core principles. Real leaders try to be inclusive, but have to be decisive when circumstances demand action. The best leaders I know seem to be able to relate to people across the spectrum and to make them feel that their input is truly valuable. You also need a pretty thick skin!

“

Real leaders

try to be inclusive,

but have to

be decisive when circumstances

demand action.”

– Shannon Bream

Shannon Bream

Strong leaders seem to be good at building coalitions. No one gets everything they want, but consensus often leads to workable solutions – where everyone has a stake in the ultimate outcome. Also, they aren’t afraid of legitimate criticism.

TwoTen

Is it difficult to cover someone that you are spiritually opposed to?

Shannon Bream

I never see that as a challenge. I’m sure I cover people all the time who differ from me on issues of religion, fiscal policy, foreign affairs and everything in between. My job is simply to get the facts on all sides of any issue and give them to our viewers. I let them draw their own conclusions. I find it fascinating to be able to interview someone who may be on a different page than I am on a given issue, simply to be able to understand his or her thought process.

TwoTen

You cover people that the majority of Americans think are crooks, liars, and cheats - why have you chosen to cover politics?

TwoTen

Are there any distinguishing characteristics that they have or don’t have?

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Good News: On Location With Shannon Bream

Shannon Bream

TwoTen

I’ve covered many elections and Supreme Court decisions that haven’t gone the way I as an individual had hoped they would. It’s important that I give viewers the facts and leave my opinions at home. I know I’m doing something right when I get emails from people accusing me of both leaning to the left AND leaning to the right. I find viewer reactions like that have much more to do with their own perceptions and biases.

I can’t imagine a more interesting subject! What happens in Washington impacts every single American, and I want them to understand that. Every election, every Supreme Court ruling, every federal regulation – they all trickle down to how each of us lives our lives. Many politicians have an agenda that has nothing to do with what’s best for their constituents. Some truly operate from a place of principle and integrity. I want our viewers to know about both.

It is not politically correct to report the facts on some of the issues you report on, such as: same sex marriage, abortion, healthcare, and other issues. Politics, in general, can be a minefield for anyone willing to take them on. You seem to be unwavering when it comes to accurately reporting the facts on these issues. What gives you the strength and courage to remain vocal on your spiritual beliefs when reporting on issues such as these? TwoTenMagazine.com

I do pray that the Lord will give me the skills and professionalism to do my job without ever sacrificing my own core values and convictions. I think He calls us all to be the best at what we do, in order to glorify Him. We should hold ourselves to a higher standard. As a reporter, that means I have to stick to the facts – whether I like them or not. Words are very powerful, and choosing them carefully has a lot of impact. We have many strong voices in our opinion division at Fox, so I leave the advocacy to them.

TwoTen Magazine

I often find that some of the most heated attacks come my way simply because I report on an issue, regardless of the fact that I expressed no opinion on the story at all. I think all Americans should be concerned that there are people who think the media should be silenced from reporting facts.

TwoTen

Do you ever feel that you put your career on the line by sticking to your convictions?

Shannon Bream

I’ve truly never been presented with that choice. There is clear respect for differing viewpoints here at Fox News, and that’s not true at all news outlets.

TwoTen

While Christians can be some of the biggest critics on the way news is reported and the media in general, they can also do things that hinder the cause by being overzealous. What are some of the things Christians do that make you cringe?

Shannon Bream

It doesn’t benefit Christians when they vocally dole out heavy criticism and judge others without the rest of the message – God’s love. There has to be a balance. People will not care about what you have to say, until they feel that you care about them. It’s also critical that Christians are armed with facts and

1st Quarter

not just emotion. Yes, we are passionate about many issues, but if we come to the discussion ill-equipped we cannot hope to be persuasive.

TwoTen

Has being a voice of the cause of Christ cost you anything?

Shannon Bream

It has certainly opened me up to plenty of criticism over the years, but we were never promised an easy road. I find that people who attack you simply on the basis of your faith are either misinformed or illogical. Religious freedom is one of our most treasured rights. I think my faith calls me to love my neighbor as myself – not to agree with them 100% of the time.

TwoTen

What advice do you have for young, Christian women pursuing careers that are typically dominated by men?

Shannon Bream

Be prepared to play tough and smart. People will run over you if they don’t respect you. Be the most prepared person in the room, but don’t feel you have to sacrifice your femininity in the process. Choose your battles wisely. You don’t need to push back every time, so develop wisdom about when you Good News: On Location With Shannon Bream

should. Also, look for a good mentor. They’ve been through everything you’ve faced and will be able to give you real-life advice. I have a Bible study group every week, filled with women who are navigating the realities of living and working in Washington. We give each other moral support.

TwoTen

To whom do you go for biblical counsel and wisdom?

“

People will

not care about what you have to say, until they feel that you care about them.” – Shannon Bream

Shannon Bream

Along with the women in my Bible study I find my Mom to be an incredible resource. I also have trusted female friends of all ages who are willing to stand in the gap when I need them. They are true blessings.

TwoTen

Do you have any scriptures that have been instrumental in guiding your life and career?

Shannon Bream

I’m a terrible flyer, so there are verses I cling to during my travels, and I find they work for the rest of my life too! “I sought the Lord, and he heard my cries, and delivered me from all my fears.” – Psalm 34:4

TwoTen

You’ve had an unbelievable career up to this point. What lies ahead for you?

Shannon Bream

I really don’t know. I try not to rule out anything, and to trust that there is a plan much more important than anything I’ve dreamed up for myself. I’m a planner, so letting go of that is something I really struggle with. Life is unpredictable, and when I was practicing law I would never have guessed I’d end up where I am now. VICTORY

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 I’ve also learned a lot through physical pain and struggles. They made this passage absolutely come alive to me: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9-11

Mark Whitaker is the Executive Editor of TwoTen Magazine. He is inspired daily by his God, his wife Kim and his three daughters Hannah, Sarah, and Rhea.

TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

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The Beauty Of The Scar

THE

BEAUTY OF THE SCAR

Dave Munson of Saddleback Leather Co. By: Jessica Burchfield

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P r is t ine, uns c a r re d le at her ha n d b ag s a n d b r ie fc a s e s c a n b e fo un d in m o s t u p s c ale d e p a r t men t s s to re s in malls acr o s s t he c o un t r y. U ns c a r re d le at her h o ld s n o his to r y, n o p a s t ; r at her, i t s t a n d s a s a s t a r k , unw r i t ten c a nva s u p o n w hi ch t he p ur cha s er w ill cre ate a f u t ure. W hile t his is a p p e aling to s o me, ma ny p re fer a dis t re s s e d, s c a r re d le at her ha n d b ag, b e c au s e i t is s of ter t o t he t o u ch, p r o mis e s d ur a bili t y, a n d h o ld s w i t hin i t a we al t h of his to r y. I t is w i t hin t he s c a r s t hat t hey s e e t he le at her â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s b e au t y. D ave M uns o n of S ad dle b ac k L e at her C o. agre e s t hat t he s c a r re d le at he r is t he b e s t le at h e r.

“W

e don’t believe that flawlessness equals beauty,” states the Saddleback Leather Co. website. “Beauty is when we’re able to see something as it really is. This is true with humans too. There are lots of quality people who are really beautiful not in spite of, but because of the marks life has given them.” Dave and Suzette Munson believe in the durability of leather, quality craftsmanship, traveling the world, and good, oldfashioned missional Christianity. With a company infrastructure of 40 employees across the United States and Scotland and over 300 employees in Guanajuato, Mexico, caring for each one is more than a task; it’s a lifetime pursuit. “We’re very casual,” said Dave. “We care about our people. Saddleback is a much bigger platform than just bags. We want to show business men and women that you can be a Christian and do good works and let your light shine before men while glorifying God in the workplace. When you have to tell someone that you’re a Christian in order for someone to know, that’s a red flag. In the business world, people will lie to your face if they think it will get them somewhere. What I would rather do is to say that I’m a hypocrite like everyone else, but I try not to be because I have a relationship with God. That draws more people in than putting a fish on my website.” The Saddleback Leather Co. and Dave and Suzette Munson are all about raw Christianity, relevant ministry, and real people. “At Saddleback, we want to influence other companies to treat their people right; to be good employers; to not care about money as much, but to give more money away. The larger the platform we get, the more we are able to speak, share, and get other businesses involved in ministry,” said Dave.

The Genesis of Saddleback It all began with a heart that was willing to do God’s work in God’s timing. While waiting for grad school to start, Dave, a theology graduate from Multnomah University, was approached by a friend to consider teaching English in Mexico. After prayerful consideration, he decided to put grad school aside and become an English teacher. “I spent a year in southern Mexico,” said Dave. “I had a bag made there, because I needed to carry my books and couldn’t find what I wanted. I sketched it out and found a craftsman to make it for me. I roughed out the leather, sanded and oiled it, and it came out very nice—it was actually super cool! When I came

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“

Beauty is

whe n we ’ r e ab le to see something as it really is. This is true with humans too. There are lots of people who are really beautiful not in spite of, but because of the marks life has given them.” – Dave Munson

back to the States, people went crazy over it. They’d stop me in the street asking where they could buy a bag like mine.” It was from this humble, unexpected beginning that the Saddleback Leather Co. was born. As the demand for his bags began to grow, Dave started to consider the possibilities. “In 2000, I started to think that maybe this was what could support my ministry in Mexico,” he said. “I started having more made as the demand grew. My first storefront was the back of my Land Cruiser! I put the tailgate down and sold them off the back. After selling my entire supply in about 4-5 hours, I thought, ‘Wow! This is cool!’ Ebay sales began to pick up, I moved to Juarez, Mexico, sold my Land Cruiser, and started saving to start the business.” But it was not an easy road for Dave. With any business, the start up was time consuming and fraught with financial pressures. “At that point, I had a mattress on the floor in a $100 a month apartment,” said Dave. “I had mice and no hot water, but it was exactly what I needed. There was a time when I got down to $19 in my bank account. I had no more bags and it would be three weeks before any came in. I remember thinking, ‘It’s no big deal! Jesus went for forty days without eating!’ My prayer life was most fervent at that time—more than it had ever been. As it turned out, in that month, I made more than I’d ever made in my entire life. Someone approached me about selling a Porsche

The Beauty Of The Scar

The Munson family. Dave, Suzette, and their children Sela and Cross.

on eBay because they heard I was good at it, and the money just kept running in.” Through his dedication to a task, Dave learned that despite hardships, trials, and setbacks, God blesses those who put their full faith in His provision. Looking back on this time of his life, Dave is thankful for the somewhat stressful aspect of not knowing where the money was going to come from, because it taught him to trust in the Almighty.

The Beauty of Vocational Ministry In keeping with Ecclesiastes 9:10, Dave Munson believes that whatever business God calls a man to do, he should do it with

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his whole heart. When God began to grow his leather business, Dave came to a crisis of faith and had to make what he thought to be a decision between vocation and ministry. But God had a different idea. “When I lived in Juarez, I was working for Young Life, but I got too busy with the bags to do the program,” said Dave. “I was conflicted because of this feeling that if I wasn’t in the ministry, I was compromising. I couldn’t comprehend that it isn’t about how much you do for God, but about your heart being right with God. God doesn’t need a bunch of mindless soldiers; He wants people who are close to Him! I thought that I couldn’t have a business and do ministry. Turns out that my business is the biggest ministry I could gave imagined.”

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are in the ministry. We’re about furthering the Kingdom. We’re about loving people around the world through the means of a high quality leather bag. If God were not using our business for ministry, we would get rid of it. Lives are too short; we’re not going to waste our days without expanding the Kingdom.”

His Girl Friday

The Munson family with their sponsored kids in Rwanda. Dave, Suzette, and their children Sela and Cross.

Once he grasped the concept of successful vocational ministry, Dave began to see doors opening through his business endeavors, and the company began to grow. Today, the Saddleback Leather Co. operates with the same mission: to influence customers for the Gospel of Christ through quality leather products and to carry on the mission of vocational ministry. “We give away most of our money to ministries all over the world,” said Dave. “We’re leading our company in missional work. We’ve seen a lot of businesses that try and have purpose, but fail because their heart isn’t in it. Our hearts, my wife and I,

From their initial correspondence, Suzette changed Dave’s life. As a partner in the business, a spiritual equal, and a faithful friend, she has stood by his side through their whirlwind courtship, the initial stages of Saddleback, and their vast, worldwide travels. With a heart for those in need, Suzette launched the successful sister company, Love41, an online marketplace that donates 100% of the profits to support the work of Africa New Life Ministries. “Honestly, I’ve never heard of a better, cooler, funnier woman than my wife,” said Dave. “She’s great! I prayed for years for her. I didn’t know her, but I was praying that she’d have a good day. I had a big long list, and my family said that I was way too picky and should settle, but I got everything except for her height. She’s not 5’8”! We got married, and she joined my business. After an eye-opening trip to Rwanda in 2010, God put a deep burden on her heart for more than just Saddleback Leather, and as a result of that trip, she started her company, Love41.” Based on Psalm 41:1-3, Love41 exists to assist Rwandan women, children, and orphans in need of food, clothes, and love. With all the proceeds going to support Africa New Life

Visit www.saddlebackleather.com to view all of Saddleback Leather’s bags and accessories.

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The Beauty Of The Scar

Ministry, Love41 customers know that their money is directly influencing lives. The company also offers a sponsorship program where children and teenagers are matched with sponsors for $39 a month. “People find Love41 through Saddleback and are excited about the opportunity to sponsor a child,” said Dave. “God has used Suzette and Love41 to sponsor over 250 hard cases. She connects them with their sponsors and they correspond via email and Facebook. We also facilitate trips to Rwanda to introduce the kids to their sponsors. That’s when real life happens for these kids; when a sponsor actually visits them. It shows that they’re valuable. Through the sponsorship program, we’re starting to merge Love41 and Saddleback into one. Our businesses are all for God’s glory.”

“

Scars are

beautiful. Some scars are intriguing and most have a story that you remember, as opposed to a bruise

that goes away.” – Dave Munson

The Splendor of the Scar People are hurting, the world over. Saddleback Leather and Love41 are attempting to make a difference through vocational ministry. Dave and Suzette Munson realize that God uses individuals who are willing to lay aside their personal goals and dreams for the furtherance of the Kingdom. Everyone has a past; everyone has a story; the Munsons are using their unique history to influence not only the fashion industry, but also unknown, unloved Rwandan villages. “Scars are beautiful,” said Dave. “Some scars are intriguing and most have a story that you remember, as opposed to a bruise that goes away. For our bags, I use leather that has character to it. It’s excellent leather; it’s beautiful leather. You can see the life of the cow. If it’s been scraped up against barbed wire, if it’s been gored or kicked, or bit by bugs, you’re going to see it on our bags. It’s not extreme, but it is beautiful. You’re going to develop your own stories about your bag and they’re going to add to the stories that were already there from the life of the cow. There is something that’s drawn me to that from the very beginning—making bags that have tons of character to them.” For the Munsons, their successful leather business is more than a source of income. The Saddleback Leather Co. and Love41 are a means to an end: Dave and Suzette possess an overwhelming passion to reach the world with the gospel of Christ. What better picture of ultimate love and sacrifice than a beautiful piece of scarred leather? I Peter 2:24 states, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might

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die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” Through His life, we learn to serve; through His scars, we are healed; through His resurrection, we are made alive. “We’re finding a lot of people who are hurting. More than I ever dreamed,” said Dave. “There are a lot of people with a lot of scars and I had to learn how to lead people spiritually. I realized that it’s not just about asking them if they’re doing all right; it’s telling them how I was growing and learning. I share my life. I don’t want to be just reaching people in Africa, I want to reach our credit card vendors, our employees, everyone.” That is why the Saddleback Leather Co. is making a difference. VICTORY

Jessica

Burchfield

the contract Communications Coordinator for Clearwater Christian College, a freelance writer, and a professional photographer b a s e d o u t o f Ta l l a h a s s e e , F l o r i d a .

TwoTen Magazine

Mark Burnett:

EXPANDING YOUR BRAND

& Growing Your Faith B y : Tr i c i a D e s p r e s

T hey told him it couldn’t be done. T hey s aid it was a waste of t ime. T hey went as far as telling t he award winning producer, k nown for such television hit s as “Sur vivor” and “T he Voice”, t hat he was downr ight cra z y to t hink anyone would spend t heir precious spare t ime watching a stor y about t he greatest stor y ever told…especially in, God for bid, pr imet ime.

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Image by: Joe Alblas

TwoTen Magazine

Image by: Dominique Guillaume

The credits could have rolled right then and there. But they didn’t. Instead, alongside the beauty and talents of wife Roma Downey and despite the predictions of many, famed producer Mark Burnett pushed through the skeptics and brought the 10-hour mini-series “The Bible” to History Channel in March 2012. Over a span of five weeks, the epic production garnered an average of 15 million-plus viewers during its original airings and over 100 million viewers to date. According to 20th Century Fox, “The Bible” also ranked as the fastest-selling TV title released on home video in the last five years, and became known as the top mini-series title ever during its first week of release. The mini-series not only attracted faith-seeking viewers in the United States, but around the world. Ratings were huge in Australia, for example, where over half of the otherwise secular nation watched. And despite much opposition, “The Bible” even aired in Hong Kong, and went straight to number one in the ratings book. “The Bible” had reached global success.

More Than A Mini-series Yet, it ends up that the journey of the “little mini-series that could” was just at its beginning stages, thanks to what Burnett refers to as a calling he has followed his entire life. “Some people might call it instinct and some people might call it intuition, but for us, it’s a calling,” explains Burnett during a recent interview with TwoTen Magazine. “It was a calling that basically told us that ‘The Bible’ franchise was meant to be much bigger than just the television series. We listen when we are called. Yet, trust me when I tell you that it’s not always a clear message. It’s more of a feeling, and the feeling surrounding this project was that we needed to keep pursuing ways in which we could grow what we had started, even when everyone was telling us not to. We have always listened to that feeling, and it has sent us in all different directions. It’s just the way we live both our personal and professional life.” Indeed, the directions which “The Bible” miniseries will ultimately take will be on full display in 2014. The first element will be unveiled on February 20th, when Century Fox will release the feature film, “Son of God,” distilled from the Mark Burnett and Roma Downey-produced “The Bible” miniseries and supplemented with scenes not aired in the telecast.

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“People told us that we would never be able to get a full feature film made about Jesus, and now, here it is,” says the 53 year old known for bringing a multitude of programs to life, including rating grabbers such as “Shark Tank” and the ever-popular NBC reality show “The Apprentice”. “And if you ask me, the film is even better than the series. We were shooting both the series and the film simultaneously. This is a completely fresh edit from what we included in the series. As far as I’m concerned, to be able to see it on the giant screen, in community with a few hundred people at a time, is going to be an incredible experience.”

The Bible On Tour Further leveraging the power of the mini-series and the accompanying movie “Son of God,” “The Bible Tour,” will continue Burnett’s calling to share the word of God with an endless group of believers and non-believers. “What we really wanted to do with the stage show was to be able to give audience members an immersive live experience that they could enjoy with their families,” says Burnett, who joins once again with partners such as Downey, Word Entertainment and World Vision for the tour. Kicking off on March 20 at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and running 16 dates through April 13, “The Bible Tour” is a two-hour live event that

Expanding Your Brand & Growing Your Faith

will feature not only award-winning artists, immersive video and stunning visual effects, but rely heavily on the power of music throughout. “The music is one of the most important parts of the entire production,” explains Burnett of the show, which will feature music from award winning Christian artists such as Francesca Battistelli, Sidewalk Prophets, Natalie Grant, Chris August, Meredith Andrews and Jason Gray. “The music ties in fully into the production and is in fact inspired by both the film and the series. These are some of the most talented and best known artists, so to have them singing an amazing selection of songs is just an amazing thing to think about.” If that wasn’t enough, Word Entertainment released “Son of God: Music Inspired by the Epic Motion Picture” in late 2013, followed shortly thereafter by “The Bible: Music Inspired by the Epic Mini-Series” on March 12, 2014.

Shared Passion The journey that “The Bible” franchise has been on thus far would be overwhelming to anyone. But according to Burnett, it’s even more rewarding knowing that he did it with his wife of six years by his side. “I have been telling people that our lives over the past few years have been all Jesus, all the time,” chuckles Burnett, who was once referred by Time Magazine as one of the world’s most influential people. “Roma has worked very closely with Word Entertainment, for example, tirelessly going over the music videos that will be shown throughout the live tour. But yes, the fact that we get to do all of this together as husband and wife is a wonderful thing. We are very much in love and we are very much best friends. To be able to do something such as this with someone you love is so fulfilling. It’s been a long journey of four and a half years, especially when we have continued to work on all the other shows. I consider us very favored and very blessed to be able to work on The Bible Series, whether with the film, the series or the tour.”

“

Some

people might call

it instinct and some people might

call it intuition,

but for us, it’s

a calling.” – Mark Burnett is the story of the love of God and God’s love for us. Nothing we do is going to make us lose that. Jesus came and then died for us, and was resurrected for our sins. Focusing your life on those principles helps to put everything in perspective.” Indeed, in a career where he has produced thousands of hours of television in countries throughout the world, Burnett admits that there have been times where the nature of the entertainment business directly and indirectly challenged his beliefs. “I think we are very clear, in everything that we do, that we are Christians and that we love Jesus,” concludes Burnett. “Nothing negative has been said. I believe when you are clear, you are supported. I mean, we are a major part of pop culture, so maybe they give us a break. {Laughter} Completely immersing ourselves into the story of the Bible has been an amazing experience. It’s like swimming in a beautiful ocean of faith. Naturally, your faith grows.” VICTORY

Tricia

Throughout the journey, Burnett says that his faith has strengthened and his beliefs have evolved greatly from the times he spent as a little boy in England. “Growing up, I felt that the Bible and the word of God was a bit threatening. It was one of those things where I felt you could get struck by lightning if you stepped the wrong way. You better do this and you better do that. But as I have gotten older, I have learned that God and the Bible itself is really a love story. The entire Bible

TwoTenMagazine.com

Chi ca g o -b a sed whose

Despres

enterta inment

work

has

is a writer

appeared

publications such as the Chicago SunTimes, Advertising Age and Country Weekly

magazine.

From

making

story deadlines to making dinner for husband Paul and

girls Taylor

and Amanda, Tricia leads a busy life....but

never

too

busy

listen to the whispers of God.

TwoTen Magazine

DEFYING PRETZEL LOGIC THE “AUNTIE ANNE” BEILER STORY BY MARK WHITAKER

Give to get to give again. That’s the simple but powerful philosophy and biblical principle that is the driving force of Anne Beiler, the founder of Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels. Only God, in His infinite grace, mercy and love, could use a pretzel to turn a life of tragedy into one of the most successful franchises in the world. 30

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Defying Pretzel Logic

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TwoTen Magazine

The Amish Way Of Life Anne’s dream as a child was never to get a business degree, an MBA and climb the corporate ladder. She grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, one of eight closeknit children in an Amish-Mennonite family. She learned the value of hard work and the rewards of a job well done. Faith had always been an integral part of her life and would prove to be her lifeline more than once. After passing eighth grade, as with most in the Amish culture, Anne’s schooling was over, and her life would involve helping out with the family farm and business. At the age of sixteen, she met Jonas Beiler. He too grew up in the Amish culture, his being the Old Order Amish. He had a passion for working on cars and preferred them to the horse and buggies of his community. Anne and Jonas became friends and then later married in 1968 and settled down in a small, doublewide trailer near Anne’s family. She was nineteen and Jonas was twenty-one. Their first five years of marriage were filled with the hard work of starting their new lives and with the fun of being on their own. Their young family grew to include two daughters, LaWonna and Angie.

Tragedy Strikes One sunny day in September of 1975, when LaWonna was four and Angie was nineteen months old, during the hustle and bustle of morning activity on a farm, Angie made her way out the kitchen door to run to her grandma’s house next door. Anne picked up the phone to call her mother to let her know that little Angie would be at her door any moment. Suddenly, Anne heard her father screaming, “Stop! Stop!” in a voice that sent chills down her spine. Angie had run behind a Bobcat tractor that was backing up and was killed instantly.

Downward Spiral The tragic loss of Angie took a brutal toll on Anne and her family. For Anne, the loss was more than she could bear. She was unable to connect with Jonas emotionally to work through their grief so she sought the counsel of her local pastor. Unbeknownst to her, the pastor had ulterior motives and took advantage of her vulnerability. For the next six years, she was involved in an abusive relationship with the pastor, adding shame, guilt and self-loathing to the downward spiral

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“

Our Faith

has always been a part of who we are.

There is no separation...

Jesus has called us to be the salt and the light of the earth.

We must live out our faith

on a daily basis

and not just tell people

about it, but live it!”

– Anne Beiler

of her emotional health. Years later she would learn that she was one of many of the pastor’s victims, including her sisters and daughter. Through it all, Anne’s husband Jonas had remained with her. He felt a calling to counsel people with marital or relationship problems like those that they had lived through and wanted to offer those services free of charge. Anne wanted to find a way to support him and began working in a refreshment stand at a farmer’s market in Burtonsville, Maryland. It was a two and a half hour drive each way and she only worked on the weekends. Customer service and cleanliness were the keys to selling their main product: soft pretzels.

The Pretzel Reinvented Almost immediately, Anne was offered the opportunity to manage the small stand. Although she had no management experience, she was curious and accepted the challenge. Defying Pretzel Logic

AUNTIE ANNE’S

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

LEAD BY EXAMPLE INVEST IN EMPLOYEES

GIVE FREELY HONOR GOD TREAT ALL BUSINESS Anne Beiler, rolling pretzles, in the early years of Auntie Anne’s.

She quickly learned how to manage inventory, vendors, bookkeeping and employees. After three months of managing the stand, a friend told her of another stand that was for sale in a local farmer’s market, only thirty minutes from where she lived in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. They sold pizza, stromboli and soft pretzels. Stands in a busy farmer’s market could easily run $100,000 and up. Anne and Jonas didn’t even have a fraction of that kind of money but the idea kept running through her mind. Thinking that the asking price would be out of reach but wanting to satisfy her curiosity, she phoned the owners to discover that they wanted only $6,000! It was still more money than what they had but Jonas said that his father could loan them the money to buy the stand, and they bought it sight unseen. Jonas and Anne’s brother cleaned up the run-down stand, and she quickly opened for business in February 1988. The whole family chipped in (including her daughters LaWonna, seventeen, and LaVale, only eleven years old at the time) to help run various aspects of the fledgling operation. Recalling her first stand, Anne said, “The food was edible but the pretzels were horrible! I couldn’t wait to stop selling them.” Not only was the taste unappealing, they looked as bad as they tasted. Anne was no stranger to baking and was determined to make a better pretzel. She tinkered with various techniques and came close, but it still lacked something. Jonas, who also grew up baking in an Amish kitchen, suggested a few ingredients that he recalled using in other recipes as a child. Anne was skeptical but agreed to try. Even as the first batch TwoTenMagazine.com

CONTACTS WITH RESPECT. was baking, they could smell the difference. When they took them out of the oven, the signature light crisp on the outside and fluffy middle was exactly the look they had envisioned as being the perfect pretzel. From the first mouth watering bite they new they had unlocked the secret.

Better Than The Best The first day that the new recipe was introduced, word spread like wildfire. People started buying them six and twelve at a time. Within a few days, there would be a steady line of twenty to thirty people waiting to get the new pretzels, buying them faster than Anne and her team could make them. People would walk away eating them exclaiming that they were “better than the best they had ever eaten.” Business was so good that she decided to stop selling everything else to focus solely on the pretzels and changed the name to Auntie Anne’s Pretzels (she had over thirty nieces and nephews and felt like everyone already called her Auntie Anne). Jonas designed the logo and painted her new sign.

Branching Out Within a few months she was told of another stand that was available at a farmer’s market in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was in a run-down, inner city area and didn’t have nearly the traffic that the Downingtown location had. The rent was cheap enough that it was worth the risk. To her amazement, people were instantly hooked, and the new location thrived. TwoTen Magazine

It wasn’t long before inquiries started coming in from people wanting to open up their own Auntie Anne’s. By the end of 1988, Auntie Anne’s grossed more than $100,000. She said, “That was more money than I’d ever seen in my whole life!” Growth initially spread to other farmer’s markets. There was little overhead and virtually no regulations to worry about. Each new location was managed by a family member, which gave Anne the comfort in knowing that things were going to be done to her standards. In the fall of 1989, a new twist was added to the business: the shopping mall. Faced with regulations, code issues, fire prevention measures and logistical challenges, the first mall store was filled with obstacles, but, in working through the issues, established a template that would be replicated in malls around the world. Auntie Anne’s grew to a multi-million dollar franchise. More than 1,200 locations span the globe in shopping centers, airport terminals, train stations and college campuses.

Abundant Prosperity Jonas’ dream of being able to provide free counseling services not only came to fruition, but they were able to build a 55,000 square foot family counseling and ministry center. Thousands of families have been helped as a result of the services provided. In the early growth stage of Auntie Anne’s, Anne struggled with her calling to serve the Lord, thinking that she needed to be a missionary or evangelist to fulfill God’s plan for her life. She sought His direction and while praying in church, she felt the Lord clearly instruct her that his plan for her at that time in her life was to make pretzels. From that moment on she dove headfirst into making Auntie Anne’s a success. She read as many books on leadership as she could and received the first of her two honorary doctorates even before earning her GED at the age of 50. Anne says, “I think that business owners who are Christians often make the mistake of trying to keep their spiritual life separate from their business life. For us, our faith

Jonas and Anne Beiler, after selling the company, are able to take time to spend with children and grandchildren.

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Defying Pretzel Logic

The Family Center of Gap, Pennsylvania brings together the resources, services, and community connections people need to be well.

has always been a part of who we are. There is no separation. We always prayed with the team in the morning, prayed with employees who were going through trials, and as we grew we prayed in our corporate boardroom. Jesus has called us to be the salt and light of the earth. We must live out our faith on a daily basis and not just tell people about it, but live it!” Anne was always careful about who she hired and to whom she offered franchises, feeling each person was significant to the whole organization. She developed a business matrix called the 3 P’s; Purpose, Product and People (in that order) equals Profit. She explained, “When God gives you a purpose and a great product, when you put the right people in place, you will see the profit that God will provide for His glory.”

Closing a Chapter In 2005, after seventeen years of leading Auntie Anne’s, Anne sold the company to Sam Beiler, a distant cousin who had worked his way up through the ranks of the company to become president. She had searched worldwide for a successor to her company, but after fervent prayer and contemplation, there was only one man that she felt was perfect for the job – Sam. Sam continued to grow the business while maintaining the standards of excellence for which it is known and in 2010 sold it to the Atlanta company; FOCUS Brands. Almost as suddenly as it grew, the business in which she poured her life and which bore her name would no longer be hers. God released her from the business, and she wanted to take time to spend with her husband, daughters and

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grandchildren. She said her bittersweet goodbyes to hundreds of franchise owners at a gala event. God had used this humble pretzel business to provide jobs for thousands of people and to provide millions of dollars for charity and missionary organizations. Through it all, she relied on God’s wisdom and guidance. “For me, there is one verse that I have clung to and has given me peace when faced with more dilemmas than I can count; that is Psalm 32:8, ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.’ It holds such meaning for me that I commissioned a friend of mine to paint a picture of Jesus standing in front of my desk. It hangs on the wall behind me as a constant reminder that He always knows the right path for me and will instruct me. For anyone seeking Biblical wisdom on how to run your business, there is nothing better than the Book of Proverbs.” Anne’s story of overcoming tragedy and trials has landed her appearances on dozens of TV shows, including Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show, culminating in the honor of speaking at the 2008 Republican National Convention. Her schedule has remained full of speaking engagements at women’s conferences and Christian leadership events around the world. She also released a book of her life’s work and testimony called Twist of Faith. Reflecting on how far she has come, Anne says, “Over all of the highs and lows that I’ve experienced, God has never ever let me down. There are three truths that I’ve come to realize: Life is hard, God is good, and don’t confuse the two.” VICTORY

TwoTen Magazine

TRAINING CHAMPIONS FOR CHRIST

A LOOK INSIDE LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

BY: LISA HUETTEMAN

Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on a 7,000-acre campus is Liberty University, the largest university in Virginia, the nation’s largest private non-profit university and the seventh largest four-year university in the country. 36

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Founded in 1971 by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, the vision was to create for Evangelicals what Brigham Young and Notre Dame are for Mormons and for Catholics. That vision is now a reality. Liberty University is a Christ-centered environment that has all the academic programs, athletics, facilities and amenities of a major state school. With 12,500 studying on the physical campus in Lynchburg, Virginia and 90,000 studying online, Liberty is counted as the largest Evangelical Christian university in the world. According to Jerry Falwell Jr., son of the founder and current Chancellor and President of Liberty University, “Everything we do is designed to develop Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge and skills essential to impact tomorrow’s world.”

Academic Excellence Since its inception, one of the university’s core values has been “excellence.” At Liberty, they don’t believe that because Training Champions For Christ

Images provided by Liberty University.

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Liberty University Chancellor and President, Jerry Falwell, Jr.

TwoTen Magazine

Various activities and events at Liberty University.

they are Christian they ought to get a break. They believe that because they are Christian, they ought to be world class! An accredited institution, the university has over 300 programs of study including a school of law and a school of medicine. The campus in Lynchburg, VA, hosts a $50 million library, a new state-of-the-art school of music, school of science, and a brand new state-of-the-art dormitory. In addition to outstanding football, basketball, baseball and softball stadiums, the university has the only year-round, snowless, synthetic turf ski slope in North America, an indoor soccer facility, an ice hockey arena, a number of recreational basketball courts and workout facilities. The university boasts millions of square feet of technologically advanced academic, residential, and recreational space, the vast majority of which was added in the last 15 years, and they are still under construction. In all, there is half a billion dollars of building projects underway.

Instilling Christian Values What more can you get at a Christian university than you can at a secular university? It is a lot more. The same education, the same facilities, the same NCAA Division I athletics, but at Liberty, you also get to study in an environment that promotes

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values, and doesn’t discourage them. The university believes in academic excellence, but does it in a Christian environment where they promote ethics, benevolence, charity and capitalism, which they believe are complementary to Christian values. Rev. Johnnie Moore, Vice President for Communications, explains, “You get the same math here as in any other university, but it is taught by a professor who adds something else to it. That something is our belief that God, who is the Author of all knowledge, ought to be at the heart of the educational process. What that means is that every class begins with prayer, and the professors, whether they teach math or Bible, are Believers, in Jesus Christ.” Liberty University is not Christian in name only; it is Christian in every part of who they are. They are obsessed about not losing their Christian identity, which goes well beyond a weekly chapel service, and it begins with the students.

Student Leaders “We have an army of over 1,500 student leaders who lead weekly small groups where they pray and share in life together,” explained Rev. Moore. “Those student leaders also have the Training Champions For Christ

“

Everything

we do is designed

to develop

Christ-centered

men and women with the values, knowledge and

skills necessary

to impact

tomorrow’s world.” – Jerry Falwell, Jr.

responsibility to pray for every single student on campus every single day. It is a core part of who we are. It is the engine upon which we run.” The student leadership in the dormitory makes sure the Christian identity finds its way all the way down into the most micro level, in every dorm room, in every hallway, in every staff meeting and every class room.

Global Reach Liberty University recognizes their important role in extending Christ’s mission. “Because we are Christian, we are global, because the Church is global,” said Rev. Moore. “Because we believe it is the responsibility of Christians to make a difference in the world we are living in, Liberty created a Center for Global Engagement that makes opportunities for students to serve all around the world.” Liberty offers study abroad experiences that have a service component and mission trips that go from two weeks to semester-long experiences where over the last few years, students traveled to over 60 nations extending Christian service. Central to preserving the Christian identity of the institution are the faculty and the community. Unlike the vast majority of universities that have tenured faculty (and cannot get rid of bad teachers or those who are promoting obscure ideals), Liberty has non-tenured faculty, with most having one-year contracts. “If you are going to teach here, you teach your subject like you would teach it anywhere else, but you have to also be a part of the community. You have to be a ‘Liberty University Professor’ who believes the Bible is the Word of God, believes that Jesus is the Son of God, prays with your students and teaches your students,” said Rev. Moore. Liberty has a robust core curriculum as a part of the educational experience. Every student takes two theology courses, Old and New Testament, philosophy, a general education worldview course, Introduction to Christian Life and Evangelism, and Psychology of Human Relationships that helps students learn how to live interpersonally and in the workplace.

The second thing that promotes spiritual life on campus is the convocation. Three times a week, over 10,000 students gather together and are joined by online students all over the world. It begins and ends with prayer, but is truly a lecture series where the university hosts some of the world’s best-known speakers from all walks of life—pastors, business and government leaders, educators and scientists—to speak to students and challenge them to think. “A great convocation doesn’t tell the students what to think. The best convocation starts the conversation, and then the classrooms and the cafeteria are abuzz with students talking about something that was said and are trying to work it out for themselves,” said Rev. Moore. “Sometimes we bring people into convocation who don’t fit the Liberty profile, but, for whatever reason, they are someone worthy of the stage. We believe our students can eat the meat and spit out the bones.”

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Liberty University leadership breaking ground on the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“

We are

training a generation to

go into every sphere of society to be the

lights for Jesus

Christ and to be

excellent at what they

Rev. Johnnie Moore, Jr. is the vice president for communications and is responsible for advancing the university’s mission by raising awareness of that mission internally and externally, giving particular attention to the institution’s Christian identity.

Relevant Career Preparation Rev. Moore went on to explain, “We actually believe that most people come to the university to get jobs. That sounds absurd to anyone in academia, and it is common sense to anyone who is not. A couple of years ago, we decided that we were going to apply an “employability test” to all of our majors to make sure that every single degree program at this university led to employment. From the very beginning, one of our values is to have an action-oriented curriculum. We are training a generation to go into every sphere of society to be lights for Jesus Christ and to be excellent at what they do. If they can’t get jobs, we are not helping them.” The provost himself went through degree program by degree program, class by class, through every class being taught in the university and made very substantive changes to a number of degree programs. He shut down some degree programs that weren’t offering students prospects of employment, because for Liberty, it was a matter of stewardship. Students expect that they are going to be prepared for a career. If the university just gives them a piece of paper, they are doing an injustice. “Being a really committed Christian and being a really good professional are not mutually exclusive. They can and should coexist,” said Rev. Moore. “Between the student leaders and the small communities in the dorms, the major convocation gathering, the campus church, the nature of the professors and the core curriculum, Liberty provides a robust Christian experience that meets all the tests of a university.” TwoTenMagazine.com

do. If they can’t get the jobs, we are not

helping them.”

– Rev. Johnnie Moore, Jr.

Sound Leadership At the helm is a chancellor who is an unbelievable leader with a keen business mind. An alumnus with a religion degree from Liberty and a law degree from the University of Virginia, Jerry Falwell, Jr. was largely responsible for the economic and real estate development around Liberty. After graduating from UVA, he joined Liberty as General Counsel and later Vice-Chancellor. He was behind the scenes running the university before his father passed away. Under his leadership, the university quadrupled in size, added the medical school, reached a billion dollars in net assets, received an AA credit rating from Standard & Poor’s, and the list goes on and on. Rev. Moore observed, “He is an incredibly humble, down-toearth leader. He has been instrumental in making Liberty what it is today. At the same time, he and his wife are always helping the students. Each year, they host the entire senior class at their farm before commencement.” The mission, vision, values and leadership are what make Liberty what it is. With a unique heritage and an ever-expanding influence, Liberty remains steadfast in its commitment to Training Champions for Christ. VICTORY

TwoTen Magazine

Fashion, Faith

& Freedom Ken Petersen, CEO of Apricot Lane Boutique & 3Strands Global

BY: JESSICA BURCHFIELD “ O N LY O N E L I F E , ’ T W I L L S O O N B E PA S T, O N LY W H AT ’ S D O N E F O R C H R I S T W I L L L A S T. AND WHEN I AM DYING, HOW HAPPY I’LL BE, IF THE LAMP OF MY LIFE HAS BEEN BURNED OUT FOR THEE.”

— C . T. S T U D D —

his could have been a story of defeat. It could have described a man who, after falling through a roof as a young firefighter, descended into anxiety and depression. This could have been a man who gave up, gave in, and surrendered to a life of defeat. But, that is not this story. This is a story of conquering fear, changing the world, creating fashion, and making a difference. It is Ken Petersen’s story. “After my accident, I was faced with either retiring or taking a desk job for the rest of my firefighting career,” said Ken Petersen, founder and CEO of Apricot Lane Boutique, a national chain of specialized women’s clothing stores. “I decided I would rather work behind my own desk with my own staff and budget and see if I could create a successful business model that could be franchised,” he said in a recent interview. “As a firefighter, I had gotten into retail in the early 80’s and was just beginning a retail gift concept in 1991, the year I left the fire department, with the opening of my store called Country Clutter. In 2007, I noticed that the entire fashion industry was made up of small, independent boutiques and national chains, but there were no

1st Quarter

Fashion, Faith & Freedom

TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

franchise concepts offering boutique owners the infrastructure that the large nationals enjoyed. So, we decided to introduce our franchise and retail experience into the fashion market as Apricot Lane Boutique.” Today, Apricot Lane Boutique is 96 stores strong in 38 states and expects a growth rate of 30-40 stores per year.

Inspired Fashion Apricot Lane Boutique specializes in celebrity-inspired women’s fashions and designer labels that cater to women seeking individuality at an affordable price. But, Apricot Lane Boutique goes much deeper than simply being a presence within the fashion industry. “Our brand is known for connecting with and being involved in local communities,” said Ken. “If a prospective franchisee is only interested in ‘just selling clothes,’ we are not a good fit. God is the Chairman of our Board, and we run our business with this in mind. We don’t just bring the big issues to our Chairman; we involve Him in our day-to-day decisions, processes, and challenges—praising

1st Quarter

“

pursuesWhoever righteousness and kindness will find life,

righteousness,

and honor.” – Proverbs 21:21 (ESV)

Fashion, Faith &Page Freedom Title

Him through it all. Proverbs 21:21 sets the direction for our values and principles. On a chain-wide, national level, we have embraced a difficult cause to join the fight to stop the evil of sex trafficking around the world.”

Giving Back In January 2011, Ken approached the franchise system about giving back to the community. With a mindset of sacrifice, he detailed his plan to make a difference, not just to sell clothes. “I told our franchise system that we were blessed with growth and that we needed to come together as a brand to be about more than just opening stores and making money,” he said. With nothing more than a burden to be a blessing, Ken elicited ideas from his franchise owners. The answer came from an unexpected place. “A week after I spoke with the franchisees my wife called me and asked if I would consider hosting a girl from Cambodia in our home, a victim of sex trafficking. Two weeks after that, my now 20-year old daughter moved into our home and changed our lives. God threw me into an evil that I had never been exposed to and my heart was broken.” Shortly after the call from his wife, Ken began to explore the possibilities of Apricot Lane Boutique joining with Agape International Missions (AIM), a Cambodian ministry run by Don Brewster that prevents, rescues, restores, and reintegrates victims of sex trafficking into society. “I asked Don what he needed,” said Ken. “He told me that they needed jobs for these precious girls so that they can reintegrate back into their communities with dignity, honor, and a hope for the future. After prayerful consideration, I approached my franchisees and asked them if, as a brand, we could support the fight to end sex trafficking by working with AIM to create jobs for the rescued girls. They agreed, and 3Strands Global was born.”

strands

™

Mending Lives With 3Strands 3Strands Global stands for Freedom, Love, and Empowerment. Based upon Ecclesiastes 4:12, “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Ken adds, “We believe every person and business can make a difference, and there is strength in numbers when we STRAND together.” 3Strands not only creates jobs for victims, but also builds a sustainable revenue source so that 100% of profits can be shared among many great organizations fighting the evil of sex trafficking. According to their website, the vision of 3Strands Global is, “to create a global brand that is recognized for unique, quality, handmade jewelry, accessories, and apparel; to employ victims of sex trafficking in an environment infused with love, compassion, education, and training; and to create a brand that consumers can enjoy and promote knowing that their purchases and involvement are helping to free, love, and empower girls rescued from sex trafficking.”

Planting Seeds Displaying a visual representation of God’s grace, a seed from the Cambodian Sandalwood tree is woven into every piece

Mira Sorvino, actress, activist & mother, visiting the 3Strands Training Center in Cambodia

Adrian Lewis Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings with Tom Dipuce, professional sports photographer

Ken Petersen of 3Strands with Daniel Nava of the Boston Red Sox

Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals with Tom Dipuce

Page Title

As members of Convene, the

Christian business community that provides mentoring and counseling

to CEOs and business owners,

Ken enjoys accountability with like-minded business men and women across the country. In an attempt to keep his business biblically relevant in today’s humanistic society, he relies on the counsel, admonition, and encouragement of his peers.

“As Christian CEOs, we’re engaged in an epic battle to build

high performing businesses. Convene is a trusted community

of high performing Christian

CEOs and business leaders that propel each other into an epic life of faith and business growth.” Ken Petersen

TwoTenMagazine.com

of jewelry made by 3Strands Global. Over time, the Sandalwood seedpods dry up, fall off the tree, and are swept away as worthless pieces of trash, but “inside each of the dead seedpods is a beautiful, glossy red seed, created by God as a testament to new life,” said Ken. “The seed is taken from the worthless shell and placed, in its natural beauty, within the tapestry of every 3Strands product. This red seed reminds us that the girls are not trash, but are beautiful and created by and in the image of God.” More than just a representation of new life, the seed symbolizes each woman’s worth to Christ. In Cambodian culture, sex-trafficked girls are viewed as useless pieces of humanity, of no use to society, but Apricot Lane Boutique and 3Strands Global are actively replacing this toxic cultural opinion with a biblical view of human life. Ken and his franchise partners were willing to be used by God and are being blessed because of it. More than just a fashion line, Apricot Lane Boutique is a testament to how one man’s vision can change the world.

The Source Of Significance “In the beginning of my journey from firefighting to fashion, it was very difficult for me,” said Ken. “Every time I’d hear a siren, my heart would go back to the fire station. With our narrow and limited perspective, we can’t see the forest through the trees while we are going through a difficult time. We need to trust in God’s plan and His wide-angle perspective. Now, with the benefit of looking back, I have no regrets and see that God was working upstream all along. As I contemplate the second half of my life, I want to devote it to using my gifts and resources in doing good things that are profitable for humanity. Being a blessing to others is the source to significance. As CEO of both 3Strands and Apricot Lane Boutique, I still put on my fire helmet at times; I’m just putting out different kinds of fires!” VICTORY

TwoTen Magazine

KINGDOM

SILHOUETTES Chris Patton of Mike Patton Auto Family By: Lisa Huetteman

Chris Patton, President of Mike Patton Auto Family in LaGrange, GA, says he is in the silhouette business. The eldest of three brothers, Chris grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ and was baptized at the age of 10. It was at that young age when he also began working in the family business, cutting lawns and pulling weeds before working his way up to washing the cars and working in the shop. After finishing college, he returned to the dealership full-time with the intent to eventually take over his fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership role. The family business was all he knew and all he ever wanted to know. 48

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Kingdom Silhouettes

“

God took a Louisville Slugger

and knocked me on the side of the head and said, ‘I’ve got you in a leadership position in this business with 75-100 employees. It is a business that financially can produce huge resources and have a huge influence. You are exactly where I want you to do everything you have in mind to do ministrywise. Just do it through the business!’”

– Chris Patton

y the age of 30, Chris was responsible for two of the dealership’s eight stores. With his father as a role model, Chris led a moral life and ran a profitable business. Then in late 2000, through a series of events, Chris was awakened to the fact that he was a “Dixie Plate” Christian who had effectively put God and his family in the two smaller compartments while his work filled the larger maincourse section.

“My father was a faithful Christian, so he understood my desire and gave me his support.”

This troubled Chris. He knew Christ but recognized that he had not made any attempt to learn the Bible. He began daily quiet time with Scripture reflection and meditation and, over the course of the next six months, came to realize the foundation was right, but the building was all wrong.

“God took a Louisville Slugger and knocked me on the side of the head and said, ‘I’ve got you in a leadership position in this business with 75-100 employees. It is a business that financially can produce huge resources and have a huge influence. You are exactly where I want you to do everything you have in mind to do ministry-wise. Just do it through the business!’”

“I realized I was working in the business six days a week worrying about profitability and business decisions. Then, I spent a little bit of time with family, and that left Sunday mornings, and occasional Wednesday evenings for my spiritual life. I knew that God wanted my entire life, and I had to change.” Chris did not know what the next 20 to 30 years would look like, giving God 100% of his time, but he knew he couldn’t do it in the car business. So, with his wife’s support, he approached his father and told him he wanted to leave.

TwoTenMagazine.com

Because Chris had taken a lead role in running the business, he knew it would take some time to transition the business to run without him. The Patton’s began selling stores until they only had three remaining in one location. In 2003, through another series of events, Chris had a new revelation.

This was a new paradigm for Chris. He grew up thinking that you separate business from politics, religion and SEC football. It never crossed his mind that you could do business as a ministry. With his father and brothers’ blessing and support, Chris decided to stay and recommitted the business as a Christian business—a business with an eternal purpose. “I liken it to the parable of the talents,” said Chris. “God gave us the business as one of the talents. We needed to invest it and

TwoTen Magazine

“

Pictured, from left to right:

By the grace God

Chris Pat ton, Brian Pat ton, Mike Pat ton and David Pat ton.

has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”

use it for eternal impact and not just financial reward or a quality of life for our families and ourselves.”

– 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

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Reflecting on 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, the Pattons imagine the eternal view of their business as the nineteen acres the dealership currently occupies burnt to the ground with none of the three buildings or hundreds of cars and trucks remaining. “Everything is scorched black.” Chris said. “Nothing is left on the nineteen acres but silhouettes representing each of the souls impacted for eternity by how we ran the business.” Now, the Pattons’ driving force is to run an excellent, profitable business that is adding silhouettes for the Kingdom. Whatever Chris and his brothers do, in the back of their minds is the question, “Is this going to add silhouettes or take them away?” One of the first things they did was totally transform the sales model for the business from a customer-based price to a product-based price. Traditional car sales are negotiated every stage of the transaction in purchasing or trading vehicles. There is nothing unethical about it. It just reflects a business with a profit-driven purpose. When he rededicated the dealership to an eternal purpose, Chris realized this pricing model was inconsistent with God’s law. Kingdom Silhouettes

“ Dif fe ring we ights a nd dif fe ring m easures —the LO R D d etests the m b oth.” – Proverbs 20:10

“My mindset was ‘How do we make sure that we don’t do anything that is going to limit or prevent adding silhouettes?’ Having unequal weights and measures depending on the type of customer you have, is what God hates.” This change had an immediate impact on the profit structure and they went from a very profitable business to break-even while they learned how to do it. They took their salespeople off of commission and put them on salary plus production bonus and turned over 75% of their staff within the first 60-90 days. A commissioned salesperson is interested in making more money and is not on the customer’s side. They may point the customer to a car that doesn’t meet the customer’s needs, but it meets their needs for making more money. Now, they are strictly incentivized to help the customer buy a car that meets their needs. Chris reflected, “Those things changed the entire complexion of our business and put us in a very tough financial position for the first 18 months, because it was a tougher model to operate under. It has been nine years since we made that change, and we’ve come a long way. It was a complete transformation of the sales end of the business purely based on the fact that we were adding silhouettes.” Chris has learned a lot about running a business with an eternal purpose. He shares those lessons in his blog called Christian Faith at Work (www.christianfaithatwork.com). The blog is targeted to business owners and leaders who are trying to figure out how to integrate their Christian faith into their businesses.

Pastor Rajeev Mahan, Director of True Li fe Mission in Chandigarh, India v ideo con ferencing with Chris Pat ton. Chris is able to teach the basics of integrating your Christian faith into your work with local church members of Pastor Mahan’s congregation.

“

Chris and Kim Pat ton

Everything

is scorched black. Nothing is left on the nineteen acres but silhouettes representing

each of the souls

impacted for eternity by how we ran the business.” – Chris Patton “It started in response to my wife’s urging to get a hobby, and it has led to me teaching pastors and business owners across the globe. I have no idea what kind of impact that has, but I never would have guessed that the hobby my wife told me I needed would extend 8,000 miles into India with no effort from me.” Chris will never know in this life how many silhouettes there are. It may be a seed planted, a seed watered or a seed harvested. But he knows that all things work for good for those who love God and have been called according to His purpose. VICTORY Lisa

Huetteman

Co-founder

Black Diamond Associates, Executive Coach, Speaker and Author of the book: The Value of Core Values: Five Keys to Success through Values-Centered Leadership.

TwoTenMagazine.com

TwoTen Magazine

“

My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word.”

– Psalm 119:81

PERSPECTIVE “The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God. When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength.” - Warren Wiersbe -

...meditate on these things.

MY THIRD CAREER:

A CATAPULT NOT A CARRIER BY: BOB BUFORD

1st Quarter

PHOTO BY DEREK GORDON / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A Catapult, Not A Carrier

I had an “aha!” moment recently, a serendipity…you might call it a blinding flash of the obvious. Something that was there all along but had been hidden in plain sight. But first, some history: My primary concern for 27 years, even in my money-making season, had been to discover my calling and to get busy doing it.

he Bible says that each of us has a life task “prepared beforehand for us to walk in” (Ephesians 2:10). Homer and the ancient Greeks called it a destiny, a necessary work predetermined by “the gods.”

“

King David, in my favorite Psalm, 139, declared:

For you have

formed my inward parts:

Each one of us has a life task coded into what I call our spiritual DNA. We don’t have to acknowledge that code because of the free will that God has granted us. “To be, or not to be: that is the question” is the memorable way Shakespeare put it in Hamlet. The other big question is “How to?” For me it was never a question of whether or what to do, but “How to?” Now, on to the serendipity I mentioned in my first line. The answer came to me in five unplanned encounters, all during one momentous week.

You have covered me in my mother’s womb…

In each case, I had long ago made a small investment of time or money in someone’s life, which provided a steppingstone for them to proceed with a task that God had uniquely assigned them.

and wonderfully made;

Every one of those persons was already fully equipped. All they needed was a shove. What I like to say is, “The fruit of my work grows on other people’s trees.”

For I am fearfully Marvelous are your works,

very well…When I was

In whatever form it took, the results were because of encouragement. Someone needed to say, “You can do that,” and to ask, “How can I help you?” That is what my mentor, Peter Drucker, did for me.

my substance being yet

My work in the Halftime Institute has convinced me that many, if not most serious believers, at some level, know what their calling is–but it may be buried under years of busyness and distraction. Yet it follows them for years. Each Sunday as they leave church, it follows them like an accusing shadow.

And that my soul knows

made in secret… your eyes saw unformed. And in your book,

they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.” – Psalm 139 TwoTenMagazine.com

In explaining the Parable of the Sower, Jesus called these diversions, “the cares and concerns of the world and the deceitfulness of riches.” The pressures to keep pushing for success are unrelenting and many: money, recognition, the best table in the best five-star restaurant. TwoTen Magazine

“

People want their lives to count, but they lack two things: clarity of calling, which leads to courage and commitment; They also need encouragement, someone to say, “You can do that.

At this stage

of your life,

Here are a few things I’ve learned in my third career as an “Encourager.”

it’s your job to

release and

ENCOURAGEMENT IS A MIX OF:

direct energy, not to supply it.”

Permission

To be the person God designed you to be.

Acknowledgement

– Bob Buford

A pat on the back that says “You did it! Great work!”

Applause

Recognition in small but effective doses from people who actually care about you and genuinely understand the good work you’ve accomplished.

but it gets the 60,000 pounds that is a fully loaded F-16 off the deck in about 200 yards. You are not the carrier. You are not the plane. You are not the pilot. You are the catapult that gets the plane airborne.”

Accountability

A critical element in converting good intentions to results and performance.

Admiral Allen gave me a dramatic visual image of all the companies and ministries I’m involved in. It’s what Leadership Network does for large-church leaders, what Halftime does for high-capacity midlife-significance entrepreneurs, and what The Drucker Institute does for Social Sector leaders. They are all catapults.

Let’s talk about it until it becomes clear.” Encouragement releases positive energy, lifts spirits, and makes the challenging and “impossible” seem possible. Usually a little encouragement, delivered one-on-one and possibly invisibly to the outside world, goes a long way.

My call, perhaps for the rest of my life, is to be the catapult, not the carrier. We can all do this. The Bible describes a set of the specific good works that God wants us to live out. As St. Paul tells us in Ephesians, “Therefore, I beg you to be humble and gentle, to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” VICTORY

Someone once told me, “At this stage of your life, it’s your job to release and direct energy, not to supply it.” A good way to sum this up is what I learned from my good friend, Admiral Ed Allen, who was captain of one of the U.S. Navy’s 12 aircraft carriers. He once expressed my role this way, “The catapult is what makes the United States Navy work. It is virtually invisible,

Bob Texas. He’s

1st Quarter

He also

the

Buford author founder

was of of

the

successful

Halftime:

head

Moving

Leadership

from

Network

cable

Success

television to

(leadnet.org)

company

Significance, and

and

Halftime

his

other

native books.

(Halftime.org).

A Catapult, Not A Carrier

TwoTen Magazine delivers practical strategies to grow your faith and strengthen your culture.

Subscribe to TwoTen Magazine in three simple steps.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY: TWOTENMAG.COM/SUBSCRIBE (855) 4 TwoTen

Ask Dave ON BUSINESS W I T H

1st Quarter

D A V E

R A M S E Y

Ask Dave On Business

TIME TO COLLECT

MANAGING A COTTAGE INDUSTRY

Dear Dave,

I have a small business doing work on houses. We have lots of repeat business, but sometimes people don’t pay, and we have to drop them as customers. Do you have any advice for avoiding these situations? — Steve

I work full-time as a guidance counselor at a high school, but I bake and decorate cakes on the side. Word about my cakes has gotten around, and the demand has really grown. Now I’m being asked to do weddings and lots of other big events. I want to keep my business small, and I’m not sure how to handle things now. — Jamie

Dear Steve, Virtually every small-business owner runs into this problem. The truth is collecting isn’t a customer problem; it’s a sales problem on the part of the business. When we sell advertising for my radio show then have trouble collecting, it means we sold the account improperly. Now, what is a properly sold account? A properly sold account is one in which we approached a qualified customer who had money, and the relationship was constructed in such a way that they realized from the beginning paying us on time was an important—even vital—part of the relationship. When we sit down with potential advertisers, we make it clear that we will bill them exactly on the 25th of the month. We also stress that we expect to be paid within five days. If we don’t have your payment by the first of the next month, you’ll be getting a phone call. Then, if you don’t respond to the call by the 15th, you won’t advertise with us ever again. That may sound harsh, but I believe a thorough understanding is essential in all business transactions. It keeps things professional and eliminates a lot of unnecessary stress for you, your team and your bottom line! — Dave

TwoTenMagazine.com

Dear Jamie, It’s great that demand has risen, but I can understand how that could also be a burden in your situation. Trying to keep a side business from blossoming into a full-time job can be a good problem to have though. It means people really like what you’re doing. I’d suggest two things if you’re absolutely sure you want to keep this business small and maintain it as a cottage industry. First, you need to raise your prices. Some people will decide not to be customers any longer, but that’s okay. You might not have quite as many clients, but you’ll make more per cake. The second thing is to be selective about the people with whom you choose to work. Even if things have picked up lately, you’re still not doing a big enough volume to put up with a lot of attitude from spoiled customers. If a Bridezilla walks through the door, you can simply choose not to work with her. That’s my advice, Jamie. Select your clients carefully and raise your prices. I think you’ll get more enjoyment— and more money—out of your business that way! — Dave

TwoTen Magazine

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE BUYING WHEN YOU’RE BUYING Dear Dave, I have an opportunity to buy a small business. What should I look for, and what things should I check on before I make my decision? — Al Dear Al, The first thing you have to be absolutely certain of is that you’re going to wake up every morning and be excited you get to go to work again. Business owners must be passionate about their line of work, because they’re going to be involved in each aspect of it every single day. Your vocation needs to be a vacation. Otherwise, it becomes a constant grind, and when that happens you’re in trouble. As far as buying a business is concerned, you’ll want to take your time and really dig into things. In many ways, a business is only worth the income it creates, and just because it has a great location doesn’t mean you’ll make money. Who cares if they have a great name in the community if the business doesn’t generate an income? The same thing goes for having a brand everyone knows. If they’re not monetizing it, who cares? It all comes down to the net profit of the business.

buying a small business, especially if you’re a rookie, you need to concentrate on gross revenue, expense details and the profit generated as a result. Once you’ve done that, you’ll want to ask what you will make on your money. If you’re going to take on the risk of a small business, you want to be able to make at least 20 percent on it. In other words, if you buy a business for $100,000, it needs to make at least $20,000 a year. The least it’s worth is called book value. Once you own the business, if you collected all the receivables, sold off all the equipment and inventory, then closed the business, what would you have in your pocket? That’s the book value. If the current owner has $40,000 in inventory, $30,000 worth of equipment and $30,000 in receivables, the book value would be $100,000 just if you close it. Those are your floor and ceiling values. Somewhere in between you’ll find a fair price. And remember this: If someone says a business does $65,000 a year, but they only pay taxes on $40,000, that means all they made was $40,000. If they don’t report it to the government, it doesn’t count. Don’t pull that under-thetable kind of stuff. A business is worth what is reported to the government, so take a good, hard look at the tax returns. Lastly, do some research and find out if there’s someone in the same business, in another city, who would mentor you for a while. It just might be worth the price of a plane ticket to pick their brain and just listen to what they have to say. Chances are if they’ve been in business for a while, they know the ins and outs of the industry. Good luck, Al! — Dave

Sometimes people buy businesses on multiples of gross sales before expenses. You may know enough about that particular business to understand that you run it for a certain number of percentage points of the gross. In that case, you’ll know what your profit will be. But most of the time when

Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 5 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at: daveramsey.com

1st Quarter

Ask Dave On Business

If I were to ask you to describe the core attributes of a person who exemplifies God’s ideal for a Christian in the workplace, what would you say? This is the most common question I get from the secular media. Over the past several years, I have observed four key qualities exhibited by workplace believers who are transforming their workplaces for Christ. I believe these attributes are God’s ideal for the Spirit-led worker today. Let’s take a look at them.

Attribute #1

A Quality of Excellence Several years ago, I published a magazine devoted to Christians in the workplace. When I gave a copy to a friend, he looked at it and said, “This doesn’t even look like a Christian magazine.” What did he mean? He was saying the quality of many products that Christians produce tend to be less than the quality of non-Christian products—which is an indictment on the work of Christians.

“

One of the four ways we can make an impact for Christ on our workplace is by doing our work with excellence. In the Bible, Bezalel was a man handpicked by God to perform an important work—to design and build the Ark of the Covenant. He was also

The work of

Christians

should be excellent

in every way

because we have

the Spirit

of God

the first man described in Scripture as being filled with the Spirit of God: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship’” (Exod. 31:1-6). The work of Christians should be excellent in every way, because we have the Spirit of God operating in us. Daniel and his friends were also exceptional in their work. “The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom” (Dan. 1:1920). Later, the Scriptures make a point of the fact that Daniel was favored by his employer because of the exceptional job he did. “It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom” (Dan. 6:13). Daniel was the model civic worker. He did his job well, which was why his boss respected him. Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. is the country’s second-largest quick service chicken restaurant chain. The company’s stated corporate purpose is “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us, and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” The company is a great example of a business that is modeling Christian principles and producing a quality product in the competitive fast-food industry. Chick-fil-A is one of the fastest-growing chains nationally, currently with over two billion dollars in annual sales. One of the easiest ways to discredit Christ in the workplace is for Christians to do inferior work. In order to earn respect, our work should stand apart, because we do our work unto the Lord (see Col. 3:17). Doing quality work will not be the primary means of winning others to Christ, but doing poor-quality work can disqualify us very quickly from ever having the opportunity to present Christ in a positive light. So go the extra mile when necessary. Make the effort to serve those around you. Do your work with excellence.

operating in us.” TwoTenMagazine.com

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Attribute #2 A Foundation of Ethics and Integrity Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once played a practical joke on 12 respected and well-known men he knew. He sent out 12 telegrams with the same message on each: “Flee at once. All is discovered.” Within 24 hours, all 12 men had left the country! Obviously, each of these men had something to hide. The cover had suddenly been pulled away to reveal their true natures. The bottom line is that ethics are important. Lack of integrity is nothing new. The Bible is full of examples. One of these involves Gehazi, the assistant to the most famous prophet of his day, Elisha. It’s hard to imagine that anyone working with such an anointed man and who saw firsthand the power of God would fail the ethics test. But he did. When Elisha healed Naaman (a very powerful man in government) from leprosy, he didn’t expect to be compensated, and he didn’t ask for money. When Naaman insisted that Elisha take some form of payment, the prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing” (2 Kings 5:16). Gehazi, however, did not agree with his employer. He saw this as a great opportunity for gain and took matters into his own hands. “Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, ‘My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him’” (2 Kings 5:20). As a result of his deception, God judged Gehazi and struck him with leprosy, and his life was never the same. He was removed from serving one of God’s most extraordinary prophets. It is hard to live a life of servanthood and watch others prosper when we ourselves are in need. When our desires and jealousy become so great that we are willing to violate our ethics and integrity, we have moved to a dangerous place. We walk out from under the canopy of God’s protection in our lives, saying that His provision is not enough. I call Psalm 15 the “Ethics Psalm.” I particularly like the way THE MESSAGE paraphrases it: “God, who gets invited to

dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list? ‘Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. Don’t hurt your friend, don’t blame your neighbor; despise the despicable. Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe. You’ll never get blacklisted if you live like this.’” Each of us has the potential of being a Gehazi if we do not have a foundation built into our lives that makes us willing to receive only what God gives us through the fruit of our obedience.

Attribute #3 Extravagant Love and Service A friend told me a true story about one of his closest friends (I’ll call him Max) who experienced great suffering for the extravagant love he demonstrated to his boss. Max worked on a cargo ship, and his boss was his captain. Max was a good worker, but his boss hated and ridiculed him because of his faith in Christ. Max often shared his faith in Christ with others, and one day, he led the captain’s girlfriend to Christ. When she became a Christian, she stopped sleeping with the captain. This made the captain furious, and he later approached Max while he was at lunch and began beating him. Max did not fight back. The captain proceeded to beat him to a pulp. However, when two other men saw what was taking place, they jumped the sea captain and began beating him in turn. The sea captain was beaten so badly that he needed immediate medical attention. When Max saw the condition of the sea captain, he came to his aid and began helping him. The sea captain was so moved that Max would do that after he had beaten him up that he began to weep, unable to understand what could move a man to have such love in the face of a beating. The sea captain accepted Jesus at that moment. The Bible tells us that while we were yet sinners, Christ came and paid our penalty so that we might live eternally. Many in the workplace have never known the love of Christ. You might be the only one they ever meet who can introduce them to this love. “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28). Someone once said, “People do not care what you know until they know that you care.” When you genuinely take an interest in another person in the workplace, you become a credible person in his or her eyes. You stand out among the crowd.

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4 Attributes Of An Effective Workplace Witness

“

Whoever

Jesus gave His workplace apostles the anointing that allowed them to perform miraculous signs. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). Unfortunately, most Christians in the workplace today do not realize God desires to reveal Himself in miraculous ways in their workplaces. We have been satisfied to have the gospel but deny its power.

wants to become

great among you must be your servant,

and whoever wants

to be first must be your slave

God is raising up a new kind of workplace believer who is experiencing the power of God in daily work life. One of these wonderful workplace Christians is Emeka Nywankpa, a barrister (lawyer) from Nigeria. Emeka spoke at one of my conferences a few years ago on the subject of how the spiritual impacts the physical.

- just as the Son of Man

did not

Emeka shared a story about arguing a big Supreme Court case in his country. There were five points to argue in the case. The morning the trial began, he prayed with his wife and junior lawyers in his chambers. During his prayer time, he sensed that the Holy Spirit was telling him, “Do not argue points one through four. Only argue point five.”

come to be served,

but to serve,

In the courtroom, Emeka announced that he wished to drop points one through four and only wished to argue point five. The judge was shocked, but gave him permission to proceed. He argued point five and sat down. The other attorney got up, and then for twelve minutes stumbled around trying to defend his position, unable to get a coherent word out. Finally, he approached the bench and said, “Your Lordship, it is unfortunate that my learned friend has dropped the first four points. I wish to yield the case.” The other attorney had only prepared for the first four points. Emeka won the case. God had given him a strategy to win his case supernaturally. It made no sense to him, but he obeyed, and God gave him victory in a very unusual way.

and to give his life as a ransom for many”

– Matthew 20:28 Attribute #4 Signs and Wonders

The fourth attribute of an effective workplace witness is signs and wonders. The Early Church made a huge impact on society not through knowledge, ethics, or service alone, but through demonstrating the power of God. “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people” (Acts 5:12).

Excellence, ethics and integrity, extravagant love and service, and signs and wonders—these are the attributes of the worker that God is using in dramatic ways. May the Lord allow you to make these four qualities part of the makeup of your own workplace.

Hillman is Founder and President of Marketplace Leaders Ministries. He is also an internationally

recognized speaker, author, and consultant on the subject of faith at work. Hillman has written 12 books on faith and work

s ub j ects

a nd

daily

w o r k p l a ce

em a i l

d ev o ti o na l

enti tl e d

T GIF–Today

God

Fir s t.

For more information on Os and his ministry work, visit: www.MarketplaceLeaders.org

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THANK YOU TO OUR

NETWORK OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TM

Without you, TwoTen Magazine wouldn’t be possible. We are grateful for your contributions, your support, and your prayers. We can’t thank you enough, and we look forward to many more years of providing purpose, perspective, and perseverance to our readers. Learn more about joining our Network of Strategic Partnerships by visiting: www.TwoTenMag.com/Partnerships

“

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you .”

– 1 Peter 5:6-7

PERSEVERANCE “The cross of Christ is the sweetest burden that I ever bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or sails to a ship, to carry me forward to my harbor.” - Oswald Chambers -

...meditate on these things.

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Being A Daniel

BEING A

DA NIEL BY ALAN ROBERTSON

The story of Daniel’s faith is one of the most well known Bible stories of all time. Sunday School teachers, preachers, and parents use the account of his courage to teach children to stand up for what they believe. It is an instructional tool, as well as an inspirational motivation to courageous living. As business men and women in this dog-eatdog world, Daniel’s story should inspire us to live bolder, work harder, and stand stronger within both our corporate and personal lives.

t’s fascinating how one decision can define the course of a business. In our case, faith was always at the beginning point of Duck Commander, but it was one decision that changed the tone of our company. Back in the early 80’s, we were selling our duck calls directly to people, as it was difficult to get into sporting goods stores. At one convention in the New Orleans Superdome, Dad (Phil Robertson) got the opportunity to speak to several hundred people. The whole time he was speaking, there was a huge sign above him that said, “Budweiser, King of Beers.” As he finished his demonstration, all of a sudden, he reached into his camo bag and pulled out his Bible. A hush fell over the crowd. He said, “I told you about duck calls, but I feel like I owe you something else. I know the sign above me says King of Beers, but I want to tell you about TwoTenMagazine.com

the King of Kings.” He shared the Gospel. Short, not super long, but the silence was deafening as the crowd hung on his every word. This was a watershed moment for Dad, because he took a risk with his early business. A lot of people said you can’t mix business and faith, but he didn’t believe them. By taking that risk, it started something in his mind, and from that moment our faith and business were connected. We have definitely seen God’s blessings on our company because of Dad’s early decision to blend his personal faith with our corporate mindset. Daniel “purposed in his heart” (Daniel 1:8) that he would not defy his God; we purposed to defy secular culture by standing up for Christian principles within the sporting community. TwoTen Magazine

“

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything… You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden… In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16 BE

DANIEL:

SHINE AND SAVOR As these verses state, Christians are placed in this world as a beacon of hope. If we fail to do our job as “little Christ’s” and neglect pointing others to Christ, who will step in our place? The business world is in desperate need of a spiritual makeover. Tyranny, selfishness, and greed run rampant within American corporate culture. If we do not purpose to actively make a difference, who will? We must shine and savor. The corporate audience can be boiled down to three distinct layers: those with faith, those that are skeptical of faith, and those that mock faith. We can see this breakdown in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in His disciples, the outcasts and masses, and the skeptics on the outskirts. Even though there were several layers of spiritual temperature in the crowd, Jesus knew that everything He said impacted those listening. He told them all to be salt—to both shine and season. All of us have the same basic set up as the Sermon on the Mount within our workplace.

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Make the decision in your heart that you will make a difference at all three levels of your corporate audience. Ultimately, it may cost you something, but in the long run, you’ll come out with something better. You never know who you’re impacting by continuing to make the impact for God.

DANIEL:

O U T- I M A G I N E G O D “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 In November, we celebrated the one-millionth duck call made during 2013. It being a huge milestone, we had Dad come in and assemble the call while the local media and crowds cheered him on. Dad being Dad, after he made the call and we signed it, took his Bible out and gave a Gospel sermon for about ten minutes! As he read Ephesians 3:20-21, I couldn’t help but think about Being A Daniel

the unimaginable things that we are experiencing. Things that only a few years ago we couldn’t dream were possible. Making a million calls in one year was unheard of even last year, much less thirty years ago when we were building a couple hundred a year. We talk about our business statements and business strategies and all that; those are good things, but in the end, it comes down to ultimate trust in God. It’s the best business strategy you can ever make. He’ll put things in your heart that you could never imagine.

“

Try to out-imagine God; He will bless you beyond your wildest imaginations. Being a Daniel in the corporate world can be difficult, but the blessings of living the life of faith far outweigh the challenges.

Alan Rober tson and his wife, Lisa, hunting.

Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” – Matthew 16:24-25 BE

DANIEL:

FORGET YOURSELF When we consistently remind ourselves that the Christian life is not about our goals and aspirations, we realize that we have been put here for a purpose. The key to being a Daniel within the corporate setting is to deflect both praise and criticism to God. A few years ago a church member built me a new pulpit. From the front, it’s just the cross, but on the backside where I put my Bible, he carved ‘It’s not about you.’ I love preaching behind that pulpit because it constantly reminds me that it’s not about me. Whenever I’m delivering words from the Almighty, He’s using me to deliver the words. If I’m criticized for things I say, I pass it along to Him. If I’m praised, I pass it on to Him. Since I have that mindset for ministry, I remind our family as much as possible that it’s the way we have to view our business. If we forget that, we could start having problems. God will deal with both the criticism and the praise. That’s my mindset. I try and pass that along to my brothers and the family. Be a Daniel. Stand strong; shine bright; out-imagine God; forget yourself. The blessing of God is worth the risk.

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he horrific challenges separation and divorce place on our team members cannot be accurately measured by any sensible productivity business productivity metrics. More than half of all of our associates will be faced with this potentially debilitating challenge during the course of their careers. For some it will become a career killer. Divorce rips at the very fabric of the wonderful tapestry God has woven into the lives of not just our team members, but also into the lives and emotions of their children, parents, siblings, close friends, neighbors, and work associates. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be fooled. This is not a new issue. It is one Moses had to deal with at the dawn of civilization in the early days of the Old Testament, as well as one of the major topics about which first century leaders quizzed Jesus. A study by the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri shows 50% of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce. Again, an

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overwhelming number of our team members at work are going to be adversely affected by this devastating issue. How does this affect your business? In a study produced by the Journal of Marriage and the Family, research on a national sample of men who had been married ten years or less estimated that the work loss associated with marital problems cost employers approximately $6.8 billion per year. The statistics for divorce are equally high for Christians and non-Christians alike. Within the church, this is unfortunately one of those areas of pain where members are often shot on the battlefield, as they lay wounded by the ravages of this warlike ordeal. In many cases, they never return to the place that could have and should have been their sanctuary of healing and restoration. Separation & Divorce

“

50% of first marriages,

67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce.”

So how can we truly help our team members dealing with such a crisis in their lives?

Recognize your team members struggling with divorce will need to work through the five stages of grief associated with any great loss in their lives. These stages include:

A great place to start is with four simple C’s

Crisis // Recognize the level of crisis this causes in the life of your team member. Let them know you care and want to help. Say things like: “I’m truly sorry you are going through this.” “I will be here for you if you ever need to talk.” “I will pray for you as you go through this.” Compassion // Respond in the manner Jesus would. He stands ready to wrap His loving arms around them and comfort them in this time of crisis. Most people dealing with divorce have emotions such as fear, despair, denial, anger, depression and sleeplessness. Many feel as if they are walking around in a daze. Even though they have witnessed divorce with friends and family members, they never really thought it would happen to them.

Denial // An unwillingness to accept what is really happening. Bargaining // This often sounds like: “If I had only done a certain thing, then this would not have happened to me.” But bargaining can take on many different forms. Anger // There are going to be times when they are just mad and will lash out at people who have nothing to do with the problem. Depression // They will become depressed. Their level and severity of depression will vary based on the person. But whether it is simply a bad case of the blues or a full blown clinical case, it will happen. Acceptance // Finally, they will reach a point of acceptance. How long this takes will vary, but a good rule of thumb is a minimum of one to two months for every year the relationship existed.

Community // Surround them with community. People dealing with divorce feel isolated and need to be nurtured. This community needs to be a safe place. One where well meaning people don’t say ignorant things like: “You are better off without him or her.” “Just stiffen up and get over it.” “Divorce happens all the time. You’ll find somebody else before you know it.” “What do you think you did to cause this?”

A great resource you can recommend for your team member struggling with divorce is through a wonderful Christian nonprofit organization called DivorceCare. You can learn much about them at www.divorcecare.org. There are thousands of wonderful churches across America that facilitate DivorceCare groups. Go to the website and find a group option for your team member, and offer to go with him or her to the first meeting.

Christ // Don’t hesitate to gently let them know that Jesus loves them even when it feels like everything else is falling apart around them. He can be there no matter what. He loved them so much; he was willing to die for them and will not reject them during this time of crisis.

Untold volumes have been written on this subject, and this brief piece is by no means meant to cover the subject completely. My prayer is that God will bless you richly as you serve Him by offering genuine “Caring in the Workplace” to team members affected by divorce and separation.

Mark Cress is the Founder of Corporate Chaplains of America.

CCA (www.chaplain.org) is the

nation’s leading provider of full time workplace chaplains to more than 800 public and private business locations across the US and internationally. He holds business and seminary degrees including a doctorate in Business Ethics and Leadership. He has authored seven books through Lanphier Press.

Mark has a passion for Christian leadership matters within

the emerging workplace ministry arena. He and his wife Linda have two grown daughters and reside in North Carolina.

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A FOR-GO O D F OR-PR O FIT T E C H NO L OG Y S TA RT U P

“

You are the

light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”

By: Jordan Raynor

- Matthew 5:14 (NET)

In the past, this column has highlighted a number of for-profit technology companies whose tools are empowering Christian business owners to accomplish their goals. Last issue, we looked at YouVersion and how they are using technology for-good, specifically to equip Christians with God’s Word wherever they are. In this installment of TwoTen Tech, I want to turn introspectively and share my experience over the past two years building a technology startup that I believe is for-good and for-profit. 74

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A For-Good, For-Profit Technology Startup

In addition to writing here at TwoTen, I am a Co-founder of Citizinvestor.com - a crowdfunding and civic engagement platform for local government projects. Our team is using technology to solve a very real problem: government never has enough resources to provide every project and service citizens want. This has been made especially clear in the wake of the Great Recession. So how can citizens get the public projects and services they want at a time when government has no way to pay for them? Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have caught the attention of the world in recent years. These platforms have leveraged technology to raise millions of dollars for creative projects like independent films and paper watches. Citizinvestor takes a similar approach to restoring cities across America, and in the process tells a story of redemption that is rooted in Scripture. Before we get to the latter point, allow me to explain how our service works. Citizinvestor works directly with municipalities to identify projects that have a lot of support from citizens but have no room in the municipality’s budget. These are projects like building new dog parks, renovating neighborhood pools and installing new playgrounds–projects that citizens want now, not five years from now when their local government entity might have the money to provide the service. Municipalities post these projects to Citizinvestor.com, where citizens can donate, tax-deductibly, to the projects they care about most. Once a project reaches one hundred percent of its funding goal, the project is built!

“

Deep down, I think we as human beings know that we

were created to

help restore

the brokenness of cities and to use our creativity

to build better public spaces.” - Jordan Raynor

LEARN MORE ABOUT CITIZENVESTOR, AND GET INVOLVED AT WWW.CITIZINVESTOR.COM TwoTenMagazine.com

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In Why God Made Cities, Timothy Keller brilliantly articulates this concept, and why we as Christians are called to redeem and rebuild the cities of this earth:

The Citizenvestor community raised $77,000, alongside additional funds provided by the City of Naperville, Illinois, to install this beautiful sculpture honoring our veterans. A dedication ceremony was held on October 13, 2013, which was the 238th birthday of The American Navy. Funds raised paid for a granite pedestal, sidewalks, benches, lighting, landscaping and design of the new plaza.

Since our launch in September 2012, twenty municipalities have crowdfunded projects on Citizinvestor, and more than one hundred other municipalities are currently working to identify projects to post. To date, 73% of projects have met their full funding goal. We are seeing the beginnings of a mass movement of citizens generously investing in their cities. But why? Why are citizens willing to pay - above and beyond what they already pay in taxes–for the restoration of their cities? After all, cities have this perception of being filled with crime, pollution, poverty and run-down public spaces. Deep down, I think we as human beings know that we were created to help restore the brokenness of cities and to use our creativity to build better public spaces. We have a sense that the brokenness we see is not the final product - that the city was meant to be made whole and perfect. As Christians, we know where this sense of purpose comes from. It comes straight from God’s perfect design - from His plans for the New Jerusalem - our final destination on a New Earth.

Most people who read the Bible know that God invented the family. It’s not a human creation. God invented it, because God reveals himself as a father, and he tells us we’re children. Therefore, though sin has taken the family and often turned it into a place of abuse and pain, we don’t abandon the family as an institution. We are called to redeem and rebuild the family. Do you see the pattern? The human family is a pattern given by God. Therefore, we believe it was good once and will be good again. We know the future of humanity is, in some respects, a family. God is also building a city. He is a city architect, an urban planner, and we are citizens of that city. (While I would not put the city on the same footing as the family as a universal human social structure, it is obvious that the development of the city is part of the providence, design, and will of God.) If sin has twisted the city as it’s twisted the family, and turned it into a place of pain and suffering just as it’s done to the family, that doesn’t mean we get rid of the city. We don’t scoff at it or take pleasure in its troubles. We as Christians are called to redeem and rebuild the city. Do you see the logic? God invented the city, so we don’t abandon it—we build it. With every project we fund on Citizinvestor, I like to think we are painting an imperfect picture of what Christ will do when He brings the New Jerusalem to the New Earth. From a new community garden in Philadelphia, to the installing of new bike racks in Oregon, to a statue honoring Navy veterans outside of Chicago, the projects that our technology has helped fund have an eternal purpose. Ideally, they point citizens to the ultimate City Planner, the One who will come and create the perfect cities - the cities we can only begin to imagine. This is my story - how I view our for-good, for-profit technology startup as a calling. I am confident there are others reading this column who have similar stories. If you would, please share those stories with me at jordan@twotenmag.com.

Jordan Raynor is a digital strategist who has spent his career solving real problems in government, politics and business through technology. Jordan is a Co-founder of Citizinvestor and a Co-founder of Digital Doulos.

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A For-Good, For-Profit Technology Startup

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LEARNING TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

THE ABSENCE OF MARGIN IN OUR LIVES BY DR. PAUL WHITE

One of the most common maladies in the 21st century is living lives that feel stressed and chronically overwhelmed. We are busy, tired, and we feel stretched – and there always seems to be more to do than we have time or energy. Lest we think this is a unique challenge to the modern day technological and “connected” world, check out the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42, where one complained about having too much to do.

hen demands appear to be greater than our resources, the result in our lives is stress. We feel stressed in different areas of life: time, physical and emotional energy, relational demands and finances. Stress then displays itself in our lives in a variety of ways: irritability, anxiety, not eating well, poor sleep habits, not exercising regularly and making hasty (and usually, poor) decisions.

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A number of years ago, Dr. Richard Swenson wrote a wonderful book entitled, “Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives,” where he convincingly demonstrates how not leaving extra space in our lives (with our time, energy and finances) creates significant, but predictable stress for us. The Abscence of Margin in our Lives

The concept of “margin” is that it is wise (and healthiest for us) to leave space in our lives to deal with the unexpected or unplanned events that invariably surface. This is in contrast with the tendency to pack our schedule full, or (as some people frame it) to “make the most of the time.” Just in case you need an example, in daily life, let me cite a few: Working full days, plus filling the evenings with meetings or activities (kids, sports, etc.), and then having a full schedule of activities for the weekend. Repeat this pattern over several weeks (until you either become exhausted or sick). Stretching the budget to buy a little nicer house, in a neighborhood with good schools; stretching things a bit further to have the kids in private school or in numerous sports and lessons; and then “splurging a bit” to spring for that nice vacation that you really can’t afford, but “the kids are only young once.” You built up your staff to handle a season of high activity, but now the high activity has gone, and you still have the staff – and high overhead. You also built a larger building than you needed for your business, so you could lease out the rest to help pay for the building, but your initial lessor has left, and the space is empty.

The problem becomes – life does not occur without interruptions. If we plan and schedule our days, weeks and lives with no room for the “unexpected,” then the stress in our lives dramatically escalates. So what types of things often occur in daily life that we haven’t learned to expect? traffic jam on the way to an important appointment the printer breaks down one of our children gets sick a major client calls with a problem your child’s coach calls a “must attend” parents meeting at the last moment

Other common needs for margin (but less daily and more seasonal):

The likelihood of one or more of these events happening in the near future is actually fairly high (although we cannot predict which ones specifically). Interestingly, there are also positive events in our lives that place demands on our resources and suck up our margin: weddings, births, graduations, moving, professional opportunities and so on. It is not always negative events that create stress in our lives.

Results of Living Without Margin What happens when we continue to live in a manner that doesn’t leave room for the unexpected? Pretty obvious results, actually: increased stress, irritability, tension, poor communication, relational conflict, being chronically late, missing important events, not being adequately prepared for meetings, poor quality work, frustration and anger, guilt, loss of sleep and depression.

Why Do We Do It? If we have a fairly good idea that there will be unexpected events in our lives that will take additional time, energy and money to deal with, why don’t we allow for them? I think there are different reasons for different people (or at different times in our lives). The following isn’t an exhaustive list, but is a start: Unrealistic expectations about life. Believing that life will continue to go on as it has, without disruption. Being fearful & anxious about the future, which drives a frenetic pace to do as much as you can today (the “you can never save enough” syndrome). A pleasure and stimulation seeking approach to life – some people live for excitement and adrenaline. They also often have an inability to enjoy inactivity, peace, or just to “rest”. Survival. Although this is not true for most of us, there are people who have to work long hours (both for money and at home) just to provide for themselves and their families. Other negative driving factors in our lives: workaholism, greed and excessive desire for achievement.

getting sick, having an auto accident or the car breaks down family events: illness, death, accidents technology breakdowns – computer/pad, phone, website weather – travel delays, flooding, blizzards, tornados, hurricanes business disruptions: with a vendor, customer, key employee, banking/cash flow global & national events: terrorism, war, economic meltdowns TwoTenMagazine.com

How Do We Start to Change (and Live a More Balanced Life?) Change starts with awareness and acceptance of a problem. If we don’t think how we are living creates problems for us, our family or our business, then we won’t change. So it might be wise to start with an honest appraisal. Take a look at your TwoTen Magazine

life, and see if the occurrence of “unexpected events” are fairly common in your life – and create stress because you don’t allow space in your life to deal with them. Next, pull out your calendar for the next week and month. Are there any unscheduled blocks of time (during the work day, evenings, weekends) or is your calendar already packed? If you are really brave, ask those closest to you (your spouse, close friend, business partner) for their input: Do they see you allowing for the “unexpected” in your life? Or are you frequently overloaded when something in your schedule doesn’t go quite right? In what arenas of your life do you tend to live “close to the edge?” With your time? Finances? Physical and emotional energy?

“

Take stock of the beliefs that push you to live without margin (see the list above.) Do you have any clues to why you make these choices?

“

It is in vain

that you rise

up early and

go late to rest, eating the bread of

anxious toil.” – Psalm 127:2

Do not worry

about tomorrow,

for tomorrow has

enough cares of its own.” – Matthew 6:34

Remember, God does not command us to be successful, to be efficient, or to be “the best we can be.” He wants us to love – Him and those around us – which is sort of hard to do if we are always busy and stressed.

Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, speaker, and consultant who makes work relationships work. Co-author of the 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace (with Dr. Gary Chapman), Dr. White provides practical advice in improving workplace relationships and successfully transferring family businesses across generations.

1st Quarter

The Abscence of Margin in our Lives

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