Make it Transformational: A Blog for Champion Discipleship

You probably think I’m referring to the disciples and yes, they were indeed influential!  I recently had the honor of being part of an influential group of 12, but it had nothing to do with who WE were.  It had everything to do with the responsibility we had been given to influence someone else’s life.

I was Juror #2 for the three week duration of a criminal trial.  I, along with my 11 cohorts, spent two days going through a selection process which is typical for choosing jurors for a criminal trial, secretly hoping we wouldn’t be chosen and have to commit to what the judge first thought would be a month long trial.  We were all willing to spend a couple days at the courthouse, mind you, but a whole month?!

What I experienced over those three weeks will have an impact on me for a long time.  And I can truly say I am grateful for the experience God gave me during those weeks.  He showed me 3 things during my jury assignment, lessons that have already begun to influence my life:

1.    The criminal justice system needs Christians to play a vital role
2.     It is our responsibility as citizens to participate in our community in this way
3.    Transformation takes place on multiple levels for those involved

The criminal justice system is designed around, and only works if, volunteers step up and participate as jurors.  The jury pool is about as diverse as you can get, selected from the broadest segment of our society.  Christian thinking and influences need to be represented from a fairness standpoint, but the greater impact to be made is on your fellow jurors as you spend countless hours with them discussing, questioning, countering, maybe arguing, and just interacting with 11 people from all walks of life.  I found myself wanting to be a witness in this relatively short time I had to spend with them.

I was also awakened to the impact Christians can, and should, have on what goes on in our community.  Not that I didn’t know this, but I, myself, am pretty removed from community or political involvement and focused more on specifically Christian related activity.  Again, the Christian perspective and influence need to be represented in order to provide a more balanced viewpoint and bring Christian values into the fabric of our community.  It was more of a wake up call for me to get involved.

It was interesting to watch the 12 of us begin this journey together, knowing we were going to be spending a lot of time in this room over the next few weeks.  Most were shy and quiet, without too much interaction.  People kept to their reading, or in my case, I was intent on completing a puzzle.  By day 2 or 3 there were some conversations starting to take place, people joining together for lunch and by now, I had a partner in completing my puzzle.  We went from complete strangers without much to say, to a cohesive group of serious individuals, all struggling to do and say the right thing, in the name of justice. 

Because this was a criminal trial, with all the horrible activity that took place, there was some dissention among the group as to the facts of the case.  Working through that dissention as a group brought clarity and understanding, and some emotional discussions, but we knew in the end, we all had to come together and make the best decision we could with the information we had.  Knowing we had another man’s future in our hands was accepted by the jurors as a phenomenal responsibility.

It was interesting to watch the transformation among jurors take place over the three week trial.  One juror, in particular, was impacted strongly through her experience and was seemingly changed as a result of her experience.  Let’s be mindful of the impact and influence we can have over this one person’s life or the life of an entire community, as we as Christians work, volunteer and get involved in the world around us.

‘Volunteers Give More.’ 

If you’re like me, you saw this simple heading in the January 14, 2010 Chronicle of Philanthropy and thought ‘No big surprise here.’   The single paragraph that followed, however, packed a mean punch. 

You see, the paragraph mentions just one key finding from a recent study on volunteering conducted by Harris Interactive for the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund: Americans who volunteer their time and talent to nonprofit organizations donate 10 times more on average – yes, 10 times more! – than those who don’t volunteer. 

This nugget left me wanting more so I did a quick internet search which led me to the complete findings of the study.  Here’s what really got my attention (and maybe you??):

‘The study found that the average amount of money donated to non-profits by Americans who have volunteered in the past 12 months is $2,593 annually, more than 10 times the average $230 donated by Americans who have never had a volunteering experience.’

Other findings from the study caught my attention – and surfaced some related questions you may want to consider if you are involved in any way with growing and sustaining a nonprofit organization:

·         Seven in 10 (72%) say supporting a cause they care about is among their top reasons to volunteer 
Are you communicating the cause and/or vision of your ministry in a simple, inspiring way such that your champions – and those who know nothing about you or your work – want to learn more?

·        Two-thirds (67%) of Americans who have volunteered in the past 12 months say they generally make their financial donations to the same organizations where they volunteer 
Are you coaching and challenging your volunteers to give of their treasure – in addition to their time?  Hint: If your organization separates ‘donors’ and ‘volunteers’ into two distinct groups for purposes of communication, you have identified a problem to address. 

·         Two-thirds (66%) believe "true philanthropy" includes the giving of both time and money

Do you have a variety of meaningful opportunities for transformation in different areas – such as serving, learning, spreading, or mentoring - which represent different levels of involvement to offer your champions?  If you’re a follower of transformational giving, there’s no time for delay in the creation of your organizational PEO grid! 

·         Almost one-third (31%) of the respondents say they are more likely to volunteer time given the recent economic downturn

Do you have a Signature Participation Project in place?  This is a ‘come and see’ project for newcomers that, ideally, is unique to your ministry.  It is intentionally designed with specific characteristics to leave them wanting to learn more about your cause.  Could you invite several champions to spearhead the planning for such a project?

·         Almost half (47%) of those surveyed say volunteers today are more motivated by what they get from the experience than by what they can do for others

Have you taken the time to get to know your volunteers on a personal level?  What are their passions?  Their skills?   What do they want to learn or experience by volunteering?  Get to know something about the person before you assume s/he can – or wants - to tackle the 3 or 4 critical things on your To-Do list. It could make the difference between a long-term volunteer or a one-shot wonder.

What about you?  Are there other key findings in this study that catch your attention?  Do they surface any relevant questions about how your ministry – and other ministries – might engage its champions??    

At Mission Increase Foundation, we advocate a model of ministry in which the nonprofit invites and coaches people to do the ministry.  Not give money to and offer prayers on behalf of the nonprofit so they can do it, but to do it themselves.    This model can be very appealing, as nonprofit leaders dream of equipping Owners to bring ever increasing numbers of people from their spheres of influence to participate with the cause.  This is indeed the goal, but we shouldn't kid ourselves about...

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Leafing thru the Aug 20 edition of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, it hit me again that the recession could well afford unknowing nonprofits – not just Christian ones, mind you - a great opportunity to embrace transformational giving concepts.   ‘Volunteering on Vacation’, highlights Earthwatch Institute, a 20.6$M international environmental organization, which annually enlists the help of  nearly 4,000 volunteers who travel on their own dime to various locations to work side by side with...

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