Last July 2018 in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Henry moderated a panel at CEF called “Maximizing Our Investments,” one of the 5 topics that year. (You can find his thoughts on the event and whitepaper here.)

In the video clip today, Henry and panelist Tom Blaisdell discussed permanent capital as a unique and valuable approach for the Christ-centered investor. The panel as a whole highlights the importance of kingdom-minded economics as critical to faith-driven investing.

Check out the full panel discussion here!

by Joel Morris

I was moved to write this white paper to help Christians develop a healthy theology of generosity. I wanted to address the ‘why?’ of giving. The motivation to give will determine if we will be happy or reluctant givers. Without addressing this issue, I would argue that we are robbing givers of the joy of giving and robbing the church of gospel resources. 

Why should all Christians show profoundly more generosity more than those who haven’t tasted of salvation by grace through Jesus? The ‘why’ is usually always more important than the what. The drive behind the act. Why do people do incredibly generous and selfless acts? Why do people run into burning buildings to save others? If we examine our hearts on various areas of life with our Bibles open, I guarantee we will find it helpful and transformative. 

The Biblical Case for Generosity

We can be generous in many ways. I’m only highlighting a few ways here in order to make application to everyday life, but I think that serving, giving money, giving time and talent, hospitality, food, stuff, and good works can all be bunched together under the theme of generosity – generosity overflowing from our life in Christ. It’s a heart response because we are recipients of such amazing grace. We didn’t save ourselves; we simply said yes to the greatest gift. Logic would then dictate that Christian generosity stand out from that of the ‘normal’ worldly generosity. In this sense we Christians should possess an unnatural and godly generosity. A cheerful, outrageous and extravagant generosity. This kind of happy generosity must be driven by love and not pity or even compassion. It isn’t a reluctant generosity. Christians aren’t to give grudgingly. If our motivation is to make ourselves feel better, then the motivation is self-centred even though it’s meant for someone else. Therefore, the generosity itself cannot be cheerful because we’re in essence trying to buy cheerfulness!

Christian generosity is to be a godly generosity, to be like that of our God. Yes, the unregenerate know how to give good gifts to their children, but how much more our heavenly Father who gives good gifts to his children! So, we who are his children share this overflowing generosity with our Father. We do to others what we would have them do to us. In fact, the Apostle Paul urges us to outdo each other in doing good to each other. How can any one of us actually live this out on a daily basis? How can we sustain this through our lives? It seems unobtainable to us.

We know from Mark’s Gospel, chapter 12, when Jesus answered the scribe’s greatest commandment question, He said:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” 

These are the greatest commandments in the Bible according to Jesus. Why are they the greatest? I think it’s because our good works flow out of firstly loving God, and because we love God, we can love others as ourselves and do good works for them. This is the overflow of gospel generosity. I know that this is the ministry philosophy used by many successful churches around the world. It is the roadmap for how we can possibly achieve the kind of profound generosity and our good works described here. Firstly, we must love the Lord our God with all that we are, then and only then can we love others as ourselves – not through a transaction, what we can get in return, but because we love God unreservedly. The Psalmist in Psalm 119 verse 32 declares: 

“I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!”

We can keep the Lord’s commandments because we have a big heart for him; because we no longer have a selfish, self-centred stony heart. God figuratively gives us a heart of flesh that keeps growing in capacity for loving him and others.

The sad conversation Jesus had with the rich young man in Mark chapter 10 verse 17 shows that he loved his money and possessions more than the God he said he served. If he had loved God as he should, he would love others and the overflow would mean that he would be free to bless others and to give all that he had and follow Jesus. Instead, he went away from Jesus sorrowful. This is why truly generous giving is a healthy practice for Christians. It helps us to keep loving God first before our possessions. It helps keep our love pointing in the right direction to Jesus.

False Motives

God wants us to be happy people because He loves us. The Bible says that the only way we will be happy is through knowing and loving the God who lovingly made us to love him. The problem is that people search for happiness in countless places other than in enjoying their creator God.

God also wants us to be happy in our giving. He wants us to be cheerful givers – people who are happy to give and happy in their giving. I realise that we don’t naturally put the two things together! What many will associate with happiness is gaining more stuff for me and enjoying myself with the stuff. Pretending to be my own god. Getting and keeping the things desired and longed after, like that thing at the top of your Christmas list. We think, “if I could just get that house or car, it’ll make me so happy”. But, as I’m sure we all know deep down inside, it doesn’t ever last!

Giving in and of itself doesn’t make us happier people. If this were the case, generosity would be a transaction motivation – that we give to make ourselves happy. The more we give, the happier we will be? It might sound nonsensical. “I give to feel good. When I give, it’s a good thing to do. Aren’t I a good person?” This is obviously counter to the gospel and salvation of grace. Giving is not what satisfies ultimately. Christians are already satisfied before the act of giving. If giving generously was the thing that satisfied and made us happy, it would be a works-based gospel. We can’t work our way to heaven, so why do we think we can work our way to happiness? This is the kind of trap that people fall into, isn’t it? “Giving to the poor and needy makes me feel good. It’s the right thing to do. It’s what Jesus did and we have to as well.” 

Another trap people fall into is giving to get. If we give generously over here, the Universe will somehow reward us. If this is our motivation or comfort to be generous, then our generosity is flawed. We can also be cajoled into giving through guilt. “If you don’t give to this most worthy of causes, then you are a truly terrible and selfish person.” Fundraising campaigns will show us pictures of needy people and pull on our heart strings to try and make us give. Please hear me right: I’m not saying not to give to needy people. The Bible tells us to give to the poor and needy generously and to look after the widows and orphans.

My point is this: Why should Christians be generous? We know that being generous with our possessions or time is a good thing, but why? Our motivations for giving can be guilt-driven or perhaps even us wanting to impress others. “Look how generous and a good person I am!” The feeling can give self-worth. You might write a cheque for a gospel cause to buy the freedom to do whatever you want with what’s left. Have we thought about charity like this? When I give, do I give reluctantly? Can I truly call myself a cheerful giver? This is such a massive battle for us sinners. What our hearts love is what we treasure and want to hold onto. What can change my heart so I give cheerfully and not reluctantly? 

Hilarious Giving

We want to be cheerful in life don’t we? The world tells us to be happy we need to prioritise security for family and retirement, then perhaps think about maybe giving a little, somewhat reluctantly. There is a corrosiveness that erodes our hearts in riches held onto and loved. Of course there is, and it takes the place of our saviour Jesus. There is a happiness in giving money away. How do you get cheerful? God is a cheerful giver and never reluctant. This is a wonderful unchanging truth about God. 

God loves a cheerful giver because He Himself is a cheerful giver. God loves Himself. God is a Father eternally loving His Son through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Son loving the Father back. It isn’t a self-obsessed love but a giving, outflowing and generous love. Flowing from the Father who sent out His only beloved Son to pour out His all on the cross for us. Generosity is at the core of the Christian life and our experience of God. God doesn’t give sparingly; He gives us abundantly more than we can ask or think. We become cheerful in our giving by giving like God, where His grace has been working in our hearts to abound in generosity to others. This verse below is some challenging teaching from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church on how people should give to support gospel work.

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

The origin of cheerful comes from the Greek word ‘hilaros’ which is where we get the English word hilarious. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines the usage as joyous, cheerful, not grudging. It describes someone who has already been won over, convinced and ready to act cheerfully.  We decide in our hearts what we give, why, and to whom we give. It is God who gives us the grace to be able to have increasingly large good works like giving generously. We need supernatural grace from God, it is not in our natural capacity. Verse 11 says that we will be enriched to be generous in every way, not to hold onto it for our own safety and comfort.

It is God who supplies seed to the sower and provides harvest in the fields for us all to live. Paul says that God will multiply what we happily give and it will be like sowing for the gospel. Verse 10 centres around support for gospel ministry and the reaping will be for his kingdom. Our reward then will be tangible, but not here and now, in heaven stored up for us. The best kind of return we could ever want! We are enriched in grace to be generous in every way. Paul says it isn’t only supplying the needs of the saints, but overflowing in our thanksgiving to God – as He has been overflowing to us. In giving to support gospel work we are joining with the sower to cheerfully sow bountifully so that the harvest will be cheerful and bountiful. So, we see that generosity is a gospel issue. This is important for us to understand in the connection between giving and supporting God’s mission.

As you read this paper, use the opportunity for self-examination and reflection. Writing this short piece has challenged me in questioning “is my heart right? Am I generous enough? Are my motivations to give godly?” Lay your heart open before God. Let Him work in you as He desires you to be conformed to Jesus. Allow the Holy Spirit to change you to become more and more like our generous, life-giving God.

by Justin Forman, Executive Director, Faith Driven Investor and Faith Driven Entrepreneur

What I Learned From Senior Year History Class

Chess champ. History nerd. 

For more than a few decades I’ve been able to keep these achievements and interests unpublished on my LinkedIn Profile and Instagram Account. 

But in the spirit of “leading with a limp”, I thought now was the time to come forward with full transparency. In seventh grade, my teacher, who apparently watched some Hollywood movie and dreamed of discovering a local version of the next Bobby Fischer, bought my entry fee into a school chess tournament. 

After beating a dozen upperclassmen, I earned the dubious honor of being handed an obnoxiously tall trophy during a school-wide assembly the following week.

In between playing basketball and soccer, I was also that feisty freshman who quietly found his way from the courts and pitch to sitting in senior history class. It was there, in what too often is a throwaway class taught by the head football coach, I found something that captured my heart. 

For an hour a day, I was held captive. I found myself entranced by long-ago and well-worn stories of political intrigue, catastrophic events, and questionable decision-making. For a kid who wasn’t even old enough to drive, much less know about this dusty subject matter, it all seemed so new and relevant.

Fast forward three decades later and I’d argue that senior history class is up for a rebrand. 

Too often it seems like history is viewed as a crazy, underappreciated, less successful cousin of a math class. 

We’re learning a set of facts—dates, places, and names to remember lest they be repeated. And yet, it’s so much more than that. 

As the History Channel boldly claims:, 

“These are … the stories of our world … the story of us.”

Storming Normandy or Leaving Dunkirk?

World War II-era stories for some reason strike such a chord with me. 

That time in the world seemed like it was defined by a season with little room for complacency. Everyone engaged, choosing sides. Risking and re-risking everything, everyday. 

Most of us have seen the epic major motion picture  “Saving Private Ryan.” Not just a movie, but I would argue a masterclass bringing the gruesome and harrowing story of taking the hallowed beaches of Normandy to the big screen.

But fewer of us perhaps have appreciated the quiet significance of a more recent film, “Dunkirk.” 

The Dunkirk Evacuation involved a last-minute rescue of over 300,000 Allied soldiers who were trapped by the Nazis near the beaches of Dunkirk, France, in the summer of 1940.

Saving hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the beaches in a costly battle trying to escape… the perspective of trying to hold on a little longer to what will certainly be lost… so a few more might make it across.

For me, this movie was a stark reminder of the grounding leadership principle: define the situation and strategy before getting to tactics. 

When I think of the conversations around Faith Driven Entrepreneurship and Faith Driven Investing I often wonder what situation we are in?

Are we trying to take the beach of Normandy and advance on an empire of evil to make way for a new world?

Or are we fighting a measured, intentional retreat, holding a perimeter of hope that might allow for others to be saved? 

A Tough Forecast

I’ll admit, I’m confused. I wonder if the apostles and the early church felt the same? Did they think they were going to see 2,000 more years before Christ’s return? Or did they think—amidst martyrdom in the colosseum—that Christ’s return is imminent. 

Surely the world must have felt pretty dark. 

Rampant sexual immorality. An empire on financial collapse. A persecution of the church not in a distant realm of social media, but regular death and destruction right in front of them. With stakes and fire, lions and wolves tearing at brothers and sisters, it must have been heartwrenching. 

I don’t know about you, but that history seems to be repeating itself. And today, it seems less like we’re storming an enemy.

It sure feels a lot more like Dunkirk. 

We find ourselves stuck and surrounded. Scraping along the bottom of morality, war, bribery, and instability. Courts, Congress, and businesses being weaponized as accomplices. It’s a tough forecast.

Grounded in Identity 

Earlier this summer I had the chance to spend a few weeks in Israel. We were capturing the story of an Arab, Palestinian, Israeli Faith Driven Entrepreneur. 

Identity is a simple yet complex thing in Nazareth.  

I was struck by one of the things we talked about at lunch … 

“If you truly understand that your identity starts with being a child of the king. Then you’re grounded in the idea that this land, or any land for that matter, is not your home. And if you’re just passing through, then why fight so much over the land?”

Powerful truths spoken in the same land where Jesus first tread. The word Sojourner has never become more alive than in that moment. If so little can be made of something that has been fought over for so long, then what are we fighting to protect?

Our nationality, land, car, home, title, social media, or bank account. That big merger, client acquisition. Everything is actually worth a whole lot less than we make it when we consider the enormity and eternity of God and his kingdom. 

As God is granting favor, as he is opening up doors for Faith Driven Entrepreneurs and Investors around the globe to do incredible things for his glory, let’s stay grounded while still lifting our eyes up to the heavens.. 

He gives us gifts. God answers our prayers. He provides pools of clear, quenching water in  the desert. 

But as much as we celebrate. Let’s also be reminded that what we produce are nothing more than makeshift forts. They’re cobbled together by piers and beams to make temporary safe harbors. 

And yet, what we are building together with God just might hold out just long enough to bring more to the other side. 

Article originally posted here by Forbes

by Ron Carucci with Forbes

As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, with surges in cases across the world’s major cities, beleaguered leaders are grasping for ways to keep their organizations focused and motivated. Now feeling whiplashed like accordions, some called back to work, some staying at home, then those in the office being sent home on some days, the workforce has reached an all-time level of pandemic-fatigue.  With promises of a vaccine still in the distance, anxiety levels are once again surging along with case numbers.

Fewer industries have been hit harder than luxury retail.  With retailers and brands like Neiman Marcus, J. Crew, Lord & Taylor, Brooks Brothers, and John Varatos, filing for Chapter 11, its clear that as people prioritize their precious few discretionary dollars, indulgence in high-end fashion isn’t hitting the top of the priority list.

In 2020, fashion brands cut $43 billion dollars of purchasing from their budgets. That means the downstream ripple effect on designers and manufacturers of those products felt the pain just as much.  So how, in the wake of all of this demise, does a CEO take a startup luxury brand and product, and grow it?

Read the full article here.

by Mike Sharrow

What does it mean to be a faith-driven entrepreneur, or a “steward” of a business?  It’s so easy to settle for essentially an ethic of “don’t do bad things” and some token expression of generosity.  Is “do no harm” and tipping Jesus with a percentage of wealth (the real question is what do we keep not what do we give if it’s all His, right?) the fair test?  Perhaps an exercise in the form of a fabled case study where you enter into the story might help…

An Unplanned Owner/Investor Site Visit

Imagine arriving at work tomorrow, parking your car in the usual place, and walking toward the entrance. Everything seems normal. As you near the door, you notice a figure waiting just outside. As you approach, you sense a warm and open demeanor and reception. This person is obviously a friend. 

A few more steps and you recognize him. It’s Jesus! He says, “I’d like you to show me around and explain the business to me. This is as much mine as any church is, so I’m curious to see what you’re doing with the business I entrusted to you to manage for Me.” In your mind’s eye, imagine yourself saying, “Well, fine, Lord, let’s go in.” Gulp. 

Imagine taking Jesus through the reception area and into the office, then into your personal office, through the work areas, and around the entire physical location. Imagine Him keenly observing the way you and your team interact as you take the tour. Think about explaining how and why everything is laid out the way it is. Mentally introduce Him to each person, while explaining their function and a little about them. 

Sit down with Him in your office or conference room and describe how each piece of the business functions, from the different ways of contacting customers, to the production and delivery of the product or service, to billing clients and collecting payment. 

Tell Him how people are hired, trained, evaluated, encouraged, equipped, challenged, compensated, promoted, disciplined, or fired. Explain how you handle complaints and suggestions from customers, suppliers, and employees.

Take Him through accounting, showing Him how you pay bills and handle taxes. Discuss how you use or distribute profits and who benefits from them. Show Him the company’s debt and explain how and why the leveraging works. As you engage in each of these areas, imagine saying to Jesus, “Lord, this is how we try to show You and Your principles in this function or action… this is how we think You would do this… Lord, we do this so we won’t bring offense to Your name… Jesus, we don’t do this the world’s way because of what You said in Your Word.” 

Does this process excite and encourage you or does it cause you to break out in a cold sweat? Is there a process, business practice, or person that you’d want to avoid in this tour?

MOVING FROM METAPHOR TO OUR DAILY REALITY

In reality, this describes a typical CEO visit to a branch or subsidiary operation with an inspection tour guided by his local general manager. During any such tour, you demonstrate and discuss your major priorities, emphases, and progress against corporate business plans. 

The visiting owner or CEO verifies that the location consistently and successfully applies the basic plans for business development and growth. He looks for results but is acutely interested in alignment, commitment to company goals and principles, and evidence of capable “process,” knowing that diligently following the corporate strategy drives desired results. 

In our businesses, God conducts this review continuously. God does have a plan for our lives, and it includes every aspect: home, work, community, social, recreation, and any other area you might identify. You could say that there is a performance review as stewards, but it’s an open Book test!

Further, His plan always desires the same end, consistently reflecting His values.2 While the environments or playing fields may change, His eternal purpose, to manifest the gospel of Jesus Christ, never changes. His ultimate purpose, to bring forward the Kingdom of God, drives everything God does and allows. Nothing in God’s world “just happens.” 

In our businesses, as in every other area of our lives, we can either recognize this reality or miss it completely. The choice is ours. If we see our business primarily as a tool to produce money for ourselves, we primarily concern ourselves with how well it generates cash, and we’ll focus our attention, develop strategy, deploy people and assets, make decisions, and drive actions primarily toward that end. On the other hand, we might see our business as a part of God’s eternal plan, entrusted to us and designed to fit into an intricate and beautiful master plan to strategically contribute to sharing Christ with the world. In this case, our decisions and evaluations reflect different values, and we attempt to structure what we do to produce a more Godly set of results.

MOMENTS OF TRUTH…THE TRUTH! 

The “Moments of Truth” diagram initially popularized in the 1980s by Jan Carlzon’s famous turnaround of Scandinavian Airline Systems. The helpful diagram behind that concept invites any leader to assess every possible business-to customer touchpoint and assess deficits or opportunities.

So What?

As Christians, isn’t this model equally relevant as a lens through which to evaluate how effectively every element of the company demonstrates Jesus as the true Owner? Doesn’t every point along that process represent an opportunity to either shine or betray our true purpose?

So, what if Jesus was waiting for you at the company entrance tomorrow for His tour? Are you ready? Do you have thoughtful answers for His questions concerning His primary interests? Do you have a plan centered on His values and purposes to guide you as you evaluate and develop each part of the business?

God entrusted you with an incredible platform…what opportunities will you seize? Where or what do you need to change to reflect the true Owner of your business?

Article originally posted here by Cedarville University

by Dick Blanc

Dick Blanc ’82 is Executive Director of the newly formed Beyond Startup Accelerator, the business incubator at Cedarville University. Blanc has always liked venturing into the unknown, whether it’s sailing across the Atlantic Ocean at age 19 with a bunch of buddies or bootstrapping an entrepreneurial venture. He thrives when he’s given a clean sheet of paper and time to dream. But even a courageous captain needs dependable ways to navigate strange and exciting waters. That’s where Blanc’s yearly practice of reading through the Bible and tapping into the wisdom and counsel of a trustworthy and godly crew of friends comes in. 

Blanc is the Executive Director for the Beyond Startup Accelerator, which connects student and alumni entrepreneurs with expert counsel and potential sources of investment. 

For the last 25-30 years, Blanc has made a habit of reading the entire Bible through in a year. That habit of soaking in the Scriptures began for Blanc during his undergraduate days. Cedarville offers a four-year Bible-reading plan for students to begin their own habit of feeding themselves from God’s Word.