She is also editor-at-large of The Pearcey Report (www.pearceyreport.com). Taking responsibility for our own work–accepting both the credit and the blame, the benefits and the losses–is a crucial element in human dignity. Hard as it may be to believe, Christians sometimes exploit their workers, denying them recognition for their God-given gifts. Happily, there are many positive counter-examples, and a study done in 2003 by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute[10] identified several of them. It found that the most effective leaders are those who regard workers as part of their mission, not merely as a means to larger goals. God who has acted in history in past events will also act in history to consummate this age. Leadership Journal 3 (Module 4): Identify the leadership strategies that Nehemiah used to remove barriers and make things happen. It is either based on sound biblical truth or it is based on a secular foundation. For centuries this idea was reflected in a tradition of the church. Time and time again the writers of the Old Testament narratives had made the same point. This common practice produces a line of destructive domino effects: It breaks up marriages, erodes family life, and eliminates outside sources of renewal, like involvement in a local church. But he made big mistakes when he allowed himself to become carried away with a sense of his own importance (Numbers 20:8-12). The Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership (JBPL) is a refereed scholarly journal that aims to provide a forum for international research and exploration of leadership studies focused on the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. The moral of the story? The same pattern is evident in the lives of Gideon (Judges 6:15), Saul (I Samuel 10:21, 22), Elijah (I Kings 19:10), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:6). Or it can happen when a boss claims authorship of a work written by a staff writer. What are some examples of “aping the world”? None of these biblical principles were merely fine phrases for Senske. full of grace and truth”). And God will set them as jewels in our heavenly crown. Leaders must hear God’s calling to lead and respond to that call. When he sought medical treatment, the doctor said, “Why is it that everyone I see with this particular ailment works at that same ministry?”. Death and failure are the paths to victory (Matthew 16:25). We must express the truth not only in what we preach but also in how we preach it. It means we sometimes act in ways that seem irrational to those [who are naturalists], who see only the physical world. They give cognitive assent to the great truths of Scripture, but they make their practical, day-to-day decisions based only on what they can see, hear, measure, and calculate. In fact, he may run the risk of losing his job. Christianity 9 to 5 © 2021. It doesn’t take a genius to see that this has some pretty radical implications for our normal human assumptions about “leadership.” The disciples ran smack into these implications on at least two noteworthy occasions. Yet its importance is often overlooked in discussions of Christian worldview. When other staff members questioned the new strategy, asking whether increased mailings were a good use of funds given sacrificially to the ministry, his response was, but this works. We want to employ the latest techniques and quantitative methods, where the results can be calculated and predicted. Once, while walking along the road, they fell into an argument “as to which one of them would be greatest” in the kingdom of heaven. As Lesslie Newbigin writes, fellow Christians should stand ready to support those who speak the truth to power and pay a price for it, even providing financial assistance to those whose moral courage costs them their livelihood.[20]. We must never forget that going along with unbiblical practices is not only wrong, it is unloving. Clearly, any practice that deceives the public ought to be off-limits, no matter how much money it brings in for the ministry. A former high-ranking executive at a parachurch organization told me he had resigned after discovering an internal “culture of lying–a regular pattern of shading the truth and cutting ethical corners in order to look better and win influence–all for the good of the ministry, of course. 3, 363. As I have processed through my own leadership philosophy, I have arrived at this definition of biblical leadership: Biblical leadership is meeting someone where they are, and taking them where Jesus wants them to go. In this naturalistic framework, persons become merely “objects for objective manipulation in the market and the political arena.”[6] Though Christians would never accept naturalism as a philosophy, many have absorbed a naturalistic approach to marketing, adopting techniques that treat a target audience essentially as passive “consumers” to be manipulated into buying a “product.”. It also means following biblical principles in the personal and practical spheres of life. 12:5). It is a modern form of thinking we can “speak lies in the name of the Lord” (Zech. The first is simple humility. Our work, being where we spend the majority of our lives, is an area of eternal … Our counselors would love to speak with you over the phone. Running Head: ETHICAL DECISIONS BASED ON CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW 1 Ethical Managerial Decisions Based on a Christian Worldview Kerri Gates-White Belhaven University Doctor Lawrence Ruddell 1 July 2017 ETHICAL DECISIONS BASED ON CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW 2 Ethical Managerial Decisions Based on a Christian Wordview Quality control is a fundamental part of any manufacturing business. But if that work is done in the flesh, then no matter how successful it appears, it does little to build God’s kingdom. Where is our passion for truth and authenticity? If we aspire to a godly, holy love for others, we must be willing to take the risk and practice loving confrontation. We may reject naturalism as a philosophy, but if our work is driven by the rationalized methods we have learned from the world, then we are naturalists in practice, no matter what we claim to believe. Outsiders looking on may conclude that we have failed. Even Christian friends and leaders may shake their heads disapprovingly and advise us that we’ve made a mistake. August 6, 1999, at www.heritage.org/Research/Religion/HL643.cfm. . Each letter creates a crisis mentality that is enhanced by melodramatic anecdotes, fake highlighting in the margins, and a signature produced by a machine. [9] Schaeffer, True Spirituality, in Complete Works, vol. [10] The website for the Best Christian Workplaces Institute is www.bcwinstitute.com. “The nonprofit economy has become more like the for-profit world,” writes Thomas Berg. The reluctant leader is a good leader because he doubts himself. If we find ourselves thinking [we] can do the Lord’s work in the world’s way, as though worldly weapons were adequate, then we have drastically underestimated the nature of the battle. The key to their success? Yet in only three years, he pulled together a team that turned the company around. Time and again in Scripture, a sign of God’s blessing is that “you will eat the fruit of your own labor,” whereas a sign of His chastisement is that “others will eat what you have planted” (for example, Deut. Does Scripture really teach that everyone should strive to be a "leader"? To build a sound Christian educational program, the foundation for that program must be a biblical worldview. . In the New Testament, Paul advises, “Let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor” (Gal. If we become aware that a ministry or business is violating biblical principles, we need to stop being enablers and start calling people to accountability–even if it means paying a price. In the East, where the Confucian tension between shame and honour is a worldview pillar, biblical models of authority and leadership can become supplanted by cultural traditions. But in ordinary life, they walk over and sit in the naturalist’s chair, living as though the supernatural were not real in any practical sense, relying on their own energy, talent, and strategic calculations. The study uncovered forty organizations that rank highest in worker satisfaction. Used by permission of Crossway Books. Character. [7] Joel Carpenter, “Contemporary Evangelicalism and Mammon: Some Thoughts,” in More Money, More Ministry: Money and Evangelicals in Recent North American History, ed. The other side of the coin is that it is quite proper for members of the Body to claim ownership of their own work. They organize focus groups to determine where to aim their efforts. What implications does a biblical worldview have for education? Human history … But the activities that were truly led and empowered by God, in obedience to His truth, whether the results were visible or not, will sparkle as gold, silver, and precious stones. Larry Eskridge and Mark Noll (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2000), 401. . An employee who takes a stand may not ultimately succeed in changing anything. [16] Schaeffer, No Little People, in Complete Works, vol. When the Lord’s work is done in merely human wisdom, using human methods, then it is not the Lord’s work any longer.[1]. In doing so, however, they have unwittingly limited their own thinking to the conceptual categories allowed within naturalism. The worldview and priorities of teens and adults are dramatically altered by taking a mission trip. He devoted months of sweat and prayer and sleepless nights to making them real. For example, a Christian church or ministry may be biblical in its message and yet fail to be biblical in its methods. They “ape the world” in its publicity and marketing techniques, manipulating people’s emotions to induce them to give more money. However, simply having such an environment does not make a school a Christian school. It’s a place where the poor are rich (Luke 1:53), the foolish wise (I Corinthians 1:25), and the weak strong (II Corinthians 12:9). Every worldview has an approach to figuring out what should be considered right and wrong, but the basis for understanding it does not come from any kind of empirically provable foundation. But if God calls you to lay down your life by serving others in His name, be ready to place yourself at His disposal. I once addressed a group of Christian graduate students earning advanced degrees from some of the nation’s top universities in fields like philosophy, literature, and political theory. 13:3). There is nothing shameful in hiring someone to do things that you cannot do for yourself, says top-ranking journalist David Aikman. The overriding question is not, “Is this morally and spiritually right?” but rather, “Will it sell?”. ResourcesIf a title is currently unavailable through Focus on the Family, we encourage you to use another retailer. Leadership is a simple concept, and yet simultaneously incredibly complex. In referring to the importance of developing a distinctively Christian philosophy, more Christian educators are beginning to realize that to be truly Christian, the curriculum must be Bible integrated in theory and practice. 12:14ff. At Whitworth College, another top organization identified in the study, President Bill Robinson says, “I am trying to lead “˜from amongst’.” The reference is to John 1:14 (“the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, . He thunders against the leaders of ancient Israel: “You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, and slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep” (Ezek. When I raised the need to develop a Christian worldview approach to practical fields as well, like business and marketing, they were startled. 3, 5. [1] Francis Schaeffer, True Spirituality, in The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer, vol. And that’s to name just a few. Excerpted from Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity by Nancy Pearcey, copyright 2004, pages 361-376. Leadership Journal 3: Identify the leadership strategies that Nehemiah used to remove barriers and make things happen. A Christian worldview provides a framework for ethical thinking. [2] Visible results can be deceptive. [19] Kurt Senske, Executive Values: A Christian Approach to Organizational Leadership (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 2003), 11, 22, 24-26. For the real battle is not in the seen world only, but chiefly in the unseen world. Download for personal use only. How can I bless you? It was produced by a committee of writers, marketers, and fund development professionals, carefully calculated to elicit a response. The Orient and Confucianism . Christian Worldview and Business Management Introduction The notion of management can be traced back to the beginnings of this planet. “Rather I will talk to the secretaries, the office staff, the janitors and cleaners and ask them what it is like to work with you. But who can compete with the head of an organization with the resources to hire half a dozen writers, editors, and PR professionals to put out material under a celebrity name? How does relying on statistically reliable patterns persuade a watching world that God is at work? In the top organizations, the study found, employees consistently described their leaders in terms like humble, approachable, caring, and godly. The person best suited to exercise authority is probably the one who wants it least. Start the business meeting with prayer, by all means, but then employ all the up-to-date strategies learned in secular graduate schools. Biblical Worldview PAPER INSTRUCTIONS. [16], If you want to know what a Christian leader is really like, don’t ask his peers or board members or adoring fans. [18] Rick Santorum, “The Necessity of Truth,” Heritage Lecture #643. . This is the ultimate danger of doing the Lord’s work in the flesh: It may eventually lead to outright sin. 1). Nehemiah understands his leadership as a calling from God (Nehemiah 2:12b). . In short, where is a Christian worldview perspective on marketing and fundraising? How can I help you succeed?”[11] The best organizations regard the nurturing of their own employees as a spiritual mandate. During his tenure at LSS, he has been responsible for more than doubling the size of the agency and steering the once-troubled agency back to financial stability.”. Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Clearly, the claim that everybody needs to be a leader or that everybody should want to be a leader is inconsistent with the Spirit of Christ’s kingdom. “When I come to visit your church someday, I will not ask people about what a great preacher or leader you are,” Barrs says. As Schaeffer put it, “with God there are no little people,” which means we cannot treat anyone as a mere means to other goals. But if we have genuinely given our lives over to God’s purposes and are being led by Him, then we have won a battle in the unseen world. It was the same codependent relationship with a Big Name.” The emotionally unhealthy pattern was all too recognizable, and wisely she left the new position after only two months. That is a lesson Jerram Barrs presses upon seminary students at the Francis Schaeffer Institute at Covenant Seminary. Still, it preserved the idea that only the man capable of repeating these words and really meaning them was genuinely fit for the task of shepherding God’s people. “The central problem of our age is not liberalism or modernism,” Schaeffer writes, “or even hot-button social issues like evolution, abortion, radical feminism, or homosexual rights. There are many “little people” whom God has gifted with an important message or ministry that could benefit a wider segment of the church if their work were properly recognized and better known. A Christian school is a community and one should see a loving, caring, Christ-centered environment. “I hope it can be said of me that I dwelt among the people, bringing grace and speaking truth.”[12], Examples like these give concrete evidence that servant leadership is not an abstract ideal; it is completely practical and workable. Because they are true to the real world, they actually work better in making people and companies more productive. Copyright 2004. At Phoenix Seminary, President Darryl DelHousaye is known for asking his staff, “How can I help you? [18] There are many ways to speak truthfully in order to build up those around us. Leadership Journal 4 (Module 6): When life ends and we stand at the believers’ judgment described in 1 Corinthians 3, some of our most successful and impressive projects may prove to be nothing but wood, hay, and stubble devoured by the flames. In answer, the Lord said (among other things), “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. “We’ve all encountered the know-it-all leader, the ‘submit-or-else’ type of leader,” according … [12] Quoted in Lee, “Forty Best Christian Places to Work.” See John D. Beckett’s Loving Monday (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2001) for additional ideas on how businesses can enact policies that express genuine respect for workers as made in the image of God. When confessing their religious beliefs, they sit in the supernaturalist’s chair. Religious fundraising has become “extremely fast-paced and sophisticated, relying more and more on high technology [and] carefully targeted direct-mail campaigns.”[8] Many large religious organizations have entire departments of trained and credentialed marketers to create a constant flow of fundraising letters and promotionals. This definition has served for me as a fundamental axiom in discipleship, in leadership development, … The second reason is more subtle. . The church as a whole then loses the benefit of their gifts. But either way it seems to me that the whole notion of "leadership" has been elevated to the level of near-idolatry. Robinson has a habit of wandering into the dining hall unannounced and sitting down with students to find out what they think of the college. Schaeffer writes, “The Lord’s work done in human energy is not the Lord’s work any longer. 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