Identify, invite, invest in and inspire.
Identify, invite, invest in and inspire.
25 July 2018
When Jesus called the disciples to leave their nets and follow him, becoming “fishers of men”, he invited them to make his business their business. His business is people.
Among all the companies producing steel they stood out! They declared: “Our Product is Steel, Our Strength is People.”
For almost 50 years in the steel industry they have lived their slogan, becoming recognised as one of the top 100 employers in Canada. They knew what mattered and built their company upon it – people.
Better Stewardship, as one of the six “whys” of the journey to a single national territory, calls everyone to answer not only the questions of why we are here (mission) and where are we going (vision) but also how we use the resources we have to achieve our vision (stewardship).
We are committed to better stewardship at every level of the movement. Our view of stewardship is founded on the biblical principles of ownership, responsibility, accountability and reward. All that we are and have belongs to God.
God, as owner, has rights. We, as those to whom he entrusted that which belongs to him, are stewards with a responsibility. God calls us to account, and rewards the effective stewards.
Better Stewardship is about more than our budgets and buildings. We are a movement of people, who are all about people.
The Salvation Army’s founder, William Booth, said: “We are a salvation people – this is our specialty – getting saved, and keeping saved, and then getting somebody else saved ...”.
When Jesus called the disciples to leave their nets and follow him, becoming “fishers of men”, he invited them to make his business their business.
His business is people.
Better Stewardship drives us to carefully consider our greatest resource – God’s people, our people. We can do better.
At every expression of The Salvation Army, let us take a close look and consider how we can ensure that we maximise the gift of people who are The Salvation Army.
Jesus knew the power of people. Without budget or buildings, he created a movement that would continue long after he left the earth.
He focused his leadership approach upon people; people who would be transformed by encountering the living God, and would live, love and fight to see other people transformed by meeting Jesus.
He identified people – not based on who they were but for who they could become. He invited people – all kinds of people, even people no one else would consider, to follow him.
He invested in people – his time and teaching, his life and energy. He inspired people – breathing fresh hope and life, with expectation arising from an awareness that the Kingdom of God was real and coming.
He involved people – took risks, believing in people to join him and grow with him, participating in his mission to save the world. Look around where you are right now. Who are the people around you? Who can you identify, invite, invest in and inspire.
Let’s open the doors and opportunities to involve others in what God is choosing to do in the lives of fellow Salvos and Australians as we share the love of Jesus. Better Stewardship is our shared responsibility and opportunity.
Commissioner Floyd Tidd is National Commander of The Salvation Army in Australia.
Comments
No comments yet - be the first.