DR. RICK FRANKLIN

Vice President of Arrow Leadership Ministries
Guest Contributor

 

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“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” 

This opening line from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities could very well be a riff on many ministry board meetings. 

If you serve on or report to a ministry board, then you know firsthand how critically important a well-functioning board is to the success of a ministry. But too often, boards are overlooked, underappreciated, and poorly developed. 

Instead of being an engine for oversight, governance, and growth, boards are sometimes viewed as a necessary bureaucratic nuisance at best or a ball-and-chain drag on the ministry at worst. And when things at a board level get messy, they can quickly devolve into conflict either within the board or between the board and the ministry leader. 

But there’s a better way. With some simple know-how and intentionality, you can help develop a better board for a better ministry. 

 

Be Choosy!

Better boards begin with the best people. But how can you choose the potential board members who are best for your ministry? Here are six C’s to keep in mind as you invite people to serve on the board. 

1. Connection

Does the potential board member have a strong connection with the ministry? Many times, board members are sought either out of convenience or for the specific skills they can bring to the board, such as business acumen, legal advice, or financial knowledge. However, if a board member has little to no connection with the ministry, there is a good chance they will not be actively engaged as a board member. 

In fact, an online platform dedicated to resourcing nonprofits recently found the number one issue facing nonprofit boards was under-involved board members. There’s a strong correlation between an engaged board member and being connected to the ministry. But being connected is only the first step. There’s also a need for the second “C”—care.

2. Care

When a potential board member feels truly connected with the ministry, a genuine sense of care develops. Care manifests itself as a commitment to the mission, vision, and calling of the ministry and is evidenced by a sense of enthusiasm, excitement, and support for what the ministry is doing and where the ministry is headed. This, in turn, leads to greater engagement and active participation as a board member. 

3. Character

Considering a primary purpose for every board is governance and oversight, especially of financial and legal matters, character plays a key role in choosing the best board members. Not only are integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness critical for any potential board member, but so are the qualities and characteristics Paul enumerates in Philippians 2, such as humility, others-centeredness, and a willingness to sacrificially serve others. 

Note too the characteristics Paul exhorts us to avoid, namely selfish ambition and empty pride. If someone is seeking to serve on a board to pad their resume or exert power, those are clear markers of a deficient character that will detract from being the best board. Does the potential board member demonstrate the character you need to create a better board?

4. Competence

Having the right skills and experience not only brings confidence but the expertise necessary to serve with competence on a ministry board. Are there specific skill sets needed on your board that are currently missing? In addition to financial knowledge and familiarity with legal issues, does the potential board member have any fundraising experience or familiarity with HR policies and practices, for example? 

No single board member will have every skill needed, but a well-rounded board reflects a broad spectrum of skills, experience, and competencies that will enable the ministry to reach the next level. 

5. Courage

Boards make difficult decisions, or at least they should, that are ultimately in the best interest of the ministry. And to do so, a healthy dose of courage is needed. Does the potential board member have the courage to challenge the status quo, initiate change when needed, and do what’s right over time? 

Courage is often what separates an average board member from an outstanding board member.   

6. Calling

Last, but certainly not least, the best board members have a deep, abiding sense of calling to the ministry. They possess a clear assurance God has called them to be a part of the ministry in this season. A strong calling provides conviction, fuels perseverance, and emboldens commitment. 

Want a better board with the best people? Be choosy! Consider how you can incorporate the six C’s in choosing your next board member. 

 

Be Clear!

The best boards know where they’re headed and how they’ll get there. They have clear plans, objectives, goals and metrics. However, many boards stumble and struggle with a lack of clarity in two important areas. 

Type of Board

Most ministry boards fall along a spectrum ranging from very passive boards to very active boards. For example, an advisory board is a passive board in that it does not have any authority to provide direction or governance for a ministry. Rather, an advisory board’s role is simply to advise—to help provide outside ideas and perspectives. Similar to an advisory board but with some responsibility for the overall ministry is an oversight board. In this case, an oversight board may exercise oversight of certain areas, such as finances, but does not have ultimate control or  responsibility for the ministry. 

On the other end of the spectrum, we find an activist or operating board which is actively engaged in the day-to-day leadership and activities of the ministry. An intervening board also exercises active engagement in the ministry, but usually only for a limited time due to a transition of the ministry leader or a crisis in the organization, for example. 

And in the middle between the passive and active extremes is a governance board, which holds ultimate responsibility for the ministry, but exercises that responsibility through policies and the ministry leadership. 

Each of these different board types has value at different stages in the lifecycle of a ministry. But they can also cause a great deal of frustration and confusion if the wrong type of board is functioning at the wrong stage. 

More so, many boards simply have no idea how they should function or what role they should play. Thus, be clear! Better boards know the type of board they need to be for this season, which clarifies expectations of what the board will do and won’t do, as well as what the board will focus on or pass. 

Roles and Responsibilities

A second area where confusion can reign on ministry boards revolves around who is supposed to do what. Or, in other words, what are the specific roles and responsibilities of the individual board members and of the board as a whole? Clearly define each board member’s role, especially when onboarding a new board member or assigning committees of the board.  

As the old saying goes, if there’s a mist in the pulpit, there’s a fog in the pew. The same is true on ministry boards. When board members are unsure of their role and what they’re supposed to do by when, confusion and a foggy malaise can set in, muddling the ministry.  

And don’t forget to clarify the role and responsibilities of the ministry leader, including how the leader and the board will relate to one another. 

Better boards have great clarity. They know who they are—what type of board they are—and what they’re supposed to do and not do in providing oversight, governance, and accountability for the ministry.  

 

Be Concise!

Lastly, the best boards are concise. In other words, they place limits on themselves through term limits. While ministries have debated the wisdom of this approach for many years, my own experience has led me to conclude that term limits build better boards.  Better boards rotate members to ensure fresh perspectives, new skills, and widening connections in the community while maintaining humility and a sense of selflessness among board members. 

Even though it may be admirable when a board member serves for an extended period of time, such as 10, 15, 20 years, or longer, it can lead to unhealthy and unwanted characteristics on the board, such as a sense of entitlement or powerful control centered in one person. 

If you don’t have term limits for your board members, be courageous and introduce them! You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll have a better board because of it.

I’m convinced better boards lead to better ministries. But better boards do not happen by accident. Rather, they emerge when the best people serve; when direction, roles, and responsibilities are crystal clear; and when fresh members rotate onto the board in a healthy cycle. 

Want a better board? Be choosy! Be clear! And be concise! You and your ministry will be better for it.

 

Dr. Rick Franklin, Vice President, Arrow Leadership Ministries. Rick’s passion to develop Christian leaders has been cultivated during 35 years of senior leadership experience in a variety of ministry contexts in North America and internationally. He’s helped form boards, served on boards, and consulted for boards of ministries, churches, and nonprofits in the US, Canada, and Europe. For more information about Arrow Leadership, ministry partnerships, like with True Charity, and ways to grow as a leader, please visit www.arrowleadership.org.

 

FROM THE TRUE CHARITY TEAM: We appreciate the perspective of our knowledgeable guest contributors. However, their opinions are their own, and do not necessarily represent positions of True Charity in all respects.

 

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SONYA STEARNS
Network Manager
Read more from Sonya

 

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I became an “older” woman overnight. Let me explain: for fifteen years, I lived in a community with a median age of 65—Naples, Florida. I celebrated my 40th birthday just weeks after moving there.

Everywhere I went, I was younger than most. My husband and I would often be the youngest couple in a restaurant or at the mall. At the beach, our bodies weren’t nearly as aged as those around us. Our children lamented that all the really cool cars were driven by “old people.”

In the church where we served, we had several parental figures, and our children had plenty of “grandparents” to fill the voids of our parents’ early passings. Our experience in that city was priceless.

Then, God called us to Austin. Median age 35. I was no longer a younger woman. Not by a long shot. Everywhere I went, I not only felt like a parent—I felt like a grandparent! 

Gen Z-ers and millennials were all around. Senior citizens were far outnumbered, and the “Silent Generation” was not only unheard, but unseen! Our new church had young families and millennial singles, as well as congregants from older generations.

With this move, I said goodbye to my lifelong teaching career and jumped into the Christian nonprofit world. While I had served alongside my husband in church ministry for years, the nonprofit space was new territory for me. I faced quite a few learning curves.

Thankfully, I had kept up with the ever-changing digital arena as a high school teacher. I taught with current techniques and platforms, and this saved me. If I had not, the transition to my new job—and probably any office job—would have been impossible.

That’s when I realized the depth and scope of the obstacles many older workers (OWs) and volunteers must overcome in our modern nonprofits and churches. Even though these organizations are not set up as typical office spaces, today’s digital communication and preferential workflows and systems often disbar OWs from being able to contribute their honed skills and innate giftings. They simply can’t engage, and some that strive to engage don’t thrive.

Many OWs and volunteers had already retired before the internet became commonplace. Email was not part of office culture for most of their lives, and neither were cell phones. Even though they might use their cells regularly now, their dexterity and eyesight are not what they used to be, so texting is cumbersome. 

Many of my like-aged peers resent being labeled “incapable” because they have never been exposed to certain digital platforms, and they are flabbergasted at the lack of respect, deference, and discretion shown to older employees and clients.

As I write this article, I’m a woman in her mid 50s—a Gen X-er. My generation makes up 33% of the workforce, which has a median age of 42.3. But perhaps a more important statistic for nonprofits and churches is this: almost 17% of America’s population is over the age of 65. That’s a lot of folks with the available time to volunteer at our shelters, be a thoughtful case manager, man the church office, and mentor those coping with poverty and/or reintegration.

So what can we do to free OWs and volunteers to use their experience and giftings in the most productive ways possible? Here are five ideas.

1.  Train Older Workers (OWs) upfront so they won’t need to ask for repeated help.

Many volunteers and OWs have very successful careers behind them. They were powerful CEOs, triumphant lawyers, popular school teachers and principals, beloved doctors and dentists, respected missionaries and ministers, stay-at-home moms who were community “movers and shakers,” etc. If they must ask for repeated help, you can bet that they will become exasperated. 

Many older workers tend to have more “crystalized intelligence” and less “fluid intelligence” than their younger peers. In other words, they know more, but they learn new things at a slower rate. This is easy to overcome as long as you budget a little extra time to train them on new tasks. The small investment of additional training time will be more than compensated by the lifetime of prior knowledge they bring to the table.

Predict their potential stumbling blocks. If it’s a new digital platform for them, provide easy-to-understand tutorials, and designate congenial people to help them. If that is impossible, communicate—before they begin—where help can be found (online, a folder, a guidebook, etc.).

Don’t assume that they can just “Google it” or look up a YouTube video. Those new spheres were not a part of their lives (or anyone else’s) until relatively recently. Most don’t know how to use proper search terms and filters to get what they need.

2.  Make it clear that you and your organization both respect their experience and understand generational differences.

Experience really is a great teacher. We all know that knowledge is valuable, but the wisdom to apply knowledge—usually gained through experience—is even more valuable.

Listen for informed advice in approaches, direction, what will work long-term, and what won’t. Seek their help for more than “the small things.” Remember where they have been, and work that into your conversations about organizational vision and processes.

Older workers tend to expect faster responses to digital messages, so respond to them as soon as possible. Some OWs remember getting a telephone in their home for the first time (1950s), and they all remember the beginnings of the internet (90s). In their day, they would wait 6-8 weeks for packages to arrive by mail. They don’t understand why younger people don’t avail themselves of the modern capabilities of immediate responses.

Even if they don’t appear to be “getting it,” don’t assume age is necessarily the cause. Last year I had a conversation with one of my sons-in-law, who is only 26 years old. He had just started a new job, and although he enjoyed it, he was quite stressed. He told me, “I’m using a platform that I’ve never used before, so it’s like I’m having to communicate in a foreign language.”

Picture a 65-year-old employee or volunteer. They might be asked to learn a dozen or more “new languages” in a single day. How hard would that be for you?

3.  Communicate in ways that ensure productivity.

Each generation has their communication preferences. Many Baby Boomers and most of the Silent Generation never learned to type on a qwerty keyboard, and as mentioned earlier, texting is an obstacle because of dexterity and vision loss. These facts should inform all systems if these populations serve in your organization.

OWs value person-to-person communication; they can languish under the obstacles of texts, emails, and instant messages. They prefer good old-fashioned phone calls, despite the fact that many Gen Z-ers fear them. OWs appreciate voicemail, and they will be disappointed if you don’t answer when they call back.

If remote positions are at play, make sure they know how to execute everything Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet requires. Helping them access basic tutorials will make a huge difference.

Remember that language is dynamic, changing over time. Slang words do not mean the same for OWs as they do for Gen Z-ers. Both sarcasm and catchphrases can be tricky. GIFs are just plain weird to many Baby Boomers—and the ones they send back (if they know how) are not always understood by their younger co-workers. Also, emails and texts cannot connote proper tone in most cases. “Grace, grace, God’s grace” is needed.

Once an atmosphere of respect and appreciation has been established, much of the miscommunication that happens between OWs and younger ones can be fabulous bonding opportunities, humorous memories, and teachable moments.

4.  Help them discover digital “secrets.”

I’m amazed at the seemingly insignificant digital “secrets” people don’t know about. While teaching at a Foundations Workshop recently, a young lady (probably in her 20s) was struggling to enter the code for the wifi in the teaching hall because it was all capital letters. I had to show her the “secret” of double tapping the caps key on her phone to initiate caps lock. She was amazed.

Now consider how many of those “secrets” are hidden from your OWs and volunteers—not to mention your older clients and neighbors. Here are just a few:
Clicking the logo on an organization’s web page to go to its homepage.
Using the microphone in lieu of the keypad for texts.
How to screenshot, download, or save an image, then how to find it on their computer.
Showing them that those “blue underlined words” are links to other resources. (This takes younger people by surprise, but it’s true.)
Opening a link in a new tab.
Navigating YouTube: to slow the speed of a video; using the spacebar to pause; using the scroll bar and chapter markings to access specific sections.

5.  Foster an environment for enthusiasm.

Nothing kills enthusiasm in a volunteer quicker than their time being wasted. If they leave your ministry feeling like they accomplished nothing, you can bet they will think twice before returning. They feel devalued. A similar response happens in older paid employees: dread takes the place of eagerness as they face each work day, affecting productivity and overall morale.

Ensure that someone is personally investing in each OW or volunteer. Just as teachers in a classroom must ensure that every student has a safe learning environment, nonprofit and church leaders should ensure that every volunteer and OW have a thriving work environment.

Spend quality time with your OWs and volunteers. Ask about their pasts and their dreams. Tell them about yourself and find common ground. You might be surprised at how motivated they are to serve your organization, and how inspired you are by their lives.

Older workers and volunteers are often the heart and soul of our organizations. Let’s ensure they are thriving so that the people they serve will benefit from their experience, gifts, and dedication.

 

 

 

 

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In today’s world, cash-strapped charitable ministries often need help communicating how their mission connects to a Christian-based audience. And it’s crucial to employ impactful communication strategies that respect budgets while leveraging spiritual gifts. In this article, we’ll explore three powerful ways your charity can effectively share its mission with faith-based audiences, even with limited resources.

 

Inspiring and Engaging the Christian Community

Sharing stories of transformed lives helps supporters and volunteers to connect emotionally with the impact of your charity’s work. It allows them to witness the tangible difference their contributions make in the lives of those in need. 

One of the most compelling ways to communicate a charity’s mission is through the power of personal testimonies. These stories vividly portray the impact of sacrificial love and the transformative power of relationships, allowing your audience to witness the effectiveness of your mission’s work firsthand. By sharing stories of lives touched by the organization, charities can demonstrate the real-life manifestation of God’s love and inspire others to get involved.

By showcasing real-life stories of transformation, charities can inspire supporters to continue their involvement, fostering a sense of purpose and deepening their commitment to the cause.

Drawing upon relevant passages that affirm the principles of effective charity, such as 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Ephesians 4:28, and 1 Timothy 5:8, that deal with the importance of work can deepen your audience’s understanding of the charity’s mission and its biblical significance.

Watered Gardens does an excellent job of regularly producing emotionally connected stories that draw your attention—and keeps it. Something increasingly difficult to do in today’s world of unlimited distractions.

 

Cultivating Partnerships for Kingdom Impact

Partnerships among fellow believers, churches, and faith-based organizations are vital for charities seeking to broaden their reach on a limited budget. By joining forces with others who share the same passion for serving God and humanity, charities can pool resources to extend their reach and amplify their impact. 

Seeking partnerships with churches can give your charity access to existing Christian networks and offer opportunities to engage congregations. Collaborating on joint missions or creating volunteer opportunities expands the reach of your charity’s message and fosters unity among believers as they work together for a common cause. Churches need community support to thrive, and offering opportunities for collaborative projects to a pastor or executive director will likely be received with great enthusiasm.

Here’s an excerpt from the Residential Life Transformation Model Action Plan, a True Charity resource, about how Gateway Mission in Holland, MI, uses church partnerships: “The transition can be made easier by inviting local church members and pastors to lead weekly Bible studies or classes. Gateway Mission has four churches that conduct their Thursday ‘Gateway Gathering’ once a month. The churches lead worship, give a sermon, and bring in church members who engage residents in conversation. This way, residents feel more comfortable on Sunday mornings, knowing they’ll recognize a few friendly faces.”  

Nonprofit-church partnerships can build stronger communities that bring about lasting change while demonstrating the power of unity. 

In addition to churches, partnering with influential individuals or businesses within the Christian community provides a platform to communicate your charity’s mission to those who may not be serving in a local church. Cross-promotional activities, such as co-authoring letters to the editor of a local newspaper, contributing posts to a blog, or speaking at local business association luncheons, can open opportunities to engage potential supporters. And best of all, these forms of communication don’t require a budget line-item to execute.

True Charity Network members regularly use their existing business relationships to highlight program graduations in local news outlets, encourage relationships through billboards (available here for TCN members), and educate donors by speaking to Rotary and Lions clubs. 

By cultivating partnerships, charities can create a support, encouragement, and prayer network that extends beyond their usual circles.

 

Embracing Social Media as a Platform for Ministry

In this digital age, social media has become a powerful tool for connecting people and sharing meaningful messages. Christian-based charities can harness the potential of social media platforms to amplify their mission and inspire others to join in their cause. By creating and maintaining active profiles on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, charities can engage with a broad audience and share their transformative work.

Through social media, charities can simultaneously share stories of lives changed by God’s grace and their organization’s efforts. Content should highlight not only the change that is happening in the physical but also the spiritual impact on individuals and communities. Testimonials from those who have escaped poverty, prison, addiction, or homelessness through the freeing gift of God’s love resonate deeply with Christians and stir the hearts of those still trying to find their way. And every post should include a link back to your website.

One of the most popular ways to reach an audience right now is through “reels.” These short 30-second to one-minute videos, usually taken using a cell phone camera, offer thought-provoking or (tastefully) humorous takes on different topics. Reels can be something as simple as sharing your thoughts on charitable practices, commentary on something entertaining that happened at your mission, or even a walk-through tour of your facility.  

Social media allows for direct engagement with supporters that just isn’t available through more traditional forms of media. Charities can use live streams, Q&A sessions, and interactive posts to foster a sense of community and build relationships with their followers. Encouraging prayer requests, offering encouragement, and providing biblical insights can create a meaningful connection and further align the charity’s mission with Christian values.

Gospel Rescue Mission of Muskogee, OK, produces “Wins of the Week” reels and Victory Mission regularly shares snippets from their podcast.

Many True Charity Network members post things such as volunteer highlights, client stories, and so on. If you are short on inspiration, a simple social media search of your favorite effective charity organizations will yield a bushel basket full of ideas. 

By sharing stories of transformed lives, connecting with like-minded individuals and organizations, and leveraging social media tools to communicate with your supporters and volunteers, your charity can share the gospel of love and bring hope to those in need, even with limited resources.

 

 

 

 

“The baby is in the tree! We have to get him down.” 

My father cried out in a panic as he tried to climb the tree to get “the baby” to safety. Meanwhile, my mom frantically called 911 and locked my siblings and me in the restroom with my baby brother sitting safely on my big sister’s lap. 

The police showed up to intervene and took my father, who had been hallucinating, to yet another round of rehab. 

My father fought addiction and depression for years. No matter how hard he tried to break free, his mental illness left him feeling hopeless. Yet, after 25 years of prayer, I had the privilege of watching him confess Christ as Lord. He was baptized by my husband at the beach while his grandchildren watched from the shore. It was the same beach where I used to sit as a teenager and cry out for God to fix the brokenness in our home. By the grace of God, my dad is nine months sober and walking with the Lord. 

God was working through the pain for His glory and our good during those 25 years. The Church cared for my mother, siblings, and me so selflessly during that time. But, looking back, I never considered that the Church could have, and should have, cared for my dad as well. 

Through my research on effectively caring for those in poverty, I have found three ways that churches are able to care for those who suffer from mental illnesses. 

 

Expand your view of brokenness. 

Dr. Brian Fidler, LPC at Restoration Counseling in Joplin, Missouri, teaches that “mental illness is just an expression of man’s brokenness.”

According to Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, a major area of brokenness lies in the area of broken relationships – with others, oneself, God, and the rest of creation – and this can be a factor in mental illness. Yet, oftentimes, our view of brokenness is too narrow. We see the sin the person commits against a Holy God. Yet, we fail to see the bondage they are in and the pain they have experienced from living in a painful and fallen world. 

Since the fall of man, our nature has been one of sin. When working with those who are suffering from mental illness, take a step back to recognize that they are simply a broken person living in a broken world, and they desperately need a Savior—they are just like you and me. 

 

Don’t be afraid to engage. 

It doesn’t take a trained professional to simply engage. The church often takes one of two stances when engaging with those suffering from mental illness: They either engage beyond their ability or immediately turn to professional services. 

Research in the realm of social prescribing is on the rise. This treatment relies on doctors “prescribing” involvement in the community for those suffering from depression. Results show that social prescribing yields greater results than antidepressant medications. 

This should be no surprise as God has made us for community. From eternity past, the Trinity has existed in perfect community. Man, made in God’s image, has that same desire for deep community. The beauty of social prescribing was written into the very core of who we are. 

 

Assume Nothing. 

Joshua’s Place, a non-profit that focuses on ministering to children in poverty, recently shared with us the following story:

A student was on his phone during class–yet again. The teacher, having asked many times, took the phone out of the young boy’s hands, at which he became extremely overwhelmed and had a trauma response–an over-adaptive coping mechanism. Oftentimes, those experiencing trauma are “triggered” by an incident that takes away their sense of control–this is what the young boy experienced in this situation. After communicating with the student’s guardian, the teacher learned that while he was in foster care, his phone was the only means of communication he had with his aunt. His phone was his sense of safety.

Like this young boy, many individuals who walk through the door of your church have encountered traumatic experiences during their lifetime. These experiences, though unseen to the observing eye, are proven to leave a lasting impact on the neurological system. When engaging with individuals in your life and ministry, assume nothing. Oftentimes, we are quick to judge someone before listening to the story that brought them to where they are. Slow down and pull up a chair. Many people are walking around with trauma–waiting for someone to listen. 

We are all broken people who are living in a broken world. Yet, Jesus heals and redeems. He is building his Kingdom, and the gates of hell will not prevail (Matthew 16:18). Therefore, we have to stop being afraid and boldly step into the lives of others–especially those suffering from mental illness and trauma. God’s people–the Church–can and should be agents of change. Let’s engage!

 

 

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Looking for more tools to help you engage more effectively with those experience mental illness? True Charity Network members have access to the Mental Illness and Trauma toolkit, which provides access to basic resources and training as it relates to those experiencing poverty. Network members can access the toolkit on the member portal.  Non-members, learn more about the different toolkits we offer.