Yesterday our new BNI leadership team got its official training for the new BNI year that begins on Thursday.  The Director of BNI Central Valley came down for the 3 hour training, and we met at a local business’ conference room.

I have to say that I am really impressed with the quality of BNI ideas and training.  Part of the reason that BNI is so successful is that they invest heavily in keeping members trained and up to a certain (expected) standard of performance.

New members have to receive MSP (Member Success Program) training in order to be able to do the extended 8–minute infomercials.  The MSP program gives some basic information and skills.  It helps you to form your ideas for your infomercial so that it is as effective as it can be.

Occasionally an area BNI chapter will host a 2–hour conference on some subject relative to marketing business.  BNI members are encouraged to attend and to think of it as attending a marketing meeting for your company where all the attendees are members of your marketing department.

BNI leaves nothing to chance.  Everything that is done has a purpose, and that is to make each member as effective a marketing agent as possible.  Which makes me wonder why more organizations, including churches, do not invest in the training of their people in the same way.

Gavin Whitsett wrote the book,, Guerilla Kindness, and was the father of the Random Acts of Kindness movement.  Whitsett said that he wanted to remind people of the kind impulses that all of us had.  In a world that is often rude and unkind, it’s nice to have the reminder.

The Bible also reminds us of the importance of kindness. Micah said in answer to the question, “What does God require of you?” Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God, Micah 6:8.

In today’s sermon we began a list deeds that are expressions of kindness.  All of these deeds require attention and determination, and they do not occur by accident.  Below is a beginning list of suggested kind deeds.  Kindness, by its nature, is otherly.  What would you add to the list?

• Listening attentively to others and not dominating the conversation.
• Giving money to people who need it.
• Showing concern about the problems others are having.
• Asking appropriate questions: How are you?, How did that affect you?, What can I do to help?, etc.
• Sacrificing time and energy for others
• Cooking food and sharing it with others
• Sending a card to someone expressing interest, love, or condolence
• Introducing yourself to someone you don’t know
• Sharing clothing, furniture, dishes, and other things with people in need

Use the comment button below and add your kindness ideas to the list.

Fred Peatross, from Huntington, West Virginia, is a friend of mine that I’ve never met in person.  Our relationship is facilitated by e-mail.  I live in California.  We became friends because of Jim Henderson who lives in Seattle, Washington.  West Virginia, California, and Washington—this is a great picture of our times.

Fred’s new book, Missio Dei, is an insightful look at what is happening in Western culture, particularly as it relates to disciples of Jesus.  Twenty years ago the e-mail relationship Fred and I have developed would have been unheard of.  Also blogging, Google, My Space, and social networking.

The big question is whether the contemporary church is aware of and equipped to meet these light speed changes. An attendant question is how the culture around us regards the church in general.  Listen to what Fred says.

I take the position that the Christian community no longer lives in a favored position with its host culture and to reach this culture, Christians must be more like leaven than a churchcentric, attractional-Sunday-center.

My experience is that the church is missing in any sort of recognized or formal sense in the marketplace.  Not only that, Christians are often viewed with a jaundiced eye because of the stereotypes which modern televangelism has provided.  The only way to overcome the prejudices about the church is to go to the culture.  Fred quotes Neil Cole on page xviii.

…you have to be willing to sit in the smoking section when your primary stance is missional.

Truly.  The churches that penetrate the market place with the message of Jesus will be those who leave their campuses and start partnering in public life.  Fred illustrates this by telling two stories about the military.  In the first story an Air Force general told military personnel at an entertainment show to “go and invite people to come.”  This is a model of the traditional church.

In the second story he told of the U.S. military in Djibouti that is digging wells, vaccinating livestock, and building school facilities and winning the love and support of a mostly Muslim population.  This is a model of a contemporary or emergent church that does not try to relate to the world by teaching but by living generous lives.

Fred pictures a church that “enters the court of the Gentiles” in order to engage them on their own territory.  So you find these disciples of Jesus at “city council meetings, art museums, or having a glass of wine or a latte with a friend,” page 9.  This has more influence and credibility than calling unchurched and suspicious people out to private campuses.

The margins of my copy of Missio Dei are marked up with comments and exclamation points.  I resonate with what Fred writes and find that my own experience validates what he is saying.  I highly recommend reading this book. Missio Dei is scheduled for release in late July and can be purchased at all online bookstores Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc)

Bev was looking for a new dress to wear to the Chamber of Commerce dinner and installation.  We went to Turlock because Bev likes shopping there, and we ended up in a Kohl’s.  I found a chair in the customer service area and took up residence.  Why stand when you sit?  I had a book to read.

That’s when I became aware of tense voices at the service counter.

A lady was trying to return some dishes she had purchased the day before.  I had a hard time trying to figure out why she was returning them.  I do know that she and the Kohl’s person waiting on her were not communicating at all.

After a while I found out that the lady was asserting that she paid too much for the dishes, and she wanted Kohl’s to give her back the over charge.  “I’m not trying to be a difficult customer,” she said.  “I’m trying to make you aware of this error, and it will probably save you from making further errors with other customers.”  The Kohl’s lady didn’t seem impressed or convinced.

The Kohl’s lady looked irritated.  Her face was drawn, and she wasn’t smiling at all.  The customer never raised her voice or acted accusative.  But she was the most persistent person I’ve ever seen.  She kept stating and restating her case.  The Kohl’s supervisor gave the young woman behind the counter some instructions and then left.  She looked like she’d had enough.

I think the supervisor acquiesced.  I couldn’t hear what she told the counter lady but I imagine it was something like, “Give her what she wants.”  The counter lady said, “We’re going to cancel yesterday’s sale and credit your account for that amount of money.  Then we’re going to charge you again for the dishes, but this time at the reduced rate.”

You’d have thought it was a huge amount of money being talked about, but it was only $5.  I wouldn’t have wasted my time for that much money.  If I had been Kohl’s I would have given her the refund with no questions asked.  A lowered blood pressure would have been well worth it, not to mention the improved customer relations.

I quit reading my book sometime in the middle of the argum….. er, conversation.  The soap opera was too interesting.  When Bev and I left, they were still negotiating.  I wanted to say, “You both need to take a chill pill.  Some things just aren’t worth this much angst.”

ABC News featured a story tonight about micro loans.  These are small loans that are made to entrepreneurs all over the Third World, so that they can start businesses that will support their families.  Even small loans of $25 make a huge difference in the quality of life for these people.

It has bothered me that the U.S. is so willing to spend money on war and pork barrel projects yet is so unwilling to contribute to projects that truly contribute to the betterment of human beings.  What a better world it would be if we worked to eliminate hunger instead of wasting money on things that make no ultimate difference.

Kiva is one site where you may go to make a small loan to a fellow human being.  ABC News said that in thousands of loans made all over the world, only one person defaulted.  That’s a stunning demonstration of the gratitude and seriousness with which people take these loans.

I think that Kiva, and programs like it, are outstanding ways to show the love of God to people all over the world.  What better way could there be to bring prosperity, self-sufficiency, and esteem to people whose lives are otherwise difficult and poor?

I had a conversation recently that is troubling to me.  The gist of it was that the local Christian community should find a very public and visible place and schedule a prayerfest there.  In-your-face prayer.

I don’t doubt the sincerity of this person nor his desire to please God.  What is troubling to me is the belief that Christians should exercise prayer and worship in a public and pushy way—as if you can force other people to believe.

In point of fact, marching, use of political power, and other public demonstrations of religious faith are more off putting than they are compelling.  Disciples of Jesus are rarely won by force.  More often than not, it is through the quiet, persistent, and sincere demonstration of love.

In many places today Christians are seen as bullies.  Like modern day Crusaders, they attempt to foist their beliefs on people that sincerely disagree with them.  I wish the person I was talking to would have said, “We’d like to do a better job of showing compassion and love to the community” instead of “we need to pray where everyone can see us.”

It made me wonder what Jesus thinks about this.  He is, afterall, the one that said, “When you pray, go into your closet,” not “find a very public place to do it.” 

Today I had two meetings to attend, one early this morning and the other in the late afternoon. The groups were highly diverse in membership, and the individuals very busy and responsible people.

Despite their differences, the members share a common interest and love of Merced city and county. You will see them all around town at various functions because they care about what happens here.

One of the groups is responsible for leading a program for developing high school leaders. Some of them just came back from a retreat with glowing reports.

The other group was invested with the responsibility for writing a mission statement for a business organization. That conversation was interesting and fun.

It is impressive to see the collaboration, passion, and determination of both groups. Any organization would be blessed to have people like that working for them.

Groups like this are more effective than individuals working alone because of their shared wisdom, insight, and experience. Effort increases exponentially. That’s a good way to work.