Christian Management Report
December 2003 Issue (Vol. 27, No. 6)
Focus: Board Governance
Title: The Great Board Debate
Be steady and strong, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work. --I Corinthians 15:58 NLT
In this issue...we address board matters, especially the Carver policy-based governance model that has been under attack lately by ministry leaders. Galvin helps put to rest the debate about policy-based boards, showing why the Carver method is an important approach and why some have had trouble implementing it effectively. ► Boards know it's critical that ministries move from strategy to results. Breitenberg and Caccese have developed a helpful planning process for ensuring real mission impact. As they point out, too often ministries have inadequate tools to measure how well they're fulfilling their mission. ► Board members Randy and Susan Bramel share how to become effective ministry fund raisers. Their experience, insight and sensitivity to God's leading will greatly help board members who want to faithfully fulfill this important role. ► And there's more…for learning and growing in ministry. --DeWayne Herbrandson, Executive Editor
Note: Unless stated otherwise, the Bible translation used throughout is the New International Version (NIV).
CONTENTS
MANAGEMENT FOCUS
The Great Board Debate!
How Should Ministry Boards Govern?
By James C. Galvin, President
Galvin & Associates
A debate has been brewing for years among ministry leaders, consultants and board members concerning the Policy Governance Model developed by John Carver. It’s a complete theory and comprehensive set of principles for how a board should function. If you’re a ministry leaders or board member, you need to know what the Carver model is and is not, why some are opposed to it, and whether your board should adopt a policy-based approach to governance.
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CEO/LEADERSHIP
Ensuring Mission Impact
How to Move From Strategy to Results
By Matt Breitenberg, Founder/President, and
Art Caccese, VP/Nonprofit Group
Straight Path Management, Inc.
What will it take to accomplish your ministry’s mission and vision? Are your programs and services having “mission impact?” How will you know if you’ve been successful? What will it take to increase financial resources for ministry priorities? This article provides a model for tracking mission impact and impact effectiveness.
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HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
How High Is Your Trust Level?
Five Steps to Creating a High-Trust Organization
By Kevin Scheid and Carl Dodrill
Best Christian Workplaces Institute
According to Dr. Edwards Deming, the father of statistical process control and total quality management, 93 percent of organizational problems are caused by management, so possibly only seven percent of the low-trust level can be attributed to employees. So what do managers of high-trust organizations do differently to achieve such high levels of organizational effectiveness?
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FUND DEVELOPMENT
Asking People to Give
Board Members Share Principles and Practices That Work
By Ann McKusick, President
The Ann McKusick Company
Three things are required of board members: time, talent and treasure. Treasure, of course, refers to personal giving. But the flip side of the coin, asking other to give, multiplies itself and is the most valuable wealth accumulator a board member can contribute. Board members Randy and Susan Bramel at YouthBuilders share trusted principles they’ve learned from first-hand experience in asking others to give to Kingdom work.
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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
The Expectation Gap!
Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit
By Andrew Dorantes, Consultant, and
Jennifer M. Perez, Audit Manager
Capin Crouse, LLP
For many years accounting professionals have been very familiar with the concept of the “expectation gap.” It’s the discrepancy between the auditor's perceptions of his or her role, responsibilities, and level of assurance provided, and the perceptions of the users of the financial statements. Today, the gap continues to be significant. In light of recent corporate financial scandals, the public is demanding more from auditors.
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LIVING WITH INTEGRITY
A Steel Resolve
How Jesus Firmly Resisted Pressure to Conform
By Rod Handley, Founder/President
Character That Counts
I once worked with a man who was one of the most charming and brilliant men you could ever meet. But one obvious flaw was his wishy-washy behavior. The voices of the world bombarded him at every turn with subtle lies. He waffled in making decisions. He had difficulty saying “yes” to the best because he couldn’t say “no’ to anything. His internal battles centered around the old adage: If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” Bottom line, this man struggled with the character quality of firmness.
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RX FOR MARGIN
Taming the “Type A” Personality
Seeking a Balanced Middle Ground Between
Work and Rest
By Richard A. Swenson, M.D./Author
Finding the balance between productivity and gracefulness in our relations with staff and others is often a great challenge, especially with the demands inherent in leading a growing organization. But most of all, a leader/manager needs to remember the counsel of Mother Teresa. “It’s not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing.”
