[  ]  A 500-YEAR VISION?  Wow.  What does it take to get up in the morning and hear from God that the vision is to build a building to last 500 years?  Or start a ministry, or launch a movement, or exceed last year’s record goals?  “Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion,” writes Bill Hybels (senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, South Barrington, Ill.) in his new book, “Courageous Leadership.”  CMA members are encouraged to read the book before coming to CMA Colorado Springs 2003, Feb. 24-27.

[  ]  DON’T MISS THE 10-P MODEL™ IN THE CMA MAGAZINE.  The August issue of CMA’s “Christian Management Report” is packed with articles and resources on technology.  Don’t miss Brett Johson’s cover story article on I-Operations and his innovative 10-P Model™ featuring: Purpose, Product, Presence, Positioning, Partnering, Processes, People, Planning, Place and Profit.  For more, go to www.inst.net.

[  ]  QUICK! FIND YOUR PHONE NUMBER ON THE WEB!  In an informal, biased, random survey of CMA member web sites recently, one element was startling: it’s not easy finding an organization’s phone, fax and street or mailing address.  Churches and Christian organizations both seemed to hide this critical data.  Suggestion: list your key contact information on your home page and then sprinkle it liberally throughout your web pages.

[  ]  50 EVENTS OF THE 20^TH CENTURY THAT SHAPED EVANGELICALS IN AMERICA.  Here’s a test for your team.  Ask them to give you a verbal paragraph on why each of the following things are continuing to impact your ministry: Azusa Street, Karl Barth’s Commentary on “Romans,” the Scopes Trial, NAE, holistic ministry, Jim Elliott, Vatican II, Schaeffer, Dobson, NIV, “The Year of the Evangelical,” Amy Grant, Promise Keepers, and ECFA.  The answers are in the 218-page excellent book from Steve Rabey and Monte Unger.  “Milestones: 50 Events of the 20^th Century That Shaped Evangelicals in America” should be required reading for your team.  (Your organization might even be included in the almost 1,000 people, places and organizations listed in the index.)