Faithventure Forum

I've been catching up on my online reading after a busy Christmas season and thinking about goals for the New Year. I stumbled upon four blog posts that faith venture leaders would all do well to read as we move into the new decade. One of my favorite authors, Donald Miller, remembers his close friend David Gentiles in a moving eulogy here . We would all benefit by imitating the tremendous and humble life of this lifelong encourager who impacted so many lives. There is also a great editorial on Gentiles in the Austin Statesman here . As this year ends, we should also resolve to know the depth of God's love for us as my friend and emerging author, Kevin Grenier, shares here . His list of eleven ways that God's love impacts our lives is tremendous. Next, don't tell anyone, but I plan on firing my key managers next week. I am also going to fire myself. This may seem a bit out of place after the last two paragraphs, but don't worry, I plan on hiring us all back. I just

Over the last ten years at Bud's Warehouse , individuals have often asked me to explain our job training program. For many years, I struggled to provide a clear answer because, in many ways, the Bud's program is not a traditional program. Sure, we have a curriculum and a three phase programmatic way of organizing our instruction. But the core level of our program is really about building relationships and helping individuals work "one-on-one" through the unique challenges of pursuing a career after prison or addiction. So, if you're looking for a "step-by-step, do this and you'll get employed" type program, Bud's really isn't such a place. But if you desire a life-on-life mentoring program that is tailored to the specific needs of an individual, Bud's is perfect for you. Any program can teach how to not lose your anger in the workplace, but we think Bud's strength comes from, not only teaching anger management techniques, but being av

I like pumpkin pie. In fact, it’s my favorite part of Thanksgiving. But over the years as my family has grown, my annual share of the pie has decreased. A few years ago, it was common for me to have a slice after the big dinner, another one a few hours later before bed, and then what Thanksgiving Friday is complete without pumpkin pie and a coffee first thing? Today, with my kids knocking on the door of high school and the teenage years, I’m lucky if I get a piece after dinner. We have a serious need to increase the production of pie around our house. I’ve noticed lately that people are approaching life like it’s a box of pumpkin pie. No, we’ve not collectively bought into a Forest Gump holiday-themed philosophy. But society is operating under the big fear that there are only a limited number of pieces in the pie. To get ahead, you have to fight for your share. We seem to have forgotten that we are capable of baking more pies. Over the last few months, the volume of complaints about e