LESSON 40 – A Board Prayer

Welcome to Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom Blog, a 40-week journey through the new book, Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. Each Wednesday, we're featuring a guest writer’s favorite snippet from the week's topic. Dan Bolin is our guest blogger this week for the seventh of seven lessons in "Part 11: Boards That Lead and Boards That Read.”

LESSON 40 OF 40 - A Board Prayer

“Dear God…Let me tell stories and provide statistics that represent accurately.”

THE BIG IDEA FROM THE BOOK: Board governance is a significant and sacred trust; therefore the spiritual integrity of the board (individually and corporately) is paramount. Pursuing godly ends is not enough—boards must embody godly means as well. Organizations that claim the name “Christian” must align both their purpose and practices with God’s design. 

Boards of Christian nonprofits generally seek God’s direction for the purpose they pursue, but too often they fail to act with grace and humility in their practices. Failing to pursue godly purposes or failing to lead in God-honoring ways are equally dangerous and ultimately destructive to the soul of the institution.  

MY FAVORITE INSIGHTS from Lesson 40, pages 202-206: 
• “Help us to remember that few decisions are worth the divisions caused by dominant winning or belligerent losing.”
• “Help us to seek your glory and not ours.”
• “Grant us the joy of arriving at adjournment closer to one another because we are closer to you.”

MY COLOR COMMENTARY:
Years ago, I participated in a board meeting where the tension was so pronounced, the consultant provided all of us with adhesive strips to wear across our noses. Throughout the meeting, those strips reminded us to “breathe right.” We were inexorably reminded that the most significant challenge was not to make our point or win our argument—the real test was to express our deeply held positions with grace and truth.

Serving a Christian nonprofit, whether as a board member or as a senior leader, requires dependence upon God. Ultimately, we are stewards who serve God, our constituents, and one another. We must ask God for His wisdom, strength, courage and peace to steward well the ministry entrusted to us.  

THIS WEEK’S QUOTES & COMMENTARY BY DAN BOLIN:

Dan Bolin is retired but continues to speak and write as the president of Refueling in Flight Ministries, a small nonprofit committed to encouraging the Christian community. Dan strives to provide hope, inspiration, and truth to those living life in this busy and demanding world. Dan led three Christian nonprofit organizations during his career. He served as the CEO of Pine Cove Christian Camps for 14 years, president of KVNE and KGLY Radio for nine years, and international director of Christian Camping International for 11 years. He has served on the boards of numerous Christian organizations and is the author of eight books, including How to Be Your Daughter's Daddy: 365 Ways to Show Her You Care, and How to Be Your Little Man's Dad: 365 Things to Do with Your Son (with Ken Sutterfield).

TO-DO TODAY: 

• Send a copy of “A Board Prayer” (Lesson 40) to the members of your board and ask them to read it three times before your next meeting.
• Put a star by the bullet points that your board is doing well. In your next board communication, thank them for living out those aspects of godly, board governance.
• Put a check mark by two or three bullet points where you would like to improve personally. Begin to pray for wisdom, strength and courage to change. 

NEXT WEDNESDAY: Bonus Blog #41!
On Aug. 29, 2018, watch for the final commentary by Dan Busby and John Pearson, including an index and links to all 40 blogs. 

Subscribe to this blog by submitting your email (just above the date/day). Visit the Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom webpage and order extra copies for your board members.

ORDER THE BOOK

LESSON 10 - Prioritize Prayer Over Problems

Welcome to Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom Blog, a 40-week journey through the new book, Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. Each Wednesday, we're featuring a guest writer’s favorite snippet from the week's topic. Jeff Lilley is our guest blogger this week for the third of three lessons in "Part 3: Nominees for the Board Member Hall of Fame.”

LESSON 10 OF 40 - Prioritize Prayer Over Problems

Create space for prayer—serious supplications for a serious work.

THE BIG IDEA FROM THE BOOK: In Lesson 10, the authors discuss how we spend so much time focusing on the work our organization does for God, and how, sometimes, we can minimize God Himself. The concept is that prayer shouldn’t just be a token ritual, or simply an agenda item (somewhere between the “Call to Order” and “Approval of Minutes”).  

Instead, this chapter suggests that how we come before God affects every aspect of the meeting that follows. It’s almost as if we’re acknowledging that God actually cares about what happens in our board meetings.  

MY FAVORITE INSIGHTS from Lesson 10, pages 48-51:
• Dan Bolin’s prayer! It is inspired—and you can get it and use it for free! (See Lesson 40.)
• “Christ-centered governance has a boardroom distinctive that requires the right theology and serious intentionality about prayer.”
• “When you take time to pray…God promises to hear and act.”

MY COLOR COMMENTARY:
The first time I read Dan Bolin’s board prayer in Lesson 40, I instantly wondered if he had somehow secretly been listening in on every board meeting I’ve ever attended. It was as if he wrote the prayer because of events and issues our board has faced.  

It’s clear that Bolin knows well the challenges, temptations, and curveballs that come when you fill a room with influential men and women, and then ask them to come together as one body.

Though this chapter is about a time when I forgot to bring  “A Board Prayer” to our board meeting, I can assure you that it has never been forgotten since! 

THIS WEEK’S QUOTES & COMMENTARY BY JEFF LILLEY:

Jeff Lilley is the president of Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, which serves the poor and broken throughout Seattle and King County in Washington State. Jeff serves on multiple other boards, and has been active as a board coach for the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s Board Leadership and Development Program. He also has 17 grandkids, who are all better looking than yours. His favorite books include The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, Humility by Andrew Murray, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Jeff can be found on Instagram @JeffL7, or the Mission’s website here.

TO-DO TODAY: 

• Make photocopies of “A Board Prayer” (Lesson 40), one per board member, and have it ready for the next board meeting!
• Buy copies of your favorite book on prayer and send one to every board member, with a note that you are praying for them. (Which, of course, means you better actually pray for them!)
  

NEXT WEDNESDAY:
On Jan. 31, 2018, watch for Steve Macchia's commentary on Lesson 11, "Tap! Tap! Tap! When the Spirit nudges your board, does he hear a busy signal?"

Subscribe to this blog by submitting your email (just above the date/day). Visit the Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom webpage and order extra copies for your board members.

ORDER THE BOOK