THE 360 DEGREE EMPOWERED CHRISTIAN

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THE 360 DEGREE EMPOWERED CHRISTIAN

• EMPOWERMENT THE BIBLICAL WAY
• THEME JOB 1(1-5)
• For LAGOS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ON 13TH JULY 2008

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PREPARED AND PRESENTED BY

• ELDER MRS IFEOMA ANA
• AS A SERMON/TALK
• DURING THE CHURCH WORSHIP SERVICE

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THE TRIPPLE BOTTOM LINE CHRISTIANITY
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PREAMBLES DEVIATION FROM THE USUAL

• This empowerment based talk or preaching today
  deviates from the usual Sunday Word expositions
  in many ways
• The speaker is the least qualified to be a
  preacher, however, standing on our beliefs in the
  Priesthood of all believers, and under the
  churchs invited authority , she makes bold to
  hold on the Cross and dare to stand among you
  under the unction of the Holy spirit to minister
  to us using her God given endowments
• This preaching may not be in sync with the
  usual expectations of Christian worshippers which
  basically revolves around the ten commandments,
  goodness commendation or hurts palliation
• Some members may indeed find some aspects of the
  talk offensive as they may begin to think that
  the church is going too materialistic and leaving
  the holier than thou expectations of a typical
  born again Christianity
• But we shall attempt to see how the Lord and
  Savior of the world is not only concerned about
  the soul, but also concerned about the body of
  His people

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This Talk aims to

• Explore ways of striking a good and biblical
  balance between the physical and spiritual lives
  of a Christian
• Lead worshippers into various empowerment roles
  for self and others
• Highlight some challenges that a Christian may
  face in the quest to economic empowerment
• Explore ways of overcoming hindrances to economic
  empowerment
• Sensitize us to ways of Living out the Potentials
  in each and every one of us

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COVERAGE

• WE SHALL LOOK AT
• THE TRULY EMPOWERED CHRISTIAN
• FORMS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE TO
  CHRISTIANS
• DIFFERENT FORMS OF BUSINESS CHALLENGES
• CAUSES OF BUSINESS CHALLENGES
• IMPEDIMENTS TO OVERCOMING BUSINESS CHALLENGES
• THE WINNING WAYS TO BUSINESS GROWTH

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THE MEANING OF EMPOWERMENT

• Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual,
  political, social or economic strength of
  individuals and communities. It often involves
  the empowered developing confidence in their own
  capacities.

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CONSTITUENTS OF CHRISTIAN EMPOWERMENT

• THE SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT
• ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL FREEDOM
• ABILITY TO EMPOWER OTHERS TO SPIRITUAL AND
  ECONOMIC GROWTH

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Spiritual empowerment

• Spiritual empowerment has to do with the
  spiritual soundness of an individual. It revolves
  around the Christians deeds and/or faith. We can
  sight a few biblical examples
• -ABRAHAM- he believed God and it was counted for
  him as righteousness
• -JOB-was regarded in Job 1 1 as Blameless and
  upright
• -DOCAS- For the care of widows and the needy
  (Acts 936)
• -DANIEL- Dan 18 for refusing to defile himself
  with foods offered to idols and for refusing to
  bow to other Gods( Dan 316)
• -STEPHEN-for standing up to what is truth and
  bowing as the first Christian Martyr Acts chapter
  7

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Economic empowerment

• This is freedom from financial and/or material
  worries the ability to worship God freely
  without the added burden of what to eat, how to
  clothe and where to live. In serving God,
  Christians should not worry about the physical
  because when the spiritual wars against the
  physical, it takes only DIVINITY to truly
  overcome. God acknowledges our physical well
  being as important hence, Jesus fed the five
  thousand as recorded in Lk 910-17
• The bible also condemns the lazy our old
  testament reading from Proverbs 66-11 shows

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Economic empowerment continued

• In 2nd Thessalonians 3(6-15)
• Paul condemns idle people and warns Christians
  not to be associated with them
• He also declared that in spite of their (Paul and
  his colleagues) rights to reap where they
  sowed, they worked to take care of their needs
  so as not to constitute a burden to believers
• He concluded that a man who does not work has no
  rights to eat,
• by these Paul in essence is saying that CHARITY
  is offensive

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Economic empowerment cont.

• The parable of the Talent (MAT 2514-30), our New
  Testament reading explored
• There was the receiving of the talents-God has
  empowered each and every one of us with talents
  and has further commanded us as Christians to
  empower one another-love one another as
  yourself
• There is the working (investment to yield fruits)
  by the people who received 5 and 2 talents and
  the lazy destructive attitude of the man with one
  talent
• There follows the performance appraisal where
  hard works are rewarded and laziness is punished

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Others empowered

• The bible calls Christians who are empowered to
  empower others. Others empowered has its root
  in the story of the Good Samaritan where the Lord
  demonstrates that only the Samaritan who was not
  of the house-hold of faith was counted as a good
  neighbor to a man in need that had been shun even
  by a Priest.

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Others empowered continued

• Empowering others does not mean giving the people
  fish, but instead involves teaching the people to
  fish. This is why St Paul warns Christians
  against idle people
• In 2nd Kings 41-7, Elisha meant the widow to
  have enough to trade with and cater for her
  family beyond paying her husbands debts and
  eating for the day
• In LK 5(1-7) Jesus demonstrated economic
  empowerment by filling the nets of the fishermen-
  the first disciples. Jesus sure was not providing
  them something to eat for the day, He knew they
  needed money to settle their families and
  commitments and undertake the jobs ahead, hence
  the bumper harvest
• The bible further tells us that when the
  disciples needed to pay taxes, Jesus not only
  encouraged that but empowered them to work for
  the drachma with which their taxes was paid
  (Mat 17 24-27)

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How to empower others

• Granted, a good number of Christians give gifts
  and alms to fellow believers and non believers
  alike. The church in itself has various welfare
  packages for members. Good as these alms and
  welfare packages are, they do not constitute
  empowerment. Except your gifts and alms
  challenges and enables the receiver to become
  productive and eventually stand on his/herself,
  empowerment has not taken place Real empowerment
  can be achieved through..
• Education and training for productive employment
• Financial investment for productive ventures
• Discouragement from charity
• Commensurate compensation for workers (Fair trade
  phenomena)
• Mentoring and role modeling

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Forms of empowerment

• THERE ARE TWO BASIC FORMS OF EMPOWERMENT NAMELY
• 1. THE INTERNALLY INSTIGATED EMPOWERMENT See
  DEBORAH (Judges 44-10) RUTH (Ruth 116-18) THE
  SHUNAMITE WOMAN(2nd Kings 4)) and HANNAH(1Samuel
  12)
• These are self motivated people with no hold
  backs. The ones who never STOP to worry about
  changes in their situations because they know
  something else must happen. They are always on
  the move, the sky is usually the beginning for
  these people. They are the Sniff and Scurry in
  the motivational book, WHO MOVED MY CHEESE? They
  are people who match faith with deeds

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Forms of empowerment

• 2. EXTERNALLY INFLUENCED EMPOWERMENT see ESTHER
  (chapter 2), SEPPHIRA (Acts 5 1-10)
• These people depend on others to get started.
  They move with the tide. A little push may be
  what get them moving but sometimes, it may
  actually take a great knock on their heads to
  move them. But as Christians who must care for
  one another, we may have to hit some several
  times on their heads to kick start them. They are
  the Hem and Haw (little men) in WHO MOVED MY
  CHEESE. They stay on sulking that they can no
  longer find their cheese in the usual cheese
  station C while the little mice have moved on and
  discovered other more bountiful cheese stations.
  Paul warns Christians not to be associated with
  idle men, but ends by saying to love them. We
  show love when in spite of our brethrens
  failure, we keep knocking them to move them to
  better levels.

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Levels of empowerment using Mary Kay Ashs 4
types of people

• Mary Kay Ash in her biography Miracles do
  Happen said that there are 4 types of people
• Those who make things happen
• Those who watch things happen
• Those who wonder what happened and
• Those who do not even know that things have
  happened
• Every group and organization has a great number
  of all categories and cannot be called successful
  if the group on the lower ladder of the
  compendium are allowed to be. This is very much
  true of the church the early church introduced
  the principle of caring for one another by
  sharing all their possessions (Act 432-35).

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The lead to levels of empowerment

• Going by Mary Kay Ashs reasoning, the type of
  empowerment every one has would depend on what
  level on that compendium each person
  intrinsically belongs.

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Analysis 1-those who make things happen

• Those who make things happen are self empowered.
  They never stay comfortable where they are and do
  not need any external push to move-on. They are
  simply creative on their own and no holds-on or
  hangs-on to the past they just keep moving. They
  may fall many times over but they get up as many
  times as they fall. These are what Stephen cover
  termed the proactive people. For these
  categories of people, salary is limiting-income
  is what matters

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Analysis 2 those who watch things happen

• Those who watch things happen are internally
  motivated but are inspired to get moving from
  competitive edge. They have great deals of
  initiatives but never take them until they see
  someone else do the task. They are far more
  motivated by competition than intrinsic
  leadership. They do well once their competitive
  instincts are activated. These categories of
  people are referred to by Stephen covey as
  reactive people. They may end up succeeding
  better once they are hooked on. The sad aspect of
  these categories of people is that they may
  remain in limbo except that competitive trigger
  is instigated. A proactive group may therefore do
  well to instigate competitiveness to bring out
  the potentials in this group of people. A NOTE OF
  WARNING THOUGH IS THAT THESE PEOPLE MAY BECOME
  DESTRUCTIVE UNLESS CLOSELY WATCHED AND
  POSITIVELY ENCOURAGED

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Those who wonder what happened

• Those who wonder what happened need a good amount
  of push to get out of confusion and get moving.
  They are simply cheerleaders who do not even know
  whether there has been a score, they just keep
  cheering like Eddy Murphy in the Basket Ball
  pitch of his movie-COMING TO AMERICA

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Those who do not know that anything happened

• Those who do not even know that things have
  happened must be hit on the head ten times to
  move out of their stupor. They are people who
  after this talk would remember at best what
  colour of dress the preacher wore

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Keys to empowerment

• Application of Stephen coveys seven habits
  proactive begin with the end in mind put first
  things first, think win-win, seek first to
  understand synergise and sharpen the saw
• Timeliness consciousness
• Perseverance
• Knowledge of your own personal potentials and
  abilities

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Keys continued..

• Organization
• Readiness to start all over again
• The can do attitude
• Network extensively

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Sources of empowerment

• From intrinsic powers and spiritual inspirations
• From listening to peers and watching
• From group activities and group members
• From acquaintances in work or business places, on
  the street, news media, written books, teachers
  and preachers, program facilitators etc
• From experience
• From friends
• From family (usually the least important), except
  for financial empowerment

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TYPES OF EMPOWERMENT

• Educational empowerment
• Political empowerment
• Physical empowerment
• Economical OR Financial empowerment

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FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT

• Financial empowerment means to give/have
  control over your financial situation.
• Therefore to achieve financial freedom, one
  necessarily must be financially empowered

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WAYS OF ACHIEVING FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT

• Financial empowerment can be attained in the
  following ways-
• By staying continuously employable
• Through Savings
• From Gifts
• Assured Investment incomes
• From inheritance
• By obtaining Loans

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CONSTITUENTS OF ECOMONIC EMPOWERMENT

• A person is economically empowered when
• He/she has a steady and sustainable means of
  livelihood
• He or she consistently meets his desired level of
  livelihood and has some savings
• He/she has the capacity to generate sustainable
  stream of incomes
• He/she is able to undertake some level of
  investment for the future
• He/she has guaranteed financial supports for old
  age (pension)

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Business opportunities for unemployed or
underemployed Christians

• Fashion business and Tailoring
• Fruits and vegetable vending
• Supplies and LPOs contracts
• Transportation-bus services, okada business, keke
  business, haulage business etc
• Service rendition-washman/woman, daycare
  provision, night care provision, home care
  provision, home tutors, barbing and hairdressing
• Pure water making or vending
• Small scale production such as soap making, block
  making, juice extraction, palm wine bottling
• Distributive trade-wholesale or retail
  consumption or productive
• Catering-akara frying, akamu production,
  restaurant (fixed or mobile), bakery etc
• Handicapped and senior citizens persons help
  provision
• The list is endless provided the business does
  not contradict with our Christian principles and
  ethics

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DIFFERENT FORMS OF BUSINESS CHALLENGES

• Internal/personal challenges
• External/environmental challenges
• Financial challenges
• Emotional challenges
• Administrative challenges
• Spiritual challenges

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Internal /personal challenges to business

• Lack of business plan
• Unappreciated impediments to business growth
• Basis for entering the business-envy,
  retaliation, anger from an episode in ones life,
  or shear interest in such business
• Lack of self confidence
• Lack of self drive
• Business illiteracy
• Inability to apply Stephen Coveys Habit 2
  begin with the end in Mind and A CAIN
  CHARACTERISTICS IN THE CAIN AND ABEL STORY

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External/environmental challenges

• Business location
• Business connections
• Industry specifics
• Competition
• Family and friends
• Fiscal, Economic and Social challenges
• Unforeseen events

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Financial challenges

• Inadequate capital
• Business losses
• Illiteracy about different sources of finance
• Fear and/or inability to raise bank loans
• Financial leakages-inability to separate business
  from personal/family funding
• Poor financial structuring and alignment in
  multiple business ventures

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Emotional challenges

• In ability to differentiate between business and
  pleasure
• Inability to say no to people- LOOSE-WIN PEOPLE
• Lack of focus
• Fanatic about voodism
• Lack of self control or over-sensitivity
• Over-influence of spouse
• Poor treatment of your workers
• People who practice Stephen Coveys 8th
  Habit from Effectiveness to greatness tend to
  do better in business. Jonah failed with Nineveh
  assignment from emotional challenges

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Administrative challenges

• Poor internal controls
• Poor accounting system
• Lack of good organizational structure
• Highly de motivated staff leading to frauds in
  business
• Lack of management transparency

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Spiritual challenges

• The bible tells us that we are not fighting
  against flesh and blood but against
  principalities and powers
• For some of us in business, our problems may
  indeed be spiritual hence no mater what we put in
  place, we still encounter heavy challenges. Such
  spiritual challenges may be from
• Courses known or unknown and deserved or
  underserved
• Spiritual impartations such as things buried in
  our business locations
• Staff in various spiritual warring activities
• Business partners and associates spiritual
  activities

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SPIRITUAL CONTD.

• The prayer warriors of the church and the pastors
  have the gifts to deal with spiritual challenges
  in the business of believers. While it is
  important to recognize when businesses are being
  pelted by spiritual attacks, it is important to
  check ourselves to be sure that we are not indeed
  our own witches and wizards. A situation where a
  believer presents and manifests same spiritual
  symptoms to every Pastor and in every crusade may
  be tantamount to him/her being the demon itself

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CAUSES OF DISTURBING BUSINESS CHALLENGES

• There is no business without challenges. However,
  business challenges become true challenges when
  they militate against further growth. These types
  are caused by
• Lack of plans for challenges
• Living a euphoria-too much in the dream not
  appreciating the realities of life
• Too much of mountain freights- people who fail to
  rise again after a fall and are afraid to take on
  challenges- Ruth was not afraid of the mountains
  and she followed Naomi, today, a hidden women is
  in the genealogy of the Savior of the world
• The almighty enemy of progress-PRIDE- why must I
  go and ask? Why must I start small? Why cant I
  just be like the other person-the Ham and Hem
  mentality

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Impediments to overcoming business challenges

• Self fear (cant do it attitude), envy, pride,
  lack of knowledge, unappreciated self potentials,
  inability to seek help due to pride or timidity
• Jealousy and envy infested attitudes rather than
  cooperation leading to inability to network
• Being in the wrong business
• Rigidity in business decision
• Lack of faith that even in our challenges, God
  has a divine plan-The woman with the issue of
  Blood may never have been healed, Hannah the
  barren may never born Samuel

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Winning ways to overcoming business
challenges-the hard stuff

• Start with the end in mind-plan your business
• Be a proactive business person
• Go for the right financial mixes
• Determine to separate business from family and
  pleasure
• Be sure to rise again even if you fall many times
  over
• Be professional and ethical about your business
• Be honest to your self and your business
  associates. You cannot cheat or deceive others
  for too long

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Winning ways- contd.

• Take loans whenever required and necessary
• Network effectively
• Go for advisory sessions when necessary
• Learn all you can about your business
• Believe you can reach beyond the sky-this is why
  Hilary came out to be the worlds no one
  president in a society where less than 100 years
  ago, women could not vote, this is why a black
  man (OBAMA) ventured into the presidential race
  of great USA
• Learn about other alternatives and associated
  businesses

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Winning ways contd.

• Execute business plans effectively and in a
  disciplined way
• Identify challenges early enough and deal with
  them
• Do not accept sub-optimal businesses that would
  not build you or enable you actualize your dreams
• Be the master in your business not an on-looker
  or watcher
• Employ flexibility in business management

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Winning ways-the soft angle

• Do not be chicken hearted
• Manage with human angle-treat staff well
• Be humble about success
• Share victory and successes-do not hoard
  knowledge and success
• Interdependence is important-no one knows it all
• GIVE IT ALL TO GOD INSPITE OF YOUR EFFORTS LIKE
  DAVID DID IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS

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Empowerment capping THE 7 Cs TO SUCCESS

• Coaches have a coach (mentors)
• Clarifiers safety people
• Collaborators readers and runners of your
  vision
• Confronters people that can tell you the truth
• Comforters put a balm on your pains/ fears
• Confiders people to confide in
• Catchers raise catchers (train people)

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MEMOIRS ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT

• The road to success is not straight. There is a
  curve called Failure, a loop called Confusion,
  speed bumps called Friends, red lights called
  Enemies, caution lights called Family. You will
  have flats called Jobs.
• But, if you have a spare called Determination, an
  engine called Perseverance, insurance called
  Faith, a driver called Jesus, you will make it to
  a place called Success.

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Conclusion

• RISE UP AND LET US PRAY
  amen and may God make you an all-round
  empowered Christian in Jesus name