The process of getting someone to feel an “ownership”
with something in his or her life is a difficult process.
I’ve seen the problem of the lack of ownership with my own children:
A sweater that my nine-year-old “couldn’t live without”
was purchased. Within the first 5 hours of the time that she put it
on, not only was there a “glob” of toothpaste and a smudge
of jelly stuck to the front, but there was also a streak of Sharpie
marker and a small pull of the thread on the sleeve. Not having purchased
the sweater out of her own bank account had reduced the importance of
it, and gave her no motivation to be more careful with it.
I’ve seen the problem of the lack of ownership with vandalism,
littering, and graffiti at just about every municipal park and roadway
that we have visited. Feeling no ownership of that land reduces certain
people’s need to protect it, and gives them no motivation to keep
it clean for others to use and enjoy.
I’ve seen the problem of the lack of ownership during a work-trip
in Haiti: A work crew had done work on a schoolyard fence during the
previous year. This fence was extremely important since it was being
built to keep cars from careening off of the road and into the school’s
play fields. One of the projects on the agenda for our work crew was
to pick up where the previous year’s crew had left off…providing
that the locals hadn’t already finished the project. Upon arriving
at the school 12 months later, we found the hand tools and wheelbarrows
in the same place that they had been left at the end of the previous
year’s work trip. Not a stone had been moved, not a hole had been
dug, and not a tool picked up. Having no participation or ownership
in the project gave the local population no interest or motivation to
finish it…especially when they undoubtedly knew that another crew
would be coming down in twelve months to complete it.
The process of feeling an “ownership” of an item or a process
has a direct correlation to the level of motivation that a person has
with protecting that item, or seeing a job done correctly, or “carrying
on” a program that needs to move forward to remain effective.
To each of us, this principal is taught throughout years of learning
and experiences. Like my daughter (and, I presume, like most children)
this principal is one that must be taught repeatedly throughout the
maturing years. If, however, it is not taught, it is never known. Being
a mature steward or managers of the things around us…like our
homes, incomes, jobs, and talents... requires teaching and experience.
The mission of INTERNATIONAL STEWARD is that “Every Christian
is a maturing steward because every ministry in every community is locally
funded”. My excitement lies in the fact that ministry leaders
around the world are hungry to be trained in this principle to empower
their congregation and communities to feel an “ownership”
with their ministry and motivate them to bring their faith and outreach
to the next level…a level of maturity in their spiritual growth
and stewardship.
Please join us. We are developing a team of leaders and trainers called
the International Steward Council. This Council consists of people that
have firm grasp on the concept of a mature steward, and can accompany
us on one or two per year of our international 3-day workshop trips
to assist in training and developing ministry leaders around the world.
This is an exciting ministry, and an opportunity to participate with
International Steward “in the trenches”. Please pray about
this, and feel free to contact us to obtain more information about our
International Stewardship Council. The process of getting someone to
feel an “ownership” with something in his or her life is
a difficult process.
I’ve seen the problem of the lack of ownership with my own children:
A sweater that my nine-year-old “couldn’t live without”
was purchased. Within the first 5 hours of the time that she put it
on, not only was there a “glob” of toothpaste and a smudge
of jelly stuck to the front, but there was also a streak of Sharpie
marker and a small pull of the thread on the sleeve. Not having purchased
the sweater out of her own bank account had reduced the significance
of it.
The process of feeling “ownership” of an item or a process
has a direct correlation to the level of motivation that a person has
with maintaining, developing, or “carrying on” a program
that needs to move forward to remain effective.
The mission of INTERNATIONAL STEWARD is that every Christian is a maturing
steward because every ministry in every community is locally funded.
My excitement lies in the fact that ministry leaders around the world
are hungry to be trained in this principle to empower their congregation
and communities to feel an “ownership” with their ministry
and motivate them to bring their faith and outreach to the next level…a
level of maturity in their spiritual growth and stewardship.
