How Faith-Based Networking Can Aid Job Searches -WSJ article

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN
October 2, 2007; Page B4

When Amber Edwina Hampton began searching for her first post-college job last spring, in addition to praying, the recent convert to Islam took advantage of her new religious connections to network.

As a result, a classmate at an Islamic school told Ms. Hampton about a job opening at the NYU School of Medicine. The classmate, already an employee at the medical school, also agreed to hand Ms. Hampton's résumé to the hiring manager. Three weeks later, the 24-year-old was hired as a program associate.

If you're searching for work, consider reaching out to fellow congregants, spiritual leaders and others in your religious circle. These folks are often eager to help like-minded believers. What's more, many nonsecular institutions provide free job-search resources that are available to anyone.

Successful networkers say they often secure leads from their faith-based connections by bringing up their employment status in casual conversations about their lives. These conversations can take place after services, at holiday parties or at other religious gatherings, they say.

Mary Stutts, an associate pastor at Revival Center Ministries in Vallejo, Calif., says she regularly spreads the word about local job opportunities to worshipers before and after services. "In the last month, I've given out four job referrals," she says. Ms. Stutts even announces job opportunities from the pulpit when interesting ones open up locally. She learns of most openings from church members and through her work outside the church as a business-relationship consultant, she says.

Some religious groups use email and online forums to share job leads, facilitate networking and channel career advice. An example is the University of Washington's chapter of Hillel, a global foundation for Jewish students. It puts out a weekly email newsletter featuring ads for jobs and networking events in the Seattle area, says Josh Furman, a program coordinator for the group.

Alicia Post of New York says her rabbi regularly blasts emails about job opportunities in her area to current and past members of his synagogue who sign up for them. This past summer, an email describing an opening for an executive director at a Jewish nonprofit caught her eye. At the time, Ms. Post was in her seventh year at a similar organization and was craving a new and more challenging role. She expressed interest in the job to the rabbi, and he forwarded her résumé to the nonprofit's chief executive officer. The 29-year-old Ms. Post landed the job in July.

Between Jobs Ministry, a group started 15 years ago by a pastor at Northwest Bible Church in Spring, Texas, offers job-search assistance meetings weekly. The sessions are typically led by retired career experts and professionals, says Ed Bacon, a director at the ministry and a retired finance executive. The volunteers give talks on job-search topics, facilitate networking among members, critique résumés, organize mock interviews and provide emotional and spiritual support, he says.

Church membership and religious devotion aren't required, but attendees can expect the group to recite a Christian devotional during meetings, adds Mr. Bacon.

In 2006, Michael Schaffner joined the Between Jobs Ministry after being laid off from a position as chief information officer at an oil-field equipment company. A member introduced him to an executive recruiter who later got him an interview for a job as a director of information technology at a similar employer.

Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Schaffner was put in touch with a past member of the ministry who worked for the potential employer. This was helpful, he says, because he learned that the company uses Six Sigma, a business methodology he was familiar with. As a result, he added more details about his Six Sigma experience to his résumé and listed it higher on the page. Mr. Schaffner, 57 years old, landed the job in April.

While many job seekers may rely on prayer for support and success, career experts warn against discussing faith when meeting with hiring managers or executive recruiters. "You don't want to turn it into a religious conversation," says Kevin Zwetsch, a partner with the law firm Fowler White Boggs Banker in Tampa, Fla. "You're veering off the path of what you're there for."

An exception might be if your involvement in religion can promote your candidacy, adds Mr. Zwetsch. For example, if you mention that you are a deacon at a church during a job interview, "that demonstrates leadership and community involvement," he says.

But he warns that "if you go any further, employers will get skittish," because recruiters are prohibited by law from asking candidates questions about their religious beliefs unless they pertain to the job at hand. "[Religion] is one of those taboo topics," he says.

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Joseph's Vision and a Sevant's Heart

We may have a dream for our business or lifestyle that may seem to be taken longer than we would like. This is similar to Joseph who had a dream that took many years to became a reality. In fact, soon after Joseph told his dream his brothers, they sold him into slavery, the totally opposite of what he thought would happen. Often, circumstances occur in our lives that seem to side track us from the vision God has given us for our business. Our dreams may become derailed and we feel stuck in a place we can't escape.

Although the circumstances seemed dire, Joseph's servant's heart was the key to his both his happiness and his ultimate success. First he severed his father Jacob by tending to his flocks, this was probably not the most desirable job otherwise one of his older brothers would have requested it. Instead, this was likely the job that no one else wanted, but Joseph did it to sever his father.

Then after his brother's betrayed him, Joseph served Potipher. When Potpher's wife tempted Joseph, someone else in his shoes may have fallen to Potipher's wife's desires both because she was attractive and because it would have been a means for him to better himself. If he gave into her desires he could have kept himself in good standings with her and kept out of prison. To add insult to injury, rather than defending himself and accusing Potipher's wife, he choose to serve Potipher by being silent. If he had accused Potipher's wife this would have brought disgrace to Potipher, instead he choose to go quietly to prison. Often our business are faced with the choice between what is right for our clientele and what is right for our business, often these are one and the same, but when they are not, do we choose to put our clientele's needs over our own?

Even in prison, Joseph severed the guards, the people that kept him captive. It was during this time that Joseph's helped the cup-bearer by interpreting his dream, however this didn't immediately to Joseph's release from prison. Often in business we have to do things that are right even if we don't get the credit or worst, someone else gets the credit. God is just and doesn't forget the acts we commit. It took two year but when Pharaoh had a dream, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph and this led to his release and subsequent elevation to second in command. Even though Joseph probably didn't understand why it took so long for his dream to come to pass, it was during this time that God prepared Joseph by developing the characeristics for his success.

If our vision for our business seems off track, we have to believe that God's purpose is greater than any circumstance, or any mistake we may have made. I'm sure that Joseph wondered if it was a mistake to tell his brother's of his dream, or to have taken the job in Potipher's house, or maybe he should have negotiated a better exit strategy with the cup-bearer. But instead he trusted that God had a plan that is greater than any circumstance.

In business, it is our responsibility to have a vision like Joseph that is unwavering in our trust in God, but also to have Joseph's heart of a servant, willing to do whatever is right irregardless of circumstances. Then and only then will God deliver upon his promise to our business.

Val thoughts on Visionary's Voice

"When Mark spoke on Sat about Visionary, Leader, Minister and Servant I was was struck by something. In my biz I wear all of those hats at various times, but I was having weird feelings about one, the Visionary hat. I'm very comfortable with that role, what was weird was my "voice" as he called it - silent. I most often share my vision for various things with my Leaders (directors) and step out - sometimes I literally need to stay out of the office to know something is going to work, It's really weird because in my natural mind I keep thinking "get in there and manage.". But my spirit keeps telling me to stay away. It was so cool to hear that a Visionary's voice is silent. Really understood it for the first time." -Val Donati

Finding God in Market Turmoil

August is typically the time of the year is when Hedge Fund managers go to their homes in the Hamptons for a little rest and relaxation, but this August has been anything but peaceful. The meltdown of the sub-prime mortgage market has caused multi-billion dollar companies like American Home Mortgage (AHM) to go bankrupt, Bear Sterns(BSC) to shut down some of its hedge funds and Goldman Sachs(GS) one of the most prestigious brokerage houses to suffer huge losses to their stock price. Yet in the midst of all this Market in turmoil how is it that we can have a peace that the Bible describes, "surpasses all understanding".

I was playing tennis with a successful executive friend of mine who ran a multi-billion dollar corporation and after the match he started telling me about a certain time in his life during which he found himself in a crisis. I expected him to tell me how God gave him comfort during this time but instead he described how challenging the time was and how he had a hard time understanding "Why" he was being put through this circumstance and "Where" God was hiding during this time?

It got me thinking that while there are many times in the Bible that God chooses to manifest himself in a Big way, but there are other examples where He remains silent. It occurred to me that almost all the great figures in the Bible experience periods in their life when God was "silent" and His presence felt far off. The Psalmist best describes this time in our Christan walk when he says, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death you are with me." I believe the psalmist wrote this because he is actually reminding himself that God is still there, even though he doesn't feel His presence. Incredibly even Christ for a moment in time felt separation from God's presence when He was on the cross and said, "my God, my God why have you forsaken me?"

God obviously loves his only son Christ, but at that moment even Jesus felt forsaken when probably needed God the most. If God allowed even Jesus to feel forsaken at the time when he needed Him the most it is likely that we too may feel alone in our greatest challenges. Why does He sometimes seems to disappear? The poem "Footprints" is very beautiful and speaks to the artist in me, but when I'm in trouble the more practical business person side of me emerges and I want to know where God is?

I believe that during our darkest moments when a trial is unbearable the reason God seems to intentionally hide is so we will do three things 1) recall our previous victories, 2) seek his presence even more fervently and 3) rely on His promise that "he will never leave us nor forsake us" and that He will never "give us any burden to difficult for us to carry."

So when everything is falling apart and the Market is crashing, my only hope is to follow Christ's example and cry out to God. It gives me comfort to know that on the cross He too felt forsaken and even though I don't understand "why", or don't feel Him there, He is in fact walking with me in the valley of the shadow of death.

I have come to accept that the "Why" is not necessarily for me to comprehend. The outcome is simply an increased faith and fortitude for the next battle.

Church in the Workplace

Kim Garret's (CCC-Manhattan) has a brother is starting CCC-Toronto and he apparently was very impressed with a book "Church in the Workplace" by C. Peter Wagner. I have yet to read the book, but apparently it is very relevant to Pathfinders, please check out his review at

http://c3torontoconnect.multiply.com/reviews

Shant be an Ant

Giving in the corporate sense can be a very scary concept - especially for an entrepreneur. Most worldly advice available gives the business owner guidance counter to the kingdom principles. Like little ants we store during the feast, to ensure survive during any possible famine.

I don't want to live like an ant. Period. Here's some advice I also heard: If it looks like a ant, walks like an ant, acts like an ant, it _IS_ an ant. Well, I don't want to be an ant. I want to be a king. I am not busy toiling away to build an ant hill? Ant hills have to be rebuilt after every storm - my corporation stands strong. I'm going to pause here and allow all business owners to pound their chest for a bit.

I think about that story in the bible where someone was describing the temple. And the water levels on the different sides of the throne were different. At times you could hop over the stream, other times you could wade through it, other times you had to forge through it, and yet other times, you HAD to leave yourself at the mercy of the water.

Business is the same way. Sales cycles , contracts, negotiations, accounts payables, accounts receivables are the same way. Depending on your outlook, you can either hop over it, or feel powerless over them. Either way, there is one certainty, it's coming, in some shape or form, all of the previously mentioned aspects are coming. You should welcome them - you just pounded your chest earlier. Well, my question is do you want to prepare yourself for this onslaught by being the best ANT you can be? Or the best KING you can be?

I will say it again. I am a king. Now I'm going to let you take another minute and say it. Now behave like one. Here, let me help you, let me give you your staffs - unity and favor. Build unity through mercy and grace and vision and yes, at times, through ruthlessness. Build favor by giving. Giving builds roots which builds connections and relationships. Through unity and favor, you can be sure that no matter what happens or you the king sees on the horizon, you will be prepared. Because you now have the power of the kingdom's army. And as I learned from a 3-year-old prince (upcoming king) in Kid's Church -- I'm in the Lord's Army.

That's how I have grown - through the realization that I am a king.

Build first the Kingdom

We all have big dreams and visions for our lives. When we moved to NY, Pieter and I had to sacrifice a few of ours so that we could step into a new level of growth and faith. Over the past few years, God has challenged us to put our dreams and desires on hold , while we plant ourselves in His house and we commit to building His house first. Initially we thought that the process would include a standstill in our plans to move forward, but over the past year especially, we've seen God open so many doors for us - in the natural and spiritual world - and we've been able to see him working on our behalf and moving us closer to His purpose for our lives. As leaders, we all have incredible stories of sacrifice and building faith around that, and now it's time for us to impart that into the people around us to inspire and encourage them. We can't wait to see the incredible testimonies that will be birthed from our Rise and Build campaign - not only for ourselves, but especially for the people around us.

Peace, Provision and a Cat called Lucy

Living in New York has it's challenges - especially when it comes to housing. Over the past 3 months Clara and I have lived in 6 different places as we have navigated the New York rental market. What we have come to experience is that God provides for us and we can have great peace in that.

Imagine coming to New York from another country with no US credit history, no income verification and no guarantor. On paper we look like the worst tenants ever. Nevertheless a property owner in Sydney Australia gave us an apartment in Grammercy Park (rent free) from June 2006 - May 2007. With just 3 days notice the apartment was sold in May, and the search was on to find a new place.

We literally had all our property in a truck. We had no confirmation where we would move in next. We ended up in Hell's Kitchen for 2 weeks while the owners were in Ireland. The problem with the property was that I am terribly allergic to cats and there was a cat called Lucy that lived in the house. A day before we moved in, Lucy was put down due to a serious cancer and we were provided Cat free accomodation.

Later we jumped out of the kitchen into the Union Square while another friend went to Australia. Time was running out - we had until June 16 to find a place.

We applied for 2 apartments but they were taken before our applications were submitted. One apartment was signed by another tenant in the 15mins it took to walk from the apartment viewing to the management office. Finally we found the perfect place - and the management didn't mind at all that we didn't have credit histories or all the normal documentation. We took occupancy on the 15th of June - all in perfect timing.

What we have learnt in the midst of all these adventures is that there is a plan and purpose for all of us even when we can't see it. Peace and patience in the face of seeming uncertainty is a great gift that grows as we trust God more and more.

It should be noted that even Lucy's owners took great comfort in the timing of her passing. It seems sad to say that a Cat died for us, but in a way it's true. The owners saw their loss as part of a bigger picture in God's perfect plan. They were actually encouraged to catch a glimpse of purpose and provision in the loss of their cat.

Getting Bigger Through Giving

We love to give because this House has taught us to give . . . it's that simple. We've learned to trust God in our giving . . . trust Him enough to step "outside the box" in the way we approach our businesses and our finances to prove to ourselves that He can do it better and bigger than we can. While giving at c3m we saw our savings/investments accounts soar into 6 digits, we saw them drain to zero when we spent every last penny on a wedding and a home in the city, and we saw those same accounts recover and continue to grow since then. We now treat that account strictly as "God's account." Whatever He wants to do with it, He can (He's done so well, why stop Him now!?). While giving at c3m we've watched our annual tithes and offerings increase every year . . . and in bigger leaps and bounds than we had budgeted towards. We are continually amazed at the blessings we've experienced and have been able to give back out of. Our businesses have become testimonies to our God and to our family within this House. This year, even with one less salary, we have renewed our commitment to increase our tithes and offerings. It seems ridiculous in the natural, but with God, anything is possible! We've decided to focus on the fact that if we commit to larger giving, the money has to come from somewhere . . . and our God has proven faithful!

The Fellowship of the Unashamed - Commitment Statment

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed". The die has been cast, the decision has been made, I have stepped over the line. I won't look back let up, slow down, back away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure. I'm finish and done with lone living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame vision, mundane talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotion, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right first, tops recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on his presence, love with patience, live by prayer, and labor by power. My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I can not be bought, compromised, detoured, loured away, turned back, diluted or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, and ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, let up or slow up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up and paid up and spoken up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know and work till he stops me and when Jesus comes for his own, He will have no problem recognizing me, my banner is clear, I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed.

Finance Seminar, 5/19

Don't miss this amazing seminar on achieving your financial goals, including sessions on Expanding Your Financial Vision and Expanding Your Territory: How to Buy a Home in New York City. The seminar will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2-5PM. Cost is $25 per person ($20 with a valid student ID).

Led by Doug Pyle, Vice President of IT Mentors, a technology training company serving companies such as Microsoft and Morgan Stnley, and Erica Pyle, co-founder (along with her husband, Doug) of Acquire NYC, a real estate investment compnay, these sessions will focus on expanding your financial capacity, and take you through a discussion on how God provides for our needs and how we can attract the culture of heave into our own personal financial world.

Please RSVP at info@cccmanhattan.org as soon as possible to secure your spot at this information-packed seminar and to receive location details.

Cairn Builders

A cairn is a non-natural pile of stones erected by a individual(s) at regular intervals along a moutain trail to indicate the path to travel to the summit. As pathfinders we are like hikers often driven to travel along uncharted territory to take new ground in our business.

Interestingly cairns are historical decendants of altars. In the Old Testiment, Altars were often errected after great victories, for example Saul errected an altar when the Isrealites defeated the philistines (1 Samuel chapter 14). Altars are places of worship or giving thanks to where God has brought you. An altar is also a place of sacrifice, where we are to give the first of our fruits or tithes.

Errecting an cairn in hiking is very much like errecting an altar. It is done typically when a hiker is resting. You can't be hiking and building at the same time. Similarly in the Old Testiment altars were not build during battles but at times of rest, reflections and worship, they served the purpose of commemorating a victory.

In business it should be the first thing we should when we reach a goal is take the time to give thanks to God and give of the first of our fruits or tithes.

A builder of a cairn does so to show the path to others hiking along the trail. As pathfinders we are trailblazers taking new ground and as we do we lead others long the same path. As we forge foward in our businesses we should all build spiritual cairns. Because cairns accomplish three things: 1) give praise 2) give offering 3) give witness. In this we demonstrate to others the power of being lead by God, our trust in him with our tithes and we inspire others to do the same.

Speed of Trust

I recently read a very powerful book that I highly recommend, "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M. R. Covey, in this book the author describes one of the most important but least understood business qualities, trust.

Trust is a fundamental quality that we all need to apply in our business, whether it is to trust an employee with a task or a vendor's ability to deliver on time.

Covey describes a direct correlation between Trust and productivity: As trust goes up, speed goes up and costs go down, conversely as trust goes down, speed decreases and costs rise. Covey gives an example of the airline industry post-911 where trust of passengers went down and that caused the time one spends in the airport to go up and ticket costs to rise.

Trust only comes with credibility and there are four cores to credibility: 1) Integrity, 2) Intent (motives), 3) Capability, and 4) Results (Track Record). The first two Integrity and Intent are both Character qualities, while Capability and Results are both a matter of competence.

As Christians business people we are called to the highest standard of character, but a Christian character can be summarized by Matthew 5:37 where Jesus says, "yes be yes and our no be no". The core principles of competence can be surmised in Luke 12:48, "to whom much is given much is required." As Christians we need to be forthright in our business transaction as a manner or character and responsible for delivering what we have promised as an example of our competence.

Covey then goes on to describe 13 behaviors associated with trust, the first five are linked to character, the next five with competence and the last three are qualities of both character and competence:

I. Character:
1. Talk Straight: Be honest in action, tell the trust and leave the right impression. The opposite of honest is lying, or spinning the truth. Proverbs 16:21 " Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.

2. Demonstrate Respect: The Golden Rule-" Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Matthew 7:12. Bottom line is act in Fairness, Kindness and love. The opposite is Disrespect and the counterfeit is showing respect only to those that can help you.

3. Create Transparency: Opposite is hiding of failing to disclose. Having a hidden agenda. " He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him." Daniel 2:22

4. Right Wrongs: Based out of humility. We see Christ doing this often in the Bible. The opposite is ego or pride and being humbled only when found out. The counterfeit is a person that hides or covers up their wrongs. This has a double tax the first when you make the wrong and the second when you cover it up.

5. Show Loyalty: a) Give credit to others, the opposite is to take credit from others b) speak of others as if they are in the room. The opposite it to sell people out, the counterfeit is to sweet mouth to a persons face but bad mouth them behind their backs. "He who pursues righteousness and loyalty Finds life, righteousness and honor." Proverbs 21:21

II. Competence:
6. Deliver Results: The counterfeit is to look busy or deliver activity. "bearing fruit in every good work" Colossians 1:10

7. Get Better: Learning or continuously improving. The opposite is entropy, the counterfeit is always learning and never producing (i.e. the constant student). "He who walks with the wise grows wise" Proverbs 13:20

8. Confront Reality: Name the elephant in the room. it takes courage and responsibility, the opposite is to bury your head in the Sand, the opposite is to act like your confronting but actually skirt around the issue. " Be strong and courageous. " Deuteronomy 21:6

9. Clarify Expectations: Behavior of prevention. The opposite is assume expectations, counterfeit is smoke and mirrors, and to fail to nail down specifics.

10. Practice Accountability: Stewardship. opposite is not owning up and the counterfeit it to blame others.

III. Character and Competence:
11. Listen First: Understanding. The opposite is to speak first and listen last, this is all about your agenda. the counterfeit is to pretend your listening and instead of listening spend the time thinking of what you wan to say next.
12. Keep Commitments: It is the quickest way to trust and the opposite is the quickest way to loose trust.
13. Extend Trust: Trust as a noun to trust as as verb. When you trust, others will trust you. It is the principle of empowerment and reciprocity. The opposite is to withhold trust and the counterfeit is a) false trust: trust with no authority b) fake trust: where Big Brother is snooping on the person making sure they are doing a good job.

Now that we understand the Business principles of trust, do we understand the spiritual principles and how do we apply this to our lives? How do we trust ourselves? How does God trust us? How do we learn to trust God in our businesses?

Pathfinders 1O1: Kingdom Invesment Principles

Finance and Faith, Religion and Money. Simple words but put in the same sentence these words can cause even the most devote to cringe. Instantly images of televangelists asking little old ladies to put $10 in an envelopes come to mind. So when I sat to write the opening to this blog on business and faith, I thought it best to start with an explanation.

Pathfinders 1O1: Kingdom Investment Principles

Our Mantra: Business people expanding the kingdom

Our Mission: Pathfinders seeks to nurture kingdom principles in people with business skills. It looks to expand their capacity, reach an influence in the market place an effort to impact the kingdom.

The fundamentals of Pathfinders can be found in John 21. The passage describes fishermen, friends of Jesus, who had been fishing all day with no results. Their failure that day was not due to their laziness or ineptitude. If you recall these fishermen were not weekend warriors trying to catch a fish on a lazy Saturday, they fished daily for their livelihood.

Jesus, a carpenter by trade, who knew little if anything about fishing tells them to cast their net unto the other side of the boat. It doesn't take a scientist to realize that Jesus advice makes no practical sense. It was the same water under the port or the starboard side of the boat. Casting their nets onto the other side didn't logically seem as if it would produce a different result. However these fishermen proved obedient and because of their obedience they caught more fish than they could bring in their boat.

What does this simple story have to do with your business and the daily challenge many of us face while trying to seek the best direction for our careers, businesses and or employees? As an analyst at a hedge fund on Wall Street, I identified with these fishermen. I was out there using all the tools I had and the knowledge I had acquired. But I was relying completely on my own mental acumen to pick stocks. I had a Ph.D from Yale working at one of the hedge funds with a reputation for outstanding results; yet God was not a part of the equation. It dawned on me that if God was willing to help these fishermen cast their nets and catch fish, God would want to help me as well in my daily work of selecting and finding the right stocks.

And what did he want in return? My trust in Him.

Trusting anything or anyone in the Stock Market is a challenge let alone a God that you can't see. Even those with an active prayer life have difficulty knowing the difference between His voice and the voice in their head. Many of the concepts that will be discussed in this blog is how to hear God's voice in our decision making process. And more broadly how to actively include God in your work life and trust in Him.

If you are asking yourself why would God want to guide me with something like stock picks or decisions regarding my employees or a new business venture? My response to you is why would God want to help those fishermen with their fishing? The answer is simple. Because he wants us to relinquish control of our world and trust in Him. When you arrive at a place where you can't do it on your own, that is when you need faith and God can act and show to you that He is real and very interested in your welfare.

Pathfinders is about giving up control to God in everything. It is important to relinquish control while things are good so that you can trust God when tough patches in your life come. As an analyst it is letting Him direct which stocks I should buy or sell and the timing as well. When I'm without work it is about then trusting that he has a plan even when I can't see the path ahead. Pathfinders is not a get rich quick scheme. This is not like asking God what are the numbers in the lottery going to be. It is asking God to very simply to be a part of my work -- show me where to focus my time and to wait for answers. It is about showing God that I trust him with my all.

The amazing thing that is often overlooked in about the story of John 21, is not that they caught 153 fish because they obeyed Jesus, but that without going out fishing Jesus was already on the shore and had not only provided them with fish already frying on the fire but the fire and wood to cook them on.

Philippians 4:19 says, " And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." If we really believe this then we need to trust Him in our decision making in our businesses. One of the greatest ways we can show God that we trust him is in our tithe and in our offering, yet this is one of the greatest challenges business people face. Tithing is often counter intuitive to business people because we are very familiar with the concept of investing and calculating a return, however in giving we can't control what is done with the gift and we may not even understand the return. In tithe and offering we are expected to give with no strings attached, without seeing any result, there is no profitability forecast that can be made to understand the results of our giving.

I had a very close christian business friend who would never tithe but when a non-profit with an orphanage came to visit our church he told me he wrote them a large check. when I asked him why he was moved to such generosity, he said that while he felt guilty about not tithing, this way he could give but have a direct account of what his funds were enabling. My friend was operating under the business principles, he looked at giving like investing in the stock market, where he needed to understand where is money was being invested. While my friend's giving probably did a lot of good for the orphanage, what he was missing was two amazing spiritual principles. The first principle is that tithing is investing in a church and community where the results are lives transformed. The second principle is that giving is an investment of faith. The reason God wants us to give is not because there is a need, but because if God is really God he can take care of the need without our money, what God wants is our hearts, He wants us to trust him with the thing that are most important to our lives, our finances, and for a business person giving is the first step moving closer to trusting God with our all.