Schools Using the Harley-Davidson Effect

September 11, 2012 2 Comments

St. Peter's Lutheran School, Helenville, WI, 1906

There’s a really long article by management guru H. Donald Hopkins (Temple University) entitled “Using History for Strategic Problem-Solving: The Harley-Davidson Effect.” In it he tells of corporate CEOs solving problems such as employee moral or product direction simply by examining their own history. And because Hopkins champions Harley-Davidson, his thinking has become known as the Harley-Davidson Effect (although if you google this you’ll likely find more on the Harley-Davidson sound affects:-).

Anyway, my latest project has been an online program for the Wisconsin Lutheran State Teachers’ Conference. I know, I know, associating church with business gives a lot of people the heebie jeebies. After all, it’s the Holy Spirit that works in us, not some business theory, right?

I agree.

But I also go by the conviction that much of our God-given earthly knowledge works really well for his heavenly purposes. The Harley-Davidson Effect is a perfect example.

The Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod (WELS) schools have a strong history in Wisconsin and throughout the U.S. There are 337 schools nationwide, some of them dating back to the mid-1800s. They’re parochial in nature, yet they face the same problems of budget, integration and student-teacher ratio as does every other school. Nowadays congregations do a lot of strategizing and praying just to keep their school doors open.

This year the WLSTC chose “Your Statutes Are Our Heritage” as its conference theme, based on Psalm 119:111. For the program (click here to check it out), we used historical photos to help convey this message. We asked congregations to dig into their archives and, wow, did they do some digging! Not only did people send photos, they also included anecdotes of how their schools were started, what their classrooms were like a hundred years ago, and so many more fascinating stories.

Strategically or historically, however you want to look at them, these photos and stories are poignant reminders that schools have overcome many challenges. They’re proof of so many blessings throughout the generations. And they evoke a sense of pride in the educational work God has allowed them to do.

“Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart,” Psalm 119:111.

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Why Do Believers Commit Suicide?

March 25, 2012 1 Comment

And She Was a Christian, by Peter Preus

Seven years ago, when my 20-year-old nephew died by suicide, one of the most painful things for his parents was the judgmental assumption many people made of his eternal life. At a time when his parents needed comfort the most, the long-held stigma of suicide created a reluctance to minister to them with the hope of salvation.

What people forgot, however, was that this beautiful, young man was a believer. He was a child of God. Like many people who kill themselves, he suffered from depression. Yes, it caused him to sin. But no, it did not overrule God’s loving grace. And just as we are saved by this grace in spite of our sins, so was this young man.

A book recently came out that my nephew’s parents recommend people dealing with suicide should read. It’s called And She Was a Christian, written by Peter Preus, a Lutheran pastor. His wife also suffered from depression and committed suicide in 1994.

This book must have been hard for Preus to write. He shares his wife’s story, from her days as a vibrant wife and mother, very involved in her church; to a woman destroyed by mental illness, very depressed and delusional.

Preus also covers a historical study of the church’s viewpoint on suicide. Today’s Christians commonly believe the Bible makes a black and white statement on suicide, but according to Preus, this viewpoint wasn’t always shared. In fact, many early Christians committed suicide as an alternative to the “horrifying and humiliating forms of execution,” as Preus writes. It was St. Augustine, of the fourth century Catholic Church, who determined suicide to be an unforgivable sin. I found this quite interesting.

Because this book is specifically intended for pastors and church professionals, Preus goes deep into the doctrinal aspects of suicide. I’m neither of those and I strive to maintain the “faith of a child” (meaning I intentionally shy away from debatable theological discussions). Admittedly, Preus is over my head at times. But he does make it clear, even to me, that Jesus’ dying on the cross is payment for every sin, even the sin of suicide.

The book And She Was a Christian is a great for anyone who has experienced suicide among their family and friends–those who are suicide victims. And it’s certainly a “must-read” for anyone who ministers to suicide victims.

 

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Must Non-Profits Look Like a Charity Case?

February 21, 2012 1 Comment

National School Leadership Conference

When I met with Rachel DiGiorgio two months ago, I knew I was going to like working with her. Rachel is the project manager for an upcoming National School Leadership Conference and she wanted topnotch promo pieces for this non-profit event.

“We want to look like a class act,” she said. Oh, that gave me a warm and happy feeling!

I do a lot of work for non-profits and I must admit sometimes it’s a challenge. They’re usually working on limited budgets, understandably so, and this defines how much they can spend on communicating their message.

It’s challenging in other ways as well. There’s a mistaken notion that if the visual communications for a non-profit are too flashy, too professional, or maybe just too “well designed,” they convey wastefulness on the part of the organization. Non-profits worry their audiences won’t open their checkbook or sign up to volunteer.

But guess what—it doesn’t benefit any organization, non-profit or not, to look like a charity case. Here are three reasons why.

Good Design Does Invisible Magic

A non-profit’s communication goal should be to attract its target audiences and hold their attention long enough to tell its story. Good design does this. It does it invisibly, without viewers even realizing why they’re impressed. Good design doesn’t have to be flashy or expensive, but it must give thought to theme, style, topography and imagery.

Good design is good communication.

Communication Establishes Credibility

Your visual communication is your image. It tells who you are. A poorly executed promo piece says you’re amateur, cheap, and you do not value your organization. A well-designed piece on quality paper (which doesn’t have to be expensive) says you are professional, honorable, and worthy of your audience’s time and money.

Your Effort Shows You Care

I love how Rachel explains her class act goals.

“God gave us his best,” says Rachel. “And while our best cannot rival God’s, we continue to strive to do our ‘human’ best out of love and gratitude.”

Really, why wouldn’t an organization want to look its very best? Why wouldn’t it want to communicate its message in a way that brings the best results?

Obviously, I’m not the only one asking these questions. Check out this DesignTalk discussion, where more than 85 people voiced a similar opinion.

 

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The Power of A 400-Year Old Masterpiece

December 20, 2011 Leave a Comment

King James BibleOn Christmas Eve my family reads Luke 2, the story of Jesus’ birth. We read it from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) because of it’s graceful, poetic language. It’s the Bible of my childhood.

It’s not that I’m old or anything, but this year the KJV is celebrating its 400th anniversary. In four centuries, has there been any other book that has communicated so much to so many people? I think not.

According to National Geographic, in its December 2011 story (that National Geographic does such a piece says so much), the KJV was used by every U.S. President to swear his oath of office. It’s also the Bible of choice for the Very Reverend Dr. John Hall, who married Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The National Geographic story is interesting. It tells of the tedious work of translating Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into an English language that even the common man could understand. It also points out the many KJV phrases that are classic to our language still today; phrases like “A man after his own heart,” or “Turned the world upside down,” or “From time to time.”

Here’s another interesting link on the KJV. It’s an illustration put by the University of Leicester and it compares the Gothic Blackletter font used in the original 1611 edition to the Roman font used today. Even the layout in Roman looks somewhat outdated by today’s print standards, doesn’t it?

Nowadays, the New International Version of the Bible (NIV) has replaced the King James Bible. Yes, it’s a more contemporary style of English, and, yes, it’s easier for most of us to understand. But for Christmas— for that beautiful story of Jesus birth—I still love the old way of doing things.

I love reading Luke 2 from the King James Bible.

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A New Book I Want to Read

September 16, 2011 1 Comment

Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication

Alot of my work is for churches and other religious organizations.

With that in mind, I’d like to read the newly released Outspoken: Conversations on Church Communication. It’s by Tim Schraeder, and it’s put out by the Center for Church Communication, the same people who do the blog Church Marketing Sucks.

I don’t know much about the book, but at a mere $10.07 from Amazon, I figure it’s worth checking out. (It’s also available to order at Tribeca, in Watertown, WI).

Cost aside, the real reason I’m buying Outspoken is because its promoters have sparked my interest. They’ve creatively marketed their product and let me, their audience, know they’re sharing the collective wisdom of 60 church communication experts. Not only that, they’ve also provided free banners so I can promote their product as well. How smart is that!

So, if this book has done such a good job communicating its message, I’m guessing it will have helpful ideas for churches to communicate theirs—the greatest message of all, that of God’s love.

 

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