impact ideas

PLACE / WEAR STUFF

It’s a virtual world. Regardless, wherever you office, place items that speak to your faith in Christ in places others can see them. A Bible, a cross, a Christian book, a verse on a sticky note, a verse on your screen saver, pictures in frames, a coffee mug, a t-shirt, hat, wrist band. Be deliberate in making these things visible to others. And be ready to share about why they are important when asked (1 Peter 3.15)

INTENTIONAL CONVERSATION

Pray to be intentional about sharing how God is involved in your life. This is an excellent way to engage employees, customers, prospects, and partners in everyday marketplace conversations. Example: someone asks about your weekend, include your trip to church and the big takeaway from the message or your small group. Keep it conversational. Rely on the Holy Spirit to do his work through you. (Acts 8).

PRAYER WALK

If you’re in an office, walk the areas where people work and pray over them as you go. You will want to do this privately. Still, you will likely have the opportunity for periodic conversations. Can you imagine what God would do with those conversations with your mind so intentionally focused on Him by way of prayer?

ASK GOOD QUESTIONS

Become really good at asking questions. That doesn’t mean we walk up to someone we know and ask, “what do you think happens to you when you die?”. It means, learn how to ask open-ended questions about what’s going on in people’s lives. Then, LISTEN actively to their answers. Questions often lead to more questions and conversation. Feel free to interject with your own answers politely. Jesus asked at least 380 questions in his ministry. He was great at questions.

INVITES & EVENTS

When we do the work in our personal life, we have built-in opportunity to include other people in the events of life. They can include church and church / ministry related things but are not limited to that. Inviting colleagues, employees, clients, partners, and/or prospects is a simple thing. But you have to want to get it out there and get comfortable being uncomfortable…knowing that people can and will say no. It’s great if they come. But prayerfully focus on making the asks. There’s great reward in just making the asks. Doing events and inviting people to join is another great way to create organic conversations. Game night. Celebration of a life milestone like a birthday party. Work accomplishment. The world says happy hour. Bring it to your house, and replace the booze with apps and games. If you need help with an invitation play in your workplace, let us know. We can help you be bold in this way @ support@inflooent.com.

SHARE TRACTS

Look, I know this one seems unnatural to a lot of people. So is Jesus, frankly. Our nature is to sin rather than be righteous…which is why we need a Savior AND Lord. It’s always good to encourage someone with the Word of God, Isaiah 55.11 - tells us it will “accomplish that which I please”. Some situations call for a simple way to engage on Scripture. Brief encounters that we have every day in and outside of our actual work. And tracts don’t always mean a handout. It can be as simple as writing a link to Scripture on a receipt for your server. This is one of the most powerful ways to be disruptive for Jesus. If you want to implement a tract strategy, let us know. We can help get you started in a way you won’t want to stop @ support@inflooent.com.

BIBLE STUDY LUNCH & LEARN

Any way you can get people to study the Word of God, that’s a good thing. Doing it over lunch, once a week, or every other week is a practical means for encouraging people through both evangelism and sanctification. And doing it over a meal, that you provide, it brings people. If you are the leader of your company, consider asking someone on your team who you know is a capable facilitator and ask him to be the guide. The company can pay for lunch. One way to position it…”What does the Bible say about ___________.” Fill in the blank with a relevant topic of interest. Make sure it’s positioned as optional so people want to come on their own. That’s the only way it can really work. People have to want to be there. No mandates. No exclusion culture. Yes this can be scary if you’re dealing with tough topics and a diverse team. Be encouraged to be bold and trust the Lord. If you need help with this play, let us know @ support@inflooent.com.

STRUCTURE A STANLEY TAM

Stanley Tam is a disciple of Jesus and an American entrepreneur with an incredible story. He shares that story in the book God Owns my Business. There is not enough room here to do it right. Just read the book. It’s an easy but impactful read. You will be better for reading it.

WEEKLY INSPIRATION

This is one of my favorite things to do because it is so simple. The internet is packed full of quotes from famous people. But Scripture, well… “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” So, why not send it out regularly to the people in our spheres of influence? There’s no question, people can misunderstand or misinterpret individual verses. But that’s between them and God. Just be sure to always encourage people to understand meaning in context. So text, email, speak Scripture to provoke thinking about God, remembering not just Hebrews 4.12 noted above, but also 2 Timothy 3.16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” If you want help with making this play a regular thing, email us at support@inflooent.com.

PRAYER ROOM

Prayer rooms are more common in the workplace than we might think. Some people call them meditation rooms or quiet rooms. The value in creating one is to demonstrate that the leadership values prayer. Yes it can get tricky with a diverse team, one with people of various religious affiliations. And although we cannot prevent they type of religious prayer in the room, we can make a clear statement about the purpose of the prayer room. Use Scripture for pictures. Place a Bible on a table. Make it warm and inviting with the furniture and lighting. Make sure there is a lock on the door for privacy. And be sure to publish its availability and guidelines for use in the employee handbook. While some people may find it not religiously neutral, it is an optional benefit for use. Nonetheless, this kind of play could be a lightning rod for some workplaces. Feel free to consult your attorney before doing it. But if you’re going to do this, be bold and remember a couple key verses: 1) “Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” - 2 Timothy 3.12. 2) “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5.10.

BIBLICAL BRAND STORY

A Biblical Brand Story is a bold play of transforming the core messaging fo the business by intentionally connecting the mission of the business directly to the mission of the Great Commission (“to go and make disciples”). It is the output from a business owner who renews his thinking from owner of his own business to steward of God’s business. And it opens the door to doubling the revenue of the business in God’s appointed timeframe…without making it feel religious by embracing the principles of Titus 1, Matthew 25.14-20, and James 4-5. While this is a journey some could and have taken without a guide, it is recommended to explore support in making this play the right way. To do so, contact us at support@inflooent.com.

WORK DAY PARTNERSHIP

Although this isn’t a new thing, as businesses have partnered with food pantries and Habitat for Humanity for decades to do corporate work days, the call to action here is specific. Plug into whatever opportunities are available through your local church or para-church ministry where sharing the Gospel is central to their mission. Why? Because “apart from me, you can do nothing.” These are words directly from Jesus himself in John 15. And it is imperative that the work partnership has a clear connection point to “go make disciples”.

WORKPLACE CHAPLAIN

There are literally thousands of businesses around the United States that have installed a workplace chaplain. It’s been going on for decades for businesses large and small. In most cases, it is classified as a wellness benefit. There is a monthly cost, but relative to the value we understand is being delivered, it is a drop in the bucket. We recommend talking to the folks at mchapusa.com

CHURCH AS WELLNESS

Plug your church and the activities of it as part of your wellness program. You can integrate it into the wellness messaging, not only in the employee portal, but also in a wellness newsletter. It’s a great way to make the connection between your people and your church. If you want help with how to make this play, reach out to support@inflooent.com.

MAKE CORPORATE GIVING PROGRAMATIC

Yes giving a percentage of profits is one way to give back to God. Really, when we give, we are simply giving back what’s already his. “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.” Psalm 50.10-11. But how great an impact are business leaders having by making giving programatic and integrated into the prosperity of the business. There are multiple ways to execute on a programatic model of giving. However this is done, engaging employees, customers, and partners makes the impact more dynamic. One way is to tie a 3-way match together: profit, bonus, and a ministry gift. And making it consumable works well, meaning the basis of the results can be a new business deal or an operational project of some sort. The key attributes of such a project would include a defined timeline that’s less than a quarter and measurable financial outcomes. Employee recognition and ambassadorship in leading the presentation of the ministry gift is a nice touch. For more help on delivering this type of program, contact us at support@inflooent.com.