A Minute with God's Work in Progress

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Listen to a minute of God's Work in Progress 

Core Life's Purpose

NT Wright is a "mentor" of my work with Life's Core Purpose, even though we have never met. I would love to have him on the show and will seek to make that happen as we come back on the air. Here is a short video of Dr Wright explaining exactly what I say in our seminar about the POWER of Core Purpose and why God gives it to us. Your Life's Core Purpose is your unique contribution to the world.  As I said I say this in our seminar and he and I have never met. Enjoy!

NT Wright on a full satisfying life- 

Jeff Pelletier
jeff@righteousfreeenterprise.net

Ambassadors of the Kingdom

²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (2 Co 5:20). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

 If you own a business or manage one, if you work in one, you are an Ambassador of Christ.  An Ambassador is a representative of the authority of the "state" or government he\she represents.  As such, an Ambassador has all the rights and authority of that government no where he-she goes.  As you go forward in your work, whether you manage  or own a company that has Christian Values or if you do so in a secular company seeking to find its way (all of them are), be mindful, and sober-minded, about who you are. Even though you are truly an Ambassador, come to the job understanding who you are in relation to Who you represent.

First be mindful of how you represent the Kingdom with your customers.  Jesus was most importantly empathetic to those he reached out to. As you reach out to your customers, do so with their best interests at heart, listening to their trials, with an ear towards how your company and its products can help them.  By being empathetic to them you can  "hear" their underlying needs that your company can help them achieve. 

If you manage in  a secular company, make it your focus to build-up  your organization. Focus on hiring people who are "like-minded", who will bring excellence to their work with all due humility, whose light will shine from who they are and their willingness to serve with excellence. This will make your light even brighter and you will begin to transform your company and then the world. 

More, later.

Jeff

Let's Be Clear about Purpose in the Bible

First- the Bible is very clear and direct about this subject-  God KNOWS you are purpose driven.  He is purpose driven and we are created in His Image and Likeness.  There are many many verses that demonstrate God and we are purposeful. We are teleological- and so is God. We SEEK.

As you may have noticed, much is being written and represented about this idea of  having a Life's Purpose, ever since Rick Warren's book.

But most of the purpose tools or discovery processes are not based on the Bible, they are based on someone's opinion.  And they tend to focus either on Competence (like strength-finder) or Passion- what "drives" us.  The truth about Core Purpose is that BOTH of these are the answer and the Bible tells us so.

The Bible, thank God, is its own source of truth, it is THE truth and the measure (canon) of all other truth.

There are many many verses that prove the existence of purposeful action.  But two stand out-

Eph 2:10-  You are God's workmanship (crafted unique thing), created (individually) in Christ Jesus, to do GOOD WORKS, that he created (specifically) for you, to do (literally to live out).

This verse informs our Core Competence-  we are created specifically, with certain skill and talent, core skill and talent, that inform and fuel everything we do in life.  Because God has a LIFETIME of work for us to do. God does NOT set us up to fail-  He gives us works to do that we CAN do. Core Competence,


The other passage that proves our Core Purpose is this:

Psalm- 37:4-6      
      4    Delight yourself in the Lord

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵     Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him and he will do this:

⁶     He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,

the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

This passage points to our Core Passion-  A cause or desire that GOD places on your heart, that guides what your Core Competence and which we should be pointed towards, in EVERY situation of life.

So to be clear-  Your Core Life's Purpose is this:

No matter what situation you are in- No matter what God calls you to do-

Apply your Core Competence and point it at the Core Passion (or outcome) that you care most about.  When you live this way...you will be effective in your life- Effectiveness is this- Doing the RIGHT thing...Right

Organizational Effectiveness

As some of you know I have been an organizational effectiveness consultant, for the past 7 years.  My consulting practice has the same overall goal as my personal coaching and both complete my Life's Core Purpose- "to help individuals and organizations fulfill their potential."    Effectiveness as an organization occurs when a group, be it for profit or not for profit, has the following components and executes them well:

I have written a blog about this pursuit of effectiveness here. 

Look for the merger of these two blogs in the weeks and months ahead.  I am combining my organizational and individual practices into one- "God's Work in Progress".

Yours very truly,

Jeff Pelletier
651-492-8540
jeff@righteousfreeenterpise.net

Hit the Bull's Eye

In God's Work in Progress the  Seminar, we teach the folks attending to aim for the Bull's Eye in their careers.  The way the world has changed is permanent. You and I need to focus our lives not just our careers, if we want God's best.   Finding your Life's Core Purpose, it's main, intended contribution,  is the foundation we help people to discover in the first session.  Knowing your Life's Core Purpose is unique to you.  But understand this: we all EXIST for the same reason: To Know, Love, and Serve God.  Our Life's Core Purpose,  (LCP) guides us in HOW we do that, what our primary, on-going, powerful contribution to Life.

Once people discover this, we teach them to take this LCP and integrate fully into their lives, to let it drive the focus of how they live their lives and what they bring to every situation they find themselves in, or to plainly just serve if their LCP does not apply.  (Interestingly whenever I'm in a situation where I'm "merely serving, or just helping out,  God gives me amazing opportunities to use my LCP!.)

When a person learns to fully integrate and "normalize" their Life's Core Purpose,  it begins to drive their career.

Once this is in motion, we tell people to "target their job search".  This means seek out companies and organizations whose own core purpose, mission , and values align with YOURS!   The way to do this is to visit the companies web site and click on their "About Us" tab.  This tells them what the company wants them to know. We then ask them to do a "news search" about the company. This tells them what OTHER people are saying. We also ask them to check sites such as www.hoovers.com and  the Better Business Bureau for the same reason.  

Once they've targeted a company, whether it has a job opening or not, they are advised to begin the process of marketing themselves to that company with a great cover letter and resume` and by networking with people who work there.

This targeted approach is applied also in the interviewing process. The easy thing about this approach is that it is SINCERE, AUTHENTIC, and easy, because it is based on the truth that you really do align with the company.

God's Work in Progress- Saving Free Enterprise

This is an opportunity to save and restore Free Enterprise!  Are you Called to help? At the bottom of this post you will read how you can help.  You may be called to forward this post. Please follow that leading.


Description- God’s Work in Progress ™ - with Jeff Pelletier, is a radio program of Becoming Great Enterprises, LLC which is owned by Jeff Pelletier. The purpose of the show is to “integrate excellence in faith and work”.  The show is intended as a voice for the Faith Work- Marketplace Ministry movement that began to grow in 1994.

Integrating faith and work is not new to Christianity.  Jesus affirmed the marketplace as both a both a center of commercial activity and a source of salvation as he chose his disciples FROM merchants (fisherman) and tax collectors and NOT Rabbis.  And he also affirmed it by using a marketplace term for what he was creating --his “Ekklessia”.  This is the term that was used to summon people to gather them in the marketplace, (this is the etymology)  and which Jesus used for the purpose of advancing His Kingdom until he returns.  The Key is that it is meant to be in effect NOT on Sundays, but all 7 days of the week, and especially with-in our work which comprises up to 60% of our awake-time each and every week.

Show Vision-  The vision  for the show is to be a catalyst to establish “Righteous Free Enterprise” which is comprised of people-

• who are born free,
• who seek, understand and live, the “core purpose” of their lives (God’s Plan)   
• who seek to integrate excellence in faith and their business, government and education “work”, placing it under the Reign and Will of God,
• who by submitting their work and “works” to him, advance the Kingdom.

The Show

The show originated on the World Talk Radio Network (click to listen to a show) on the internet, in October 2009.  Forty two shows were produced and aired until July of 2010.  It was broadcast live at 12 Noon Pacific Time and 3:00 PM Eastern time. The show began with 307 weekly listeners and ended with 5280 listeners with little or no promotion and advertising.  The audience was built purely on the interest in the show and people telling people, telling people.  This success proved that the content was and is viable and necessary.

And research indicates that it remains the ONLY show of its kind:  A topical “magazine” of content with a core purpose and theme, that has wide appeal (work and faith) and viral appeal because the content is never “dated”.   Most importantly it touches people in an area of their lives that media has totally ignored.

Below is a graph showing audience growth.

2009-2010 Listeners
		% increase
October	307			Inaugural Show
September	356	15.96%
November	335	-5.90%
December	340	1.49%
January	322	-5.29%
February	446	38.51%
March	464	4.04%
April	1162	150.43%
May	1416	21.86%
June	1560	10.17%
July	2196	40.77%
August	2264	3.10%
September	5280	133.22%
Stopped producing shows in July 2010

The on-going purpose of the show is the integration of excellence in faith and work leading to a world in which “Righteous Free Enterprise” is the norm in all matters pertaining to Business, Government and Education.  To bring God into “all of life”.  It is to the Marketplace, what “Focus on the Family” is to the Home.

The Plan- The plan for the show is to bring it to the over-the-air marketplace because it will increase both its reach and frequency, and include both mass market and internet presence. The plan is to do this with a two station simulcast in the Twin Cities in MN,  and to develop a syndication network as the show captures market share in the targeted Sunday Evening (getting people ready for Monday)  time slot-   The idea is that being popular in that timeslot is a HUGE boon to stations. 

The Guest format will remain the same-  The show has a regular rotation of “concerns” and “groups” it targets and features as guests:

• Owners and Entrepreneurs- Innovators
• Managers and Operators and Practioners
• Those who work for these people- Employees
• Those who are called to serve and minister to the above groups- (ministers, authors, speakers, etc.,  in the “faith-work” field- as Guests) 

Here is a partial list of the topics and guests in the original show that demonstrates the preceding explanation:

Michael  Novak

• Theologian, best selling author, philosopher, ethicist, and former U.S. chief ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights .., ... More »

Robert Baldwin

Robert Baldwin President of Christian Care Ministry (www.medi-share.org) in 2004 as COO after 15 years of experience in banking and ... More »

Don Barefoot

Don is a career CEO/COO who has also served as consultant to senior executives of both S&P 500 companies and ... More »

Terry Cassell

Terry Cassell is the current president of Christians in Commerce ... More »

Drew Crandall

Drew is President of Keep in Touch Marketng.  Drew is immediate past president of the Public Relations Society of America's CT Valley Chapter (www.PRSA-CVC.org ), president of Northeast ... More »

Dan Hall

Dan Hall, a pastor since 1982 and a chaplain since 1993, was married to his wife Valerie in 1974. They ... More »

Steven V. Hase

Steve Hase Vice President of Development- C12 Group Steven V. Hase has been a member of a C12 group since 2003 in ... More »

Os Hillman

Os Hillman is president of Marketplace Leaders, an organization whose purpose is to help men and women discover and fulfill ... More »

The Plan- cont’d

We are seeking partners in the reformated venture who see the potential of the show, share the vision of the show and are willing to share in its growth by bringing broadcast venues, financing and development expertise.



We have people in place to sell air time and an existing model to finance the single market version of the show.  As it becomes syndicated this model is no longer viable and will be replaced with “market” commercials and syndication revenue. If you have the means and want to be the business partner contact me below. 

(Scroll down to contact the Host.)

Jeff’s Bio-

Jeffrey Pelletier, MA, President, Becoming Great Enterprises, LLC dba "God's Work in Progress".

Jeff has been the Chief Effectiveness Officer of Becoming Great Enterprises, LLC since its inception in 2004.  A true innovator in helping  people and organizations fulfill their potential,  Jeff has over 35 years of Human Resource and Bottom Line Management experience. 

He was with General Mills Restaurants, Inc. for fifteen years working seven years in operations and eight years in management development. He was the international director of human resources for Sbarro, Inc. of Commack, New York, where he developed an international management training center. He was Director, Operations and Human Resources for Pannekoeken Family Restaurants, Inc. of Edina Minnesota, where he assisted in the company’s IPO, and created a training system that increased incremental sales by seven per cent, 90% to the bottom line. 

The seed for Becoming Great was planted when Jeff was Chief Human Resource Executive for Bethany International, a 501c3 non-profit, as well as  Bethany House Publishers, and Bethany Press, International, a book manufacturer in Bloomington, Minnesota.  There he transformed the human resource function within this complex for-profit, and non-profit organization, and he facilitated the management team in the corporate transformation process found in the book “Good To Great - Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t”, by Jim Collins.  Bethany Press International, a 14 million dollar book manufacturer, went from losing money to making a profit in 18 months as a result of this change in organizational focus. 

The “Becoming Great” model is an extrapolation of Jeff’s analysis of the “Good to Great” study and based on the principle that an idea must succeed or fail on the merits.  Jeff has produced an “organizational infrastructure” based on the Collin’s study. It has worked wonderfully in manufacturing, sales and marketing, legal organizations, so it appears that it is not limited in its application.  The main reason for this is that the model is about PEOPLE, not business segment.  This makes it universally applicable. It is especially effective with “emerging” organizations.

Jeff’s radio show “God’s Work in Progress” is designed to bring the ethics and morality of Christianity to this organizational model - a vital component that is critical to creating anything that will last and have enduring impact. He also leads an recurring career course called “God’s Work in Progress” which helps individuals to find and live their life’s purpose and apply that knowledge to their career formation.

Summary-  God’s Work in Progress ™ is a strong viable venue that itself integrates excellence in faith and work, and should become the voice for “Righteous Free Enterprise.” ™

If you you feel called to help here is what we need-


We are seeking $30,000 to bring the show over the air, and to lay the foundation to syndicate the show world-wide.  If God is leading you to help, send your check to:

Becoming Great Enterprises, LLC

c/o "God's Work in Progress"

7146 Claude AveInver Grove Heights, MN 55076
651-492-8540

jeff@righteousfreeenterprise.net

www.becominggreat.com