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The Faith-Work Frankenstein Monster

January 23, 2012 / by Lukas Naugle /

Those who haven’t gained a full-orbed view of the integration of faith and business are still the majority, and they come in various shapes and sizes. Here are some of the faith-work Frankenstein’s monsters I’ve met, and how to avoid releasing a monster yourself.

Read the full article at Cardus.

One Institute: One Day Video Clips

November 10, 2011 / by mpon2139 / , , ,

On October 8, 2011 in the SoMa District of San Francisco, 50 young business leaders gathered to discuss business and their faith. At the link below you watch video clips from some of the sessions.

Watch Now

 

Big Questions for Business Leaders

October 4, 2011 / by Lukas Naugle / , , , ,

Gideon Strauss over at Cardus wrote a helpful article. Here is a portion from his introduction.

I believe that: The whole world of making products, providing services, buying and selling, building companies, establishing relationships of trade—marketplaces filled with businesses and their customers—can be a vibrant expression of what it means to be human in God’swonderful creation.

At the same time, given the fractured state of this world, our economic lives are often a source of heartbreak: when poverty overwhelms us; when we cannot find work, or make payroll; when our businesses fail, or governments make it hard to do business; or, when we slavishly devote ourselves to the hunt of money and discover at the end of our pursuit that all we have does not matter.

And yet, part of the good news that crested over the horizon at Easter is that alsothis vital but broken part of our lives is a theatre of hope: despite the evil and suffering that can make human life a misery, the original promise of business activity and market relationships is being redeemed, and we can work with courage, lead with love, and expect our efforts to bear fruit of very long-lasting value.

These are the broadest contours of what I believe we can affirm about business and markets, given the story that the Bible tells us about the world.

You can read the full article here.

M1 Brand Video Release

September 23, 2011 / by Lukas Naugle / , , ,

As we continue to refine our brand in 2011, we are happy to release our latest video.

2011 Leadership Institute Video Highlights

August 13, 2011 / by Lukas Naugle /

Visit this vimeo channel to view highlights from the 2011 Leadership Institute presenters.

On The Drug War

August 13, 2011 / by Lukas Naugle /

Anthony Bradley speaks on the faulty approach of the drug war in light of demand side economics.

Should Christians care about economic freedom?

June 29, 2011 / by Lukas Naugle / , ,

Justin Taylor writes:

It seems to me that they should. “Economic freedom” can be a legitimate good without being an ultimate good. It should be something we care about and work toward (in proportion to our gifts and calling) even if it, in and of itself, it will save no one in the ultimate sense (in the same way that we should care about well-functioning Fire Stations even though they cannot prevent people from the flames of hell).

 

Are you investing in your radar?

June 28, 2011 / by Lukas Naugle / , , ,

In his book Money Ball, Michael Lewis wrote about how virtually every single scout and manager in baseball was wrong about what makes a great baseball player. They had the wrong radar, the wrong wow. When statistics taught a few teams what the real wow was, the balance of power shifted.

By definition, just about every great idea resonates early with those that have better radar than those that don’t. The skill, then, is to expose yourself often enough, learn enough and fail enough that you get to say wow before the competition does.

In his book Money Ball, Michael Lewis wrote about how virtually every single scout and manager in baseball was wrong about what makes a great baseball player. They had the wrong radar, the wrong wow. When statistics taught a few teams what the real wow was, the balance of power shifted.

By definition, just about every great idea resonates early with those that have better radar than those that don’t. The skill, then, is to expose yourself often enough, learn enough and fail enough that you get to say wow before the competition does.

From Seth Godin

 

Marketplace as Social Justice

June 22, 2011 / by Lukas Naugle / , , ,

Our friend, Dr. Anthony Bradley, writes this week at Cardus

Marketplace leaders, then, have grave responsibilities, because they lead in creating and sustaining employment opportunities that provide platforms for the expansion of human dignity. Without marketplace leaders fighting poverty through innovation and culture-making, societies suffer. Human initiative is squashed and the poor remain economically and politically disenfranchised. Teachers, parents, doctors, pastors, bus drivers, and the like are necessary actors in forming, shaping, and sustaining healthy and virtuous members of the marketplace as entrepreneurs, innovators, and others open up opportunities for new applications of human dignity.

If you want to fight for social justice, you needn’t only work with a non-profit; your daily work is the mission of God. Social justice non-profits certainly do good work, but we ought to work toward a society that has no need of them. We want societies that allow the marketplace to fulfill its calling, sustained by a culture of virtue, so that all can experience the power of being made in the image of God—and so that, at your retirement dinner, you can reflect on the privilege of making of contributing to human flourishing as you transition into new ways of helping people understand what it means to be truly human.

 

2011 Leadership Institute Reading List

May 10, 2011 / by Lukas Naugle / ,

Each year we read a wide variety of books that address and explore issues related to economics, business, faith, calling, culture and beyond. The current required reading for the 2011 Leadership Institute include these eight books.