The Vision Group Ltd

Tips for Successful Grant Writing

24-7 — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:30:18 +0000

By: Mike Stickler Developing a well written grant proposal is not an easy task. Because the competition for each grant is usually high you will need a well prepared grant proposal. This is the key reason why grant writing is so important. Having a good knowledge of the grant process will help

Presenter Jason Bachman

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:43:51 +0000

Jason Bachman

Outreach Director, C ONVOY OF HOPE | Facebook | Twitter

Jason currently works for Convoy of Hope as an Outreach Director. Each year Convoy of Hope conducts approximately 25-30 city-wide outreaches in various metro areas in the United States. While working with a local city in planning the outreach, Jason trains leaders for the day of the outreach and engages volunteers towards compassion ministry.

Prior to being at Convoy of Hope, Jason and his wife, Natalie, were on staff at Lighthouse Church in Peoria, AZ, as Connections Pastors. It was there that they coordinated the Phoenix Convoy of Hope and built bridges into their community.

Jason graduated from North Central University in 1997 with a degree in Urban Ministries. Proving that God does have a sense of humor, Jason's upbringing was actually on a farm in North Dakota. After participating in two youth mission trips to Chicago while in high school, Jason felt the nudge of God towards city ministry.

Jason believes that leadership development is one of the keys to sustained compassion ministry and community transformation.

Sessi on: Effectively Reaching Your Community
March 5, 1PM-3PM

In this session, we have brought together effective practitioners of ministry to discuss the best practices of effective community engagement. Ministries all over the world are uniting with business, nonprofit, and government sectors to make a positive impact on human suffering and advancement of the Gospel. What are the key components that will make an impact on your community, region or country for the cause of the Gospel?

Host	Co-Presenter	Moderator

Mike Stickler	Rev. Dr. Glenn Barth, Jr.	Art Ritter

Presenter T.M. Moore

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:03:33 +0000

T. M. Moore

Dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum & Principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition
ViewPoint | Pastor to Pastor |Crosfigell (a thrice-weekly newsletter) | Faith & Science Newsletter |

T. M. served in pastoral ministry and theological education for over 30 years in a variety of capacities, including church planter, senior pastor, and seminary president. He is the author or editor of 20 books, and has contributed chapters to 4 others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. He writes for five websites on a wide range of Biblical, theological, and cultural issues.

T. M. writes two daily newsletters related to the life of faith and ministry. ViewPoint is available at www.colsoncenter.org, and deals with issues of faith, life, and culture. Pastor to Pastor draws on the wisdom of generations of pastors from the past to minister to church leaders today. It is available at www.worldviewchurch.org. His thrice-weekly newsletter, Crosfigell, offers meditations from Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition, and is available through www.ailbe.org. And twice a week T. M. sends out a newsletter discussing matters of faith and science, which is available at www.cfsint.org. Some of the books authored by T. M., are Preparing for the Journey, The Mind Set on the Spirit, Culture Matters, and The Highest Thing.

T. M. continues an active ministry of mentoring, training, and resourcing pastors and church leaders through The Fellowship of Ailbe and The Worldview Church.

He and his wife and editor, Susie, have four adult children and eleven grandchildren, and make their home in the shadow of the Blue Ridge in Hamilton, VA.

Sessi on: Discipleship & Worldview Issues Affecting the Church
March 7, 1PM-3PM

In a recent Barna study, less than 4% of born-again Christians correctly answered 6 basic questions in regard to the tenants of Christianity. This study is reflective of the large number of Christians leaving the church and not returning, especially the Mosaics. Church pastors acknowledge the problem but don’t always acknowledge it could be happening in their church. In this session, some of today’s great observers of ministry gather together to discuss these alarming trends and offer positive solutions for church leadership.

Host	Co-Presenter	Moderator

Mike Stickler	Rob Boyland	Art Ritter

Funding Announcements – February 20, 2012

Mike Stickler — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:54:59 +0000

National Funding Opportunities
Support for Physical Activity Programs for Youth
Sustainable Society Initiatives Funded
Grants Promote Youth Baseball
Language Preservation Projects Supported Worldwide

Regional Funding Opportunities
Funds for Children's Programs in New England
Grants Enhance Open Spaces in Selected States
Support for Organizations that Serve Kentuckians
Watershed Protection Programs in Pennsylvania Funded

Federal Grant and Loan Programs
Funds for a Membership Organization of Nonprofit Missing Children's Organizations
Collaborative Efforts Addressing Youth Substance Abuse Funded
Grants Support Innovative Practices to Enhance the Public Workforce System
Public Transportation Asset Management Activities Supported

ONLINE LINE EDUCATIONAL SERIES
The HeArt of Fundraising
The Most Common Reason You're NOT funded
Why Vision 2020? Join the Conversation
12 Secrets to WINNING free Grant Money
Engaging Philanthropy for Ministry
Taking Your Ministry Global
How to Have The Most Board On the Planet
Strategic FundingPlans
Foundation Building Campaigns
Public Relations for Ministries and Community Organizations
Getting off to the Right Start

President’s Day 3 for 1

Mike Stickler — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:30:05 +0000

For this weekend's sale, you get:

The Christian Foundation Guide
52 weeks of Funding Announcements, right into your email inbox.
Full-Access pass to Raise Your Vision, a four-day online event with multiple speakers, multiple sessions and world-class training.

The CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION GUIDE
Over 250 pages of foundations ready to give is available for you. Some organizations require only that you fill out an online form. This is the opportunity for your organization to find the funding you need… Here is the resource for you to get your organization started. With this Guide, you will be able to find the funders that will support the effective humanitarian work of your organization. The funders in this guide have been identified by nearly 20 years of work – funders who give millions of dollars to effective organizations.

A $99.00 value.

52 weeks of announcements right in your email inbox. Imagine receiving these funding announcements for review weekly. Nice!

A $37.00 value.

Raise Your Vision, a yearly event geared for Christian ministries and Community nonprofit organizations. You will have full access to every session and panel discussion over four full days. For more info, click here.

A $99.00 value.

This weekend you receive all three
for only $99.

This is a $235 package, saving you $136.00!

Presenter Rob Boyland

admin — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:04:34 +0000

Rob Boyland

Blog: MentoringAndDiscipleship.blogspot.com

Disciple of Jesus Christ, Husband to Lisa, Father to Kayla, Haley and Chloe, Mentor and Disciple-Maker, Blogger of the passions God has given me!

God has given me a passion for The Church; specifically in helping The Church fulfill the Great Commission Jesus left for us to Go make disciples, Baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and Teaching them all He commanded. Matthew 28:18-20

Over the past 12 years, God has taken me on an amazing journey of discovery. From partnering with others in Men’s Ministry, to Children’s Ministry Director, Family Ministry, Marriage Mentoring, and now as an Elder in my local congregation, God has shown me the complete picture of the Family in His eyes, and the important role of Godly Men in the Church and in our families!

In 2007, God revealed to me, through His scriptures and the Holy Spirit’s revelation, the purpose of The Church. Not that it was hidden, but until this time it was not a passion burning deep inside of me. I began to see how The Church in America had missed the mark for so long when it came to making disciples. Some groups are focusing solely of Discipleship Classes and learning opportunities, while others are fully on the side of relational mentoring.

The problem with either of these options is…neither one works without the other! Some may learn through Teaching, but without the relational side of mentoring, trust is not built and the learning becomes stagnant or worse doesn’t stick at all. The problem with Relational Mentoring alone is that people are not won to Christ, or at best they become converts, not disciples! Jesus’ purpose for The Church is to Make Disciples, not just converts!

I have had the incredible opportunity to travel to Ecuador twice, with another trip planned for July of 2012, to share and learn about mentoring and discipleship. In 2008, I was privileged to share my passion for Mentoring AND Discipleship with a group of leaders in the central district of Ecuador. Their hunger and passion for discipleship humbled me to the point of driving the passion God gave me to an all new level. That passion is what drives me to this day! God continues to provide opportunities for me to grow and share what He is revealing to me each and every day.

That’s my passion…I pray that those reading this will join me in fulfilling the Great Commission to make disciples, who in turn make disciples, who in turn make disciples….That’s how we partner with God in building His Kingdom!

Sessi on: Discipleship & Worldview Issues Affecting the Church
March 7, 1PM-3PM

Host		Moderator

Mike Stickler		Art Ritter

Presenter Shannon Barnes

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:02:35 +0000

Shannon Barnes

LEADER/CATALYST/ADVISOR/COACH; theEDGEgroup | BLOG

Shannon is a partner and Senior Advisor with The EDGE Group, a team of advisors focused on helping charities, churches, and schools throughout the West lead, fund, and unapologetically pursue mission-driven growth. Since its founding in 2004, EDGE has served hundred of organizations and raised over $250 million dollars to fuel life-changing work.

Shannon is a fast-paced, results-driven, visionary leader with a proven track record of helping leaders, teams, and organizations grow. For 20 years, he has led growth and change in a variety of organizational phases, sectors and settings – from "launches" (a church, a company, a nonprofit), to "turn-a-rounds" (a company, numerous charities and churches), to pushing healthy organizations to focus, innovate, and aggressively increase their mission impact.

Helping charities, churches, and schools craft and achieve a vision-driven future – especially when faced with multiple challenges or constraints — is Shannon’s personal passion! He quickly recognizes the "bright spots" in a team or environment and knows how to maximize its strengths and capacities in order to move forward fast. He loves to identify and train leaders, and to organize complex relationships and work environments into highly productive boards and teams.

He has served on the staff of two Southern California churches and the management and executive teams of two Southern California businesses. While his skills have allowed him to flourish in both environments, his greatest satisfaction has come from his time in ministry and his current work as an advisor and strategic catalyst to charities, churches, schools and their leaders. Shannon has trained and presented at: Christian Leadership Alliance National Convention; Nonprofit Summer School (California State University); Los Angeles Conference on Philanthropy; Regional AGRM Training Event; Regional Christian Camp and Conference Association Training Event); Association of Fundraising Professionals (Los Angeles, Orange County, Inland Empire); Brewer Direct Institute; The Identity Conference; and more than 60 other webinar and training seminars.

His wife (Christina) and my five kids (Madeline – 11, Mason – 9, Jackson – 7, Davis – 5, and Maxwell -3) are one of my greatest sources of joy. The kids stay quite active with local sports, martial arts, hiking, and community service opportunities. Christina is employed full-time+ in our home, but still finds time to serve weekly in each of the kids’ classrooms and to run the local elementary PTA. (It’s the teacher in her. She taught school for 12 years.)

In addition to his work, Shannon is current president of The Association of Professional Consultants, is active in both church and local community service projects, and sings with the Gary Bonner Singers (www.bonnermusic.org), a group that has received four invitations to the White House. He also tries to find time for regular hikes in the Angeles National Forrest – just minutes from his home.

Sessi on: Strategic Funding Plans
March 7, 10AM-12PM

Ministry is not business. It’s an organism that uses business practices from time to time. Often, the marketplace leader experiences a level of frustration as they attempt to connect with their ministry leadership and establish organizational effectiveness in the ministry they love. This session will change your paradigm on how effective ministry moves forward and will give you an opportunity to serve with effectiveness.

Host		Moderator

Mike Stickler		Art Ritter

Fundraising Through Networking

24-7 — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:11:33 +0000

Proper fundraising through networking is all about being able to focus your effort on networking with the right people and really growing a list of contacts. Every single step that you take towards growing your network will eventually help you get the most out your overall efforts, because the kind of progress that you achieve

Presenter Dwayne Leverett

admin — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:27:06 +0000

Rev. Dwayne Leverett

CERTIFIED EXECUTIVE COACH; ORDAINED MINISTER

Dwayne Leverett, as a Certified Executive Coach and Ordained Minister, is a sought after Business Turn-Around Consultant and Church Development Specialist. He has 18 years of finance experience, which includes management of a $330 million dollar trade finance portfolio, senior executive level positions, international contract negations, team building, and organizational strategic planning & alignment. He and his wife have started several ministries, as well as planted a church that is still in existence today.

Rev. Leverett has sat on – and participated in leadership – on numerous municipal and non-profit boards. He has has been on TV shows, interviewed in national periodicals and magazines and spoken to hundreds of audiences.

Dwayne has an AA degree in Practical Theology, BS degree in Business Administration, and is currently a candidate for both a Masters of Art in Christian Leadership and Master of Business Administration in Global Management.

Currently, Mr. Leverett is working on establishing charter schools focused on leadership in New Jersey. He is also consulting several start-up business and various churches from several denominations for growth & development.

Sessi on: Engaging Ministry from a Marketplace Leader's Viewpoint
March 7, 8AM-10AM

We hear it all the time, "Why doesn’t he call me back?" You have made the presentation, shared your mission, and your donor prospect doesn’t follow-up. There seems to be a ‘disconnect’ concerning ministry, philanthropy and the marketplace. In this session, we gather a group of philanthropists and marketplace leaders together to discuss the ministry approach and how to improve engagement. If you want to see how you can effectively minister to this important group, this session is a must.

Host	Co-Presenter	Moderator

Mike Stickler	Paul Alexander	Art Ritter

Presenter: Joe Parker

admin — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:52:09 +0000

Joe Parker

President, Consulting By Parker

Joe Parker has served nonprofit organizations in executive or consultant roles for just over forty years. His experience includes serving local and large nonprofits. Living and working mostly in southern California, he has traveled extensively, both domestically and overseas. He has helped raised millions of dollars, is a man of integrity, a team player, and focuses on real needs. He can do the work for you, but is skilled in teaching and coaching you and your team to successfully raise funds and accomplish organizational goals on your own.

Areas of service: annual fund projects, events, key donors, donor communications, marketing, Internet fundraising, capital campaigns, volunteer recruitment and training, board governance and development, proposal writing, donor appreciation programs, and public speaking.

A business degree graduate, Joe is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals; California Advancement Researchers Association; Christian Leadership Alliance; certificated as a Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of America professional; graduate of the Fundraising School of Indiana University; an adjunct teacher for the Resource Center of Riverside County and the Christian Leadership Alliance; member of and trainer for The Barnabas Group of Orange County; Managing Partner of The Barnabas Group/Inland Empire; current participant in The Master’s Program, class of 2014.

Joe and his wife Wanda have three grown and happily married children and six grandchildren. He’s an avid reader; active in church; strategic planner; loves golf and woodworking.

Session: They Have Asked You to Join the Board: Now What?
March 8, 10AM-12PM

Being selected and invited to become a board member can happen for a number of reasons. Deciding to accept the offer requires a lot of thought and consideration. How do you know what you’re getting into? How can you be most effective? This session will explore the best methods to evaluate the invitation and manage expectations. It will also teach you how to evaluate the current leadership, and possible circumstances of personal risk.

Host	Moderator

Mike Stickler	Art Ritter