STEWARDSHIP by Morris E. Ruddick (SIGN)

STEWARDSHIP   (c) Morris E. Ruddick     Stewardship is the effective management of the responsibilities and resources with which we have been entrusted. Stewardship requires the wisdom to master the responsibility. It involves diligence and excellence in bringing result. The result is to bring increase, to creatively nurture the resource to advance the process.   We've been addressing the topic of Jewish business secrets. Effective stewardship is an expectation and commitment required of each member of the community, and the businesses in the community, each according to their own talents and abilities, to do their part. It is also a commitment by the community to nurture its destiny and future by preparing each generation to assume their roles in this pathway.   When stewardship is operating in community according the books of Moses, it results in disproportionate achievement. Jews have a track record as disproportionate achievers. It is written that diligence is an invaluable possession for the one who knows how to apply it. Diligence produces excellence. Diligence involves hard work. The operational word for "work" in the Hebrew language is avodah. The meaning of this word "avodah" bears on the Jewish mind-set toward work. Avodah shares the root word with three Hebrew words: purpose, passion and future. Work provides the purpose and passion setting the stage for the future. It is vital to good stewardship.   Mentorship is also an important part of stewardship and very Jewish in its practice. Moses mentored Joshua to do what he did. Joshua served Moses alone in this capacity. He didn't have several mentors. His mentor was Moses. Joshua may not have been the only one Moses mentored, but Moses was Joshua's only mentor. In the process, Joshua learned how Moses related to God, how he thought and the skills he employed to lead the Israelites.   In this process, Joshua accomplished many exploits, which included leading the defeat in the battle with the Amorites, as well as being one of the spies who reconnoitered the promised land. However, it was not until Moses died, that the baton was fully passed to Joshua. Only then did Joshua enter the fullness of his destiny. The process involved all the factors of faithful stewardship.   Roughly two-thirds of the parables of Jesus have a business context. Jesus had a lot to say about stewardship. He placed great importance on faithful stewardship. He told the story of an unfaithful steward who was slack about his responsibilities. However, when he learned that he was about to lose his position, realizing his future was in jeopardy, he immediately began shrewdly recovering from his laxness. The point was that the steward knew what to do and cleverly began putting things in order. He was commended by his master for his creative way of turning things around. A good steward prepares for every eventuality. A good steward knows how to act wisely and decisively when under pressure.   There was another steward that Jesus spoke about who also was also lax in the way he managed his responsibilities because his boss was absent for a time. When his boss returned unexpectedly and discerned the situation, this steward failed to do anything. He was held accountable. The management of one's responsibilities calls for faithfulness in the commitment.   In still another illustration of the importance of stewardship, Jesus told about three stewards whose work was evaluated by their boss. One steward brought about a lot of increase. He was not only commended by his boss, but given a promotion and entrusted with more responsibility. The story speaks of the favorable response and joy of his boss due to this steward exceeding expectations. However one of the other stewards was timid and afraid to take any risks, so he hid his boss' assets. He returned everything in-full upon his boss' return. But the boss wasn't pleased. Because the steward had failed to bring about any increase, he deemed the steward to be worthless.   The expectation of stewardship is to make a difference, to challenge the status quo and bring change and increase. The expectation is based on each person's abilities.   The Dynamics of Stewardship Good stewardship, whether in business or in building the community entails three key factors: giving or generosity, managing, and bringing increase. Each of these dimensions draws from and builds on the other. Each is vital to not only good business practices, but maintaining a fertile environment for opportunity both for current and future generations. It is the God-focused business model of Abraham which draws from community, while spawning community-builders who produce the difference seen by those in the surrounding societies.   Generosity. The spirit of generosity or tz'dakah operating within the community recognizes the responsibility and commitment of the members toward one another. It is a social system that fosters opportunity and cares for the needs of its own. It is written: "Do good to all men, but especially the household of faith." When tz'dakah prevails in the community, it ensures the maintenance of the community as a safe place that takes care of its own.   Managing. Managing change is a necessary part of any business. It incorporates the diligence of providing a service or product with greater excellence than that offered by competition. Stewardship is the mastery of this process of managing one's assets creatively so that it brings increase.   Increase. It is written: "I am the Lord who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go." God's expectation is for us to align our ways with His so that, for our benefit and destiny, we also will perform with His nature. In this process we are, like Abraham, blessed to be a blessing. It is the means by which both families and communities are fed and strengthened for the future.   Once again, this dynamic of stewardship operates both for the benefit of individuals, but also the community and future generations. Let me illustrate with the story of a Christian businessman who lived during the days of WWII. His name was Robert LeTourneau  Mr. LeTourneau owned a successful manufacturing company. One night he had an unusual dream. In his dream he saw a blueprint, a scaled drawing of a new form of machinery. He wondered about the meaning of the dream, but then a few days later, he had the same dream with the exact same blueprint with specifications for a type of machinery that didn't currently exist.   The third time he had this dream, he realized it was God who was showing him something, the specifications for a more advanced type of earth-moving equipment than was currently on the market. He realized his manufacturing company had the capability to start building this type of equipment.   He developed the prototype. Then he began manufacturing this equipment. This new earth-moving equipment was an instant success in building new roads. When the US government learned about this new technology, they came, looked it over and began making purchases in order to build runways for airfields where the US was at war in the Pacific. By some estimates, this equipment was able to build a runway ten times faster than previous equipment they had been using.   Mr. LeTourneau's company began experiencing dramatic growth. Being a committed believer whose spiritual gift was giving, he decided he wanted to test what would happen if he increased his giving from his current contributions of roughly 10 to 15 percent of his profits to 25 percent of his profits. His company expanded even more.   After a period of time, he increased his contributions to 45 percent of his company's profits. Still, there was plenty of operating capital for growth and his profits soared with the increase in the sales volume. He eventually increased the ratio of his contributions to 95 percent of his company's profits. The company flourished and Mr. LeTourneau lived very well on the 5 percent.   Mr. LeTourneau became well known for his statement: "You cannot out-give God." Of course this man had the gift of giving with the necessary faith to progressively build his generosity to that level. He likewise took tangible steps to this most unusual example of generosity. Nevertheless, he is a great model of how these three factors of stewardship blend together: giving, managing and increase.   Robert LeTourneau's generosity not only served the interests of his nation and the cause of freedom. He made possible the building and endowment of a Christian college. He supported many timely initiatives and helped a lot of people.   Faith and Stewardship It is written that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Good stewardship requires the faith to hear and obey God. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, of things not seen. Abraham pleased God because he considered that which was not as though it were. Abraham believed and acted on what God had told him.   God speaks and things are created. Abraham joined in the creative process of birthing what God told Abraham when there was no evidence in the natural of God's word to him. In doing so, Abraham was bridging the seen world with the unseen world. It was a different way of responding to the reality around him.   The opposite of faith is fear. The dimension of fear that has the most subtle influence on business success is a poverty spirit. There is a Western saying: "Penny wise is dollar foolish." In other words, those with a poverty spirit are so obsessed with the pennies that they lose dollars, because they've lost their grasp of the big picture.   A poverty spirit is a fear of risk. Yet, faith and risk must be taken to bring increase. Stewardship requires confidence and is efficient. A poverty spirit tends to waste time rather than maximizing time and is very inefficient. We've mentioned the parable in which the steward who brought about no increase was considered worthless. He was the one with the poverty spirit.   Faith is working smart and applying diligence to the work being done. You have to spend money to make money. My friend Stan Bullis has developed a model for his companies, which is a reflection of the mix of the creative, of tz'dakah, and of bringing increase. Twenty percent of his companies' profits go back into company growth, another twenty percent is for charitable purposes and the remaining sixty percent is for employee bonuses according to each employee's responsibility and role in bringing about the profits.   Stewardship and Planning A Jewish proverb states that the naive believes anything, but the prudent man is cautious and considers well his steps. That caution is not being reluctant to act, but rather taking the time to adequately do your homework. In Jewish culture, this is a way of thinking and looking at things. Due diligence is required when taking a look at any type of opportunity.   Before you can get the right answers to something you need to be able to ask the right questions. This involves doing your homework, looking into a matter and doing investigative research.   An essential part of stewardship is planning. Planning in business is preparing your business for the future, for alternatives that may take place, in order to wisely be prepared to take advantage of the opportunity that may emerge.   The first step in business planning is the research required to look at every facet of the steps ahead, including trends and the expectations for the future. Planning is a process just as good stewardship is a process. Planning maps out the steps needed to accomplish a set of wisely, clearly-defined goals.   Iridium is the company that launched satellite phone technology. However, over the twelve years from its start, instead of adapting to market conditions and the demands of the market, Iridium held to their original business plan. Business is the art of managing change. The market acceptance of new technology will change over time. It involves a dynamic known as the product life cycle curve.   There are innovators and then early adopters, the consumers who are inclined to try new things. But then market acceptance tends to slow as technology faces the hurdles of increasingly greater challenges in market acceptance. Iridium operated on the basis that they had the best thing going, which they indeed did and that the market would come to them. But it didn't. They did not adapt to the needs of the market and they ran out of money before the market ever caught up with them.   Wise planning results in a different way of thinking. We're going to be discussing this type of creative thinking in another of this series. It is the type of thinking that is constantly revaluating the assumptions of each business proposition and the conditions evolving in the marketplace.   Wise planning constantly readjusts the goals and strategies to seize the opportunity needed for the momentum to achieve the optimum long-term impact. It is interesting that companies that begin with bottom-up foundations that start small versus those whose beginnings are developed through fast-track top-down accelerator strategies have a higher ratio of long-term success.   Stewardship and Mentoring We've established that stewardship is the effective management of the responsibilities for which we've been entrusted. Those responsibilities include both resources and people. Businesses utilize both. So does community. Community also not only is the means to enhance the gifts and destinies of the businesses and people within the community, but portends a future purpose of the community itself.   As such, mentoring is a vital part of community stewardship. It is the preparation made by one generation for the future role to be served by the next generation. It is the means by which the older, successful generation imparts their gifts and the wisdom of their journey of life to select, potential leaders they choose to mentor.   Within Jewish business culture, serving an apprenticeship is a form of being mentored. An apprentice is one who is learning the tools of the trade. That means not only the tools of the business, but the tradecraft of running the business. That is stewardship from a business perspective.   Mentoring entails a meaningful, proactive dialogue between the generations on the strategies and subtleties of the management of vital responsibilities, for business and for the community. It is an essential dimension in the proactive planning for the future. It is the means to enhance the wisdom of the emerging generation to lead. It is the process of revealing the ways of God and how to walk them out with an undivided heart. It is imparting the blessings of God from one generation to the next.   Moses wrote about these things. He said: Tell these things to your children and your grandchildren. He made a point that doing so should be a lifestyle: Tell them these things when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. It is an ongoing attitude of both the apprentice and the one imparting the skills and wisdom. It incorporates the blending of the perspectives of the spiritual, the economic and community with the secrets of what operationally binds them together. It triggers an unveiling of the dynamics of the destiny of the Jews as a prophetic people of God.   When I was a boy, my father was a very busy man. He was general manager of the manufacturing company that was the major employer in my hometown. He was also the mayor of my hometown. He loved the people he worked with and they loved him. Yet he made the opportunity to take me with him. We were always talking. I attended meetings and sat quietly and listened as my dad conducted his business.   As I grew up, I also heard stories about his grandfather, who had immigrated to America from Ireland by himself at the age of 16. My dad told me how of all his grandchildren my dad was the one my great-grandfather chose to take with him to the rural church meetings he held. He was a circuit preacher in a time and area when the communities didn't have churches.   My dad got involved in Little League baseball so he could help coach me in this skill and we could share in this sport. My dad was my greatest mentor. My dad always sought for me to have opportunity that he had not had.   Yet, there were many others my dad mentored. He mentored a young man who had immigrated to the US and had a talent. This man could repair anything. Eventually he became maintenance manager of the manufacturing company my dad ran.   As a father, and as a business and community leader, my dad was a mentor as he had learned from his grandfather. There were certain people in whom he invested his life and ways. As a mentor he was an example in the way he lived his life. During the days when Jesus had His earthly ministry he taught many people. However, he chose twelve to be his disciples. These are the ones he mentored. Then there came a time when he told them, I no longer call you disciples, but friends.   A mentor is an investor in people. A mentor is someone who spends time with you, who is willing to show you the ropes, who sees your potential and prepares you for the next level of opportunity enfolding before you. Then there comes a time when the process shifts. Within the Jewish community an important first step in this shift is a rite of passage called the bar mitzvah. For women it is the bat mitzvah. It is a rite of passage into adulthood recognized by the community.   Effective stewardship is the responsible administration of the secrets with which we've been entrusted spiritually, economically and leadership-wise. Stewardship prepares us for the future to creatively prosper our community, our businesses and our culture from one generation to another. Stewardship releases a powerful dynamic, an authority which we'll discuss in a future session called dominion. ___________________________________________________   Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the higher dimensions of business leadership since the mid-90s. As founder of Global Initiatives Foundation and designer of the God's Economy Entrepreneurial Equippers Program, Mr. Ruddick imparts hope and equips economic community builders to be blessed to be a blessing where God's light is dim in diverse regions around the globe.   He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;" "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;" "The Heart of a King;" "Something More;" "Righteous Power in a Corrupt World;" "Leadership by Anointing;" and "Mantle of Fire," which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders with destinies to impact their communities. They are available in print and e-versions from www.Amazon.com, www.apple.com/ibooksand www.BarnesandNoble.com.   Global Initiatives Foundation (www.strategic-initiatives.org) is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose efforts are enabled by the generosity of a remnant of faithful friends and contributors whose vision aligns with God's heart to mobilize economic community builders imparting influence and the blessings of God. Checks on US banks should be made out to Global Initiatives and mailed to PO Box 370291, Denver CO 80237 or by credit card at http://strategicintercession.org/support/   Likewise, email us to schedule a seminar for your group's gathering on the Joseph-Daniel Calling or on anointing the creative in business.   2016 Copyright Morris Ruddick -- sign@strategicintercession.org   Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since early 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized prophetic intercessors and leaders committed to targeting strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For previous posts or more information on SIGN, check:http://www.strategicintercession.org   Morris Ruddick Global Initiatives Foundation www.strategic-initiatives.org www.strategicintercession.org Global Initiatives is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 organization

Global Initiatives Foundation, PO Box 370291, Denver, CO 80237

Leadership Through Love - Steve Martin's third book now available on Amazon - paperback ($7.95) and Kindle ($3.95)

Greetings to ye all!

Both the paperback ($7.95) and Amazon Kindle ($3.95) versions are now available on Amazon.com.

Click here: Amazon Purchase - Leadership Through Love

We also have our ministry office copies available for sale ($7.95 plus $4.00 S/H).

I know many will be encouraged and given more vision for their calling in the church/ministry or office setting roles they are in. Please see the description and content listing below for more details.

Shalom,

Steve Martin

Love For His People

Brief Description:

Where would churches, ministries or businesses be without the administrators, the directors of departments, or the executive secretaries and administrative assistants? Those organizations who have them know their value. Those who don’t may or may not realize what they are missing.

It has been my desire to share a bit of what I have experienced, and learned, over 40 years. Each one of you who now serves in this capacity is very important to the “visionaries”. The work that you do, and the support that you consistently give, enables the top leaders of the organization to do what they have been given by the Lord to do. I like to think of our role as similar to that of my Biblical heroes. Joshua assisted Moses and Timothy served with Paul. 

May the Lord encourage you as you read my thoughts and what has worked for me. I hope the stories and suggestions will impart to you further measures of blessing, for those you support and also to those you give direction to.  

Steve Martin

Contents

Introduction                                                                          Page 13

           

Chapter 1                       A Gift for His Purposes                   Page 14

                                   

Chapter 2                       Use the Tools You Have,

                                       But Not the Staff                             Page 19

Chapter 3                       Women Arising in the Workplace    Page 24

Chapter 4                       Train and Let Loose                         Page 27

Chapter 5                       Burn Candles at Both Ends?             Page 32

Chapter 6                       The Visionaries Need You!               Page 36

Chapter 7                       Staff Fun Times                               Page 40

Chapter 8                       It Doesn’t All Depend On You         Page 42

Chapter 9                       Practically Speaking and Walking    Page 47

Chapter 10                     Meetings – Need Them?                   Page 50

Chapter 11                     Acknowledge Him in All Ways         Page 53

Chapter 12                     Another Man’s Vineyard                  Page 57

Endorsements

In a rough and tumble world marred by the superficial and the phony, where nothing can be counted on, Steve Martin maps out a straight-line path for Christian organizations. In reality, it's a book on how to steward the factors that too often get side-tracked when navigating a significant call of God. It's a down-to-earth manual of wisdom needed to enable Christian organizations to keep their eye on the big picture, while building a firm foundation to enable it to happen. Steve writes from the stance of one who has served in key administrative roles in a number of key ministries. Every ministry head and administrator will profit from this straight forward operating wisdom.

Morris Ruddick
Entrepreneur, Author, Minister, Consultant and Business Coach

What a great practical book for administration. I have watched Steve oversee several ministries. I know of no better administrator than my friend, Steve Martin. I highly recommend that you read this book.

Dr. Peter Wyns, President, Christians for Messiah Ministries and Pastor of Antioch International Church. Dr. Wyns is also the grandson of Derek Prince.

God has created in Steve a heart for worship and service. His desire has been to see the body of Christ united and to see ministries come together to co-labor for the purposes of God.

Jack Alongi, former Director of Development

  at Derek Prince Ministries

  

I had the pleasure of working on an almost daily basis with Steve Martin for many years while he served several Christian ministries. While Steve had the control of whether we worked together, he always made me feel we were working as a team with a common reward in serving God. He enjoyed my family as I did his.  He is intelligent, thoughtful, patient to the extent he could be, a good listener, open to new ideas, joyful and passionate about serving the Lord. The projects may be over long ago but not the bond we hold to this day.

George Payne Write Hand Publishing Andalusia, Alabama

We are honored to write an endorsement. Anyone that has worked with you Steve knows what a blessing you are and I was SO HAPPY to read that you finally realize the gifting that God has given you. Love to Laurie and the family. 

Jeanette Alongi, formerly of Derek Prince Ministries

 - Fort Lauderdale, FL and Charlotte, NC

I just finished reading Steve Martin’s new book, “Leadership Through Love” - Steve’s heart of goodness and faithfulness to His God shines on every page.  Of great importance is the practical hands-on wisdom that comes from actually leading through love, giving integrity to the words that are written.  Steve’s sense of humor always kind of sneaks up on me, and I found myself chuckling so many times at his stories and honest, from-the-heart insights!  It is the mandate of all of us who follow the One called Faithful and True to complete the work that our Father has given us, and Steve’s book will shine the light on how to do just that, whether you are an administrator or leader in the secular marketplace or in volunteer or paid ministry positions.  Loving leadership – a high calling – Steve’s done it, and it shows in this book!

Cathy Hargett, Founder/Director, Highway to Zion Ministries

Steve - I read your excellent book! I want to share this: I've known Steve now for several years. He's a man of faith and a man of action! Both are desired in true men of God. Steve is a manager - management is something he knows and can help you with. His future may be in ever-expanding ways, but he can help you manage. Read this book intently - honor the Lord by letting it wash over you and help you become the Manager that God intends you to be. And Steve, thanks for the book - thanks for your honesty and openness! Amen and blessing!

Robbie Phillips, Founder, Present Word Ministries

 - Columbia, SC

Steve, I finished your book “Leadership through Love”. I think it is a great book, one that will help those who choose to glean from your practical (tried and proven) pointers, and at the same time, woven through the pages are thoughts and encouragements to those reading it, to build a good biblical foundation from which to lead and serve from.

I had the pleasure and great blessing of serving under the leadership of Steve Martin for five years. I witnessed firsthand his integrity and faithfulness. I watched him lead me and others with respect, appreciation, love and boundless encouragement. Although our paths have taken other directions over the past six years, I cherish his friendship which continues on today. I nicknamed Steve, “Heavy Hand of Blessings” because I have never met a person who takes such pure delight in blessing others as Steve Martin. I was blessed to call him Boss and am continually blessed to call him friend.

Terri Whitaker, Derek Prince Ministries

Every now and then you have the privilege to get to know someone whose character and life radiate honesty, sincerity, loyalty and Christian love.  Steve Martin is that type of person.  I first met Steve at a Messianic conference in Charlotte, NC, in 2007.  One of the things I quickly noticed about Steve was how "approachable" he was.  Even though he was the US Director of an international ministry, he still had time to talk with people at the conference and demonstrated a genuine interest in helping to bring about a network of Believers, as well as area groups and churches, for the purpose of serving the Lord more effectively.  As the years have passed I've come to realize just how deep Steve's roots of love and service for the Lord are. 

It has been exciting to walk with Steve, as he's "stepped out of the boat" and moved ahead with the vision the Lord gave him for LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE - a ministry that helps connect Believers around the world with the people of Israel.  He is a husband, father and grandfather.  Steve, and his wife Laurie, serve as leaders of the Ahava Love Band, a group of singers and musicians who provide praise and worship at area assemblies.  Whether you call him Messianic, a part of the "one new man", or a "Jewish Rooter", if there's anyone who knows how to demonstrate "Leadership Through Love", it's Steve Martin. 

Curtis Loftin Founder, Beit Yeshua Lincolnton, NC

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book.  I enjoyed it and thought it had some really great insights.  I wish I had this back in my "corporate" days.  You are a good writer too.  In a world filled with an ever increasing list of ‘how to’ books, Steve Martin has provided one which clearly sets itself apart from the rest.  He presents a concise look at the art/science of management and leadership based not on academia but on real life experiences founded on God’s Word and powered by the Holy Spirit.  Based on his vast personal experiences in leadership, reinforced by insights received from others, Steve provides truly practical instruction in how to lead and manage an effective organization whether it consists of one or one thousand people.  If you are a manager, leader, or hope to one day become one, this book is a must read.  

Dr. Richard E. Tompkins, President, Explore Truth Ministries

Steve Martin has a gift from God. He is a visionary. That cannot be taught and few people have that.  I've worked with him for three ministries. I was always amazed at how he could take a company from being in the red financially and turn it around into the black - sometimes in a short period of time. I used to say "You should write a book and workbook too."  As his friend for over 24 years, I know anyone who reads this book will say "Wow!" too and gain much timely wisdom. 

Indira Persad,  Founder, Indira Persad Ministries Charlotte, NC

I worked with Steve for five years, assisting him in photography in one of the ministries. It was an honor to work alongside of him. He made the job so much fun. The Steve that I got to know did everything that he has written about in his book, "Leadership Through Love". This is a must read book for anyone who is struggling in their administrative jobs. It will help you to re-focus on what really matters. 

Sandra McCain, Fort Mill, SC

After a few years of living in a wheelchair, the day came when the Lord revealed Himself to me. And while I sat in that wheelchair He spoke to me and said, “Lech Lecha! Go to Jerusalem and pray for the peace and love for My city!” After my return He made me walk again and started to use me as a pastor of a Messianic Jewish congregation. And with that congregation we started to support a humanitarian work named Vision for Israel & The Joseph Storehouse in Israel. Then several years ago Steve Martin and I met each other for the first time in Israel while serving for this same humanitarian organization. He was one of the inspiring members of the organizing team of the Succot Celebration in Jerusalem. My wife Carla and I were impressed about the way this team was working together.

The teamwork was based on love and respect for each other. Since then we met annually in Jerusalem for the Succot Celebration, and every time again it was Steve Martin who showed us in practice that love was the ideal basic in working together and serving people. James says: “Faith without works is dead!” The works he means are the works of love. The love we put into our work, in our relations and in all of our life should be the love that God gives us by His Spirit. If we believe, we should use this love; otherwise our faith is nothing. This same love is the theme of this book.

It shows you that the Love of God through each and every one of us should be used as the main part of our work together. Steve is a man who knows this and showed it to us in practice. And he knows how to explain it, as this book will show you by simply giving you some ideas and tools. Therefore we recommend this book to you. Carefully try to implement these ideas into your relations in your work and daily life. May the Lord bless you, Baruch haShem.

 Peter Nissen, Beit Emoenah, The Netherlands

“Leadership Through Love” comes from the heart of a man who has been there; who has managed, administrated and served for several decades and he is one who has indeed done it not only excellently, but also from the motivation of love.   His writing reveals the foundational backbone upon which leadership and oversight must rest; love toward God first and secondly love, respect and honor toward the people God has created in His image -  our coworkers and staff.  And because Steve’s foundational motive is right on and rock-solid, the insights, lessons and wisdom-nuggets he offers so eloquently and succinctly are also right on and rock-solid.

While there are volumes of books on the mechanics of administrating and managing, the author has brought forth in “Leadership Through Love” the all-important underlying truth that must be the motivating factor behind it and all its aspects.  He speaks to the heart of those who are called to lead and oversee - not for their own personal interests or ambitions, but as those who desire to reflect the heart and nature of their heavenly Father.   

He systematically lays out the pragmatic nuts and bolts that are required to manage and oversee in a creative, productive and excellent manner.  

Sharing candidly from his own personal journey of experience, he covers some of the pitfalls common to administrating and how they can be avoided – very valuable lessons indeed.  For those who aspire to or feel called to roles of leadership administration, this book will be a very valuable tool in not only the mechanics of leadership, but also in the heart of leadership. 

 

On a personal note I have known Steve and Laurie Martin since 1990 and I can testify that they are people of consistent impeccable character and Christ-likeness.  They are humble, kind and honoring of others and they have gained great wisdom through the many seasons of walking their faith-journeys.  They have endured bitter winter-seasons in suffering deep disappointment, but they have kept their hearts right and have overcome and come forth as purified gold.   So dear reader, open wide your heart and receive from this father-of-the-faith as he – and his wife alongside him - have much to teach and share with us.  All glory and honor go to our Father in heaven who administrates and oversees all creation and His family of mankind in perfect harmony and love.  By His grace, may we learn His ways of “Leadership Through Love.” 

Karla Shrake, Mantles of Glory Ministries, Dallas, TX

I am pleased to add my personal endorsement to this creative endeavor by Steve Martin. I have had the honor to know Steve for nearly ten years.  Steve is a prolific writer, who has a wonderful gift of being able to share his experiences and insights of life in a practical, yet humorous style.  His writings are often full of delightful "nuggets of truth" which he has gleaned from his remarkable walk with the Lord these many years.

Dr. William Duerfeldt, Asheville, NC

Reading Steve Martin’s new book ‘Leadership through Love’ led me to a tear and a quick repentance. How often we can overlook the journey for the objective - what we do as opposed to who we are. Steve uses his life testimony to shine light on the importance of loving relationship in the workplace. It is good to be reminded of that, in spite of our great visions. The higher we climb in the Kingdom the greater the responsibility and the more numerous the people we need to serve and love. I thoroughly recommend this book to all in business and ministry. Thank you Steve for reminding me to love the people I work with.

Martin Powell, Kingdom Talents, Owner

Listing on Amazon:

Biography:

Steve Martin served with three Christian ministries from 1987-2010, all having a national and international outreach focus. During that time he made 14 ministry trips to Israel, China, India, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom. 

On his overseas journeys Steve enjoyed sharing written journal entries with family and friends back home, through Internet media. His light-hearted stories gave an up close and personal touch for those reading along. Many could imagine being there themselves.

His extensive collection of photos taken during these trips, of both local scenery and common people on the streets, has touched thousands through their varied images.

In 2010, Steve and Laurie began "Love For His People, Inc," a 501©3 non-profit humanitarian aid ministry. This work touches the natural and spiritual lives of those around them with needed encouragement and strength. 

His regular “Ahava Love Letter”, posted both on the Love For His People Blog and Facebook, feature his love letters of spiritual enrichment, plus selected photos and commentary from abroad.

Since 1994, Steve and his good wife Laurie have lived in the Charlotte, NC area, after having homes in Illinois, Michigan and Florida. Now married for more than 36 years, they enjoy their four adult children and spouses, along with six additional grandchildren.

While continuing to serve organizations with his accounting skills, he enjoys writing and growing the ministry of Love For His People, Inc.

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I hope you get a copy!

Thanks,

Steve