Road to Free Agent

Fw: Success to Significance? Not A Message for Future Generations

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." George Washington Carver

Statement of Faith
You can find other "Market with Meaning" but you definitely want to see "Profit with Purpose".
I personally "Believe in Kingdom Transformation" because I know there is only ONE "Life for Significant".

--- 2010年8月30日星期一，Business as Mission Network <justin@businessasmissionnetwork.com> 寫道﹕

寄件人: Business as Mission Network <justin@businessasmissionnetwork.com>
主題: Success to Significance? Not A Message for Future Generations
收件人: incubator.hou@gmail.com
日期: 2010年8月30日,星期一,下午8:47

Bernard Moon and Inside Work (Click here to read the full article on their website) - Last week I was speaking with someone about the concept of "success to significance" and its associated terms. I was asked how I defined "success" within this idea. I thought about it and gave a long pause. I could only imagine if my wife was there and telling me to just give a simple answer or some of my friends telling me not to overanalyze and not to be a rabble-rouser.

I finally replied, "Sorry, I just don't think within such a framework. Maybe I would say it's more about influence and impact."

After this afternoon chat, where we touched upon other topics, I came back to the idea of "success to significance" that evening. It had been several years since I read Bob Buford's "Half Time." It really didn't speak to me back then and I realized even more so today. I've attended some conferences inspired by "Half Time" which primarily targeted very successful businessmen in their 50s and beyond, and gained a great amount of insight and inspiration. I was one of the thirty-something attendees blessed enough to attend and learn from those with more experience and wisdom from life.

The concept of "success to significance" does speaks well to successful business owners or Fortune 500 executives in their 50s and beyond, especially those who were consumed by their drive towards their goals of success. But the yearning question for me since that afternoon chat was, "Why is a successful life bifurcated?"

The big picture concept of "Half Time" is that there is the first half of life where people focus on achieving their successes and the second half where you can refocus (or recommit to God) on being significant in your life mission for God. This would typically translate into more time and commitment to church or some ministry. I don't believe it was intentionally stated, but this transition
lessens the significance of work.
In rereading "Half Time" this past week, I didn't understand why these concepts couldn't be applied to those in the "first half" of their lives...

Read the rest the article at Inside Work

Stay connected to Justin and the Business as Mission Network

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Churches in Colorado and California getting Down to Business

Churches in Highlighlands Ranch, Colorado and Folsom, California share their resources and business expertise to advance the Gospel, train leaders and elevate the poor in Mozambique.

As four American businessmen gathered for prayer in Mozambique earlier this year, it happened-a "victory moment," as Gene Kissinger calls it.

Kissinger, outreach pastor at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo., had accompanied the group halfway around the world not to build houses, teach Bible school or provide health care. Instead, the men had taken five days from their busy schedules to go to Africa and do what they do best-look at accounting, assess spending and evaluate income for a missionary-run business.

The "moment" happened as Kissinger was leading the group in a spiritual debriefing at the end of the trip.

"One of the guys, almost with tears said, 'I never thought God could use my business skills for His purposes,'" Kissinger says, his voice cracking at the
memory. "And we all said, 'Thank you, Lord, for opening our eyes to that.'"

Read on ...
You remain in Church while you're at work!?

Guest Post by Larry Peabody - Ruts pose two hazards for a bike rider. One, they're hard to get out of. Two, they take control of the steering. The words "go to church" create similar risks for Christ-followers. First, you can't escape the words. Everyone uses them. They've become part of our language-like "go for a walk." Second, the phrase "steers" our thinking about church. Saying "go to" makes us think of church as an event. We "go to" meetings and parties and weddings. Events happen at set times and in specific places.
If I say I plan to "go" to a meeting, that means I am not there at the moment. Getting there will take some effort. And when the meeting ends, I will not be in it any longer, unless I "go" to another one.
That's the problem with our saying that we "go to church." The words condition us to think that most of the time-including our hours at work-we are not in church. But such an idea is flat-out contrary to what the New Testament teaches us about the church.

Read on ...
EC Group Featured on the Cover of Christian Computing for their Business Helping Speed Bible Translation
Read the Cover Story at the Christian Computing Website - In a remote jungle village, a bearded Wycliffe missionary sits close to a campfire. As mosquitoes buzz around, he listens closely to a tribal elder speak in an undocumented language, yearning to understand the dialect in order to bring them the Good News in their own tongue.

http://dowser.org/big-ideas-alex-nicholls-says-social-entrepreneurship-is-gro...

2010/08/30

Big Ideas: Alex Nicholls says social entrepreneurship is growing up

In our Big Ideas series, we check in regularly with top thinkers in the field of social innovation. We want to know what they're working on, what questions they're wrestling with, and what opportunities and challenges they see up ahead for the sector.

Today we hear from Alex Nicholls, lecturer at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford's Said School of Business. He's the co-author of the influential book Fair Trade and the editor of Social Entrepreneurship: New Models of Sustainable Social Change, the best-selling academic book on the subject globally. He's currently working on a new book on social investment.

On why he's focused on social investment: "It really matters in the field: When I meet social entrepreneurs and ask what's the thing that's most difficult, they say, 'Getting money.'"

On why it is so hard for social entrepreneurs to raise capital: “There's probably not a shortage of capital, which I think is the assumption people make. I think the problem is twofold: First, many social enterprises are just not investable--many are too small, too early-stage, and they often don't have a high level of financial literacy. Second--and this is the biggest missing piece--there's a lack of intermediary structures. If you think about conventional capital markets, they function by dint of having an enormously developed set of mechanisms between the investor and the investee--markets, legal firms, accountancy firms, consultancies, MBA programs, and so on. And that's just barely there in social investment.“

On why, when we build it, the money will come: “When you've increased the capacity of the sector to receive investment, and built the intermediary structures, it'll be like a dam bursting. It's not going to happen overnight, but this area is changing incredibly fast; there's a lot of experimentation and action, because I think everybody realizes that if you get this piece right, you could really have a revolution.”

On improving accountability and governance for social entrepreneurship: “Many social entrepreneurs come into this space because they're dissatisfied with the status quo. They see organizations doing stuff, and they think they can do a better job, often with the same resources but with more innovation. Improved accountability and governance -- most obviously around an increased attention to impact -- is one of the defining features of social entrepreneurship.”

On the intersection of social entrepreneurship and politics: “I think there's been insufficient attention paid to the political context of social enterprise. In Britain we've just had a change of government [after] 13 years of a government that did a lot of legislation on fiscal and economic policy around social enterprise. So now's a good time to do a reassessment.”

On who’s making waves with social enterprise: “If you're looking at social investment, the pathfinder by a million miles is the U.K. If you're looking at government policy, it's also probably the U.K. Grassroots action, probably India. Institutional opportunities, probably Bangladesh. If you're looking at academic research and courses, historically it's been the U.S. And some of the big pin-up models, like Teach for America, have been in the U.S. But you can't talk about the U.S. [as a whole]. There's a lot happening on the coasts, but not in, say, Arizona.”

On why social entrepreneurship is entering a tougher period (and why that's good): ”We're moving into a period of much more critical analysis of social entrepreneurship. We've ridden a wave of consensus; we're all hugging each other and patting ourselves on the back. There's been lots of money pouring into this and support from governments. I think all that's changing. We've had an economic calamity, governments are looking at austerity, foundations are pulling back, the media and others are getting more critical. I think we're going to have a critical decade for social entrepreneurship, and that's great. It's high time we looked at the stuff that's useful and does have impact and the stuff that has no impact at all, and I think we're going to have a big reality check. The hero-worshiping, self-congratulatory period's over. I don't see that as a challenge; I see it as a sign that we're growing up.”

Fw: 26 August 2010 - Hot Social Ventures & Resources

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." George Washington Carver

--- 2010年8月26日星期四，FYSE Weekly TidBit <hello@fyse.org> 寫道﹕

寄件人: FYSE Weekly TidBit <hello@fyse.org>
主題: 26 August 2010 - Hot Social Ventures & Resources
收件人: incubator.hou@gmail.com
日期: 2010年8月26日,星期四,下午2:14



Weekly newsletter highlighting social entrepreneurs and hot social ventures.

This week's focus is on the beauty and power for social change of candles. Most girls love them and they always make a great present, but did you know that candle–making is so easy that is provides a great way to economically empower disadvantaged communities?

Ventures to Watch

Prosperity Candle
Empowers women rebuilding their lives in places of conflict and distress. Today Iraqi women entrepreneurs are being trained in candle making and creating businesses that will help them not only survive, but truly thrive.
Filt
Filt “waste oil” candles from Japan combine useful recycling with nice packaging to make a product that looks good, smells good, burns well, and is made almost entirely with recycled waste literally within reach of the creators.
WeWorkz
Candles By Moms, set up 2007 in Singapore to equip needy women with skills for home-based employment, has grown into WeWorkz, a Womens' Cooperative which empowers women with skills to supplement their household income.

Social Entrepreneur Spotlight
Angella Cheng                                                                                                                  A single mother herself, founder Angella Cheng set up ChaCha Cottage in Singapore to help women like herself: "I was once a single mum, and my journey as a single mum to a life of blessings, and wanting to move on from success to significance, spurred me to start this cottage industry." Read more

Resources & News
Social Innovation China: New social network for social entrepreneurship and innovation

Updated list: Chinese Social Entrepreneurs & enterprises on Twitter

Apply now! Atlas Corps – accepting applications for rising social leaders in Asia and around the world

Quote of the Week
   "One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching" – Mooieo

Foundation for Youth Social Entrepreneurship (FYSE) http://www.fyse.org   [Tel] +852 8170 3587 [EMail] hello@fyse.org

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Fw: Plunkett Weekly News - 20 August 2010

Download now or preview on posterous

wip-6109.pdf (175 KB)

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." George Washington Carver

--- 2010年8月28日星期六，WeeklyNews@plunkett.co.uk <WeeklyNews@plunkett.co.uk> 寫道﹕

寄件人: WeeklyNews@plunkett.co.uk <WeeklyNews@plunkett.co.uk>
主題: Plunkett Weekly News - 20 August 2010
收件人: incubator.hou@gmail.com
日期: 2010年8月28日,星期六,上午12:11
Dear all,

This week?s Plunkett Weekly News for week commencing 20 August 2010 includes:

Plunkett Foundation News:
-Support for community food enterprises benefits over 1.4 million people
-Yorkshire-based local food & drink specialist entices villagers with exhibition
-Farmers? Markets Groups share skills to improve performance

Co-operatives and Social Enterprise News:
-Wales Co-op Centre CEO steps down
-UK Civil Society Almanac 2010
-National Social Enterprise photography competition

Farming and Food News:
-The Great Milk Debate returns: 16 November London?s Parliament Square
-British Food Fortnight 2010: 18 September-3 October
-UK Unions call for immediate beef price rise
-Views sought on a draft food strategy for Wales

Rural Development News:
-Call for evidence on rural aspect of Local Enterprise Partnerships
-New guide to improve rural transport
-Countryside Alliance Awards: The rural Oscars!

International News:
-International Co-operative Alliance celebrates 115th anniversary

Best wishes,

Katherine Darling

Fw: 新業務

Download now or preview on posterous

newbusiness.pdf (193 KB)

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." George Washington Carver

--- 2010年8月25日星期三，Siu Mui Games <sales@siumuigames.com> 寫道﹕

寄件人: Siu Mui Games <sales@siumuigames.com>
主題: 新業務
收件人: incubator.hou@gmail.com
日期: 2010年8月25日,星期三,下午9:58

Siu Mui Games 最新業務 "桌遊街" 簡介. 請到 www.siumuigames.com 瀏覽.
Best Regards,
Sales Department
Siu Mui games
www.siumuigames.com

Fw: Unitus – Kiva - Yunus

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." George Washington Carver