When Apple CEO Steve Jobs kicked off this year’s Macworld Conference &
Expo earlier in January, he once again raised the bar on presentation
skills. Carmine Gallo analyzed his latest presentation at Business Week,
and extracted the 10 elements that we can combine to dazzle our own
audience:

1. Set the theme.
2. Demonstrate enthusiasm.
3. Provide an outline.
4. Make numbers meaningful.
5. Try for an unforgettable moment.
6. Create visual slides.
7. Give ‘em a show.
8. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
9. Sell the benefit.
10. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.

[FULL ARTICLE]:
http://www.businessweek.com/print/smallbiz/content/jan2008/sb20080125_269732.htm

“Try for an unforgettable moment” (#5):

The author explaind that “this is the moment in your presentation that
everyone will be talking about. Every Steve Jobs presentation builds up to
one big scene. In this year’s Macworld keynote, it was the announcement of
MacBook Air. To demonstrate just how thin it is, Jobs said it would fit in
an envelope. Jobs drew cheers by opening a manila interoffice envelope and
holding the laptop for everyone to see. What is the one memorable moment
of your presentation? Identify it ahead of time and build up to it.”

I am sure Steve Jobs can teach us a lot about communication, especially
sharing with passion, conviction and enthusiasm.

Talking about passion, I am also reminded about a quote I got from a
podcast interviewing Starbucks founder Howard Schultz on Starbucks
corporate culture:

“We’re not in the coffee business serving people,
but we’re in the people business serving coffee.”

by Gabriel Chan

Last weekend (Jan. 25-27, 2008) at my church (North Toronto Chinese Baptist) Dr. Glenn Smith, the Toronto Contempo Forum 2007 speaker, spoke at our Missions Conference.  I had booked him for our church after the Contempo Forum in September, 2007 because I enjoyed his messages so much, and he did not disappoint me this time either.  His messages were insightful and challenging.

At a message on Sat. evening he spoke about “Stewarding your vocation in light of God’s global mission.”  He said a lot of things that night, but I thought I’d pass on to you just one or two main lessons that I got out of the evening.

Dr. Smith mentioned that we need to recognize that most Jews in the New Testament lived in the diaspora (outside Israel) and were ‘landed immigrants’ in their foreign countries.  Peter wrote to these Jews in his book, 1 Peter, and in chapter 2:9-12 he talks about our PRIMARY VOCATION - that of being God’s chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and God’s possession.  Dr. Smith points out that many people are so worried about their ‘calling to a specific career’ that they forget the ‘prime vocation’ of being all those things (mentioned in 1 Peter 2:9-12) wherever they are, in whatever job they may be at the moment. 

As God’s stewards of the earth (cultural mandate from the Creation Story) we are called to be God’s regents on the earth.  We are partners with God in doing His work in the world.  Thus we are to do our jobs ‘with a Christian Mind’ in all things.  As Dr. Smith put it, “If I want to act like a Christian, I’ve got to think like a Christian.”  Everything I do needs to be submitted to King Jesus.

Dr. Smith also reminded us that we should not be focussed only on ministry IN the marketplace (i.e. just worrying about how to minister TO non-Christians to convert them) but WITH the marketplace (i.e. redeem our fields for Jesus).  For example, hospitals, social agencies, etc. may not be explicitly Christian, but they are definitely doing God’s work in the world.  How can we influence our workplaces to reflect the reign of God in our world?  Our jobs are part of God’s global mission of helping everything reflect God’s glory.

 I definitely enjoyed Dr. Smith’s ministry this last weekend, and I pray that he will continue to influence Quebec, Canada and the rest of the world through his teaching, speaking engagements and books!

- Rev. Ted Tham - NTCBC

Recently I read an interesting story from George Foreman’s biographical book God in My Corner:

George Forman was a big, tough and mean heavyweight champion in the 70’s. He’s famous for his knockout victories over Joe Frazier and Ken Norton. He’s even more famous for losing an improbably fight to Muhammad Ali when Ali used the “Rope-a-dope” on him. After that monumental lost, Forman was never the same fighter. Then in 1976, he had a miraculous conversion experience and quit boxing to be a pastor in Houston Texas.

In the 80’s Foreman came back to boxing at the brand old age of 38. He completed his improbable comeback with a knockout victory over Moore to recapture the Heavyweight title at the age of 45. What’s equally amazing to his comeback was his changed demeanour. Gone was the mean and tough Foreman. The new Foreman is fat and happy all the time. Indeed an all around nice guy, or is he?

According to Foreman, during his comeback, after he lost his 12 round bout to Evander Holyfield he and his wife went to an IHOP to eat everything he starved for – pancakes and syrup, bacon, eggs, sausage, orange juice…

While they were having their meal, a fan came up and asked for his autograph. George was tired and hungry, he didn’t want to be interrupted. So, he told the fan to wait till after the meal. As the fan walked away disappointed, Foreman’s wife Mary preached the message that George would never forget: “Look, George. Everybody thinks you’re the nicest guy in the world because you’re smiling in all those commercials. But you wouldn’t stop eating for fifteen seconds to sign an autograph for that man. You’ can’t treat people like that. So you either be the nicest guy, or don’t be! But don’t pretend to be one person and act like another!”

Big George learned his lesson, he asked the fan to come back and signed his autograph for him rightaway! What about us? Who are we when no one’s looking? Are we still the same nice and helpful Christian?

Dr. Clement Yeung wrote about his children taking driving lessons. Our children are not old enough to learn to drive yet. But recently we shared the experience of the other spectrum of drivers, the seniors. My father is 85 years old, and he has to renew his driver’s license very 2 years. He has renewed his license twice since age 80 without too much trouble. But on his 84th year, he has certain eye problems that need to undergo certain treatment. By the time his vision returns to 20/40, which is the minimum requirement for obtaining a driver’s license, his license has expired. The return of his vision is no less than a small miracle, but that is a story for another day.

As a condition for renewing his license, my father was required to take a road test. I was busy then and his pastor (my parents go to a different church than ourselves) took him to the road test. That evening he called me and was very excited to report that he passed. Then he waited and waited for his new license, which did not come. A week before his temporary license expired, he asked me to go with him to the drivers’ licensing center to make enquiries. After some searching of the records, the clerk told us that my father did not pass the road test! He was given a G1 license for senior, and was expected to re-take his road test. Due to miscommunication (my father has very limited English), my father misunderstood and thought he passed.

My father showed me the examiner’s report. My father probably drove as he usually did on the roads for decades when he was taking his road test. As a result, he made all the mistakes that we all do, failing to use mirrors, failing to check blind spot, cutting corners when turning, did not check before backing out, back out too fast, did not use indicators sufficiently, etc. etc. He took his road test on a quiet stretch of residential streets in suburbia, with very little traffic and absolutely no pedestrian. Does the above description sound familiar? I suppose we all drive like that very day. But when one is taking a road test, and drive like that, one fails.

My father was devastated when he learned that he had failed, and asked me to take him to retake the road test on the next working day after the weekend. I said to my father, how can one unlearn the driving habits of decades in a weekend? I was sort of nervous having my 85 years old father driving on the road, so I was sort of trying to persuade him not to drive anymore. But not driving means much limited mobility in Canada, and an altogether different lifestyle. Both my parents are still very healthy and robust and they don’t want to go there yet.

On Monday, my father went for the road test again, and I went with him. I walked with him to the car and told the examiner that his English is limited and so to speak slowly and clearly with hand signs. Then I went back into the center where my mother was sitting and waited. About 10 to 15 mins later, my father’s car came back, and I rushed out to the parking lot to meet them. The examiner said my father had passed. My father did everything by the book, taking extra measures to use the mirror, check blind spot, use indicators etc. Later, I told my father I was praying for him when I went back into the center, and my mother said she was praying silently all the time.

To paraphrase Dr. Yeung again, you may ask what has my father’s driver’s license got anything to do with Christian life? I think it is very indicative of how we do all other things in life. We do our jobs, whatever those are, we serve our churches, we live our Christian lives, in just the way we drive day in day night. In other words, we are sloppy. We cut corners, we back out without looking, we speed, we slow but not stop at stop signs. We drive, as we live our every day lives, as if no one is watching, and we are very comfortable doing it. We don’t even realize we may be violating traffic laws, or even putting ourselves and others on the road in danger. Driving becomes second nature to us, just as we often become complacent in our Christian lives.
No one on earth may be watching, but the fact of the matter is, someone is watching, from above. When we are called to account for our lives, just as when we are required to take a road test, will we pass or fail? How are we doing in our jobs today, are we living our Christian lives to the fullest in working our jobs, or are we just muddling through?

God is great, He always give us second chances, and even third, forth, and so on. We should drive every day as if we are having a road test, and we should do everything as if we will be graded eventually.

Toronto, Manson and Eva Mak

As a Christian, we are called to live in a way that brings God the glory that He rightfully deserves.  This includes the way we act at church, at home, with friends, colleagues and family members, how much we value certain things, and how we spend our time.

Although I do not feel that it is mentioned enough, living our lives according to God’s calling should affect how we perceive our work and career.  Listening to a sermon from John Piper, I was grateful to be reminded that even our workplace should be another means to glorify God.

Let me attempt to put things into perspective.  The population of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is 5,555,912 (per the 2006 Census).  Now let us hypothetically assume that half the population is Christian, having true salvation through acceptance and knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Saviour.  This still leaves 2,777,956 who are bound to eternal damnation in hell.  This is a huge number of non-Christians! 

How are all these people expected to learn about God?  We can easily group this very conservative number of 2,777,956 people in the GTA as the people to whom God has called us to share the Gospel — God’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).  It makes sense that God has placed each of us in our respective areas of employment as a means to reach out to those around us, to the people who make up the non-Christian communities.

To help guide you in becoming a powerful, effective tool for God at the workplace, I will share the ‘Five Ways to Make God Known at Work’[1] as they have been listed by John Piper.  It is important to note the totality of these five ways working together; when one of them is missing, the witness to the truth of Christ suffers.

Five Ways to Make God Known at Work[2]

1. The excellence of the products or services you render in your job shows the excellence and greatness of God. 
2. The standards of integrity you follow at your job show the integrity and holiness of God.
3. The love you show to people in your job shows the love of God.
4. The stewardship of the money you make from your job shows the value of God compared to other things.
5. The verbal testimony you give to the reality of Christ shows the doorway to all these things in your life and their possibility in the lives of others. 

If the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is going to be evangelised, it is going to happen through evangelism through Christian works.  For some of you, this will mean rethinking why you have the job you do.  It will mean a new commitment to do in the GTA what we aim to do by sending missionaries and tentmakers abroad. 

To encourage you to consider your careers/vocations as a ministry for the Lord, the book of 1 Peter provides the biblical basis as pointed out by John Piper.

The Biblical Basis: Three Points[3]

1. You as believers (through faith) are God’s chosen people (1 Peter 2: 9-10).
2. You are aliens and exiles in the world (not citizens of this planet); we are citizens of heaven (1 Peter 1:1, 17; 1 Peter 2:11).
3. God wants you here/there (in the world) with different goals than the world.  God wants you there with the goal to make God known through:
        a.) the excellence of your products or services,
        b.) the standards of your integrity,
        c.) the love you show to people,
        d.) the way your spend your salary, and
        e.) the verbal testimony you give…
   all these will be done to show people the God you love and the desire you have that people come to know him and believe and be saved.

I think this is an excellent time to take a moment to look at your own goals in life.  Why do you have the job you have?  Do you have the mindset of bringing God glory — that everything you do will be done for His glory?  Perhaps this is a great time to pray and rededicate yourself to this great calling that God has given us.

Ben in Toronto

CBC radio, our national broadcaster, recently takes interest in addressing the above issue.  A journalist came to where I work and interviewed some of us involved in the workplace Bible Study Group.  The report was broadcasted tonight (Jan 10th).  You can go onto the CBC radio website to hear the report.  I learned from this report that there was a Supreme Court decision that requires employers to respect the deepest held belief in employees.  THe report talks about looming challenges of workplace spirituality,which is the growth of Moslem population in the workplace. Where I work, the Moslem group also has a study group, but they are not active.  We do have a quiet room for meditation and for people to go to pray.  I guess in a post-modern world, we learn to co-exist with one another.  We allow all truth claims to co-exist. However, the ultimate Truth will be the victor. 

More information and discussions on the overall topic are available on the CBC radio site.  They have interesting stories, such as

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/religion/life-christian.html re a father who has a son with Down Syndrome, and how he reconciled this experience with his Faith….and then went into seminary, and became a pastor with a growing congregation.

If you click the one on science and religion, you will be able to comment on different views re this hotly debated subject.

Have a great 2008.  I for one had a great 2007. Make 2008 another year of memorable work with God.

Ed from Ottawa

At the close of 2007, I asked God to give me a word or a theme for the coming year. Then one day, a special word popped up in my mind: delight. I must confess that I was not familiar with its meaning. The following day I received an email from an old friend in Toronto. Since his retirement some three years ago, he and his wife did a lot of traveling, literally around the world.

In his email, he made a very strange comment. He said that after being a world-trotter for almost three years, he suddenly felt that he needed a holiday. His wife thought he was just joking. “But we have been on holidays for the past three years,” she exclaimed. “I know, but this time I want to do something I really like,” he answered. When his wife asked him what he really liked to do, he gave this amazing yet honest reply, “I don’t know but I need to find out.”

We delight in things that we enjoy doing. I suppose that is what my friend meant by “something he really likes”. He probably had a lot of fun during the three years of travel but he did not find his delight.

When I open the January/ February 2008 issue of Discipleship Journal, there is an article by Ben Patterson on delight and I quote:

As Christians, we talk and explore joy, but any exploration of joy is incomplete if we do not understand that, at its deepest, joy is delight for God and with God… To delight in God is to see something of His excellence and beauty – the splendor of His “God-ness” and to gratefully exult in the sight.

When we have tasted such delight, we thirst after God for more. As Bernard of Clairvaux puts it, “From the best bliss that earth imparts, we turn unfilled to You again.” Jonathan Edwards describes such experience as being “swallowed up in God”.

I am no theologian and I am still working on my preliminaries. The psalmist says, “But (for the righteous) his delight is in the law of the Lord.” (Ps. 1:2) and “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your hearts.” (Ps. 37:4) From these verses, I learned three things about delight. First, the reason of my delight is the Lord. Second, the source of my delight is the law of the Lord. Thirdly, finding delight is a personal venture. I need to delight myself in the Lord. No one can do it for me.

When we follow the experience of the psalmist, we will quickly find out that joy is not a thing but a person. Even in his sufferings, Job gives this answer to his friends, “Will he find delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times?” (Job 27:10)

Just like my friend who needs to find out what he really likes, I pray that all of us in the Contempo family will find delight in the Lord who delights in us.

Have a delightful new year!