Dealing With God's People Who Drive You Crazy! -- Unique leadership programs for Faith-Based Organizations courtesy of The Freeman Institute...

It's no secret that the number one challenge of any faith-based organization (church, etc.) is "people issues" -- God's people driving God's people crazy! Interpersonal conflict with equally sincere people.

Whether you are reading this as a senior pastor, deacon, elder, secretary, youth worker, music team member, house church leader, missionary, board member, counselor or a chaplain, you know the need for realistic, positive solutions for those "people problems".

Over the years I have worked with a number of faith-based organizations, like Moody Church (Chicago), EMI Christian Music Group (Nashville), Sparrow Records (Nashville), 8th Army Chaplaincy Corps (Korea), Sports World Ministries (Indianapolis), and Urban Ministries (Chicago).

Basic Thesis: We all are different. Some of us are thinkers, others are doers; some are passive, still others are aggressive. Most people come to work with pretty good intentions, but we get on each other’s nerves just by being ourselves. In the every-day stress of the work environment, the tiniest
issues can escalate. And soon we are fighting about the way we are fighting, instead of dealing with the real issues. There's no cosmic conspiracy out there. We get on each other's nerves just by being ourselves! People do not respond to our intentions. They respond to our behavior.
Does any of this make sense?

Originally from Three Hills (PBI), Alberta, Canada, experience has "taken me to school". For over 18 years I pioneered and pastored three thriving churches in the USA and helped to establish mission works in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Since 1986 I have been a Professional Counselor, Board Certified by the State of Maryland.

Also, in 1979 I initiated The Shepherd's Guide Christian business directory. View some Shepherd's Guide ads. With my five books translated into 28 languages (click below), I have lectured and ministered all over the world. Let me put it this way -- there is not much about the joy or the pain of your organization that could take me by surprise.

As CEO of The Freeman Institute™, my work has received enthusiastic, rave reviews from the Prime Minister of Grenada and senior officials of Barbados to NASA, VA, ATF, HUD, Ikea, GE, EMI, US Sentencing Commission, National Security Agency, Billboard Music Group, Black Public Relations Society, a number of non-profit organizations, many pro athletes, and others around the globe, including a number of church leadership teams. In August 2002 all of the Kings and Queens of Africa were invited to attend a Pan African Conference in Benin, West Africa. I participated in this event and brought a film director along to make a film about this experience -- due out in a couple of years.

We have a ton of references – corporate, government, international, non-profit, white collar/blue collar…after finishing this open letter, check out the two endorsement sections of this web site hyper linked in the previous paragraph.

Dr. Freeman's new book

Another arena of expertise has to do with coaching. I am available to be kept on retainer for what could be called Critical Incident Debriefings (CID). This is a proven individualized and confidential 10-hour program, spanning almost three months, especially designed for key employees who have exhibited racial insensitivity, inappropriate sexual advances and/or anger problems in the workplace.

Options for Your Church

1. PERSONAL EVANGELISM: www.LoveThisMag.com -- unique magazine model for local congregations (with Dr. Ben Carson on the cover) that encourages both personal evangelism and entrepreneurship. Your local congregation prints and distributes a hi-gloss, 32-page magazine for your local church...without being a financial burden on the church budget. We have the disc with all the camera-ready graphics -- especially designed for smaller to mid-size congregations. An incredible opportunity to do something of high quality that most churches could only dream about doing...until now. A more complete overview is on the website. A conversation starter, cleverly disguised as a magazine (with Dr. Ben Carson on cover) designed to help your congregation grow in personal evangelism -- without taking one penny from your church budget. Sounds too good to be true? Check out the Executive Summary -- Click Here

2. CHURCH ENTREPRENEUR CLUB: www.emc2clubs.com -- church-based entrepreneur clubs. I have developed a book/workbook combination that is a great starter for entrepreneur clubs in churches -- connecting everything with the Bible.

-- Here are a couple more websites that may be of interest:

www.WorkHardWorkSmart.com -- book/workbook/audiobook resources

www.eConnectRadio.com -- 72 free 5-minute entrepreneur radio programs

3. BIBLICAL BLACK HISTORY: www.ReturnToGlory.org -- Return To Glory: The Powerful Stirring of the Black Man (the book), was endorsed by Bill Cosby, Julius Erving, Ben Carson and many others. A few years ago we developed the award-winning film version (45 minutes), which is now been translated into French, Portuguese and Spanish.

-- “Return To Glory®: The Powerful Stirring of the Black Man” – A special screening of the unique 45-minute film at your church. This can be shown the evening of the seminar event --- Click Here

-- “A White Man’s Journey Into Black History”® – A practical half-day presentation designed to provide a “no-guilt-or-anger”, biblical/historical overview of ancient times, with a contemporary application --- Click Here

-- Here are a couple more websites that may be of interest:

www.BlackChurchMissions.org -- Intercultural, global missions

www.Black101.com -- Black History collection

www.TFIfoundation.org -- Black History gallery concept

4. SEMINAR EVENTS: www.ItTakesAChurch.com -- High impact, region-wide seminar events that contain in-reach and out-reach aspects. Here are two examples: "Dealing With People Who Drive You Crazy!" and "IGNITE )or re-ignite) Your Entrepreneurial Passion!"

-- “Dealing With People Who Drive You Crazy!”® – A high-impact, all-day regional leadership/personal/staff development seminar. Can serve as a fundraiser for your church, with both inreach and outreach benefits ----- Click Here

-- “When Strangling Someone Isn’t An Option: Men and Emotional Intelligence!” – A powerful and insightful 3-hour presentation that looks at how men handle their emotions, with a positive approach to dealing with hot and cold emotions --- Click Here

Enough with the resume'/obituary-type stuff. Perhaps your organizational staff/leadership team needs a tune-up, or you need a one-hour presentation at a luncheon. All day workshop? Half day? Two day retreat? Conflict resolution? Mediation? Organizational assessment? Convention speaker? Long-term process for organizational culture change?

Need me to be a "velvet hammer" and deal with some inter-personal problems in your organization? Need me to travel (and I travel a lot) from the DC region to facilitate an on-site workshop? Whatever your need, I will do my best to honor the vision of your organization – plus we’ll have a lot of fun. And that’s a promise!!

Check out the arenas of expertise of The Freeman Institute™:

Workshop
Facilitation

Organizational
Culture
Change

Executive
Coaching

a. Cultural Competency
b. Black History
c. Black Church Missions

Contact us by e-mail or by phone and we’ll email you a "digital propaganda packet". Draw a target and I’ll do my best to hit the bulls-eye for you.

Here’s my cell phone: 410-991-9718 -- or perhaps you can take a few moments right now to email your initial thoughts about how we can customize a program to fit your organization's needs. I know it's kinda scary, but I have a six minute video clip ready for you to see below.

Would you like to host a region-wide, high-impact leadership/personal/staff development seminar event in your area? If so, see how The Freeman Institute Foundation can help ----- Click Here

Also, I thought you might be interested in a recently published book I co-authored -- RETURN TO GLORY: THE POWERFUL STIRRING OF THE BLACK MAN. Endorsed by Bill Cosby, Julius Erving, Ben Carson, Joe Frazier and many others, this unique book is about black heritage and cross-cultural understanding. Our main target audience is young black men (ages 12-25). I am White and the co-author is African American. The response to this book has been quite remarkable! It is well-researched and reader-friendly. The award-winning 45-minute film version (DVD) of this book is now available.

Out of the experience of writing this book has come a strong diversity program, including a 2-4 hour program and DVD entitled "A WHITE MAN'S JOURNEY INTO BLACK HISTORY"™. If interested, you can read the first chapter and an overview of the book on this web site. Feel free to let me know what you're thinking. Perhaps you will resonate with its message. A ReligionToday article, York Register Newspaper, or an article written for Assist Ministries will shed more light on this entire project. Also, check out the web pages dedicated to the historical involvement of the African American church in intercultural global missions.
I have put together an expansive collection of African American History. Ask me how some pieces can be brought to a presentation at your organization.

The next time Freeman makes a presentation at your organization, you are invited to play a very special version of Bingo. Let him know that you are playing and he may even help you win.

THANK YOU!
Sincerely,

Joel

Joel A. Freeman, Ph.D.

Rosetta Stone Replica Project

President, The Freeman Institute™
Severn, Maryland
Cell: (410) 991-9718
Direct Line: (410) 729-4011
Organizational Culture Change Specialists

P.S. Important: Even though much of my work is proprietary -- behind the scenes with heads of state of other nations, corporate senior executives -- when working with religious organizations across denominational lines, I have much more freedom to communicate the biblical drive behind the information. The bottom-line results from these programs are both immediate and long lasting!
Ask me why...

"Dealing With People
Who Drive You Crazy!"

Watch Dr. Freeman (6 minutes)

An Open Invitation to Participate in -- "THE MOMENT" -- Dr. Freeman's Latest Book Project

The Freeman Institute's™ success is founded upon our ability to create a positive, reality-based culture in virtually any organization whose leadership is serious about change.

Check out the Cultural Diversity Links
Native American Indians       Latinos / Chicanos / Hispanics
Asians and Asian Americans     African Americans
European Americans      Multiracial and Inter-racial

The Freeman Institute Speakers Bureau
Veteran NBA Stars, America's Least Motivated Motivational Speaker,
Echoes of MLK, Jr., Singer/Performer, etc.
___________________________

I S L I F E F A I R?

NO.

LIVE RIGHT ANYWAY!

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self centered;
LOVE THEM ANYWAY!
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
DO GOOD ANYWAY!
If you are successful, you will have false friends and true enemies;
SUCCEED ANYWAY!
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable;
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY!
The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by
the smallest people with the smallest ideas;
THINK BIG ANYWAY!.
People favor underdogs, but only follow top dogs;
FIGHT FOR AN UNDERDOG ANYWAY!
What takes years to build may be destroyed overnight;
BUILD WELL ANYWAY!
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow;
DO WHAT’S RIGHT ANYWAY!
People really need help but they attack you if you help them;
HELP ANYWAY!
Give the world the best you’ve got and you’ll get kicked in the teeth;
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU’VE GOT ANYWAY!
-- Author Unknown

A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.
Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
Exercise daily. Walk with the Lord!
Forbidden fruits create many jams.
Give God what's right, not what's left!
Give Satan an inch and he'll be a ruler.
God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.
God grades on the cross, not the curve.
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
Having truth decay? Brush up on your Bible!
He who angers you, controls you!
He who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
He who kneels before God can stand before anyone!
Kindness is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.
Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.
Never give the devil a ride! He will always want to drive!
Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.
Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
"Pray" is a four letter word that you can say anywhere.
Prayer - Don't give God instructions - just report for duty!
This Church is "Prayer Conditioned!"
Watch your step carefully! Everyone else does!
We don't change the message; the message changes us.
We set the sail; God makes the wind.
Wisdom has two parts: 1) Having a lot to say. 2) Not saying it.