Posted by jeremyscheller | 1 Comment

Thank you for allowing me to give.

This year was one of our best Christmas seasons ever. My wife has a beautiful heart and a compassionate soul. For the last two years, she has helped identify a family that we would help be a blessing to over the Christmas season.

We identified some immediate needs in a family who lives very near us. They have  a total of 6 people (mom, dad +4 boys) living in a two room apartment with two beds. The boys were drastically under-prepared for the winter weather and the family just has some general needs as the mom recently had to spend some time in the hospital.

With the help of family and friends, we pulled together to make sure every member of the family had winter clothes (coat, hat, mittens and boots) as well as providing some household supplies that were much needed.

Helping to make this all happen was the decision to not exchange presents with the adults in my family, and a scaled back Christmas on my wife’s side. Also, we were fortunate to receive several gift cards before Christmas that we were able to turn around and use on for this family.

But we couldn’t do it alone. Awesome friends stepped up and supplied many of the needs. Other friends donated cash…and amazingly, it all came together. There was nothing left on the list left to buy.

I’m not saying all this to pat myself on the back…rather, the most amazing thing happened when we returned home from our family trip for Christmas in St. Louis.

We came home to 2 thank you cards.

Not from the family we helped…but from families who got to help. Literally, two people sent us thank you cards, thanking us for inviting them to help make Christmas special for somebody else.

That is Christmas.

That is what means to experience the joy of giving.

It is to be thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.

I hope our tradition of being a blessing to another family will continue for years to come.

Who is waiting to be asked?

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that there is somebody in your life, in your ministry, in your circle of friends, who is sitting on the sidelines, waiting to be asked. They are simply waiting for someone to point at them and ask the question, “Can you help?”

Give people the option to participate in something bigger.

Posted by jeremyscheller | 9 Comments

Freebie Giveaway: Kem Meyer’s Less Clutter, Less Noise.

The first book giveaway isn’t even over but I’ve got another one to give away for all you church marketing peeps.

You all know about our great teacher Kem Meyer, and most of you probably have the book.  For the rest of you, you need to read it. I’ve got an extra copy or two laying around, so somebody else might as well benefit.

Leave a comment on this post and I will choose a random number to give one away to on end of day Wednesday.

Read my review of the book here.

UPDATE: Mr. Chad Maag has won the thesis of our responsibility.

Posted by jeremyscheller | 22 Comments

Freebie Giveaway: “Drive” by Daniel Pink

Last Monday, I drove down to Barnes & Noble to listen to Daniel Pink talk about his new book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.”

One of Pink’s previous books was a game-changer for me. “A Whole New Mind” was a fascinating look at how right-brained aptitudes will drive the future of our economy and culture. He analyzed the way in which the workforce of the future is already being created through 6 high touch, high concept senses of right-brain-directed thinkers.

Design. Story. Symphony. Empathy. Play. Meaning. These six senses increasingly will guide our lives and shape our world.Many of you no doubt welcome such a change. But to some of you, this vision might seem dreadful–-ahostile takeover of normal life by a band of poseurs in black unitards who will leave behind the insufficiently arty and emotive.

Unfortunately, Daniel Pink’s flight was delayed, delayed, cancelled, so he never made it to Minneapolis. He did however buy a copy of his new book for everybody who showed up to hear him. So, I’ve got my hands on a free copy of “Drive,” and I think you should too.

I’ve decided to turn his gift into your gift. So this week, I’m going to be giving away not one, but 3 books. I was going to buy Drive anyway, so I decided I’ll buy a copy for one reader of my blog. In the coming days, I’m going to have two more books that I’ll be giving away. (Hey, i can’t help it, people keep giving me dupes.)

Drive is the first book up for winning. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and you’re in the running. Because it’s late in the week, I’ll let this contest roll until Monday. You don’t have to say something witty, funny or intelligent to win (though I wish you would). One winner will be picked by random number. If you win, I’ll email you for your address and ship it to you. Comment away.

UPDATE: Winner is Josh!

Posted by jeremyscheller | 2 Comments

Trade As One.

Hmmm… What if a solution to our problem is a solution to someone else’s problem? Well then, we should solve it…

This is a great reminder of the importance of Fair Trade. Thanks to @neerajmehta for posting.

Posted by jeremyscheller | 2 Comments

The Place I Love Where the People are Making a Difference.

So most of you know I work for the Sanctuary Covenant Church in the area of communications, design, IT, retail, etc…

I love my church. But there’s another place I love too.

The church gets people in the door, into relationship, and moving forward every day. This other place goes out the door, into the community and is affecting change in people’s lives every day, people who may never step foot in a church.

Stories are changing…

from unemployed to maintaining stable jobs.
from lost teenager to positive role model.
from the student no one cares about, to someone cares enough to spend time with me every week.
from middle school girls who believe what rap videos say is beautiful, to believing with their whole heart that beauty is found in the core of who they are.

I love the Sanctuary CDC.

When I think about the church,
When I think about what will change the neighborhood I live in,
When I think about where I want to invest my time and resources,

The Sanctuary CDC is the place I’ve come to love where the people are making a difference.

Do you think you would give to a girl finding her inner beauty?
Or to a dad with a criminal record who wants to turn his life around and become the bread-winner for his children?
Or the single mom, who wants to support her family in honest work.

I’m asking people who read my blog to make a one time donation of at least $10 to the Sanctuary CDC. Or, If you’re local and believe in it, set up a monthly gift like my family did.

I’d like my friends at the CDC to know in the “power of we,” the power of the social network and the potential of an idealistic generation to live out the change we believe in.

It’s super easy and only takes 3 minutes to:

Thanks,
Jeremy