There has only been one article written about The Gathering since we began in 1985 – and that one had a negative slant.  It was titled “Hush-Hush: What Makes Christian Philanthropy Christian?”  This was the opening paragraph: “Two years ago they gathered at the swank Four Seasons in Seattle. Last year they gathered in Cancun. Next week to the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia they will doubtless come again bringing their checkbooks with them for a Nov. 1 and 2 conference. ‘They’ are scores of wealthy believers looking for ways to use their earthly riches to advance the heavenly kingdom. In a good example of upper-class understatement their organization is called simply…

  Every year we take small groups of Gathering participants on trips outside the country to visit work being done by people who are involved with The Gathering. Earlier this year we went to Cuba and decided we would do something inside the United States in December.  We had read about Portland through a series of articles in Christianity Today titled "This Is Your City" that had featured innovative cooperation of government corporate church and civic organizations. As one of the participants put it "This is what the church looks like in Babylon when it seeks the peace of a city in which it is in exile and not in…

  Some friends who have seen Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” have come away disappointed that the film did not emphasize his faith as much as they had hoped. To that objection Stephen Mansfield wrote an insightful review in USA Today: “The challenge is that Lincoln lived through widely differing stages in his journey of faith. There is always the temptation to see his entire religious life through the prism of only one of these stages. To do this means missing the grand tapestry of faith that Lincoln wove during years of spiritual struggle.” As I read the latest New Yorker article on Rob Bell titled “Hell-Raiser ” I wondered if the…

  Thirty years ago three men (Larry Burkett Terry Parker and Ron Blue) started the National Christian Charitable Foundation (NCF).  This year the foundation is recognizing making billions of dollars of gifts here in the United States and around the world. NCF serves more than 9 000 donors. They recently hosted a 30-year celebration in Atlanta Ga. ” and I attended as a friend of Terry Parker and NCF.  In the morning session” the moderator (David Wills president of NCF) used texting to ask the 400 people in the room to describe their giving in one of three categories:  local ” national or international.  The results were immediate and interesting. …

  My daughter Haley ” is a student at Fuller Seminary and was part of a group recently that sponsored a panel of professors talking about money and stewardship. I asked her afterward for the three or four topics that were of greatest interest to those attending. “Guilt for what we have compared to the rest of the world” was near the top of the list. A close friend of mine told me in response to a Sunday School lesson on gratitude that he was afraid to be grateful. Afraid to be grateful? “I would love to be truly grateful to God for His blessings in my life. Instead” I…

  What is your criteria  for choosing a mentor? Today’s blog was written by my father, Fred Smith, Sr.  Dad continued mentoring through www.breakfastwithfred.com into his late 80’s giving great insight into the selection process of mentoring. He passed away in 2007 leaving a legacy of wisdom, integrity, strength, and insight.   It’s important to find the right mentor. Over the years I have identified seven qualities I look for: 1. Do they have wisdom from experience? Scripture says young men are for strength, old men for wisdom. A mentor must understand the principles of life which I think are the principles of Scripture. A mentor needs depth of experience—and…

One of the best five books I've read on business management was written by marketing consultant Al Ries. The book is “Focus “” and right from the start Ries states a premise that he repeats throughout:  "The key to results is concentration. Economic results require that managers concentrate their efforts on the smallest number of activities that will produce the largest amount of revenue. No other principle is violated as constantly today as the basic principle of concentration. Our motto seems to be: let's do a little bit of everything." It's not just true for business. It's true for the rest of life and just as hard to manage. Our…