The Unique Gift of May Day

I grew up in Minnesota – ya know, one of those states up by Canada, eh - where the winters are extremely cold and seemingly eternal. There were years where winter would start in September and end in late May… that's nine months of snow. Suffice it to say, people up north love spring.

I'm not sure where the tradition started, but on May 1st, we celebrated "May Day" - a holiday representing the end of winter and the beginning of spring. But what exactly does one do on a holiday dedicated to flowers, new growth, and mud? Well, we played Ding Dong Ditch with a bonus (obviously). The idea is to ring the doorbell and then leave an anonymous gift on your neighbors' or friends' stoop – a May Basket.

Martha and I live in Florida now, where May 1st isn't celebrated because it's already hot and muggy here. But I think it's time for May Day to make a comeback, not just as a celebration of spring, but as a celebration of new life and rebirth – including our new lives in Christ! As followers of Jesus, loving our neighbors as ourselves is just one way to share the hope that God planted in us.

So, this May 1st, prepare to celebrate your new life in Christ by showering your neighbors and coworkers in love! If you want to be traditional, prepare some gift baskets, put them on someone's front step, ring their doorbell, and bolt. In the era of doorbell cameras, you may get caught, but the sentiment is the same. Or perhaps pick up a bouquet of flowers on your way to work and put them in a shared office area. If you are working from home, save the picture from this blog post and attach it to the bottom of your emails as a day brightener. The idea is to simply be a blessing to those around you.

Galatians 6:10 says, "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone…" 

May Day is a fantastic opportunity for you to do good for your neighbors, coworkers, or employees. As you form new friendships, God will open the door for you to share the best gift of all: the gospel of life.

Happy May Day! You can leave the basket at the door.

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

3 last-minute gift ideas for your employees this Christmas

It’s the week before Christmas, and all through the house (aka workplace, school zone, and living space), everyone is going stir crazy because they are stuck in that HOUSE together. Yep, I’m sure we can all relate to the shared space dilemma.

Have you been planning for gift giving this year, or has it snuck up on you?  Do you prepare gifts for the people who help make you successful? Allow me to make 3 last-minute suggestions to give your employees this Christmas. Everyone loves to get personalized gifts, but the gifts I suggest will last all year long.

#1. Time –Time is a gift that is always appreciated. When it comes to giving your time to your people, it is a gift of YOU that they need but can’t take. You have to give it.  When you give the gift of time to an employee, you are following Jesus’ example. He gave the gift of time to everyone He met. He was never in too much of a hurry to miss the people around him. He focused on people and loved them for who they are. So for Christmas this year, commit to give your people a certain amount of your time every day for the next year and commit to dedicated relationship-building time at least once a week. www.Kingdomatwork.com emphasizes the power of one-on-one time with their people.

#2. Prayer – The people who work you need to know that God loves them.  You might not share the verbal Gospel message during work hours, but you can pray for them anytime you want, and NOBODY will suspect a thing. I suggest praying for your employees by name every day and pray for their families too. Pray that God will give you eyes to see them as He sees them. Watch and see the miracle that happens in your heart as you pray. You will find a growing empathy for them, even the most difficult one of the bunch.

#3. Resources – The people that work for us need access to developmental resources. Tools that will help them understand who they were created to be and precisely what they should be doing. Allow them to invest in themselves by gaining access to resources that will make them a better employee and have a deeper understanding of their abilities.

Some of your employees may be believers. Please do not take them for granted because they are already believers. Look for ways to enhance their relationship with Christ by putting them in touch with resources that will encourage and equip them to live out their faith wherever God has them.

Remember it’s never too late to add these gifts to your list.  Give the gift of yourself this year through your time, prayer, and resources.  Merry Christmas!

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

3 ways to impact your workplace in 2021

Who makes the most impact in the workplace? Is it the management? The Business Owner? Or someone else? Have you ever considered that YOU may have the most impact to create a flourishing environment at your work?  It just takes a little appreciation know-how.

Chuck Swindoll says “Gratitude is a decision of the will, and if a decision of the will, the choice resides squarely with us. Deciding to be thankful is no easy task. It takes work.” 

Using appreciation as a tool in your work, takes practice. Appreciating others is a mindset AND a heart-set shift. Most of us WANT and NEED appreciation, regardless of what form it comes in. Is the art of appreciation a part of your work style? What about your leadership style? Have you considered the value of your words to those you lead?  Each of us can impact those around us for the good or the bad. 

Dr. Paul White recently said, “To those who value words of affirmation, criticism feels like a knife in the heart.”  I can relate to that.  I recall many times when I’ve worked hard to complete a project and the first words I heard were criticism.  It really did feel like a knife in the heart.  Now, it’s true that we need to be honest and give constructive feedback towards improvement.  I don’t want people to sugar coat things for me when I need to be corrected.  But Dr. Paul White teaches us how to do that while also showing appreciation.

To learn the languages of appreciation for yourself and others, visit this website:  Appreciation at work  When we started using these tools in our business, everyone started seeing big change.  Co-workers learned how to communicate with each other, staff started feeling more appreciated, and the culture improved.   Everyone learned that their job title doesn’t create impact, what we DO and how we show appreciation for those around us creates impact. 

Now is the time to set goals for the new calendar year.  Consider what you can do to create impact in your work.  Here’s 3 easy steps to get ready for 2021.

1.     Learn your language of Appreciation online.

2.     Apply the results

3.     Make an impact every day.

Dr. Paul White and his chief book editor, wife Kathy White, recently share their best nuggets on a recent iWork4Him PowerPod, from his books, chief among them is The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, which he co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman (author of the #1 NY Times bestseller, The 5 Love Languages). Dr. Paul is a psychologist, author, speaker, and consultant who “makes work relationships work”. For the past 20 years, he’s improved numerous businesses, schools, government agencies and non-profit organizations by helping them:

• Create positive workplace relationships and improve staff morale.

• Eliminate the cynicism, sarcasm and lack of trust that often is associated with traditional employee recognition programs.

• Overcome the obstacles to help staff communicate authentic appreciation to one another.

God wants to use you to change your workplace culture, and he will empower you to do so. To hear the incredible stories of more men and women God used to make a Kingdom impact at work, download the first chapter of our new books iWork4Him and sheWorks4him for FREE.

And remember 1 Thes. 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

I appreciate YOU,

Martha Brangenberg

About the Author, Martha Brangenberg

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Martha has been involved in small business her entire life. Gifted with an attention to detail and a sweet sensitive spirit, Martha is a servant leader with a deep faith in Jesus.

Five Ways To Practice Gratefulness At Work

There is no shortage of things to complain about in 2020.  It would be easy to create a list of ways to complain at work, but who needs help doing that?  What if we could develop habits during Thanksgiving that we could practice year-round?  Now that would be an accomplishment!  So, as we go about our work – no matter if we work alone, lead a group of 4 or 5, or a team of 100, here are a few steps we can take to increase gratefulness around us every day. 

1. Write down the names of 5 people you work with. List one thing you appreciate about each of them and make a point to share that with them this week.

2. List 3 things that you can accomplish because of your paycheck. Be thankful for the income to do those things.

3. Send an email to a vendor or customer and tell them how much you enjoy your relationship with them.

4. Add a grateful sentiment to the end of your email signature.

5. Think of the person at work that gets under your skin and pray for them. Thank God for something specific about that person.

1 Cor. 1:4-5  I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—

This verse tells me that I should always thank my God for others because of God's grace.  I don't deserve anything, but God gives me His grace freely.  So, it's my turn to do the same thing to other people—what better place to practice this principle than in our work.  We can start to develop a habit of Thankfulness when we practice simple steps like the ones listed above.  Will you join me? 

To get this type of encouragement every day – you can subscribe to our iWork4Him PowerThoughts

Happy Thanksgiving, Martha & Jim

About the Author, Martha Brangenberg

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Martha has been involved in small business her entire life. Gifted with an attention to detail and a sweet sensitive spirit, Martha is a servant leader with a deep faith in Jesus.

Holy Moments

Is Holiness even possible today in the workplace?  I read a book this weekend by Matthew Kelly, titled “The Biggest Lie in the history of Christianity”.  In this book Mr. Kelly asserts that Christians don’t believe holiness is even possible today and that belief causes us to shrink back from trying to even make a difference.  I agree with Mr. Kelly.

Religious folks have twisted the Truth about the Gospel. The Gospel is about freedom – setting us free from death by the payment of our sins on the Cross.  Followers of Jesus 2000 years ago were so moved by their faith in Jesus that their very behavior on a daily basis transformed the Roman Empire.  They loved people unconditionally, even those who were persecuting them and killing them.

Mr. Kelly asserts that Holy Moments are possible every day as we encounter people, let’s apply that thought to our workplaces. I don’t think Mr. Kelly would mind. 

Every day at work, we encounter people in varying relationships with our Heavenly Father, from complete atheists to committed Christ Followers and everywhere in between.  We have opportunities throughout the day to be a light to each of them, to encourage them.  We are in our workplace on purpose.  What can we can do?

Offer to work late to finish up for someone who needs to get home to their kids.

• Offer to work through lunch on a project that has burdened a co-worker.

• Have lunch with someone to get to know them better.

• Contribute for groceries or cooking a meal for a coworker who is taking care of a sick or ailing parent.

• Send an email to a co-worker with letting them know how much they are appreciated.

The people we work with need to experience the amazing love God has shown us through Jesus. How can you start today to create these holy moments? How can your faith stick out at work today?

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Share Each Other's Burdens

Who came up with the notion that we can turn on and off our problems when we arrive at work? 

Our problems are not connected to a switch that can just be turned off and on at will.  In fact, quite the opposite.  Sometimes our issues surface when we least expect them to. 

“For every problem a small company leader knows about, that is only 20% of what is happening in their workforce. There are some employees that will simply not share a sensitive personal issue.” 

So said Jason Brown, CMO @ Marketplace Chaplains, during an interview with Jim and Martha.

It used to be that absenteeism was a problem in the workplace. But today, it’s the opposite: It’s called “Presenteeism”.  Employees are showing up, but not actually fully mentally present and focused on their work. Their worries, concerns about children, aging parents, marriage, or finances, are taking over their ability to concentrate. Per a Forbes study in 2018, it’s costing U.S. companies $150 billion dollars a year. A company’s leadership cannot spend all day ministering to their employees, nor can the HR department. So, what’s the answer? One answer is to look at adding a corporate chaplaincy to your workplace. Their only focus is to confidentially listen, support and walk alongside the staff. 

When our burdens are shared and heard, our load is lightened. We are then able to think and focus on the task at hand. Just as Galatians 6:2 encourages us:

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Will you start sharing today?

Jim and Martha Brangenberg

Monday Morning Missions Trip

Have you ever muttered the words:

“Lord, I need a new job!” 

So has Mike Henry, founder of Follower of One. But, instead of praying for a new job, he asked the Lord where He wanted him to be. Here’s what Mike found out: 

God didn’t save me to “take me out of there” (my awful job situation), He saved me to leave me IN THERE!  

How many times have we thought a new job situation IS the ANSWER to our “problems”. When really it’s our heart and spirit that are mis-aligned?  

“There are 5 things we can all do in our work: pray for people, appreciate people, know what we believe, serve others and speak of our faith personally.” ~ Mike Henry

Now let’s take this to the next step, have you ever said to yourself, “I wish I had time to go on a mission trip.” Well guess what, you DO!  Your workplace IS your mission field. Your daily commute is your mission travel. And your workplace has been crafted perfectly by God, specifically tailored to you, and your giftings. We don’t need a passport or to learn another language.  We can all begin to view our workplace and every co-worker as “the mission”. We can prepare, pray, plan and then serve our colleagues in the same way we would as if we hopped on a plane and flew to another country. 

Charles Spurgeon, one of the most influential Reformed preachers said “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.”  So which are you? 1 Peter 3:15 encourages us: 

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

What would it take for you to start tomorrow, to shift your mindset and intentionally serve your workplace as YOUR mission field?  Hear more about this amazingly effective and powerful idea that you can implement this week and even consider joining the next Marketplace Missions trip training, and go on mission.   See you there!

Jim and Martha Brangenberg

1/12 of the Year is GONE

If you are like me, you find yourself bewildered and perplexed that it is the end of January already.  I mean for crying out loud, where does the time go?  Which makes me ask myself:  

am I making the most of the time that I have? 

I am often reminded that Jesus was busy but never in a hurry.  I’ll bet he’s glad that he wasn’t on the earth during this era of cell phones and the internet! It just seems like this world is crazy busy and so are we.  But Jesus’ example is a great one to follow – do I live life in too big of a hurry?

So…step back and look at your life. Are you spending enough time with the people God has placed in your life?  The people you live with and work with are in your life on purpose. Are you too busy to actually KNOW them?  I confess that I am busy and over committed, but I never want to be in too much of a hurry that I miss the ministry God puts in front of me.

Stop and take time today to smell the fresh air and ask your co-worker to have lunch with you today, or help your neighbor with their yard or shovel their driveway for those of you up north. BE today.  Don’t just exist – BE.  I am working on it.  You try it too.

Proverbs 21:5

If you do find yourself too busy to catch our radio show each day, we have just the thing for you!  Our new iWork4Him PowerPod – subscribe today and catch something new.  

You are loved and appreciated and cherished by our Father.

Jim and I appreciate you too.

About the Author, Martha Brangenberg

Born into an entrepreneurial family, Martha has been involved in small business her entire life. Gifted with an attention to detail and a sweet sensitive spirit, Martha is a servant leader with a deep faith in Jesus.

Is Your Business a “For-Profit Ministry”?

Recently, I heard a unique term for a business where the leader is a Christ follower and seeks to serve others with it, in Jesus’s name. The term is credited by Roy Goble, entrepreneur and author of “Salvaged” and “Junkyard Wisdom” to his father. Roy’s father called his business a “for-profit ministry”.

A what?  

That’s what Roy’s dad called their family business, a junkyard in Silicon Valley, of all places.  He had a holistic approach to business and people. Yes, he was a businessman, who was committed to turning a profit so it could provide for his family. AND, He saw it as an opportunity to help people by giving them a job, or using it as a tool, to help anyone who came his way, or onto their property. 

[Hear more about Roy’s story in this quick-hitting #PowerPod HERE]

One of his favorite things to do was to help his employees ensure a way for their children to go to college.  There was an intentionality of bringing Christ with him to the junkyard every day. And as Roy shared with us during an iWork4Him interview, his father’s example set the bar for how HIS work would always include Jesus Christ. Roy said he was not aware there WAS a way to work without his faith being a part of it.

As James 4:17 exhorts us:

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. 

What would it take, for you to transition or shift, your business to a “for-profit ministry” this year?

About the Guest Blogger, Caroline Mendez, National Brand Ambassador, iWork4Him

Caroline’s Mission: To raise the visibility of Christian Women in Leadership. She is passionate about empowering each woman she meets to be free from that which keeps them oppressed.

Thank You

Thank you for letting God work in your life – and letting Him direct you.

Thank you for being an example to others – even when it’s hard.

Thank you for doing your work with excellence – or at least trying to.

Thank you for praying for your co-workers – who doesn’t need extra prayers?

Thank you for hearing others’ stories and allowing them to impact your life.

Thank you for being doers of the Word and not just hearing it.

Thank you for using the gifts, talents, and abilities that God has given you.

Thank you for waking up today ready to serve!

Thank you for choosing to use some of your precious time to listen to iWork4Him.

Thank you for sending encouraging/challenging notes to iWork4Him.

Thank you for your prayers as we pursue God sized plans.

Thank you for your support as we grow to meet more needs.

Phil. 1:3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

We love you and THANK YOU, Jim and Martha Brangenberg