Quest Ministries: Pensées with a Plot

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Some Things Never Change!

Consider the following written in 19th century France.

"When the populace is hurting, when there isn't enough work, when business drops off, the taxpayer balks at paying taxes out of penury, exhausts and exceeds deadlines, and the government spends a lot of money on the legal costs of tax collection and recovery. When there is abundant work, when a region is happy and rich, taxes are easily paid and cost the government very little to collect. We might say that public poverty and wealth have an infallible barometer--the cost of tax collection." (Les Misérables, Fantine, book V, chapter VII -- translation by Julie Rose)

Friday, March 6, 2009

The Natural Happiness of Children

"Children at once accept joy and happiness with quick familiarity, being themselves naturally all happiness and joy."

The context? Jean Valjean has just rescued Cosette from the clutches of the cruel inn keepers, the Thénardiers. Cosette awakens to her new surroundings and recognizes Jean Valjean as the man who rescued her. Her first words were, "Oh! yes—so it is! Good morning, monsieur."

PROFILE

Contact Information:

Experience:

For over forty years Stan has developed people and organizations through preaching, teaching, organizing, writing, motivating, and listening. He especially enjoys interacting with people in one-to-one and group settings.

Stan has a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell. In 2012, he completed a certificate program in spiritual direction from Selah (http://leadershiptransformations.org/selah.htm).

Stan also loves to help people navigate life’s challenges by discussing popular stories. Fiction written by C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, and a host of others help us understand how God’s Story interacts with our own.

Specialty Skills:

Organizing people, events, and projects

Analyzing challenges, and proposing and implementing solutions

Creative writing

Conversant with computer software and the Internet

Video-conferencing via Skype and other software

Accomplishments:

Stan led an organization that was on the brink of disbanding. Through his leadership it became a more vibrant cohesive group, optimistic about its future. He led its members in group activities. He also worked with its leaders to evaluate and update the organization's purpose, financial health, and organizational structure. As a result, the group became healthier, larger, and more outward focused and welcoming.

He led a group in a ten-week discussion of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The majority of the participants read 100 pages per week to prepare for their sessions. He met with the group for two hours each week to discuss the contents, truths, and applications of this beautiful piece of literature.

For several years Stan led a multi-week training course for an organization. The purpose of the training was to help members understand and communicate the organization's core values with potential members. He recruited people to be part of the training, taught them how to clearly express the principles, and provided the means for them to be in touch with potential members. Leaders emerged from this training program, confident in their ability to communicate.