Mission Statements and impact measurement

They are important but.......

We are looking more and more at measurable outcomes, in CMS, using a particular model: Inputs Outputs Outcomes Impact

You can almost hear the seven dwarfs singing: 'I,O,I,O its off to work we go'

Measurement tool can be very helpful. You can see how Wiki have used such an evaluation of their own impact

I liked this breakfast analogy to help explain the model

Analogy of breakfast.

Taking breakfast is the process

Good bread and cheese is input

Filed up your stomach is output

Sufficient calory intake is outcome

Sufficient energy to do your daily work is impact

But as the Christmas angels cartoon suggests some measurable outcomes are difficult to sell to potential donors!

History of Wireless Phones in Afghanistan

Thanks to Khalid for sending me this story:

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, American scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion, that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago. Not to be outdone by the Americans, in the weeks that followed, a group of English archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, a story in the Guardian, UK read: "English archaeologists, finding of 200 year old copper wire, have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the Americans. One week later. A local newspaper in Kabul, Afghanistan reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 feet in his pasture behind Darulaman Palace, Mullah Nasruddin, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Nasruddin has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Afghans had already gone wireless”.

Doesn't that Just makes you proud to live and be from Afghanistan!

Pope2You - 'Priests get blogging'

a little mouse sent me a tweet about a telegraph that the Pope is now connected. And just how connected is amazing.... The Vatoican's new website has Facebook YouTube, Pope2you multiplayer (video) iphone app (video, audio & text) , YouTube, flikkr gallery and an amazing participatory photoworld montage of messages of peace (sent in via email) in all the 5 langauages above.

It is a very impressive site: brilliant branding, a model of modern communcations in a world of social networking. It must also have cost a fortune!

Pope tells priests to get blogging

Pope Benedict XVI urged priests to use the internet "astutely" and make the most of opportunities offered by modern technology.

'Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audio-visual resources – images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites – which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelisation and catechesis," he said.

Priests, he said, had to respond to the challenge of "today's cultural shifts" if they wanted to reach young people.

Italiano | English | Español | Français | Deutsch

YOU can also follow a blog about the pope's here A blog on our Pope, the new evangelization of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the mission of the Church, and the tyranny of relativism...

But I for one need to get back to my i-phone. Now where is that APP ?

Popular Quotes

I came accross GoodRead.com a site full of popular quotes : Here is my selection

"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening.

Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth."

— Mark Twain

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world."

— Mahatma Gandhi

"Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting

different results."

— Albert Einstein

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another:

"What! You too? I thought I was the only one."

— C.S. Lewis

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers.

The round pegs in the square hole.

The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules.

And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.

Because they change things. They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can

change the world, are the ones who do.

— Apple Computer Inc.

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

That's why we call it 'The Present'."

— Eleanor Roosevelt

"All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well."

— Julian of Norwich

Church Attacks: Voices from Malaysia

I recieved the following from Bishop Ng Moon Hing in West Malaysia

Dear Friends,

After a tense situation in Malaysia with 9 churches and a school been attacked, we have finally experienced a calm atmosphere for the time being. The lastest attack two days ago was on a Sikh Temple. The Sikhs also use the word "Allah" in their Scripture. The police is trying to do their best to maintain order. Many negotiations are underway to defuse this situation. The political parties are doing their part and the government authorities are doing theirs. Church leaders have been meeting with the authorities to find a way forward for peace and harmony.

I sincerely wish to thank all the churches for staying calm and praying. Your prayers are indeed helpful and powerful. Violence will not bring peace. Though the solution is still far away, the present dialogues and meetings have certainly brought everyone into the picture to at least try to understand each other. We hope to work towards the idea from toleration to respecting each others presence, contribution and dignity. This is the concept of 1Malaysia.

I urge all churches to be vigilant. Archdeacon Steven Abbarow said this after visiting All Saints Taiping on Sunday 10 Jan:

Yesterday, morning I visited Joshua Ong. When I arrived at All Saint's Church. Joshua told me that the MB of Perak YB Zambri and the OCPD are on their way. This was a surprise, as we were fnot given any notice of this earlier. They came with reporters, politicians, special branch and police personnel.
The MB assured us of support, police protection and felt that this the work individuals who were emotionally upset and not a coordinated affair and expressed his firm stand against such actions and told us not to react. I thanked him for the assurance of support and assistance. I also told him that we have not and will not react emotionally but will pray for the peace of the country, and that I am very concerned about the situation and hoped the authorities will catch the perpetrators. He said they will do all they can.

In the meantime, I have been informed by the Lay Reader in COR, Kuala Kangsar, that he kept vigil in the Tadika room on Sunday night and noticed a motorbike and a car and the riders, driver and people in them were watching and looking at the church. He came out of the Tadika, and they just bolted off. He called the police and they immediately sent a patrol car and stationed two officers there. The leaders took these precautions as they heard that at the Police station people overheard that they were very concerned someone may try and do something on COR. They also were informed and heard from the neighboring bus terminal and stalls and the coffee table talk, mostly non-Christians, that the church next door will be in trouble.

Rev Alakumalai of St James KL related that he saw a few young people loitering outside the church. He went to them and was told that they were sent there to 'protect the church'. Feeling uneasy over it, he reported to the police for the police station is only next door. Immediately seeing the police, the so-called 'protector' fled quickly. Two policemen were stationed overnight at the church.

I believe after the storm there will be some calm. God has a better plan for the Malaysian Church. Let us continue to discern His Will.

Those from overseas, let me assure you that we are fine and well, only a bit jerked and slightly shaken. If you are planning to visit Malaysia please do come, don't change plan. Thank you so much for your prayers and e-mails of concerns and encouragement.

May the good Lord continue to lead and watch over you!

Shalom,
+Moon Hing

Adrian Plass: 'looking good, feeling bad'

I attended an evening with Adrian Plass, the author of a sacred diary of Adrian Plass aged 37 3/4 (followed by another edition aged 45 3/4) He is a gifted and humerous speaker with a helpful obsession with 'trivial pursuits', being naturally playful, light-hearted, flippant indeed frivolous. A man after my own heart.

It was part of Blokes Tour hosted by the Coign.

It was a great evening enhanced by having free beer and nibbles in the break and a free book at the end. (I like freebies) He suggested that there should be Christian men's magazines: 'PrayBoy', 'Repenthouse' and 'Amen Only'

I particularly liked his helpful suggestions for would be charismatics who do not have 'the gift' It is possible to act as if and get away with it. This is from his book 'Looking Good, feeling bad - the subtle art of churchmanship' which I picked up on the bookstall A pdf version is available.

The Art of Speaking in tongues.

All you have to do is recite the names of the Sri Lankan cricket team from the early 90s. Give it a go...... in a 'dull monotone in a prayer meeting' or 'delivered boldly with a slight slurring'

Marvan Atapattu

Sanath Jayasuriya

Hashan Tillakaratne

Suresh Perera

Aravinda de Silva

Romesh Kaluwitharana

Muthia Muralitharan

Kumara Dharmasena

Artuna Ranatunga

Mahela Jaywardena

He goes on to write:

A colleague and acquaintance of mine actually had his recitation

of the Sri Lankan cricket team interpreted by the lady next to him

as a call from God to build a community launderette in the village of

Cowfold in Sussex.

The world needs such wise-fools as Adrian Plass. Interesting that he and his wife ahve now shifted to Scargill House in N Yorks to help in its ressurection as a retreat and conference centre.

Dostoyevsky: faith and unbelief

The following is all from the handout that Alexis produced for sacred:space on Sat night. A mixture of talk, film clip (BBC Crime and Punishment) reading (The Idiot), dialogue (Brothers Karamazov) and guided meditation using quotes from his books with candles, icons and orthodox music. An excellent, thought-provoking evening. And even the snow and cold made it feel more like St Petersburg.

Dostoevsky is widely recognised as the father of existentialism. His insights into the human condition have had a huge impact in both literature, philosophy and psychology: as far-reaching as Nietzsche, Freud and Kafka. His novels mark the dawn of the modern era with his intense exploration of human pscyhology in the troubles political, social and spiritual context of 19th century Russia.

“Beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.”

“If you were to destroy the belief in immortality in mankind, not only love but every living force on which the continuation of all life in the world depended, would dry up at once.”

“Man is fond of counting his troubles, but he does not count his joys. If he counted them up as he ought to, he would see that every lot has enough happiness provided for it.”

“To live without Hope is to cease to live.”

“To love someone means to see him as God intended him.”

“It is not the brains that matter most, but that which guides them -- the character, the heart, generous qualities, progressive ideas.”

“A just cause is not ruined by a few mistakes.”

“The soul is healed by being with children.”

Major Works

1846 – Poor Folk

1864 - Notes from the Underground

1866 – Crime and Punishment

1867 – The Gambler

1869 – The Idiot

1872 – Demons

1875 – The Adolescent

1881 – The Brothers Karamazov