Sharing Abundance

The phone call came in December. “I need the address of the Kaleidoscope Institute so I can send you a check,” the caller said to me, “What for?” I asked, because I could not remember doing anything for her organization within the last year.

“Oh,” she replied, “My department has a leftover amount of money from this year’s budget and my committee thought your organization should have it because of all the good things that you have done for us in the past.” 

December is also when some organizations that have contracted with the Kaleidoscope Institute for consultation and workshops in the following year insist on paying in full before the end of the current year. They sometimes say, that the reason they can afford these future workshops is because they have leftover money in this year’s budget. 

When I was a child, the celebration of Chinese New Year’s Eve always included a giant feast with the whole family.  My mother would explain, “We have to make sure there is leftover for tomorrow, the New Year.”  Leftovers are signs of abundance.  The word for leftover or extra, 餘, sounds almost the same as the word for fish, 魚, in Cantonese.  This is the reason why the image of the fish is found in many Chinese designs symbolizing blessings and abundance.  And of course, we always have fish soup as part of the New Year’s Eve feast.

I started writing The Sustainist, my weekly blog, in 2011. When I began blogging, I had the fear that eventually I would run out of things to say.  Yet, four years later, I am still writing.  So much of my writing comes from my ministry through the Kaleidoscope Institute—training and coaching gracious leaders and consulting with local churches and ministries.   In that sense, The Sustainist blog is the extra, the leftover that flows from the ministry of the Kaleidoscope Institute.  If you have been a subscriber of The Sustainist, you know that the blog posts became the foundation of my book, Holy Currencies: Six Blessings For Sustainable and Missional Ministries. The abundance from the blog continued to flow, forming the body of my new book that’s coming out in January 2016 titled, Holy Currency Exchange: 101 Stories, Songs, Actions and Visions for Missional and Sustainable Ministries.

            Here are a few more extras that flow from this year to 2016 from the Kaleidoscope Institute:

1. Tools for Racial Reconciliation -- In response to current events, KI is focusing our Spring Institute (February 29-March 4, 2016 in Los Angeles) on Tools for Racial Reconciliation. So if you have leftover funding from this year, pay it forward and register yourself and someone in your ministry to come to this training.
2. Stewardship 360 - KI is launching a new on-line stewardship curriculum in June 2016. Local congregations teams can take this course, which explores all the “holy currencies” resulting in a year-round holistic stewardship programs for your church.
3. Venture Capital Fund for Missional Ministries – KI is working with regional church organizations to develop a funding process that enable local churches to incubate and launch entrepreneurial ministries using the Holy Currencies/Cycle of Blessings process.
4. Bilingual Training Institute – Our training institute in San Francisco Theological Seminary (April 7-12) will be fully bilingual (Spanish-English) providing a comprehensive course offering – Gracious Leadership, Holy Currencies and Catalyst Training.
5. Cycle of Blessings in Songs – KI is producing a recording of the 19 songs that are part of my new book Holy Currency Exchange. The recording will be available in spring of 2016.  This musical creation (with N2K and Theodicy Jazz Collective) will further enrich the Holy Currencies resource allowing more people to enter into this transformational process in creative and intuitive ways.

As you approach the end of the year, I invite you to examine the past year and give thanks for the abundance that you have received.  Then consider offering the leftover, the extra, to individuals and organizations as blessings.  This way, you keep the blessings flowing for their families, friends, and communities for the coming year.  If the Kaleidoscope Institute resources are part of the blessings you received, consider giving to KI by making a donation, registering for our upcoming training institutes, or giving to our special projects such as the Cycle of Blessings in Songs or the development of Stewardship 360.

When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”  (John 6:12)

Upcoming Opportunities to Study with The Sustainist and learn more about Holy Conferencing: January 18-22, 2016 Chicago, IL Gracious Leadership Training Community Transformation (Part of the D. Min. Program of Bexley-Seabury Theological Seminary) February 29-March 4, 2016 Los Angeles, CA Gracious Leadership Training Tool for Inter-group Dialogue and Racial Reconciliation KI Catalyst (Facilitator) Training April 7-12, 2016 San Francisco, CA Gracious Leadership Training Holy Currencies Incubation of New Missional Ministries KI Catalyst (Facilitator) Training A Bilingual (English-Spanish) Event July 18-22, 2016 Los Angeles, CA Holy Currencies: Creating Sustainable Missional Ministries KI Catalyst (Facilitator) Training www.kscopeinstitute.org

Reflection Questions for 1st Sunday after Christmas (Year C) Isaiah 61:10-62:3   How does it mean for righteousness to spring up before all nations? Psalm 147:13-21   How does this text help you understand God’s word? Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7   What does it mean to be adopted as children of God? John 1:1-18   What does it mean for the Word to become flesh?

Eric H. F. Law
Kaleidoscope Institute
For competent leadership in a diverse changing world
www.kscopeinstitute.org