Blake Talks Good

When someone can't pay rent, buy groceries, or afford a medical bill, they often turn to a local church for assistance. Yet many church leaders - pastors, elders, deacons, staff, volunteers - have never been trained in how best to help a person or family struggling with material poverty. That lack of knowledge can be devastating; you can actually do more harm than good in these crucial moments. So in this episode, Blake shares his six rules for how churches can have the greatest impact and cause the least harm when serving those in financial need. This is essential information for everyone in church leadership, whether on staff or a volunteer.Rule 1: Educate yourselfRule 2: Begin with strengths, not deficienciesRule 3: Keep your eyes on the 3 types of poverty intervention: relief, rehabilitation, developmentRule 4: Practice the 80/20 ruleRule 5: Always include required action stepsRule 6: Follow assistance with relationships

Here are my Top 10 truths to know before starting a non-profit or choosing to work at a non-profit. These are things that I either wish I would have known before starting OnRamp or was grateful that I already knew. Some of these are good news; some are bad; but all are critical to know before investing your life in non-profit work. Most apply to working at a church as well. Outline:It's easier than you think... administrativelyPeople WILL judge how you spend your moneyIt's very lonely workThose you serve will inspire youThose you serve will disappoint youBurnout is realNothing matters more than choosing the right boardThe negatives of work still applyPayroll is scary!You will almost certainly not regret it

In this episode we talk about something most people hate as much as having teeth pulled - fundraising! How do you get over that terror and effectively, confidently raise money for your charity, church, ministry, mission, or project? How do you raise money without exploiting those you hope to serve? How can you turn donors into true, long-term partners? Find out as I share my top 5 lessons learned while raising fund for OnRamp these last ten years.Outline:How to fundraise effectively without losing your soulYou’ve got to be passionate about the missionYou are pitching an investment, not panhandling We are not beggars looking for handouts - we are visionaries showing people how they can make the greatest possible impact with their livesYour clients’ dignity infinitely outweighs any donationYour clients should be the owners of their stories and the heroes of their storiesBe careful about exaggeration - bending the truth will cost your organization in the long runYour donors are people, not prospectsDO NOT view them as bank accounts, see them as unique individuals whose lives matter as much as your clients’ livesCare about their journey and their growthStories outperform events

For anyone battling depression, anxiety, loss, or loneliness, there is hope! Your suffering CAN get better and it CAN bring about surprising good in your life and in your community. In this episode, Blake shares his own story of trying to do good while battling clinical depression these last twelve years. As much as he hates depression, OnRamp wouldn't exist without it! Discover the good that can come in and through your pain.0:05 Introduction: Welcome and topic0:22 Why this topic matters for mental health0:48 Personal backstory and aim: doing good while depressed1:17 A life before depression and turning point2:16 Onset details: lead blanket metaphor and mornings3:15 Depression remains; faith context: God can still do good3:41 The central claim: depression can have a meaningful impact4:08 Three key lessons overview5:02 Lesson 1: Depression can get better (rest, exercise, sleep, diet)5:29 Self-care basics and why they matter6:18 Leading yourself: self-care as a foundation for helping others7:36 Lesson 2: Counseling and therapy as essential8:00 Medication: Lexapro and the view of psych meds9:24 Lesson 2 continued: Depression can bring good; redemption idea9:49 Redemption: redeeming good from suffering10:10 Humility transformation: depression broke arrogance11:25 OnRamp origin: how depression led to helping others12:09 Marlo story: meeting a client and perspective shift12:33 OnRamp’s broader impact13:02 Starfish story introduction13:56 Starfish story continuation14:21 The moral: one starfish matters; doing good one at a time14:51 The need is vast; impact for the family we helped15:12 OnRamp scale and the "one" mindset15:35 The one-starfish principle in practice16:04 Final takeaway: helping one person is enough16:41 Closing: looking forward to next episode

Diversity in leadership leads organizations to better decisions now and in the future. It's a simple truth that has somehow become controversial in our current day and age. Don't let that controversy distract you from building the best leadership team possible for your charity, business, church, or organization. In this episode, I'll reveal why diversity of gender, race, socio-economic level, and education will strengthen your organization, and I'll walk you through practical steps for building that diversity without compromising quality. I'll even give advice for complementarian churches to effectively get more women at the table to improve the care they provide their congregations. Note that this episode includes ten minutes of Q&A from close friends who listened to an early draft of this topic. Enjoy!

In this bonus Hot Take, Blake shares advice he received from the president of Tuskegee University about the single most important thing college students can do to build the resilience, adaptability, and soft skills that will be essential to surviving the chaos and change that AI is bringing to the workforce.

Blake Talks Good with guest Chris Field, the founder of Mercy Project, an anti-human-trafficking organization that's rescued hundreds of kids from slavery in Africa, lecturer at Texas A&M, consultant to many non-profits, including OnRamp, recent addition to our College Station School Board, and author of multiple books on how to do good better, including "A Billion Hours of Good: Changing the World 14 Minutes at a Time." Chris brings inspiration and practical, proven advice on how to make a measurable, long-term impact for good in your world.

What is the law of unintended consequences and how does it impact our community and our world at large? As people who desire to do good in the world, we are called to lessen the impact of the destructive side of this natural law. And the timing could not be more apropos as we brace for the impending onslaught of Artificial Intelligence. For all the good it may bring, there are countless unintended consequences that will greatly harm so many people in our world, and it's time we open our eyes and prepare.

So exactly how much should you be giving to charity or church? I've been asked that question so many times over the years that I'd like to take this episode to give you my best answer. Here's a framework that will help you practice transformative philanthropy throughout and even beyond your lifetime.

Who should you choose for your charity, ministry, or church's board? What makes for a great leader on a board of directors? Alternatively, how can you become a person others would want on a board? In this episode, I'll walk you through the four essential qualities of an ideal leader for your business, charity, or ministry. Get this right and you'll save yourself years of heartache and struggle.

When we try to help others in need, we can so easily and unintentionally fall into the trap of playing God. This is true even for those who don't believe in God! And when we play God, it hurts both our souls and the souls of those we are trying to help. In this episode, I'll give you principles and practical advice to help you recognize and avoid this all-too-common disease.

A short, unscheduled episode that perfectly illustrates my point in Tuesday's full podcast on my Worst Sermon Ever. Not that he's likely to ever see this pod, but I sure owe TD Jakes an apology...

Want to know the sermon I most regret preaching? Here it is. The reason for my regret relates directly to the mission of this podcast. I made one of the most common mistakes you'll find in evangelical Christianity, but am so grateful for the friend who opened my eyes and set me straight. This is a problem that afflicts us all, not just Christians. It's one of the primary reasons our entire society so often fails to do the good we are capable of. May this episode help you avoid this awful mistake!

On this episode, I want to answer one of the most important questions I get from individuals, non-profits, and churches who are trying to help people in need: How do you measure success? You're doing good deeds - that's wonderful - but how do you know if you are actually DOING any good in the world? So many people never ask; they simply pat themselves on the back for doing a good deed and go on their way. But that can actually lead to such harm that it would have been better if you'd done nothing at all! So how can you know if your good works are actually making a positive impact?

In this introductory episode, Blake shares WHAT this podcast is about and WHY it's worth your time to listen. If you have questions you'd like Blake to answer in future episodes about how to do good more effectively in your individual life or in leadership in a church, charity, or any other organization, please send them to us at [email protected]