JULY 2015

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MID-YEAR REVIEW

C12 GROUPS OF CENTRAL TEXASC12 GROUPS OF CENTRAL TEXAS

PERSONAL ASSESSMENT FOR

CHRISTIAN CEOS AND BUSINESS OWNERS

It has become a regular practice in each of our C12 groups to take a uniquely Christ-centered, mid-year look at the results of our core activities during thepast six months, focusing on the eternal perspective. Leadership commonly takes inventory of the economic dimensions of their businesses. We’re allfamiliar with such metrics as net income, profit margin, ROI, market share, and sales growth. We’ve devised numerous ways to measure our financialeffectiveness and it’s important that we use them well. With this special mid-year assessment created specifically for Christian CEOs and businessowners, we will focus on an entirely different set of criteria.

In many ways it’s much more difficult to measure our results in the ministry or spiritual dimension of our business lives. The whole idea of using ourbusiness as a platform for ministry can sometimes seem bewildering as it’s not nearly as well structured as such routine business processes like fillingorders and tracking financial profit or loss. In terms of what’s eternally important to our lives, the spiritual dimension is much more — even infinitelymore — important to us. What is it that we should be looking for as we examine ourselves and our spiritual lives in relation to the ministry in our business?

The focus of this ten statement assessment is personal criteria. These criteria pertain to growth, the kind of growth that will lead to fruit… much fruit!These statements are indicators of growth which we can all use to measure what kind of a year we are putting together in Christ’s eyes.

For each of the following ten statements, rate your performance over the first six months of 2015 from 1 to 10, (with 1 being low, 5 being average and 10scoring as high) as measured against your potential or opportunity:

1. You are spending more time with The Lord. Everything we are or do comes out of our relationship with God in Christ Jesus. We can neverbe more than our relationship with Him who enables us to be. As we grow to know Christ better we are more able to hear His voice. The moreclearly we hear Him, the easier it is to obey Him. Don’t be deceived. Our ministry in business or anywhere else will never grow if our relationshipwith God doesn’t. Of course our relationship with God is not totally defined by the amount of time that we spend with Him. The quality of thetime and the result of the time are just as important. We’re talking about all kinds of time here: daily quiet time, prayer during the day,evening meditations, and the sense that He is in you and with you in the everyday decisions you make to run the business. Wherever each ofus may be in this relationship, there’s plenty of room to grow. How are you doing so far this year?

You’re on track for a great year in 2015 if...

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JULY 2015 - “How am I really doing?”A Mid-Year Personal Assessment for Christian CEOs and Business Owners

2. Your family relationships are being strengthened. Were you able to spend more time — and more quality time — with your spouse andchildren? We need to look at these relationships right after our relationship with God. It isn’t very likely that we had an improving relationshipwith God and a deteriorating relationship with our family. We can’t really get closer to God and not be convicted to love and serve our spousesand children. Did you make more time available to your spouse, as your top ministry priority, and less to your hobbies or business? Is yoursacrificial love for (and service to) your family growing? If so, you’re off to a great start for 2015.

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NOTE: Why do we start our mid-year audit of our business by talking about God and family? Because we can only bring to work what we already have inChrist in our lives and homes. It is a simple law of physics to know that you are not two different people. You are one person, living an integrated lifebefore the Lord. You can’t successfully be one person at church on Sunday and a completely different person the rest of the week. Our ministry inbusiness is simply an extension of our lives in Christ, not separate from it. Pretty radical? Not at all.

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3. You spend more time listening/relating to your team members on a one–to–one basis. Increasingly, you are doing this with an ear tunedto God with His purposes and His eyes as you search for ways to minister to stakeholder needs. You’re putting together a good year if you caremore for your lost employees (or customers, vendors or competitors), seeing the horrible prospect of their eternity in hell more painfully. Youare also doing well if you frequently pray for their salvation, and even better if you actually do something more to impact them for eternity.

4. You see the people that you deal with more as objects of your personal ministry than as objects to be exploited for your personal gain.This statement is intended to specifically refer to friends, employees, vendors/suppliers, partners, customers, and other significant relationshipsand day-to-day contacts. As you encounter people each day, do you see them as opportunities for “transactions” or for “relationships”? If youincreasingly see yourself as an entrusted servant to them, rather than master over them — even a little bit more — you’re off to a great start in 2015.

5. You are even slightly less acquisitive than you were six months ago. The urge to acquire things is of the flesh, not the Spirit. The vainthought that simply possessing more stuff will bring any real benefit to our lives is immature and foolish. Any honest Christian knows thatthere’s no joy or peace in things. The more stuff we have, the more we must tend to and use. Materialism is a curse; a true cancer of the spirit.If you’ve freed yourself, even a little, from its grasp, and are more able to steward your gifts with an open hand before the Lord, you’re on trackfor a good year. You might measure this as a percentage of what you gave from what you were given. Are you more of a “cheerful giver” of your“first fruits” so far this year or are you waiting until the last minute in 2015 because evaluating tax consequences of giving is your driving motivation?

6. You are truly more thankful for what you have and content with all aspects of your life. Spiritual maturity brings with it a contentment thatcomes from the awareness of what God has done for us by grace. What do we have that we deserve? And, given that we have as much as weall do, being among the most materially wealthy people in the history of the world, how can we not be thankful? Why do we need more? IfGod were to say to you, “What you have is the best it will ever be,” what would you say to Him? Could you say, “Thank You, Father... I alreadyhave more than I deserve or need” with a truly grateful heart? If so, you’re headed in the right direction.

7. You have more peace in your heart. This is especially true if the peace is not related to circumstances, since circumstances always change.If our peace is dependent on them, it comes and goes with the changes. Spiritual maturity, and the peace that comes with it, is dependent onabiding in our God who never changes. Do you more clearly see God’s hand in your circumstances?

8. You are learning more about your profession and are able to apply greater leadership skills and technical expertise in your field. If youbelieve that: A) your business is a gift from God; B) as steward you’re to run it for Him with excellence; and C) you’ve made the time to learnand apply better ways to be that steward, you are putting together a terrific year.

9. You are taking measurably better care of your body. Do you get the exercise you need? Do you routinely get a full night’s sleep and enjoyyour Sabbath rest? Is your diet healthier than last year? Are you allocating sufficient time to the maintenance of your body? The way we carefor our body is one measure of our self-control and a visible part of our witness. Mastery of self is key to spiritual growth. If His temple in you(your body) is in better shape than it was just six months ago, allowing for the wear and tear of time, you’re doing well in 2015.

Let’s keep going: You’re on track for a great year in 2015 if...

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PAGE TWO

Mid-Year Personal Assessment for Christian CEOs and Business OwnersWWW.C12CentralTX.COM

10. More eternal fruit is being produced through and around you, due to your effort and influence while abiding in Christ. Eternal fruit isdefined as “lives turned toward God.” It means simply this: Your obedience to God in what you say, do, and are, influences others to movetowards God in their thoughts and actions, yielding eternal fruit. This doesn’t only involve conversions and discipleship but anything thatbrings a heightened and more favorable awareness of God and His ways to others. Are the people around you more favorably aware that youare an ambassador for Christ in and around your business? Have more people been helped because God has entrusted the business to yourcare? Are more Christians being influenced to grow in their faith because your business has brought you, reflecting Christ, into their lives?Have you grown as a humble, but firm servant leader and found ways to lead effectively according to timeless Scriptural core principles? If you cansee that more eternal fruit has been produced in, around, and through your business and related activities, you’re in middle of a great year!

GRAND TOTAL FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR (Total your score above for each of the ten statements)

You may be thinking, “How can I really measure these things?” Some aren’t easily quantifiable, at least not in an exact numerical way. However, ifyou’re unsure, and really want to, you can know your measure. Ask God to reveal to you the truth in each of these areas. He will show you as youpray and study His Word. Sometimes He will answer through people who know you well, such as your spouse, close friends, or perhaps your C12advisory board of peers.

FINAL TOTAL

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PAGE THREE

Mid-Year Personal Assessment for Christian CEOs and Business Owners

Are you not in a C12 group or are you asking yourself “What is C12?” Have you ever wished that you could spend a full day each monthdedicated to growth and clarity with other entrepreneurs, CEOs and business owners? The C12 Group makes every effort to bringtogether the top business leaders representing the most respected and successful businesses in the Central Texas marketplace. Once permonth, we come together as a peer advisory board for a full-day meeting. Our focus during these important meetings includes worship,encouragement, accountability, personal/professional growth, discernment and a collaborative learning setting as we seek practical businesssolutions and Godly counsel in all areas of our lives. All this is provided in an safe, invitation-only, non-solicitation environment.

This could be your opportunity to break through everything that’s keeping you from taking your business (and your faith and family) tothe next level. Do you want a chance to have your problems heard, clearly understood, analyzed, and solved by CEOs who have beenthere, and who have figured out solutions to the problems that every business faces, including yours?

Give membership in a C12 executive peer advisory board a try and you can make 2015 the absolute the best year in your life. Checkout our website (www.C12Central TX.com) and register for an upcoming, free introductory breakfast or luncheon at a local countryclub. At this brief event, you’ll meet other Christian CEOs and business owners, learn more about C12 groups forming now in theCentral Texas area and have a terrific meal on us. We hope to see you soon!

Mid-Year personal assessment continued: You’re on track for a great year in 2015 if...

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To summarize, please take a few minutes to

transfer your score from the previous pages

(with 1 being low, 5 being average and 10

scoring as high) to this circle graph to the

right. Each portion of the wheel relates di-

rectly to a particular statement from the

previous pages.

This type of ‘balance wheel’ is a popularly

used coaching and assessment tool. To maxi-

mize its usefulness, connect the dots to see

if your wheel is balanced or lopsided. If you

have completed this survey in previous

years, you can also use different symbols

and include these points on the balance

wheel to look for overall progress and

trends.

Based on your completed balance wheel,

what important commitments are you

ready to make for the balance of 2015?

JULY 2015 - “How am I really doing?” Your Personal Balance Wheel

Mike Sharrow (210) 269-0636 Mike.Sharrow@C12Group.com

Robert Vogel (210) 382-0870 Robert.Vogel@C12Group.com

EXAMPLE

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