Ep. 324 Preparing Our Legacy to Minister to the Next Generation

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Shows Main Idea – My unspoken mission is to take the practical gospel of Christ to every human on the planet, which implies that I must extend the life of this ministry beyond my lifetime. In late 2020, we formed a team to start planning our legacy ministry: What do we need to do to continue this ministry after the Lord takes me home? I want to share with you where we are in that process.

Show Notes

You may want to read:

• The Miraculous Twists and Turns That Led to This Ministry
• An Oral History of Our Ministry from 2008-2019
• Learn How This Ministry Benefits You and Your Family

When to Start

I’m sixty-two years old. The question is, when is the best time to start thinking, planning, and implementing a legacy plan? Do I begin today or wait five years? If you’re going to do it, why not start now when you have the mental clarity and physical ability to make the necessary changes happen?

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps (Proverbs 16:9).

Ministry Changes

• 2008 Counseling forever
• 2010 Requests for training
• 2015 Article to audio (podcasting)
• 2015 Rick discontinues counseling
• 2018 Publishing books
• 2019 Ministry discontinues counseling
• 2020 Video emphasis
• 2021 Prepping for legacy

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin (James 4:13-17).

Ministry Methodology

• Using the redemptive use of technology to reach as many people as possible with the practical message of Christ
• Echo of omnipresence in technology
• A minimalistic approach to ministry (cost and materials)
• Complete mobility

Ministry Names

• Legal Name: The Counseling Solutions Group, Inc.
• Brand Name: Competent Counseling—2008-2010
• Brand Name: RickThomas.Net—2010-present

Legacy’s First Step

• I’m an introvert by nature, a person who does not enjoy being out front. I do it because my passion for the gospel is more potent than any temptations to work behind the scenes. Thus, I’m a reluctant frontman for this ministry.
• My natural proclivities have always created a rub with the branded name of our ministry. We went with my name because it made the shortest distance between two points: people read my (Rick Thomas) stuff and know where to find me (RickThomas.Net).
• However, as we think about the life of this ministry after I’m gone, it does not seem wise to use my name but to choose a name that is more relatable to our mission.

What Is Our Brand?

• Fortunately, we spent approximately $15K in 2015, working with a branding agency to determine our brand.

The Upside

• We have a branding guide.
• We have a logo concept.
• We have our tone, vibe, feel.
• We know who we are.
• Out of the brand comes our mission statement: We exist to provide life-changing resources that equip Christians to help others.

Our Brand Metaphor

Coffee is the best word that describes metaphorically who we are.

• Coffee naturally flows out of that branding guide. It makes common sense based on who I am and how I think about helping others.
• Coffee is ubiquitous: everyone knows what it is.
• Coffee has a vibe that connotes real-world ideas, i.e., personal, relationship building.
• There is a natural, common sense, and non-artificial connection between coffee and relationships.
• You will not have to explain “doing life over coffee” because it makes sense. RickThomas.Net requires more work to explain.
• We’re not creating something new from a “positioning marketing” perspective—inserting something new into peoples’ minds. Coffee, life, and relationships are already in everyone’s minds.
• My name does not quickly identify or communicate our brand DNA. LOC does, and after I’m gone, it will continue to do so.
• LOC moves me off centerstage, which prepares us to have other content creators.
• The clearer the brand identity, the easier it will be to maintain, sustain, and advance it.
• There are a ton of merchant opportunities with LOC.
• A Life Over Coffee brand provides a more straightforward path for folks to invest. My name—RickThomas.Net—could sound like you’re giving to me and not a ministry. Though LOC does not sound like Desiring God or The Bible Project, it’s not as ambiguous for folks to perceive as a worthy ministry to which they would want to give.

The Process

• Phase One: Create the name, concept, identity, brand.
• Phase Two: Hire a company to bring the brand to life.
• Phase Three: Hire a company to adapt the website to the brand.
• Phase Four: Implement all the best practices and strategies to reach the most significant number of folks with the practical message of Christ.

What Can You Do?

1. Pray for the legacy of this ministry? May we always be true to our mission statement.
2. Partner with us financially so we can continue providing free resources to Christians globally.

Need More Help?

1. If you want to learn more from us, you may search this site for thousands of resources—articles, podcasts, videos, graphics, and more. Please spend time studying the ones that interest you. They are free.
2. If you want to talk to us, we have private forums for those who support this ministry financially. Please consider supporting us here if you would like to help us keep our resources free.

Rick Thomas

Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.

In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).