2025

April Edition

Welcome to the April 2025 edition of A Few Good Things.

From Purpose to Practice: Embedding the Kingdom in Everyday Operations

Last month we asked:

What does success look like in God’s economy? What does God care about when it comes to work, business, and organizational life?

We defined success through three foundational aims of a Good Place organization: helping individuals flourish, strengthening communities, and stewarding resources for lasting impact.

But having a Kingdom-centered vision is just the beginning.

The real question for many faith-driven leaders is this:

How do we bring it to life?

How do we move from intention to implementation—where our big-picture purpose shows up in the everyday rhythms and decisions of our organization?

At The Good Place Institute, we believe the answer lies in building systems that reflect the Kingdom.

Purpose Alone Isn’t Enough

Too often, faith-driven organizations cast a compelling vision—only to struggle with follow-through. They know what matters most, but that vision stays stuck at the leadership level, disconnected from daily operations.

In other words, the “why” is strong—but the “how” is missing.

This gap between purpose and practice is where mission drift happens. It's where burnout creeps in. And it's where teams, even with the best of intentions, begin to lose clarity and confidence.

Systems That Support the Mission

In a Good Place organization, vision isn’t just aspirational, it’s operational.

That’s why we use the Good Place Operating System (GPOS) to help leaders translate purpose into plans, structure, and rhythm.

A key tool in this process is what we call the Stewardship Cycle—a repeatable process that helps organizations continuously align actions with their Charter.

Here’s how it works:

1. Charter – Start with your purpose, mission, vision, and values.
2. Stewardship Planning – Create strategic initiatives and system improvements that serve your Charter.
3. Manage – Operate with systems that develop people and optimize processes.
4. Monitor – Track the results and outcomes your systems are producing.
5. Learn – Ask why your systems are producing what they are.
6. Improve – Adjust and enhance what’s working—or fix what’s not.

When faithfully stewarded, this cycle becomes part of your organizational DNA. It’s not just a one-time exercise, it’s a new way of leading, operating, and growing.

Start Small. Think Big.

You don’t have to implement everything at once.

Begin by asking:
What systems currently support our purpose?
Where do our actions drift from our values?
How can we move one step closer to integrating Kingdom principles into our daily work?

This month, we encourage you to pause and reflect:

Is your organization structured in a way that helps you live out your Charter?

When your vision is built into your systems, your organization doesn’t just talk about the Kingdom—it reflects it in everything it does.

We’re here to help you build it.

We’re launching our next Good Place Leadership Cohort Group - and there’s still time for you to join.

These monthly gatherings are designed to equip Kingdom-minded leaders with biblical insight, practical tools, and a supportive community as you build and steward organizations that reflect God’s heart for people, communities, and business.

Ground your leadership in timeless principles and the life of Jesus.

Learn and apply the Good Place Operating System (GPOS) to your organization.

Led by Chris Young – President of The Good Place Institute and your cohort facilitator for the year.

Built for Relationship – Join 5–7 peers in a confidential, Kingdom-centered space for mutual sharpening and encouragement.

Accessible & Flexible – Meet via Zoom once a month (2.5 hours), with additional support and interaction on our private digital platform.

Your next step:

Secure your spot for the next session. Monthly and annual plans are available.

Christian Institutional Investors Conference – John Harris attended April 3rd 

The Good Place Institute was represented by John Harris at the inaugural Christian Institutional Investors Conference on April 3rd, 2025, hosted by Innovest.  Over 200 attendees representing well over 100 firms and related organizations were in the main event room at Colorado Christian University.  One of the amazing facts was that over $250 billion dollars was collectively "under management" by leaders of faith and their organizations. 

One of our strategic partners, the US Christian Chamber of Commerce was represented by its President, Krystal Parker.  She spoke on a panel that discussed tangible strategies to unify faith-based organizations of all types in the marketplace.  After the conference, the "Chamber" hosted a dinner at a local restaurant where John spoke to various investors and C-level executives about the importance of strategic planning with a Biblical perspective.  Developing partnerships with Innovest, Alpha Capital, Telios Law and other firms are in the works. 

Christian Leadership Alliance - Outcomes Conference – John Harris plans to attend on April 29 - May 1

From April 29th to May 1st, 2025, we'll be attending the Christian Leadership Alliance's "Outcomes Conference" held in Dallas.  With over 1200 leaders from both for-profit and non-profit organizations, this conference is considered one of the best and most influential gatherings for C-level leaders of faith.  GPI and John Harris were invited to this event by Jerry White, one of the most visible "faith at work" leaders in the world and an active executive with The Navigators and the Lausanne Movement.  Relationships will be established with firms such as Capin Crowse, CRU, and the Barnabas Foundation, while strengthening existing relationships with The Navigators.

In our upcoming episode of Business is Good, Chris Young unpacks the three waves that have shaped the Faith and Work Movement over the last several decades—and why many leaders today are ready for something more.

You’ll hear how the movement evolved:
➡️ From generosity
➡️ To evangelism
➡️ To a deeper, more integrated vision: Holistic Kingdom Integration

Chris asks the bold but necessary question:
👉 “If you’re modeling the King, does your organization reflect His Kingdom?”

This episode offers a powerful framework for leaders who feel there must be more to business than just profit and purpose statements—and are ready to build companies where people flourish, communities prosper, and economic regeneration is possible.

With over 20 years of experience, Kelene is a valued partner for organizations, guiding internal and external clients through transformational changes across public, private and government sectors. She brings a rare blend of strategic insight, data fluency, and heart-centered leadership to every engagement. Her mission is clear: to help people and organizations reach their fullest potential.

With a doctorate in Industrial Organizational Psychology and Lean Six Sigma -Green Belt certification, she specializes in using data to uncover performance gaps, optimize processes and aligning people’s strategies with business goals.

Known for her open nature and compassionate approach, she builds trust quickly and creates environments where leaders and teams feel empowered to grow, reflect and collaborate. Whether she's designing system wide improvements, critically challenging thought processes or equipping leaders with insights to navigate complexity, Kelene consistently drives measurable outcomes with a human touch.

As the Organizational Effectiveness Consultant with The Good Place Institute (GPI), she plays a critical role in guiding internal & external clients with the implementation of the GPI Operating System, which empowers organizations to chart bold sustainable paths forward; ensuring both people and processes thrive.

Do you have a passion for organization and helping others thrive? In this role, you will help ensure smooth office workflows, maintain accurate records, and provide administrative support to ensure GPI’s success in fulfilling its mission.

We’re looking for a detail-oriented Office Administrator to join our team at Good Place Institute!

Thank you for checking out our newsletter. Our purpose at The Good Place Institute is to help leaders multiply Good Place organizations! We are thankful for you and your leadership of organizations to reflect God’s Kingdom!

Chris Young

President

The Good Place Institute