Torch, Spring 1981

ii I' will ask a question or make a statement that naturally leads into a conversation about the Lord. Yes, there have been days when I failed to ask; but there has never been a day when I have been walking in obedience to the Lord that He did not answer this prayer. One night I was driving home from a racquetball game very tired . It was about 10:30, and I was going home to an empty house . My family was out of town for a fe w days . Suddenly , I realized that I had not had an opportunity that day to speak for the Lord . Would God be fa ithful to answer my prayer to be a witness or spirit– ual help to someone? As I walked through the front door of my home, the phone rang, and the caller was a dis– couraged Christian. This was my opportunity to minis– ter. As an employer, I have learned the principle of Co– lossians 4: 1, which teaches that I should treat my em– ployees as I would have my heavenly Master treat me. Therefore , I have established a policy to see , as soon as possible, any employee who asks to see me . A few years ago, before this policy was in effect, Dave, one of my employees, caught my attention as I was walking through the plant and asked if he could talk to me . I told him to come to my office at the end of the shift. At 4:30 that afternoon, he walked by my door, and I motioned to him that I would be with him as soon as possible . I was deeply involved with some customers at the time . It was over an hour before I was free , and Dave had gone home . The next day I saw him in the plant and was con– victed about not spending time with him . We made plans to meet after work . At 4:30 Dave came to my of– fice and I asked what I could do for him . I will never forget his reply . He reminded me that earlier I had taken him and a number of other employees to an evangelistic service where the evangelist asked the question, "If you died tonight, could you give a Bible reason why you would go to heaven?" Dave stated, "I haven ' t been able to sleep. Mr. Kauffman , if I died right now, I know I would not go to heaven . Would you tell me how I can be saved?" I had the joy of leading Dave to the Lord in my office, and God pressed home to me the importance of seeing my employees promptly . The stories are many. Let me tell you of Diane . In tears she left her work in the plant and came to my of– fice. She said she noticed that Christians in the plant were facing the same type of problems she faced, but they were handling them in a way she could not. As they continued to witness to her, they told her to talk with me and that I would tell her how to receive Christ. The Holy Spirit had completely prepared her heart through the witness of the Christian employees with whom she worked. Diane willingly confessed her sins and asked the Lord to be her Savior. A short time later she brought her fiance into my office. He is also an em– ployee. His heart had been prepared by her testimony and he, too , accepted the Lord . Another employee who observed what the Lord had been doing came one day and told me, "I want to do it." I asked her what she wanted to do, and she said , "You know; I want to be saved ." Another employee accepted the Lord but did not know how to read . So , each day , I allowed ten minutes of company time for a fellow worker to spend with him teaching him to read. The Bible was used as a reading text and in a few weeks he was able to read it on his own . We believe that if Kauffman Products is truly dedi – cated to bring honor and glory to the Lord, it must be consistent with this purpose, not only to our employees , but also to our vendors and customers as well . We strive to take every opportunity to do this. We invited our cus– tomers , our employees, our neighboring businesses, and many of our suppliers to attend ground-breaking ceremonies for two new buildings . At each ceremony there was a testimony , giving credit to God for business growth, along with a short message and prayer of dedi– cation by my pastor. At Christmas parties, company picnics, and every company function , the Gospel is clearly presented. Last summer, I was able to meet with each employee indi– vidually to give him a year-end bonus check . For many , it was the largest check they had ever received. I clearl y explained this was possible only because of God ' s blessing upon the company. I offered to spend time with any employee who wished to talk about a personal relationship to Jesus Christ. As a result of this, one em– ployee was saved and others rededicated their lives to Christ. It is my belief that any company can be run success– fully by following sound business principles . However , that is not my total desire for Kauffman Products . My father often told me , "As a Christian , if your life can be measured by anything less than the supernatural, you are a failure ." I firmly believe this applies to a Christian business as well . The principle of seeking first the king– dom of God (Matthew 6:31 -33) is not part of the pro– gram of a Christian business, it is THE program . We must have spiritual goals for our business and a plan by which to achieve them. For me , this includes being a witness to those within and without my com– pany . In spite of how much I want my business to prosper, I have asked the Lord to let it grow only in pro– portion to my own personal , spiritual growth and wit– ness for Christ. It's been wonderful to see God answer this prayer . If we aggressively seek to honor God day by day in our personal lives and business affairs, God's overall hand of protection and blessing will rest upon us . Kauffman Products stands as a living testimony to this fact. D About Kauffman Products : Located near Indianapolis, Indiana, Kauffman Prod– ucts, Inc . is a manufacturer of metal stamping compo– nents , and is a high-volume, subassembly plant for the commercial and military industry. Employing approxi– mately 70 people, Mr. Kauffman's plant produces Jenn-Air range tops, practice bombs, automotive parts , safety parts, electrical components, etc . 9