Business as Mission Network:: Turn Good Business and Missions into Great Ministry

Business as Mission Event Coming to Florida

2009-11-23T07:46:00.000-06:00

The Global CEO Network gathering is heading to Orlando this Spring. They'll be heading to Orlando, Florida March 10-12th. Orientation takes place Wed, March 10 from 3-5pm. Dinner at local restaurants at 7:00pm, both Wednesday and Thursday nights. Gathering concludes Friday March 12 at 12pm.

Location will be the Orlando Airport Marriott (more details to follow including discount room rates).

As you know, invitations are sent exclusively to CEO's or senior executives who are passionate about using their companies for Kingdom purposes. If you know of other CEO's with a heart for missions and a global business operation that should attend this meeting, please send their name and contact information to Alicia atafuller@ecgroup-intl.com.

For more information, please visit www.globalceonetwork.org

Business as Mission Featured in the Wall Street Journal

2009-11-13T22:40:00.003-06:00

By Rob Moll - (Read the full article here) Christian missionaries have always brought institutions from home and planted them in foreign lands. Schools, hospitals and social services are staples of missionary activity. But recently those who spread the faith overseas have realized that it's not enough to educate and provide health care. In the midst of a world-wide recession, people need jobs, and a growing number of missionaries—many of them working outside traditional missionary organizations—are taking their business skills and starting for-profit companies in the mission fields.

Missionary activity is in decline because of the recession. The Southern Baptist Convention and the United Methodist Church, two of the largest Protestant denominations, are making steep cuts to their missionary institutions. Yet Jesus' command to disciple all nations still pulls strongly on the hearts of many Christians. While mission agencies are tightening their purse strings, many business owners are turning to their practical, 9-to-5 skills to help fulfill this Great Commission.

The Business as Mission movement began in the 1990s, when globalization allowed Christian business people to build companies overseas. Often they did so without the help of churches. This missions model required some initial capital but no long-term subsidies. Business missionaries could become integral parts of a community, build trust with locals through business relationships, and minister every day of the week—not just Sunday—to employees, vendors, suppliers and customers. In the late '90s Neal Johnson was at Fuller Seminary in California planning a career change. He'd worked overseas in banking and law for decades, and he wanted to combine his business skills with missionary work. But his initial dissertation proposal on business as mission was rejected. "I was told it was not a subject for someone pursuing a Ph.D.," he said. Eventually, the committee relented. Today, Mr. Johnson is the dean of the business school at Bakke Graduate University—an international Christian school based in Seattle but offering courses from Hong Kong to Hungary—whose business program focuses solely on training students to integrate faith and missions with business. When I spoke with him, he was teaching an MBA course in the Philippines.

In the past decade, the movement has exploded, at least in interest among missionary agencies. Steve Rundle, an economics professor at Biola University in California, has been studying business as mission for 15 years. Prof. Rundle says that much of the movement is still informal, led by individual entrepreneurs. Because many business owners work outside of traditional mission agencies, it can be hard to quantify their numbers. But surveys of U.S.-based agencies found that about 5% of their missionaries are working in business, up from almost nothing 20 years ago. At a handful of agencies, as many as a quarter are using business as mission principles of profitability, the production of marketable goods and services and integration of Christianity and evangelism into the business. Read the full article here.

The Missional Entrepreneur: Principles and Practices for Business as Mission by Mark Russell

2009-11-06T07:35:00.001-06:00

Coming in January 2010, review from Amazon.com - Business as mission BAM, an emerging concept and developing ministry, has drawn fascination in missions and business circles. BAM embodies the practice of using business strategically accomplishing missional purposes. Though the term is ubiquitous in mission circles, there is disparity between its meaning. There has been much theoretical discussion about BAM but far less research accomplished on how it happens out in reality. The Missional Entrepreneur takes an in-depth look at business as missions in action with an eye to expose the most effective principles and practices of this movement.

About the Author - Mark L. Russell has a PhD in intercultural studies from Asbury Theological Seminary, a master of divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a bachelor of science degree in international business from Auburn University. His doctoral dissertation focused on business as mission (BAM). Mark has gained tremendous international understanding in his time living and working in Russia, Chile and Germany and in his extensive travel to more than 70 countries to carry out a variety of business, educational, humanitarian and religious projects. Mark has been published in more than 50 academic and popular level publications. Mark lives in Boise, Idaho, with his wife, Laurie and their children, Noah and Anastasia. Click here to pre-order on Amazon.com.

Business As Mission: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice by Neal Johnson

2009-10-30T07:18:00.001-06:00

Coming December 2010- from Amazon.com - Business as mission (BAM) is a mission strategy whose time has come. As global economics become increasingly interconnected, Christian businesspeople and entrepreneurs have unanticipated opportunites to build kingdom-strategic business ventures. But Christian companies and business leaders do not automatically accomplish missional purposes. BAM requires mastery of both the world of business and the world of missions, merging and contextualizing both into something significantly different than either alone.

C. Neal Johnson offers the first comprehensive guide to business as mission for practitioners. He provides conceptual foundations for understanding BAM's unique place in global mission and prerequisites for engaging in it. Then he offers practical resources for how to do BAM, including strategic planning and step-by-step operational implementation. Drawing on a wide variety of BAM models, Johnson works through details of both mission and business realities, with an eye to such issues as management, sustainability and accountability.

Business as mission is a movement with enormous potential. This book breaks new ground in how faith and work intersect and are lived out in crosscultural contexts, where job creation and community transformation go hand in hand. Come, participate in what may well be one of the most strategic mission paradigms of the 21st century.

What other people are saying:

"C. Neal Johnson's Business as Mission would be my first choice for a single textbook on the subject. It is comprehensive, up-to-date, theoretically lucid and instructive for implementation. Business is a strategic tool for a new breed of crosscultural workers in the twenty-first-century mission. Not only will it be used for evangelism but also for securing the economic well-being of the people." --Tetsunao Yamamori, Lausanne senior adviser and president/CEO of WorldServe Ministries

"Neal Johnson has provided a systematic, strategic and tactical approach in answering the important question on how to conduct business as mission in a God-honoring way." --Luis Bush, international facilitator, Transform World Connections

"Neal Johnson's Business as Mission is the most comprehensive manual in the history of the marketplace movement. For years to come this will be the foundational text used by mission agencies, universities and seminaries, and business leaders interested in BAM. It identifies and simplifies the definitions, strategies, practical steps and key players in the worldwide BAM movement." --Kent Humphreys, Ambassador FCCI / Christ@Work

Business as Mission Videos with Neil Johnson and Al Caperna

2009-10-29T07:37:00.000-06:00

Neil Johnson recently stopped by and paid a visit to the team at YWAM. He was intervied for their online video sessions to talk about Business as Mission. There are several other interviews with other business leaders like Al Caperna, David Stone and others in the previous posts on this video blog. Click here or use this address http://livethestory-ywamsf.blogspot.com/

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Whole Foods CEO in Wall Street Journal - Business has a Noble Purpose

2009-10-26T07:29:00.004-06:00

The guys over at Regent University noticed a great article in the Wall Street Journal about the founder of Whole Foods. I found it fascinating to see how he recognizes that business has a higher purpose. Here's the quote that stands out.

"Mr. Mackey's latest crusade involves traveling to college campuses across the country, trying to persuade young people that business, profits and capitalism aren't forces of evil. He calls his concept "conscious capitalism."

What is that? "It means that business has the potential to have a deeper purpose. I mean, Whole Foods has a deeper purpose," he says, now sounding very much like a philosopher. "Most of the companies I most admire in the world I think have a deeper purpose." He continues, "I've met a lot of successful entrepreneurs. They all started their businesses not to maximize shareholder value or money but because they were pursuing a dream."

Mr. Mackey tells me he is trying to save capitalism: "I think that business has a noble purpose. It's not that there's anything wrong with making money. It's one of the important things that business contributes to society. But it's not the sole reason that businesses exist."

What does he mean by a "noble purpose"? "It means that just like every other profession, business serves society. They produce goods and services that make people's lives better. Doctors heal the sick. Teachers educate people. Architects design buildings. Lawyers promote justice. Whole Foods puts food on people's tables and we improve people's health."

Then he adds: "And we provide jobs. And we provide capital through profits that spur improvements in the world. And we're good citizens in our communities, and we take our citizenship very seriously at Whole Foods." Read the full article here.

Call2All Business as Mission Event in New Zealand

2009-10-23T07:59:00.002-05:00

The Call2All movement has grown over the last 2 years to include thousands of different ministries and organizations around the world. Top Christian leaders have met on all continents strategizing together to complete the Great Commission. Now they're making a movement to engage the next generation. Now they are conference in New Zealand in January.

Al Caperna and others will be collecting influential speakers and teachers to lead the 20+ hours of programming about Business as Mission.

Here's a short promotional video talking about calling the younger generation to the event.

A Message to Christian Leaders – Stand Up

2009-10-22T07:37:00.001-05:00

By Buck Jacobs- This is a word to Christian leaders, particularly for leaders of leaders. These are tumultuous times. Things are being shaken that have never been shaken and there is a spirit of fatigue and even fear loose in our land and in the Church. There is no longer any security in things that had been thought to be secure and as I travel and speak to believers across the country I hear a cry for relief and a return for “the way things were.” My brothers and sisters we are in danger of missing the point. These circumstances are no surprise to God and He’s not going to give us a quick-fix return to prosperity and an ever-upward always improving life. In fact we grieve Him when we fail to realize that we have in fact been born for” just such a time as this.” God planned for you and I to be His ambassadors in just these days before He made the earth. Rather than whining and crying for “the good old days we need to be rejoicing in the privilege of His call to these days and looking to Him for all we need to do all He wants, We are to be light in the darkness, and if we aren’t , who will be? Should we be looking at the world for courage and confidence in the face of uncertainty? Nonsense! We are the containers of the only true “Hope of the world.”

And what kind of leaders should we be and do those looking to us deserve? Should we be trembling and quaking with the world, fearful that our 401Ks will shrink further or that we may lack all we really need to care for our families, begging God for relief? No indeed, we have been called by the Almighty and Sovereign God of the Universe to represent Him here and now. We are called to be leaders that instill hope and confidence and even joy in the midst of turmoil. We need to be filled with faith like that of Daniel when he faced the lion’s den and like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they faced the fire. God ordained and called them to the tests they faced and He has called and ordained us to ours. God is not surprised by the economic shaking we see, He knew it was coming and He knows what comes next, and He has called us to lead leaders In these times not out of them! Its gut check time leaders, time for us to show the world what we really believe. The circumstances of life don’t make us what we are, they reveal what we are! Stand up! “Be strong and courageous….” Double down on your quiet time, focus on building intimacy with God, repent of the troubling sin, get help if you need it, but press on and press in! There will never be a better time for us to lead or a more critical need for us to be the leaders that God has called us to be.

There was a fourth man walking with the three in the fire. He was “like unto the Son of Man.” He was there for them, He is here for us, but He won’t be found by the fearful or those hoping for a compromised comfort of a return to Egypt. He walks with the faithful and the fearless. May it one day be said of us that we were among those who did not love their lives unto death. Lead leaders, lead! Lead!

Case Study of Olive Technology: Raising the Benchmark

2009-10-20T07:19:00.001-05:00

Business as Mission companies never arrive. The purpose of Kingdom Business is not fulfilled once a company reaches a sales quota, maximizes shareholder wealth or even accomplishes a specific ministry—it’s a never-ending process. According to Joseph Vijayam, CEO of Olive Technology, it’s about setting a benchmark and consistently raising it.

“It’s like being a Christian,” Vijayam said. “Let’s keep deepening that calling and keep challenging ourselves in what we can do. If we don’t keep doing that, eventually BAM companies will be no different from others.”

Vijayam’s company, Olive Technology, is missional to its core. The benchmark Vijayam has set -- to be 100% business and 100% ministry is seemingly impossible, yet 80 employees in 3 nations daily live out that challenge.

Olive is an IT outsourcing company with offices in India, USA and Indonesia, providing software development, web design, iPhone app development, eBook conversion, and managed services to some of the world’s leading companies and non-profits. Olive has also served ministries such as Saddleback Church, Campus Crusade for Christ, International Bible Society and Trans World Radio.

“We have an understanding of the ministry domain,” Vijayam said. “Ministries have a very specific business process which the average company won’t understand. We are a trusted partner, and people feel secure working with us.”

Olive has reduced cost for ministries as well. Because of their access to diverse talent pools in the three geographical regions in which they have offices, the company can offer world class solutions at a lower price. Often times, Olive has even reused some of their code libraries to further reduce costs for ministries. They have also connected ministries to one another.
“We work with so many ministries, we know who’s doing what with technology,” Vijayam said.

For example, Olive built an online mapping system for Campus Crusade for Christ that tracks where churches have been planted and where the church needs to focus. Then, they introduced many other ministries to Campus Crusade’s mapping resource. They even integrated some of the mapping plugins to allow other ministries to interact with the website.

Olive’s mission expands beyond the scope of working with ministry clients. Olive’s purpose is “to provide human, technological, and financial resources for growing God’s kingdom in India and worldwide over multiple generations.”

Equipping the Kingdom with Human Resources

Human resources are provided by the flexibility Olive provides to its employees to engage in ministry work. One Olivian advises Wycliffe India, another is an elder in his church, and Vijayam himself sits on a number of ministry boards and serves as the Chairman of the Technology Working Group for The Lausanne Movement. Ministry takes place within Olive as well, both to the company’s Christian and Hindu employees. Optional devotions take place every morning in the company’s conference room, with Bible reading, exposition and prayer.

“Prayer is probably the most culturally relevant ministry that happens at our offices because everyone yearns to be prayed for,” Vijayam said. “To non-Christians, the concept of a personal God is just unfathomable, but they love it.”

Serving God through Technology

Olive provides technological resources for God’s Kingdom not only through the work they do for ministries, but through several technology initiatives directly undertaken by the company itself. They provide free web hosting for more than 60 ministries in India through indiagateway.net.

They also have two online ministries, mahalife.com and mahajesus.com. “Maha” is a Hindi word, meaning “great.” Mahalife.com is a seeker-sensitive outreach site for Indian youth. Topics include relationships, career, health, sex, and other issues relevant to youth. Through the site, teens and young adults can connect with counselors via chat or email. Counseling is not a common practice in India, which happens to be one of the closet suicide capitals of the world.

Over 100,000 people each year take their own lives in India. Through mahalife.com, Indian youth can receive counseling without facing the stigma of going to a counselor. Mahalife.com counselors are Christians, equipped to point counselees to life and hope in Jesus Christ.

Mahajesus.com, another Olive eMinistry, is an online introductory course to who Jesus is. Each student who takes the course online is paired with an e-coach who walks the student through it and answers any questions he or she may have.

Providing Finances for God’s Work

Vijayam is a staunch supporter of the third tenet of Olive’s mission, which is providing financial resources for the growth of God’s kingdom. This is part of how he believes BAM companies should be proactively involved in missions and ministries. “We should have specific and consistent giving, both financially and in taking on projects that don’t result in a financial return,” Vijayam said, “You must give financially and not wait for the ship to come in or for that big profit. Take initiative.”

While Olive has pursued its mission for the past 13 years and is recognized as a pioneering BAM company, Vijayam sees many more miles to go.

“I really mean it when I say there is so much for Olive to learn in this whole arena of BAM,” he said. “It is like passing a camel through a needle’s eye. Trying to be a witness in the marketplace is just as difficult. We look back, just like people, and say there is so much of improvement that is needed. There are so many missed opportunities.”

Vijayam encourages BAM companies to consistently raise the benchmark that they set. He said the bottom line comes down to always asking how can we serve the church and its mission with the resources we have, be they people, knowledge, facilities, or finances.

“The BAM movement as a whole, and Olive as a company, I think are just scratching the surface of what can and should be done to be salt and light in the marketplace,” Vijayam said. “God help us.”

Do our Missions Programs create Sustainable ways to meet needs or Welfare Recipients?

2009-10-14T07:28:00.006-05:00

By Ron DeMiglio - Whenever I write anything, I always go back and read it several times. Sometimes I am taken aback by what feels like an overly critical portrayal of a given thought or activity. It always causes me to search my heart. I don’t ever wish to berate the good intentions of others in order to make myself feel more spiritual or enlightened. In the case of this chapter I am frankly a little confused. In the one-dimensional nature of a text only medium, the thoughts seem kind of callous to me. The thing that is confusing to me though is that I can’t decide if my phrasing is too harsh or if we are so far off the beaten path with our Missions Programs that the contrast only seems mean spirited. I guess the other option is that I am a certifiable loon in which case I would be the last to know so it doesn’t much matter. Anyway, if it feels like I am disparaging to your efforts, I apologize. I don’t mean to invalidate any ones efforts or intentions. But I do mean to call into question what I feel are suspect and lazy interpretations of how we act on those intentions. Please overlook my lack of diplomacy.

Can we agree that if it’s God’s money, the church has a responsibility to use it wisely? To spend money and use resources in the most responsible and spiritually impacting manner should be the goal of every church. Unfortunately the Missions program for many churches are little more than a spiritualized, marginalized and sanitized welfare program. I am unsure as to how the effort got so watered down and ineffective but in many instances it has. I don’t fault the effort as much as I do the unintentional self-serving nature of it. I want to be straightforward not only because I think I should but because I believe we are all capable of so much more. I also want to issue a disclaimer here. This less than eloquent rant does not and should not apply to the work churches do and the provisions given to sustain “widows” and “orphans”. Those two categories fall into the realm of a specific biblical mandate. I want to whine a little about churches that “perpetuate” that which they are attempting to “eliminate”. OK, I’ll stop the rhyming thing.

We were created to work. The disobedience in the Garden of Eden resulted in the curse and made it more difficult to work but we were always intended to work. Eve was always meant to bear children but after the fall it would be accompanied by horrific and unbearable pain. I have to take my wife’s word on that one but being there for the birth of both our kids, I have no doubt she is not exaggerating. If we were created to work that must mean that working is good and working is Godly. Clearly I’m a quick study. God speaks of teaching people to fish instead of giving them a fish. The biblical principle of gleaning also speaks to the spiritual link between effort, provision and purpose. Yet, we seem bent on the easiest and least impacting activities and we call it mission’s work.

Many churches round up a dozen or so well intentioned souls from the congregation. They gather clothes, functional items, building materials, tools and bibles, book a flight and saunter into Mexico, Central or South America to do the Lords work. In many cases, even though the motivation is commendable, I am not so sure it really is the Lords work. We build new community centers, new church buildings, new schoolhouses or medical facilities. Why? Do we do this so that the indigenous people of the region have a pretty new place to be systemically poor in? They have no future and as such little or no community. The church buildings enhance faith but are void of long-term hope. They are too poor to educate the children and instead put then to work in the fields in order to survive. They have no money and the clinics more often than not fall into disrepair and abandonment unless perpetually funded. What are we really doing? I contend that we are taking the easy way out and salving our consciences over doing what is right. I feel like these actions may be life altering and significant to those doing it, but it is dehumanizing and spiritually degrading to those we seek to minister to and help. Did you know that there are hundreds of remote villages in these countries that just sit around waiting for the next group of Christians to come down and hand them something. In the worse cases this is not a Missions Program, it is merely a second Benevolence Fund. Like a perpetual welfare recipient, these villages have adopted the idea that they are incapable and we have reinforced that idea with our actions.

I know that at times we need to provide shelter, warm clothes, and housing or yes, even build a community center or a new church. But if these acts are the norm and not temporary stopgap measures while we help provide a way for them to rise above their destitution, then in my opinion we miss the mark. If we merely give them something, they will forever need us to give them something. If we teach them to fish, or sew or manage land or better yet, help them to buy their own farmable land, we not only change their lives but we impact those families for generations. The luckiest and most industrious of these people are sharecropping at best and receiving pennies on the dollar for their efforts. If we provided interest free loans for land we could change the poorest countries in the world. They work the land and receive the lion’s share of their efforts instead of virtually nothing. In time, they make enough money to pay off the loan for the land. Families are fed and are afforded the luxury to have their children attend school. Educated children begin a new cycle of hope and heritage. Spirits are renewed as they realize that they are not cast offs that are only capable of receiving handouts. Missions programs become sustainable as the money is being paid back so more land can be bought and sold to families. Now our efforts and missions trips can truly bear fruit for decades.

Wouldn’t it be better to bring along an agronomist and help them double or triple the yield of their crops? Form a cooperative that will make sure they combine buying power and to receive the best prices for their crops and seeds. A micro economic program of this nature requires work but impacts generations. Granted it is not as easy as just going down and slapping up a makeshift building or handing out tennis shoes and chocolate bars. But shouldn’t the goal be to help them out of their poverty permanently? Be creative, imagine what other ways we can change the station in life for people and not just give them a shiny object to remain in that station with. Sustainable missions that bring about intrinsic change and not perpetuate poverty should be the goal. If those we seek to help are involved in the process of their financial restoration, spirits are revived and God is glorified. Grab a hoe and help them make some dough. Last rhyme, I promise.

Can we admit that we have subsidized lethargy and promoted the idea that God is simply not capable of providing for or sustaining them without indefinite charity? Is that really what we want to do? I know that at times we need to provide essentials but those should be the mortar and not the bricks when it comes to reconstructing lives. Ultimately, it’s better for everyone if we help them attain the means of buying their own mortar and making their own bricks. Let the United Nations recognized and applaud the temporary solutions of redistribution of wealth and forgiveness of third world debt. We need to be about the business of helping families be sustainable and pointing the way to Godly purpose and fulfillment. If the people of these countries were financially and generationally whole, we would not need to redistribute wealth or forgive dept. I know it is not as glamorous and as personally edifying as being the amazing Americans that have come to bestow our gifts and prayers on them. But to me, sustainable missions and providing opportunity to others is compassionate, benevolent, spirit empowering and the highest use of our money, time and efforts.

Do you remember the actor named John Candy? He died quite young. I often wonder if he was stuck in a situation that inevitably would result in his premature death. He was most well known for a specific kind of role in almost every movie he was in. He was without a doubt one of the best actors ever at playing the hapless, helpless, lazy, irresponsible, gregarious and slovenly goof of a family member or friend. He had an infectious personality and was a uniquely interesting guy, to me anyway. What I know for sure is that he fell into a type cast and that was what he was physically and exclusively known for. If he lost the weight he would not be John Candy. He would not be able to play the same type of role and his acting career most likely would have quickly faded. If he stayed large he would have consistent work and acclaim but would almost assuredly die way too young.

Imagine having the choice of fame and notoriety that resulted in a premature death, or anonymity and discipline that resulted in health and longevity. What would you choose? There is not as much glamour or fame in being the people that challenge, encourage, come along side and help provide the means for others to pull themselves out of despair. Discipline and work is not a popular thing to require of others but it has the most health and longevity associated with it. Don’t allow yourself or your church to be type cast into a role that will end up with a premature death of your mission’s effort. You can be popular with everyone and just provide temporary village trinkets or you can be life changing for the proportionate few but have your efforts endure and ultimately impact thousands more. The results are slower but they last and allow God to do the miraculous in and thru someone other than you. Let’s begin to wean ourselves off of the easy displays of spiritual philanthropy and set our efforts to assisting people out of despair. Sow opportunity. Sow life. Life that sustains people, establishes families, builds community and endures for generations

In the Beginning God created us to ... Work?

2009-10-13T07:10:00.001-05:00

By Justin Forman - The men of 0ur community group just started reading through the Old Testament for our fall study. You know what struck me so profoundly when we read thorugh Genesis?

God created us to Work.

No sooner had God formed Adam (Genesis 2:6) that he "put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it". Only but a few verses later he goes on to ask man to name all the animals that roamed the earth (Genesis 2:19).

This probably comes to you as no surprise, you've heard that idea. God created us to work. Got it. But what I think we sometimes miss is the order.

So often times we believe that work was this punishment handed down by God as punishment for disobeying him (Genesis 3). That couldn't be more farther from the truth. God created us to work, then sin entered the world. We had the perfect world but then it all changed. Enter computer crashes, viruses, technical difficulties and all those other thorns that God caused to make things an even greater challenge.

Culture has been the great accelerant in this warped thinking that work is our punishment. Commericals and movies have ingrained this idea that the 5-6 days of work are just o get us to the weekend.

In our attempt to put a Christian spin on it we further miss the point. We somehow think that the workweek is our step to get to the real worship on Sunday morning.

Where did thing get so out of order? When did we believe that somehow volunteering on a Wednesday night with the youth is important enough to overlook the 40-50 hours of opporutnity in the office?

Don't get me wrong. I love getting involved in opportunities to serve in the church, but I think we could all use reminding that in the beginning God created us to work. When the world was still perfect, before sin had not entered the world, our primary act of worship was working in His garden.

Even God himself modeled that for us by spending 6 days working, and finally on the 7th day he rested.

So tomorrow, I head off to work. To care for His creation. His kingdom. Hopefully I can remind myself that how I go about it might be the greatest act of worship I do all week.

The Poor Will be Glad - Joining the Revolution to Lift the World out of Global Poverty

2009-10-12T07:29:00.000-05:00

Phil Smith and Peter Greer wrote a book on microfinance and employment-based solutions to poverty. The book just released on Friday and Peter is beginning a 36-city tour with HOPE to promote the book.

To see the places where Peter will be this fall, please visit http://www.thepoorwillbeglad.com.

Here's what people are saying about the book on Amazon:

"This eminently practical book shows how ordinary people can help fight poverty around the world. Focusing on proven initiatives such as microfinance and employment-based solutions, the authors outline specific steps we can take in leading the charge against spiritual and physical poverty."

“The Poor Will Be Glad is an honest, insightful and practical resource forged from the vast experience of the authors who deeply care about seeing people lifted from poverty.”CHUCK BENTLEY CEO, CROWN FINANCIAL MINISTRIES

Click for product description and details

Quotable - You don't need a lot of capital, just a good design, some capital and the spirit of being in Business as Mission

2009-10-09T07:26:00.000-05:00

"A well run school is a great opportunity for Business as Mission- for every student you affect 5 or more people, usually adults. And, people everywhere will make sacrifices for their children to get ahead. I have another friend here who has started a metal fabrication business. We are trying to run water businesses. Well drilling is wide open. Farming of all types is open...

You don't need a lot of capital- just a good design, some capital, and the spirit of being in "real Business as Mission". Don't get me wrong- there is and will always be a need for "charity" but when you run a refuge camp for 20 years and destroy an entire generation's will, and don't teach the next, that is charity gone awry."

An Anonymous Business as Mission Entreprenuer in Africa

Local Connections Matter

2009-10-07T07:38:00.000-05:00

By Chris Horst of Hope International - Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the home of Auntie Anne’s pretzels, the nation’s oldest-running farmer’s market, and HOPE International. It also has one of the largest Amish communities in the country. Recently, while in Lancaster, I visited Costco and noticed hitching posts in the parking lot where Amish customers could park their buggies.

Costco is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. While I can’t verify this, I’d guess that Lancaster is their only store with hitching posts. If Costco had used one of their standard site plans, that detail would have surely slipped through the cracks. Only through soliciting the input of Lancaster residents could they develop a strategy relevant to the local economy and culture. By bringing in the expertise and contributions of individuals familiar with the Lancaster market, Costco developed an appropriate and localized plan for their operations.

If this complexity exists across a single country, how much more are these variances multiplied when operations transcend borders, languages, cultures and economies? It is often surprising to our supporters when I share that less than one percent of our staff members internationally are not native to the country where they are working. Of HOPE’s 1,500 loan officers, branch managers, clerks and country directors employed across 14 countries, 1490 (99.3%) are working in their home country.

There are many benefits to this approach. Employing national staff members creates local jobs and is significantly less expensive than sending Americans. But, there is also strategic value gained by hiring Rwandans in Rwanda, Moldovans in Moldova and Haitians in Haiti. They understand their context. If an executive in Seattle would have trouble planning a new Costco in his own country, how can we expect to operate successfully internationally without employing local community members?

In Ukraine, we recently saw this exemplified when we encouraged our Ukrainian country director to hire a human resources director to coordinate the growing team. After encouraging him in that direction, he shared that the human resources profession doesn’t actually exist in Ukraine. He suggested instead that HOPE Ukraine reorient their existing team to solve the problem. A solution only a Ukrainian national would propose. In the Dominican Republic, one of our American interns recently was interviewing a client and, from her experience in marketing, asked a client why she did not put a sign on the front of her house advertising her business. The client laughed heartily and responded, “Why? Everyone in my community knows me! A sign would not be appropriate.”

Depending on local participation is critical as no one understands the context better. It’s true with Costco establishing a store in Lancaster, and it’s true with HOPE operating programs in 14 countries.

"Small-Small" Things Make a Big Difference

2009-10-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

By Partners Worldwide - Matthew is the proud owner of the self-titled business “Matthew’s Transportation Service” where he works as a taxi driver. Last year Matthew completed a three month business training program and concurrent savings program through Liberian Entrepreneurial and Asset Development (LEAD). This qualified him for a $750 loan, which he invested into much needed repairs for his cars.

One of the most important lessons he applied to his business was to put himself and his two employees on a regular salary. This has allowed Matthew to take care of himself and his employees, while also protecting his business assets. Matthew was proud of his ability to follow through on this, and in contrast to his former practice of paying himself and employees intermittently based on profits, the new boundaries and salaries have been good for his business, good for his employees, and good for himself and his family.

This unassuming taxi business is able to support Matthew’s family of six, as well as his two employee’s families, making a total of eighteen people who are supported by this one business. It is easy to over look the significance of small businesses; but when faced with the reality that because of this business eighteen people have enough to eat, eighteen people have proper homes to live in and a dozen kids are now in school, the real impact of employment becomes a reality.

In Liberia, many people sell what they call “small-small things.” This means they have a table at the local market and sell everything from spice packets to tissue paper. It can be overwhelming, all that enterprising, all those folks buying and selling, trying to make enough for the day. But behind all that effort and passionate selling are all the families they are supporting, all those children, all those elderly grandparents. The need to take care of our families is something all of us can relate to, a common need shared across cultures and generations, as true in Africa as it is in North America. The ripple effect of the work of Partners Worldwide means that when we empower these entrepreneurs, all their families get taken care of. It’s a powerful reality. You might look and just see a beat-up yellow taxicab, but if you look a closer you will see three happy families, including a bunch of really cute, smiling Liberian kids. And a proud business owner who knows why his business matters.

Andy Stanley - Significance of your work is not found in the details of your job

2009-09-29T08:04:00.000-05:00

“What you do is not as important as how you do it. The significance of your work is not found in the details of your job. The significance of your work is found in your willingness to put your heart into your work.”

- Andy Stanley

Should I stay or should I go?

2009-09-28T06:23:00.000-05:00

By Tom Horvath - Chairman, Berkeley Court Advisers - "But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you."Genesis 6:18

As I approach two successful decades of being in the corporate world, I am faced with a decision. Should I stay or should I go? These days, it is a decision that most people will face several times during their career.

In my personal situation, I feel led to leave what I have known—working for a company—and launch my own firm. I have prayed for doors to open, and they have opened. I have prayed for doors to close, and they have closed. Short of finding a letter from God dropped down from heaven (I’m still looking for it!), I’m typing my resignation letter this weekend.

I am thankful to have peace in this leap of faith that I am taking. My decision is not based on wanting more—more money, more power, more success—but on wanting more of God. I want to know Him more, trust Him more, love Him more and experience Him more in a powerful way.
I thought I was doing pretty well with all of this (and feeling pretty spiritual about it, too), but then reality hit. Yesterday, I was updating a friend about my impending decisions when my usually confident voice began to quiver and my dry eyes filled with tears.

I told my friend, “You know, I trust God completely with my life, but I don’t trust Him with my family. Personally, I will walk wherever He leads, but taking my family there is another matter. I still feel that I need to have everything figured out so that I can take care of them and protect them.”

When God spoke to Noah, Noah’s family was part of the message. As I read through the account, I discovered something interesting: In Genesis 6:18, God promised that He would establish a covenant with Noah, but it wasn’t until Genesis 9:9—after Noah’s obedience to build an ark, gather his family in the wooden boat, and spend 40 days and nights in the smelly thing—that God finally told Noah and his family what the covenant was.

Noah heard, Noah obeyed, and God blessed him. So who am I to want the order reversed?

Point to Ponder

What is it about God’s faithfulness that we don’t think is good enough for us?

Questions to Consider

1. In what areas of your life are you trying to figure out God’s promises before figuring out how to be obedient?

2. Is your walk of faith a solo journey, or do you let people walk with you?

3. How do you see God’s faithfulness in your life today? Are you striving to be obedient to His will in all things?

Building a Business in China from Scratch at the Age of 25

2009-09-23T07:28:00.000-05:00

Interview with Ben B. of the Silk Road Leather Company - Ben's company sent him to China at age 25 to start a leather goods factory from scratch. The goal was to use this company as a base for building God's kingdom in their community. Six years later and with lots of help from neighbors and friends, the company is producing millions of dollars worth of leather goods every year, and making a positive impact in local lives. Check out this interview with Ben...

Due to the sensitive nature of this company's work, this article uses pseudonyms.

Q: What does the phrase “God’s kingdom” mean to you?

Jesus talks about this many times in the Gospels. He seemed to want us to be focused on this kingdom, which the apostle Paul referred to as the "unseen", and do our best not to get caught up in the "temporary" things around us. We are told to seek first his kingdom. Our goal is to proactively seek new ways to do kingdom-oriented work throughout the day, whether that be selling, writing e-mails, manufacturing, talking to a colleague, spending time with family, or doing after-hours "ministry projects". Whatever we do, we want to make sure it's kingdom-oriented.

Q: What did you study at University?

I studied computer science at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

Q: What was your first job out of University, and how did you make that decision?

After finishing college, I ended up moving to London and getting a job doing computer programming working on projects for the UK government. After spending my senior year and a few months job searching, I just couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to do: computer work, "full-time ministry", be an artist? But advice from a wise and respected elder was, "Go use your computer degree and figure out how to depend on God to be a computer programmer." That didn't make any sense to me at the time, but over the next two years of computer programming, I learned some of what he meant. For example, I needed to depend on Him in order to get along with annoying colleagues, to serve my demanding boss well, and to do my work with integrity.

Q: Why did the owners of the Silk Road Leather Company decide to start a China factory six years ago?

The owners were introduced to the concept of using your business to do ministry work overseas by a friend. They had already been importing from Asia for 15 years, but had never considered starting a manufacturing plant. But this idea struck a chord with them, and they realized that owning their own factory would mean they never again have to worry about whether their products are being made in a dodgy Asian sweatshop. Not only did it make sense from a Kingdom perspective of wanting to bless their employees and community, but the business opportunities seemed good as well: shorten turnaround time, improve cash flow, reduce quality issues, improve communication... Slowly but surely, they decided to embark on the endeavor.

Q: In what daily ways do you see God's kingdom unfolding in the office?

For me, it's mostly the way I interact with people. I want to see the people around me as God's children, not as barriers between myself and the task I want to accomplish. I want to treat them as I would want to be treated. I seek opportunities to train them--build them up--and help them learn eternal skills. For example, serving is something that we will be doing in heaven, and we get to practice every day in our Customer Service department. God's universe is very orderly, and I think that will be a valuable skill that we can use if we get to manage cities in God's kingdom (Luke 19:17). The more we can be practicing these eternal skills during our work day, the more our time will be used effectively for the kingdom.

Q: What specific, personal actions do you take at work to facilitate growth of God’s Kingdom here in the company?

I've come to view my job much like that of a church pastor. Our company's community doesn't just include our 60 employees, but also their families, our neighbors, our suppliers, our customers, and more. I can't try to minister to these thousands of people alone, but like a pastor, I must shepherd the flock that I'm responsible for and motivate them towards building God's kingdom in this community. I can't try to do all the work myself. I must help set the vision, communicate the goals, and empower them with proper training and tools to make sure they're working in the right direction. I must be a good role model, lest I undermine what I'm saying. It's a difficult balance to keep the company going (profits are like oxygen to a company) and also to not get overly focused on the "temporary" things around us. But that is the great challenge and opportunity that we have before us!

Q: Can you please share a specific story about the "kingdom of God" unfolding here at the Silk Road Leather Company?

One time we had a summer intern, from the United States, and I challenged this young lady to try to discover what our ministry was and find a way to proactively join in and make a contribution during her short stay. She discovered that teamwork, unity, and interpersonal relationships were a key part of our ministry, so she drew upon an idea from her past work experience: organizing a potluck dinner for employees. Since the Olympics were about to start in China that year, she decided to do an Olympic-themed potluck dinner. Even though she didn't speak Chinese, she succeeded in communicating with our Chinese staff to organize this event. In the end, it was an Olympic themed sporting competition--including hoola hoops, limbo, and more--and not a potluck dinner. But it was a great team building exercise, and really blessed our employees’ relationships. It is when we have healthy relationships within the company that people are willing to go out of their way to love and serve each other, which is core to our kingdom-oriented goals. I was so proud of that intern's creative contribution.

Texas Building Company's 225 Employees Impact Lives Around the World

2009-09-22T07:53:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to sit down with Tod Bush of Red Dot (http://www.reddot100x.com/) and hear the fascinating story of a healthy, profitable and growing business in Texas that is multiplying their impact 100 times over by making a difference with their 225 employees, in their community and around the world. Here's their story, in their own words.

By Toni Garrard Clay- About five years ago, the president of Red Dot Building Systems took hold of an idea. As the head of the family-owned metal building and manufacturing company with offices in Athens, Tyler, and Richardson, Texas, Ted Bush knew he helmed a good company, a strong company. What he wanted, though, was to foster an environment where greatness was possible, where employees could not only prosper, but also flourish, where the impact of their success could be felt not only locally, but also globally.

Lee Bush, Ted's father and Red Dot chairman, recalled encouraging his son during that time to write a long-term mission statement. "I said, ‘Write a mission statement that will share your vision of what you want people 100 years from now to know about this company.' "He and others worked on it and ended up with a statement saying, essentially, ‘Our purpose is to please God by turning our success into lasting significance - and we want the entire family of Red Dot to be part of that.'

From that vision, a program called Red Dot 100X was born. The multi-faceted program utilizes Red Dot's financial successes to fund humanitarian outreach projects at home and abroad. The core idea behind Red Dot 100X is to show the love of Jesus Christ to others in a compassionate and meaningful way and in the process help people - both aid recipients and employees alike - reach their full potential. The program operates at three levels:

1) Doing Good - As Red Dot employees become aware of immediate needs in Athens and the surrounding community, designated funds are used to empower employees to help "our neighbors in crisis." Everyone at Red Dot is encouraged to look for ways the company can help make a difference in peoples' lives.

100X also periodically organizes company wide outreach events designed to allow those in the Red Dot family to collectively help people in need in the local community. Transform Saturday volunteer work days, Thanksgiving food drives, and adopting families during the Christmas holidays are examples of ways 100X mobilizes its employees to help impact the lives of their local neighbors.

2) Offering Hope - Christmas gift catalog - Every year before Christmas, Red Dot partners with a humanitarian aid organization that has a long track record of caring for and giving hope to the orphaned and oppressed children of the world - Samaritan's Purse. Every Red Dot employee is given the Samaritan's Purse humanitarian aid gift catalog and a designated allowance to be spent on gift options designed to "offer hope" to a child or family living in poverty. After employees and their families experience the fun of choosing gifts for children in need, Red Dot orders and pays for these gifts through Samaritan's Purse.

Marriage enrichment retreats - Red Dot believes hope is crucial for marriages as well so it is committed to providing opportunities for its employees and their spouses to find encouragement in and hope for their marriages through its 100X marriage enrichment retreats. These weekends focus on God's design for marriage in a fun, non-threatening environment.

3) Transforming Lives

Described as "big projects making a big difference in a big way," Transforming Lives is the arm of 100X that provides financial support for large international projects. In most of these cases, Red Dot employees are directly involved in executing or promoting those projects as part of a mission team.

Under the Transforming Lives portion of the 100X program, Red Dot, in partnership with Buckner International, has sent more than 100 employees over the past four years to locations across the globe: Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, Russia, Romania, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Many of these one or two week trips - funded entirely by Red Dot at no loss to an employee's vacation time - involve working in orphanages in an over-the-top way. In addition to members of the team investing a great deal of time and emotion to shower their love on orphaned children, trips involve acts such as renovating a laundry facility and dorm rooms, installing state-of-the-art playground systems, tiling floors, funding the construction of transitional homes for orphans who would otherwise be "graduated" to the streets, orchestrating celebratory "You are Special" carnivals, giving Christmas gifts, providing funds to build schools and baby homes, and more.
"I believe this company is on to something great," wrote Detailing Manager Steve Jay, who traveled to Kenya on one of the first 100X trips. "I feel at the end of our careers, we'll look back at all of the work we've done and point to the mission trips and everything else the 100X program is doing as the most important things we have done in our jobs." Jay's feelings are echoed over and over again by Red Dot employees who experience these trips. Management has committed that everyone who wishes to go will eventually be sent.

"It's tremendously important to use our success to significantly impact the lives of others in a lasting way," said Red Dot 100X Director Tod Bush. "Our employees are the reason Red Dot is successful, so they should be directly involved in helping children and families in need around the world."Tod Bush has directed the 100X program for over two years with part of his duties being organizing and leading the international mission trips as well as finding projects Red Dot can fund that will make a real difference in the life of a child in need. He came to the position after 14 years as an assistant district attorney for Dallas County - serving the last 10 as a prosecutor representing Child Protective Services. He said the experience prepared him to understand some of the issues abused and neglected children face in the countries Red Dot teams visit. "It has also helped me be better at handling some of the despair I encounter in the orphanages," he said.That battle against despair is something each member of a trip must grapple with to some degree or another. The irony, of course, is that however wrenching an experience may be, the individual always brings back emotionally more than was given away. "Those blessed to serve on a mission trip witness a lasting commitment to changing lives," wrote Director of Project Management Roy Clay, who in 2007 worked with a Red Dot team in the slums of Ethiopia replacing leaking tin roofs on the primitive homes of foster parents. "Our lives are also changed. Forever."

Red Dot President Ted Bush said the 100X program has fostered a company-wide motivation to succeed. "We celebrate our successes in a much more complete way because of it," he said. "It's created a family atmosphere within Red Dot and a sense of urgency that we have to be successful because hurting and disadvantaged people in this world - individuals who don't even know who we are - are going to be helped as a result."

In addition to out-of-country travel opportunities, many Red Dot employees volunteer to take part in a "Transform Saturday" volunteer work day every year to help area families in need with projects such as installing a fire escape at a women's shelter, painting homes of the elderly, installing a wheelchair ramp for a disable homeowner, and improving drainage and repairing a retaining wall for a terminally ill man.

Tod Bush said there are three ways in which Red Dot uses its financial success. "We certainly believe it's important to prosper our employees. We want to prosper them not only financially, but also in parenting, in their marriages, and in their spiritual lives," he said. "We also will reinvest our profits in order to grow our company. Lastly, we invest funds back into the 100X program and look for opportunities to change lives."

Ted Bush succinctly adds: "As Red Dot prospers, so do our employees, so do our neighbors, so do others around the world. We really do consider it a privilege to be able to multiply what we're given - and then give it back."

"Other seed fell on good soil. It came up and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a 100X." Mark 4:8

To read more about Red Dot, visit their website http://www.reddot100x.com/.

10 Values of a Kingdom Company

2009-09-21T06:01:00.000-05:00

By Keny Humphreys - Our values are standards by which basic business choices and decisions are made. They are revealed in the context of personal relationships (example: Buyer to Supplier, Service Person to Store Manager, Manager to Employee, etc.). The integrity of a firm’s structure is dependent upon its values. These values should be evidenced by our behavior to each other and to those outside our firm. The sum of all of our behavior, which reveals our values, represents our “corporate culture”. We do not possess our values as a company in order to succeed; rather, we believe we will succeed because of our values.

The following values represent the substance of our firm’s foundation. They exemplify our spirit, the very essence of that which we consider worthwhile, important, and significant. We will treasure and prize these values by our words, thoughts, actions, and even our motives. We will build our company on what they represent.

1. TRUSTWORTHY WITH INTEGRITY

We will be reliable, dependable, and can be counted on to keep promises. “We will do
what we say we will do” within the promised time frame.

2. WORTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL

We will practice the “Golden Rule” in decision-making. We will respect human life, dignity, and rights of each including the consideration of their health, safety and work environment. We will seek to give positive affirmation and recognition. We are in business for “people” (employees, customers, vendors), not for our own wealth, power, prestige, or ego.

3. FAMILY AND STABILITY IN RELATIONSHIPS

The family is the foundation unit of every society. We will respect women as wives, men as husband, and singles. The family has a higher priority than the firm and its profitability; therefore, we will seek to build it up, not tear it down.

4. HONEST AND TRUTHFUL COMMUNICATION

We will strive to be genuine, open, and aboveboard in all relationships. We will
honestly and accurately report the facts.

5. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUALS AS A PART OF A TEAM

For the use of our time, talents, and company resources. Each of us will accept individual accountability for how we carry out our responsibilities. We, as a company, will aim to motivate each other by praise rather than criticism so as to create an atmosphere of productivity and freedom to admit individual mistakes in order to accomplish our team goals.
6. BALANCE OF WORK/REST

Vacations and breaks will be encouraged so that proper rest, recreation, and reflection
will maximize the long-term effectiveness and productivity of the individual and the
entire team. We believe in working hard, but not necessarily in working unproductive
long hours just for the sake of appearance.

7. REWARDING PRODUCTIVITY

In every way possible (example: praise, monetary, promotion, awards, benefits, etc.),
we will seek to reward industriousness, innovation, initiative, prudence, and discipline.
Our focus is to develop our full potential, the natural results of which is reaping the
rewards of our labor.

8. EVERYONE IS ACCOUNTABLE TO AUTHORITY

Any enterprise must have structure and organization. Every person is accountable to
a higher authority.

9. SERVANT LEADERS

Within every organization there are many managers, but few leaders. Effective
leaders will be servants who have attracted a following because of their passion,
vision, integrity, and love for their people. We will make every effort to develop this
kind of leader.

10. STEWARDSHIP

We will strive to use wisely and prudently the resources with which we have been
entrusted.

Kent is the longtime leader of Fellowship of Companies for Christ International, a great group that is looking to connect business and ministry together. I encourage you to check out their website by clicking here.

OPEN Network Conferences Come to Pennsylvania + Oregon

2009-09-18T06:45:00.003-05:00

Do you desire to use your business skills in reaching the unreached? Would you like to be actively involved in helping transform a remote area of the world? “Do you believe there should be new ways of doing mission?”

Are you frustrated with missionaries who pretend to do business? Or are failing at it? Are you willing to share your work expertise via email coaching? Are you seeking to export your goods or services overseas? Or import goods or services?

If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then you need to participate in the OPEN Expo November 19-21, 2009. The Expo is sponsored by the OPEN Network. OPEN is a network of 200+ tentmakers and BAMers working in various businesses throughout the 10/40 Window to reach the unreached. OPEN has 6 objectives in hosting this Expo:

1. Link business people with overseas workers & teams who desire coaching.

2. Model how business leads to transforming Muslim and Hindu communities.

3. Establish a VC fund for start-ups among the unreached.

4. Explore new models of doing mission.

5. Promote internship opportunities.

6. Training for coaching those doing BAM (business as mission) cross-culturally.

The presenters are overseas workers who have established businesses among Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus that are employing locals, turning a profit, and winning people to Jesus. For more information go to http://www.openexpousa.com/ For the password contact Laura at (14laura14@gmail.com).

Workplace Leaders Forum in Dallas with Bill Job of Mexia International

2009-09-16T06:50:00.001-05:00

Last week I had the chance to get lunch with Bill Peel. Bill's an author and has been on a mission for many years to break down the divide between business and ministry. Bill along with several other business leaders are planning a get together at one of the key churches in Dallas. Bill Job will be speaking at the gathering. Below is a quick writeup from their website and above is a 3 minute video we filmed overseas about Bill's story.

Can I have a profitable business and serve God at the same time? Does my work and business have anything to do with God's Kingdom?

Bill Job is the founder and CEO of Meixia International, one of the first solely foreign-owned businesses in China. Hear Bill share how including God in your business can be a distinct business advantage. More business leaders are finding that faith and the values that come with it can not only have a positive impact on the bottom line but can improve people's lives as well.
Bill has won numerous awards including Employer of the Year in the city of Xiamen several years running and was recognized by The Wall Street Journal as a leader in his industry and "pioneer business spirit and innovative artist." Bill has also incubated several successful businesses including Barrington Group's manufacturing facility in China run by Dallasite Ben Briggs. Many companies need to consider global strategies to remain competitive! Learn how God is using globalization to spread his Kingdom through companies who are part of groups like the Global CEO Network. Also learn how you can leverage Bill's experience to impact multiple bottom lines for your company. View a video about Meixia and Bill Job below. Where & When- Fellowship Hall, Park Cities Presbyterian Church Sept 29th, Noon to 1:30. Register now

The Ethics of Outsourcing Meets Business as Mission

2009-09-15T09:02:00.005-05:00

By Virginia Thomas of Olive Technology - Globalization has created tough decisions for business and ministry leaders. In a down economy, should we be sending jobs overseas? What are the long term effects of outsourcing? How does offshoring affect the Business as Mission movement, and how can it be used for God’s glory?

It is 7:30 AM, and Vasantha Koorpad climbs into a rickshaw on the crowded street in Hyderabad, India. As the driver dodges scooters, cars, bicycles and buffalo, Vasantha answers her cell phone. It’s her boss, calling from America in the evening his time, asking her input on a potential software development project.

Vasantha is on her way to work at Olive Technology, a Great Commission Company based in Hyderabad. Over 11 years ago, Vasantha stepped into Olive’s doors for the first time as a junior programmer trainee. As the years passed, she grew in skill and experience, and earned both respect and responsibility. Now she is a project manager, and has overseen projects for myriad industries, as well as churches and para-church ministries.

Vasantha, a Christian, sees her faith integrate with her work daily.

“My words and actions should give a message to the people around that I’m Christ’s child. I’m interested in leading our people by example and serving our clients,” she said.

Is outsourcing unethical in a down economy?

As the US economy struggles to tread water, questions loom in the minds of American businesspeople and ministry leaders. Those who provide Vasantha and her team with the majority of their projects are forced to choose how to best steward their resources in a down economy. When organizations cut costs by outsourcing, they can help the organization survive and thus protect the jobs of the rest of the workers. However, tough questions are raised in board rooms across the nation as decisions like this are made. Is it wrong to outsource projects to companies in foreign nations when the domestic economy is in a slump? Are they hurting their own economy by outsourcing offshore?

Some experts say no.

“To the extent that we’re helping India grow, we are also creating new jobs here in the US because they’re going to be buying US-produced goods,” said Dr. Steve Rundle, Professor of Economics at Biola University and author of Economic Justice in a Flat World. “There are industries in our country that are shrinking because of globalization, but also industries that are benefitting—and those jobs actually tend to be better paying. In the long run, everyone benefits from allowing products and services to be exchanged internationally.”

Most economics textbooks reference the theory of comparative advantage, developed by David Ricardo at the turn of the 19th century. Simply stated, nations benefit from free trade when they focus on producing the goods and services they can develop more easily and cost-effectively than other nations. Wise nations purchase the goods and services difficult for them to produce from nations who can sell them for less.

Thomas Siems, a senior economist and policy advisor in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said in a 2003 article, “International trade generates higher overall output by redirecting jobs to those who create the most added value—that is, to those who maximizetheir productive abilities. Put simply, the benefits of free trade can be summarized as: ‘Do what you do best. Trade for the rest.’”

Short term trials, long term benefits

While the economy benefits in the long run, outsourcing can still strike fear for workers in danger of having their jobs sent offshore.

“There is always displacement of American workers and of American supplier-firms and distributor-firms in the short term,” said Dr. J. David Richardson, Professor of Economics and International Relations at Syracuse University. “But workers who upgrade their skills, and suppliers and distributors who narrow their focus to core competencies and upgrade them find their displacement brief, and their new activities more remunerative and stable than their old.”

Economist/journalist/author Thomas Friedman not only agrees with Richardson, but strongly encourages Americans to focus on the education and innovation necessary for success in the global marketplace. Outsourcing provides the opportunity for highly-skilled workers to focus on higher-skilled and better-paying tasks than they could have before. Skilled workers as whole have more to gain than they do to lose when it comes to outsourcing. Those in danger, however, are low-skilled workers who choose not to grow and upgrade their skill sets.

“…while protectionism would be counter-productive, a policy of free trade, while necessary, is not enough by itself,” Friedman said in his highly-publicized book, The World is Flat. “It must be accompanied by a focused domestic strategy aimed at upgrading the education of every American, so that he or she will be able to compete for the new jobs in the flat world.

Who is my neighbor?

While some economists say that in the end, everyone benefits from outsourcing, the question still looms for Christians about the ethics of outsourcing in the short term. What about those low-skilled nationals? Is there a moral obligation to employ those who hold the same passport you do? Do you owe your fellow citizens more loyalty than non-citizens, and to what degree?
Dr. Richardson sees two possible answers.

“If your answer is ‘No, none,’ as many Christians claim, using ‘Who-is-my-neighbor?’ reasoning from Jesus, then there isn’t much of an ethical issue,” Dr. Richardson said. “If your answer is ‘yes, and to a modest degree,’ using citizens-as-family style or Galatians style (‘especially to the household of faith’) or buy-local style reasoning, then the ethical issue is the trade-off between loyalty to ‘your people’ and charity toward the poorest.”

Dr. Rundle, who teaches Business as Mission classes at Biola, has recently visited BAM companies in Thailand, Romania, Moldova, China and India for his upcoming book, the second edition of Great Commission Companies. Dr. Rundle is keenly aware of the ministry potential of outsourcing.

“As Christians, as foreigners of this world, sojourners, this world is not our home and neither is the United States. We need to think more globally in terms of our business and ministry outreach,” he said. “We have advantages here [in the United States]. We don’t want to ignore unemployment and say it’s not important, but on the other hand, where are people most needy?
It still comes down to [places like] India, and you can create four or five jobs in India for the price of one here. So you can see the benefit, and I don’t think God shows preference. I don’t think he is more concerned about American employees than he is about Indian employees. It’s tough though,” Dr. Rundle said. “We’re very nationalistic by nature, but I don’t think God is nationalistic.”

Ron Fleming, CIO of Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society,) has outsourced a number of Web development projects to Olive Technology. Like Dr. Rundle, his faith causes him to look beyond the bounds of nationalism.

“I love my country, but the answer is the kingdom of God takes precedence,” Fleming said.

BAM opportunities in a flat world

Fleming stated that if the prices were equal, he would contract an international BAM company over a secular domestic company. While cost was a factor in his decisions, so was choosing an organization that would utilize their resources to do missions work. He selected Olive because of the multiple bottom lines of the company: financial, spiritual and social.

While outsourcing will force westerners to make horizontal and vertical job shifts, it also provides a greater impact for influencing individuals in hard-to-reach countries. Improvements in communications make it possible for more interactions and relationships across oceans and national borders. As Dr. Rundle stated in the first edition of Great Commission Companies, globalization does not catch God by surprise.

As Fleming, Rundle, Friedman and others have realized, the change is upon us. Outsourcing and offshoring are here to stay. Globalization, or flattening of the world, brings its share of challenges to the American workforce. Nevertheless, rather than fighting the change, the body of Christ will do well to embrace it. Perhaps a better question than “how can I protect myself from the change?” is “God, how will you be glorified through this change?” As the global economy continues to specialize, we as Christians can devote ourselves to learning and growing or futilely resisting the change occurring around us. We can choose fear, or boldly move forward in faith. Perhaps rather than asking if our jobs are safe, we should ask how we can use the creative abilities God gave to create better jobs for ourselves and others. Perhaps we should ask how ministry can occur through the communication and interactions facilitated by globalization. Perhaps we should ask how we can advance the Kingdom of God in a flattening world.

Get Trained for Business as Mission in 3 easy steps?!

2009-09-14T08:13:00.001-05:00

By Jo Plummer of Business as Mission Resource Team of Youth With A Mission International- 8 years ago or there abouts I was asked by a business person ‘how can we provide a clear path for business people to get involved in business as mission – to recruit them, equip them and send them out…?’ Just yesterday I was asked by a mission pastor ‘what kind of process do you recommend for mission personnel wanting to get established in business as mission?’

The question of how to recruit good candidates and adequately prepare them for the rigors and realities of ‘missional business’ will always be with us.

Perhaps there are as many appropriate paths of preparation as there are people wanting to be prepared. Each of us comes from a unique background and is being led by God through different experiences… However, as true as that is, we can still make some generalisations and offer some good avenues to get people started.

In the process, we can get hung up on debates about who should and shouldn’t do business as mission. The question ‘is it easier to make a business person into a missionary than a missionary into a business person…?’ is intriguing and might generate some heated debate in forums, but stopping there or being satisfied with such generalizations does not take us very far in addressing on-the-ground realities.

Who is available? How can we mobilise more? How can we work in strategic partnerships? These might be more appropriate questions!

As we have developed the Introduction to Business as Mission (iBAM) course over the past 4 years we have sometimes asked ourselves this: If God seems to be leading this or that individual towards missional business – how can we give them the reality check that they need and equip them so that they have the best chance of success?

That is why we have made iBAM training open to people from all backgrounds -potentially a risky strategy! We have found that if we can lay some good foundations and get people dialoguing together, the shared journey of learning can be an even more rewarding experience. Sometimes the old stereotypes apply – the person from a business background who needs a reality check about the cross-cultural issues involved… or the person from a mission agency needing to know which way up to hold a profit and loss statement…. But often they don’t.
We have found it is important treat people as individuals and we leave room in the iBAM Course for ‘tailor made’ input, including one-to-one coaching. We also seek to encourage participants on their personal spiritual journey. As much as business as mission depends sound business know-how, a plan to be profitable and a thorough cultural understanding, it is very much about the spiritual realities of life. We aim to create an environment in which God can bring the revelation that the person really needs at the time… We focus on principles (business and biblical), but also on application and we take time to look inside real-life examples. Through this multi-faceted process, it is always amazing to see just how much the key points of learning and revelation are unique for each individual participant.

Over the years we’ve seen examples of business as mission grow up from opposite ends of the spectrum, with mixed results. On one hand, highly entrepreneurial business people have just gone out and started something – probably most would never have asked themselves what kind of training course they needed first! On the other hand there have been those from a mission agency background who have also dived in for better or worse…. they may or may not have any business experience, but in many cases they are still visionaries and risk takers. They are often strongely motivated because they are already ‘out there’ and they vividly see the needs and circumstances of the communities they are ministering in.

But as God is stirring up his church worldwide and as there is more and more communication about business as mission, there is more and more growth in the middle parts of the spectrum….

…The next generation of young people, perhaps with a business education or some limited experience but who feel they have an equal calling and passion for business and mission and are looking for ways to make sense of that.

… More mature people who sense God moving them into something new and for whom ‘retooling’ and ‘retraining’ are well understood concepts.

…. Those who have spent years working in business or a profession in a niche role and might describe themselves as business people or professionals but not necessarily as entrepreneurs…. Those whose skills and roles are desperately needed in the in kingdom businesses, but who might need a jump-start or a clear connection with an opportunity.

…. Those who have both a business and mission background. They might find themselves in partnership with or even on staff of a mission agency that has incorporated a business as mission strategy… or they might be ‘sent out’ directly by their church.

For us a particular hope and prayer for the coming years is that many, many more training models of all sizes and shapes (from internships, to seminars, to university courses, to.. ?) will be developed to meet the growing need for equipping.

It seems natural to us that the business as mission movement will be lead and propelled by the Christian business community (with hopefully the rest of the ‘body’ in support!). We envisage that more and more specialised support structures, along with churches will provide the equipping and nurturing that is required. Although we, like many mission colleagues, are busy making room for business as mission within our organsiations… We expect that most of the future growth will rightly continue beyond the capacity and borders of traditional models and agencies – so that we really do have the multiplication of workers in the harvest fields that Jesus spoke of.

However, we also hope that the business as mission movement will continue to evolve with strategic partnerships at the core… Where we are moving away from limiting and polarising, towards making more room for each to make their best contribution... Where we can genuinly hold our hands up and say ‘I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow’.
Valuable questions remain for all of us: What are the strategic partnerships that God is leading me/us to that will propel us forward? How can we serve this business as mission movement with what we have in our hand, whilst building capacity for the future? How can we particularly contribute our strengths and experience – and who has the strengths that we lack?

Above all, as we spend time thinking about recruiting, training and deployment, let us keep looking at the ‘grand vista’ before us – the big picture, a prayer: LORD, let your Kingdom come, let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

The Introduction to Business as Mission Course is a 3 or 5 week training course for those exploring or involved in business as mission – more information about the course can be found at www.businessasmission.com or contact bamtraining@oval.com. iBAM training is facilitated by the YWAM Business as Mission Resource Team in partnership with teachers, coaches and business people. The Business as Mission Resource team was established in 2001 to serve business as mission movement.

Urbana Hosting Second Business as Mission Track for College Students Dfec 27-31st

2009-09-11T07:30:00.003-05:00

Three years ago Intervarsity's Urbana Missions Conference held one of the largest business as mission gatherings in recent years.

It looks like three years later, they're bringing it back with another track for students to learn about Business as Mission. Here's the link from their website (http://www.urbana09.org/tracks.business.cfm). Here's some of the scoop from their site ...

"This track will provide an opportunity for students and business professionals to wrestle with the implications of their work in light of the Kingdom of God. The intention is to encourage and challenge future and current business people to live a missional life in their context and to dream of ways to envision business as a vehicle to extend the Kingdom of God."