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

What’s Your Definition of Full-Time Ministry?

2009-07-15T06:11:00.001-05:00

Corey Cleek - Marketing, PassAlong Networks - "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5"

During the summer after I completed my MBA, as I was devoting the majority of my time to starting a Christian ministry organization with a group of graduate school friends, I took a step back to consider whether God was calling me into full-time ministry or calling me into the marketplace (interesting time to consider this, wasn’t it?).

At the time, my limited definition of full-time ministry included being on staff at a church or working full-time for a non-profit Christian organization, and I was wrestling with the eternal value of spending the majority of my time working in the marketplace.

After some serious reflection, lots of prayer and guidance from mentors, I realized that I was indeed being called to be in full-time ministry . . . in the marketplace!

This realization that I could be in full-time ministry in the marketplace altered my entire mind-set about business, ministry and my calling. For the first time, I had peace about spending the majority of my time in the business world, and I realized that the reflecting God in my life can be expressed in various for-profit and non-profit settings over time. I’ve also learned that full-time ministry has more to do with serving God and others in the environment in which I’ve been placed, than it does with my involvement in a particular vocation, organization or business.
How do you view your life as a business professional? Is it a job? A calling? A passion? A ministry?

During this time of reflection, I realized that for me, it is all of the above.

Point to Ponder

It is possible for business professionals to also be full-time ministers.

Questions to Consider

1. Do you consider yourself to be in full-time ministry? How is your workplace a place of ministry for you right now?

2. How does Romans 12: 4-8 validate or alter your perspective of why you are expressing your gifts in the way you are today?

3. If you have never considered yourself in full-time ministry, what could you do to change your perspective?

Adversity Builds Character - Facing Difficult Times

2009-07-13T07:19:00.000-05:00

By Kent Humphreys - Most businesses that lose thirty percent or more of their sales volume at one time never recover. They cannot cut their overhead fast enough to survive. Several years ago our distribution firm lost thirty-four percent of our business in one afternoon. A national retailer decided to eliminate the “middleman”. They dealt with integrity but gave us a thirty day notice. My vice president of sales and I walked slowly to the car. We asked ourselves the questions: How could we make up the sales? How many of our good employees would lose their jobs? Why did God allow this to happen to us after we had done such an excellent service job?

Once we reached the car, I told him that we needed to thank God for allowing us to lose the business. My friend was in shock. I explained that if we believe that God is sovereign, all powerful, knows everything, loves us, and has our best interest at heart, then we must trust Him. If we had thanked God when we got the account seven years before, then we needed to thank Him now. So we bowed in prayer. With the help of an acquisition we replaced all of the lost business within eighteen months, and we no longer had more than eighteen percent of our sales with one customer. God did know what was best for us, but it took us some time to see His plan.

Two of my friends have had to liquidate their businesses during difficult times. They each chose not to take the easier route of bankruptcy, but to openly and honestly deal with their creditors. They choose integrity over the hiding or protecting of personal assets. A couple of others friends over expanded a few years ago and as their sales dropped to years ago their losses exceeded one million dollars in their small family business. Through the counsel of several of us and because of weekly accountability, they turned it around the next year to show a profit. They also dealt openly with creditors and presented a workable plan rather than choosing an easier way out. Because a struggling economy their industry had been hit with a severe downturn but through hard choices they survived and returned to profitability. They wished that they had gotten this help several years before. Sometimes difficult times force us to seek help from God and from our peers.

I am a business owner and also led the ministry of FCCI / Christ@Work for many years.. As a family of CEO’s, business owners, and marketplace leaders, we understand the issues that you as a business leader face every day. We know that God has chosen to model Jesus Christ in our relationships in the marketplace in both the good times and the bad. Through our weekly groups, our conferences and materials, we provide encouragement, accountability, and training to thousands of CEO’s across the world. There are a number of good marketplace organizations that can help you as a business leader. Give one of them a call, and let them walk with you through the tough times.

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

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.

Expect Trials - The Little Engine that Could

2009-07-11T05:58:00.000-05:00

Cheryl Bachelder - Former President, KFC Restaurants and Consultant to the Women’s Foodservice Forum - "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2-3

I am an optimist. My favorite childhood story was The Little Engine That Could, the story of the train that climbed the mountain saying, “I think I can, I think I can . . . ”

This mantra characterized my life, and certainly my business career. I wanted to work on the rusty old brands that had lost relevance to their customers. I wanted to inherit a poorly performing team and turn it around. I wanted to be given the impossible goal that had stymied prior leaders. Bring it on.

Then came the trials. While serving as the leader of a large chain restaurant corporation, God saw fit to test me. First, I was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo surgery and radiation treatments. Then, barely nine months later, I experienced a second health crisis that required surgery and a two-month medical leave.

Simultaneously, the business took a sharp turn south, and nothing that our team put in the marketplace arrested the trend. It was like being in the ring facing a world-class boxer with no training on how to avoid the opponent. I took the hits hard, first on the left cheek, then on the right, then in the gut. I was stunned. I couldn’t steady myself. I thought I would go careening into the ropes.

What was wrong with my perspective? Simply this: I did not expect the trials. I thought I was immune to them. My optimism—a strength in many settings—was now my greatest weakness. The Bible says unequivocally that we will face trials of many kinds. These trials are the intentional plan of God for the refinement of our faith. Trials are God’s way of enrolling us in His character-building program.

Today, I am deeply grateful for these trials in my life. I have been refined by fire: Fire that humbled me and caused me to once again surrender everything to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This was God’s perfect plan to make me a better witness for Him in the world. As it is eloquently stated in John 9:3, “This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in [my] life.” To God be the glory.

Point to Ponder

Trials are God’s plan to build our character and refine our faith.

Questions to Consider

1. How are you responding to your trials at work and at home? Are you angry, frustrated or disappointed?

2. Can you see how God’s character might be revealed in the way you respond to these difficulties?

3. Have you surrendered these trials to the saving grace of your Savior, Jesus Christ?

20+ Workshops of the Introduction to Business as Mission Course

2009-07-10T07:01:00.000-05:00

For the past couple of years, the International Business as Mission Training (iBAM) has been a great opportunity to learn theory and see reality of Business as Mission up close.

Now they're gearing up for another year. Maybe, your considering getting involved? Now they have a 3 week and 5 week training course. Here's a rich list of the topics that have been taught – most of them will be covered again.

List of Workshops

Business as Mission Teaching: Biblical view of work and Business – Mats Tunehag, Landa Cope
The bottom lines of business as mission – Mats Tunehag, Peter Shaukat
Business people as role models and influencers in society – past and present - Mats Tunehag
Slavery today – human trafficking and the role of business as mission as a solution to real world problems – Mats Tunehag
SME sector as a strategic focus in business as mission – compared and contrasted to Microenterprise and overseas private equity models – Mats Tunehag, Peter Shaukat
What is success in business as mission? Goal setting and evaluation for ‘successful’ business as mission enterprises - Peter Shaukat
Capitalisation of business as mission enterprises – 7 types of capital needed, Stages of a business and financial capitalisation – Peter Shaukat
Microenterprise Development – principles and case study – John Quinley (of Step Ahead MED)
Dealing with corruption – Landa Cope, Peter Shaukat
Success and failure in business – principles from a personal story – David S, Bill R
Business as Mission and Incarnation
Biblical worldview, God’s view of nations – Landa Cope
God’s principles for discipling the nations in all spheres of society – Landa Cope, Glen White
Business and economic development and the Biblical mandate to disciple nations – how business is strategic – Landa Cope
The essential role of prayer in business as mission – Bill R, Glen White
Business and Relationships
Cross-cultural business
Business as a new paradigm for missions – Mats Tunehag
Tentative definitions of business as mission – Mats Tunehag
Personal spiritual foundations for a business as mission practitioner – Peter Shaukat
The church and business as mission – Peter Shaukat
Business as mission as an agent of transformation – Peter Shaukat, Mats Tunehag
Servant leadership in the marketplace, Values for serving in business as mission – Peter Shaukat
Moral leadership and operational leadership – Peter Shaukat
Working with mission organisations (workshop) - Josie Plummer
Multiplying business as mission (workshop) – strategic approaches to mobilising and multiplying – Josie Plummer
Communicating business as mission – conveying the concept! (workshop) - Josie Plummer
Spiritual realities of doing business as mission, spiritual warfare (examples from Asia)
The Power of God in business, Hearing God’s voice in business life – Daniel G
BAM case studies and principles to be learned from them – Mats Tunehag, Peter Shaukat, Glen White, Daniel G

Real Life Case Studies - Ongoing throughout via visits to real examples locally and during field trips and having practitioners give testimonies/ tell stories during the course.

Business Development Track - Includes teaching sessions, workshops, group coaching, 1-1 coaching - delivered by coaching staff (primarily Ken & Irene Elliot) and visiting business practitioners.

Key topics covered: Business planning, Financial management, Accounting and financial recording and systems, Sales/Marketing, Developing staff and managers, Succession planning, Business ethics, Goal setting+ topics requested by participants in 1-1 coaching sessions or group Q&A times.

Other personal development topics: Cross cultural considerations – living, working and ministering cross-culturally, Culture shock and culture stress, How to develop yourself as a leader, Developing and coaching others, Team building and Knowing your strengths from the Strengthsfinder tool.

For more information visit: http://www.businessasmission.com/pages/thecourse

A Biblical Role Model: A Businesswoman

2009-07-08T07:55:00.000-05:00

Mats Tunehag hada great post about of looking at the Proverbs 31 woman and her role in business. Seriously, check out Mats blog, he's always got some great stuff to say.

Business people are NOT second class citizens in God’s Kingdom. The Bible even portrays a businesswoman as a godly example of how to serve others and meet various needs. Let’s briefly look in the Bible, at Proverbs chapter 31:

16 She considers a field and buys it;

She does a market assessment and invests

Out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She makes a profit and reinvests

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,

She keeps books and manages cash flow

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,

She is involved in manufacturing and retail

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She has set up a supply chain

20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

She uses part of profit for charitable work

15 she provides food for her family

She is the breadwinner of the family

and portions for her servant girls.

And provides employment

31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Her work in business should be recognized and is certainly commendable

Business as Mission Conference Coming to Dallas Oct 14-16

2009-07-03T07:43:00.000-05:00

This fall the Global CEO Network has been of longer standing Business as Mission gatherings across the country. Now it will be coming to Dallas October 14-16.

Orientation takes place Wed, Oct 14 from 3-5pm. Conference runs during the day on Oct 15th and the Gathering concludes Friday Oct 16 at 12pm. Location: Hilton Park Cities- Dallas, (more details to follow including discount room rates).

For more information, please visit http://www.globalceonetwork.org/. 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 at afuller@ecgroup-intl.com.

Pro-Line Racing Business Serving Casa Hogar Belen

2009-07-02T07:51:00.001-05:00

By Todd Mattson - This is a simple story of running my business and encouraging associates to make a difference in a ministry activity. While, I’ve always had opportunities for ministry at work, home and in the community, I couldn’t have guessed what plans the Lord had for my business and our people to minister to others in a unique way.

A friend invited me on a day trip to a Mexican orphanage. Although I’d been to Mexico before for ministry, it had been many years. The few minutes we traveled south of the border transported us to a place seemingly much farther from home. This small orphanage, Casa Hogar Belen, is home to 70 children and the small staff who love and care for them. In minutes, those children embedded themselves into my heart. The orphanage, though small, was tidy and well supplied with food and clothing. The children ranged in age from infants to older teens. Their needs were the same as my own children, to be loved and cared for, but their lives were markedly different.

Among the many challenges of keeping 70 youngsters fed, clothed and healthy, the small staff had another problem. The orphanage’s outdoor play equipment was dilapidated and dangerous. My friend and host suggested I bring a group from my company and build these children a proper playground. I was interested, but unsure what the response would be from my associates. Would they want to help children south of the border or were they too busy with their own lives? I took a few pictures of the children and the orphanage to share at our next company meeting.

Eagerly, I shared the pictures and the opportunity we had to make a difference with the entire company. We could take an unpaid day off, travel to Mexico, assemble a playground, play game sand spend time with the children. The response was overwhelming. Of the 40 associates, 30signed onto the project.

I handed over the reins to an associate who arranged the date, made a transportation plan and all other arrangements. The friend who introduced me to the orphanage planned the playground construction, logistics and established a budget for the project.There was a lot of excitement surrounding the upcoming trip. I overheard conversations about the ninos (children) and what our trip might be like. Along with 30 company associates, our group included associates’ family members, friends and one of our suppliers. The video, taken by an associate, shows highlights from the day and is a precious record of one of the best days we’ve ever had together. From this trip, another was planned and executed by the associates, who are now invested in this ministry.
I spent very little personal time on the project and was very impressed with what we accomplished. Certainly, the lives of the small children were changed, but so were the lives of many associates. I supplied the idea, a “day off ”, spent about 2 hours in meetings and prayer on the project and paid all expenses. Very little given, great return.

To see a video of the Pro Line Racing Team on their trip, visit http://www.prolineracing.com/t-video.aspx and then scroll down on the far right side to the video "Pro Line Racing Gives Back".

To learn more about Pro Line Racing, visit www.prolineracing.com. Pro Line Racing is a member of a local Convene. Convene members are CEOs, Business Owners, and Executives who desire to be and do more. They want to take their businesses to the next level and honor God in the way they lead and run them. Learn more at convenenow.com.

A glimpse into Heavan - Following up from the Call 2 All conference in Hong Kong

2009-07-02T07:34:00.000-05:00

By Buck Jacobs, Chairman of the C12 Group - My trip to attend the Call2All conference in Hong Kong was a kaleidoscope of impressions, relationships, and sensory input that is going to be hard to capture. So many were packed into such a short time.

First, who Call2All is from their web site - "Call2All is a worldwide movement calling the church to a renewed, focused collaborative effort to complete the Great Commission.Call2All is about all nations, all spheres of society and every unreached person everywhere in the world. It is strategy-centered, action-oriented movement focusing on where the Church is NOT, rather than where it is. Its purpose is not to replace existing ministry but to network, train and focus the body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission. Call2All is about engaging Christian leaders in new and more comprehensive strategies.Call2All Let's start with the event itself.Call2All is drawing together the Global Church in an unprecedented way to reach the least, the last and the lost."

Call2All convenes Christian leaders in Strategy Congresses and provides new avenues for training to foster a global move of God.

This year the invitation included an unusual pronouncement:

"God has been speaking to us about involving the "whole church" in the call2all movement and we are responding to his call. We have acknowledged that for too long we have focused on the "professional" missionary agencies and churches to spread the word of God to His people. We realize that if the other 95% of the Body of Christ joins us we can reach many more people for Him. In that effort, we are warmly inviting leaders from the Workplace,including the Market Place ministries, BAM (Business as Mission), Business Leaders, and the everyday workplace believer to partner with us. We are not doing this primarily to get your financial support; we want your involvement on the front lines! We apologize for our past actions of asking for money without getting your heart and hands in coordination with us first. We look forward to seeking God together and finding ways we can serve you and your calling as workers in the great commission. We hope you'll find a way to join us and other key leaders from around the world."

I was invited to be a part of the strategic planning group who were called together to begin forming strategic objectives to accomplish the integration, and did meet with that group on three afternoons. As might be imagined getting agreement on even simple terms was awkward at first and there is way more yet to be done than was accomplished in the three days.But it was a start and if we are willing to listen to God and set aside preconceptions and personal prejudices who knows what might happen?

The mornings were times of teaching, worship, and prayer and it was thrilling to see thousands of Christians from across Asia and around the world joining together in praise and worship. A huge world map was spread out in the middle of the hall and people would wander to stand on a country to pray for that nation.

The afternoons were broken into three teaching threads, missions, church,and business taught by leaders from around the world. I shared a small part in one breakout and was amazed at the response. Kent Humphries and I stayed for 30-45 minutes after the session counseling and praying with business owners from Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Polynesia, and other countries. It was a very moving time to see the sincerity and passion for Jesus and His way in their businesses and to be able to stand with them and bring them to Him in prayer. That part alone would have been worth the whole trip to me.

I distributed a few books and pamphlets and exchanged a bunch of business cards and as always it is hard to measure the direct benefit from attending an event like this. Some people that seem to be very interested disappear and others who you meet only briefly pop up and are indeed "divine appointments." I believe that I was supposed to go and that God will use the trip in His way and time. Time will tell. I didn't go to make business contacts but there were many of them as well.

One of the most powerful memories that I will hold of this time is that of the young, very very bright, and capable, committed Christian business owners that I met who hold no brief with a separated life but see themselves as 24/7 Christians. I met several from China are risking all they have and sacrificing all that they could have in a career in a position in the US by starting and leading various businesses as ministry. The clear and sparkling look in their eyes as they talked to me about the visions and calling they hold inspired me. I just wanted to give a hug and anything else that I could to encourage them and speed them on. God is indeed at work in the marketplace and in places and ways that we don't hear about through people we may never meet this side of heaven. The gathering in Hong Kong was a glimpse of a bit of what heaven may be like.

Buck Jacobs

Chairman and Founder

The C12 group, LLC

Living an Integrated Life

2009-07-01T07:46:00.002-05:00

By Keith Ferrin - Founder and President, True Success Coaching - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. Colossians 3: 23-24

It seems you can’t pick up a business book or magazine these days without reading something about “work-life balance.” Everything I read about a balanced life sounds really good. The problem is, I have a hard time actually doing it.

In fact, whenever I bring up the concept with someone, I can almost predict the eye roll followed by the heavy sigh. I have come to believe the reason for this is because God doesn’t call us to a “balanced” life but rather an “integrated” life.

The primary metric for measuring a balanced life is time. If I spend this much time at work versus spending this much with my family, serving my community or worshiping at church, my life will be balanced.

Alternatively, the primary metric for measuring an integrated life is lordship. So, instead of determining how much time I am spending here or there, the real question becomes, Is Jesus Christ the Lord of every aspect of my life?

It is wholly possible to live a balanced life yet not give Christ lordship over a certain area or areas of our life. Jesus wants to be Lord of everything—our work, family, friendships, leisure time and worship. The bottom line is that a balanced life can still be compartmentalized, but an integrated life cannot.

Paul begins the second half of his letter to the Ephesians with these words: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). Here are just some of the areas of life he then goes on to discuss:

• Relationships
• Attitudes
• Reconciliation
• Our calling
• Service to the church
• Maturity
• Our minds
• Sexuality
• Honesty
• Work
• Our attitude toward money
• Our willingness to forgive others
• Our relationships with nonbelievers
• Wisdom
• Purity
• Marriage
• Our duties as parents
• Our relationships with bosses and employees
• Prayer
• Unity
• Our encouragement of one another in our calling

Now that’s an integrated life!

Quite honestly, integration is harder than balance. But it’s what we’re called to do, and it leads to a sense of purpose and fulfillment that only comes from placing ourselves daily—in the center of God’s will. Integration requires examining our lives to see where we need to give Jesus His rightful place as Lord, discovering what we need to do in order to be obedient to His calling and executing those action steps, and conducting a regular evaluation that covers all areas of our lives.

Living an integrated life is a journey, not a task. There is no deadline. There is no chart or graph, just a constant prayer running through our minds: “Jesus, this day and every day, I give You Your rightful place as Lord of everything I am and do. When this day ends, may You be smiling. Amen.”

Point to Ponder

God calls us to live an integrated life in which Jesus is Lord of every part.

Questions to Consider

1. What is one area of your life that you need to bring under the lordship of Jesus?

2. How do you see your life: an integrated journey or a balancing act? How does this affect your perspective of spirituality and God?

3. When today ends, will God be smiling on you?

South Africa, Gateway to the Continent

2009-06-30T07:11:00.001-05:00

By Kent Humphreys - It is Monday evening, and I just boarded my plane to go to Dakar and onto Atlanta (19 hours on one plane) and then to Oklahoma City after nearly two weeks in Africa. As I stood in line I met two of our FCCI members from Colorado, Dan and Deb Lowery, who has been on a mission trip for several weeks. It is a small world! Yesterday afternoon I spent with the Africa Crown leaders and some key pastors from Nigeria as we walked along the beautiful beach in the bay in Cape Town. That morning, I was enjoying their beautiful early fall weather. It is even better than the spring weather that we are having back in Oklahoma. As I walked down the pathway, I was thinking about the huge impact that business leaders here can have all over the continent.

Followers of Jesus, who are business owners and business leaders, are taking upon themselves not only to impact their company, their city, and their nation, but they are going to other nations and encouraging those leaders. These leaders face far more difficulties than we face in the USA. They are undaunted by these challenges as they are learning to rely on Christ. They are eager to learn how to apply the principles of God’s Word into their businesses. Many of them will be starting small groups in their cities in the coming weeks.

During the last ten days I have spoken to two marketplace conferences. One was sponsored by the Navigators in Johannesburg and the second was put on by Crown Companies here in Cape Town. In both places my simple messages were extremely well received, and the participants wanted to apply the concepts back in their workplaces. Crown Companies is our FCCI partnership that we operate with Crown Financial here in Africa, in Latin America and Europe. At this first ever African conference we had leaders from twelve African nations including Egypt. The enthusiasm was very high throughout the three days. The pre-conference tour on the first day was sold out with a bus load full of 52 leaders visiting three different companies. Dick Wynn, formerly of Crown and who has spoken at our FCCI conference, Jerry Forster, who owns a large financial advisory firm, Graham Power, of The Power Companies and who also started the Global Day of Prayer, were also on the platform. The teaching was solidly biblical and very practical. The questions and interaction in the workshops was perhaps the best that I have seen anywhere in the world. The participation by the women and spouses was also are high as I have seen anywhere in the world. Of course the worship and dancing and singing definitely went a step beyond our worship in the USA. And you should have seen our African leader, Mario Denton, trying to dance with the African praise team. I just wish that I had my camera!

This continent has perhaps the greatest reserve of natural resources of any continent in the world. The amount of mineral resources just here in South Africa alone of gold, silver, platinum, and diamonds is amazing. Yet, the entire continent of Africa produces only 1.9 percent of the global GNP. The reason for this disparity is that corruption in the leadership of government and business destroys the productivity and efficiency of commerce. This means that if there is anywhere in the world that our FCCI ministry to business leaders is needed, then it is here in South Africa and on this continent. Transforming the world…thru Christ…One company leader at a time. That is a vision for which these leaders can give their lives. Davidene and I first visited here in 2005, and since then the Crown leaders, Jan and Alet, have taken the Business by the Book seminar across South Africa and now to many other African nations. They have been building a base for this business ministry. Now with Mario leading the marketplace area, we have an opportunity to start groups and build a sold ministry here and up the continent. We need to pray that these efforts will move forward.

Africa will not be transformed by just evangelizing more people and planting more churches. Every nation needs companies to provide real jobs and stable income for their people. They do not need another handout but real models of Kingdom businesses that are run for Christ’s glory. My prayer is that we in FCCI along with many other workplace organizations and mission agencies and churches can serve our brothers and sisters in Africa by helping equip hundreds and thousands of models that others can look to as an example. Graham Power has a large construction company here in South Africa, and he is just one business leader. But, God has used him in a marvelous way to impact this nation and the world. I will tell Graham’s story in my next letter. Thanks for your prayers and support as we as the staff and volunteers of FCCI take this message to business leaders around the globe. May I encourage you to venture outside of our nation this next year to Africa or another continent. Give one week of your life to serve other business leaders, and you will be changed forever. Jesus told us to disciple the nations, and we are obeying His command.

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.

Cardone - Business as Mission in the US

2009-06-28T18:49:00.000-05:00

For over 35 years, Cardone has been doing some dometic grassroots combining of business and ministry. A little over a year ago, the Philadelphia Business Journal highlighted the new Urban Health Clinic Cardone opened up to help their intercity employees with healthcare. Here's an excerpt:

"A Northeast Philadelphia automotive products maker has entered into a unique partnership with a local health system to make it easier for its workers to access primary health-care services.

Cardone Industries and Holy Redeemer Health System are building a 2,500-square-foot facility that will provide family health and wellness services exclusively to Cardone’s 4,000 employees and their dependents.

Construction of the $800,000 Holy Redeemer Family Health Center began earlier this month at Cardone’s Tabor Avenue plant. The center is scheduled to open early next year.

Gary Adams, director of government relations for Cardone, said the company self-insures its health benefits and had noticed a growing number of its employees and their dependents going to hospital emergency rooms for care that could be provided more appropriately, and much less expensively, in a medical-office setting.

“Our employees, we refer to them as factory-family members, represent a melting pot of nations,” Adams said, noting 70 percent live within a five-mile radius of Cardone’s five main operations sites in Northeast Philadelphia. “We need to teach them and coach them. We decided to [create the new health center] to make it convenient for them to get care” in a medical office setting." Click here to read the rest of the article.

Pioneering Business as Mission Company in India Looking for Strategic Partnership

2009-06-26T07:51:00.001-05:00

EC Group International and President Tom Sudyk is seeking a BAM minded strategic business partner to help grow its medical transcription business located in Chennai, India. Our MT division has been transcribing for acute care hospitals for 10 years with specialization in ESL dictators. Operations are profitable with 30+ employees, indigenous Christian management and affiliated medical transcription training school.

The successful candidate would be capable of placing skilled mission minded personnel in India to increase operational capacity and be able to develop additional clients in the US or UK. Staff assigned to India would be provided company sponsored business visas and the company would provide housing/relocation assistance. A significant investment in the business is required.

To learn more about EC Group International and EC Group India please visit our websites at http://www.ecgroup-intl.com/. Qualified parties please contact Alicia Fuller at EC Group International afuller@ecgroup-intl.com for more details.

Kingdom Business Success

2009-06-25T07:51:00.003-05:00

by Patrice Tsague - This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

Success is often defined in business as consistently achieving a certain rate of return, or meeting certain revenue goals. These measurements are important, but when defining kingdom business success, we must go beyond the rate of return or the revenue. Kingdom business success takes into account all of the elements that make a business a kingdom business.

A kingdom business is a profit-making enterprise under the lordship of Jesus Christ, operated by a born-again believer. It honors the Lord Jesus Christ through its products and services, it is managed based on biblical principles, serves as a light in the marketplace, and its profit is used for the advancement of the kingdom of God in the earth. Simply put, a kingdom business is God's business, managed God's way, by God's steward, for God's purposes in the world. Check out the rest of the article at the Kingdom Entrepreneur Blog

What if God Moved?

2009-06-24T05:47:00.004-05:00

by Kent Humphreys - Cape Town, South Africa, October 17, 2010.

The first evening of the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization concluded with an astounding revelation: “God Has Moved!” Church leaders from around the globe reported that over the last twelve months there has been convincing evidence that the Spirit of the Living God has moved outside of the walls of local churches and into the workplace. In keeping with the model of His Son Jesus while Jesus was on the earth, it appears that God began moving sometime in late 2008 or early 2009 outside of the confines of religious institutions.

It took several months for even the most spiritual churches to realize that God was moving. For nearly a year most of them continued with their normal activities and services with not much of a drop in attendance. However, by the fall of 2009, it was obvious that God has moved His center of operation to where the majority of the lost population was located: in the workplaces of the villages, towns, and cities around the globe. Lausanne’s purpose of the Whole Church…with the Whole Gospel… to the Whole World was coming alive.

The leaders reported that this move of God was similar to the experience of the children of Israel as they traveled for in the wilderness. God showed Himself as a cloud by day and fire by night. The leaders admitted that they had been so busy in their committees and conferences that they had taken their eyes off of the Lord for just a short time. They certainly meant well in all of their sacrificial efforts, but God had literally placed His presence into the hearts of ordinary believers out in the workplace. This move of God has caused church leaders to make some drastic renovations of their facilities and programs in order to keep up with what God has been doing.

Worship centers became a lot less like entertainment venues and looked more like staging zones for a large army. While worship was even more vibrant, the primary focus shifted away from the large gathering to small group equipping. As various churches took seriously the Great Commission, they experienced lower attendance. Once the retooling was in place and working, churches began to see true followers of Jesus flocking to join them. These changes were accompanied by times of deep repentance and prayer.

Leaders from the marketplace, education, government, the media, and the arts joined hands which church leaders to concentrate on the lost in their everyday world. Many pastors confessed that they had taken their eyes off of their high calling. They admitted that the pressures had been so intense to build their churches, they had neglected His Kingdom. Church leaders had been gradually deceived into measuring success by the size of their buildings, budget, and attendance. They had focused on bringing people into their facility instead of sending them out.

As this process worked its way into the fabric of many churches, the talented professionals had taken center stage and the paid staff had grown rapidly. The ordinary Christians in the pew became demanding consumers wanting to be entertained and willing to pay for the professionals to do the work of the ministry. Never before have Christian institutions been this flexible to change this quickly in response to a move of God. Local churches now look more like equipping centers as the primary focus is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry out where the lost are located in the workplace. Pastors began to ask the question, “How can we help YOU in the ministry that God has given YOU where He has sovereignly placed YOU in your workplace?”

These passionate followers of Jesus have been meeting in small groups in homes and office complexes and factories. They are learning how to recognize the open doors of crises and are building relationships and sharing the good news of the Gospel of Christ. Some workplace chaplains are leading more people to Christ than their entire church did last year. Baptisms are taking place in factories in China. Prayer meetings are now allowed in government offices in the United States. Biblically based seminars are being presented in companies in South Africa. Young believers are leading house churches in Iran. Business leaders in Europe are modeling their values and beliefs in the secular culture. Latin American marketplaces are being transformed by the Holy Spirit as the leaders have chosen to be led by Him alone.

Leaders now expect this Congress to be the most strategic meeting in centuries. The whole church is focusing outward in Kingdom unity, replacing methods with relationships, institutions with community, and human efforts with the transformation of God’s Spirit. It is exciting to be able to report the movement of God instead of the plans of men. There is a spirit of expectancy not seen since Jesus Christ walked on this earth. May we say together, “Come, Lord Jesus, and work among us!”

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.

Hometown Missions by Wayne Cerullo

2009-06-23T07:14:00.003-05:00

A Business Missionary Travels Abroad to See with New Eyes at Home - By Wayne Cerullo

As Americans, we are used to being in the lead.

Our economy is the largest in the world. In 2008, the U.S. GDP totaled $14.6 trillion, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Likewise, Wal-Mart Stores ranked number one on Fortune 500’s list of top ten corporations. And how about the number of gold medals Michael Phelps took away from the last summer Olympic Games when he broke world records? In America, we are used to being top dog, and we are used to good ideas getting traction and taking off.

So in our hometowns, when we discover an empowering truth—the good news that our God is the Master-of-Monday-as-well-as-of-Sunday—and that truth is met with no more enthusiasm than it is in Muslim-dominated Indonesia or in the Hindu nation of India, we are humbled. It may be puzzling and even stop us cold. After all, nearly 80 percent of Americans identified themselves as Christians in a recent Barna poll. Why the chilly reception—especially from businesspeople who follow Christ?

But, because God is good, infinitely creative, and loves to breathe life into dead things, this does not have to be the end of the story. God is strengthening me with new vision and a renewed purpose as my Christian faith stretches to impact businesses in America.

In October 2006, I ventured to India on a business missions trip with rēp, a San Francisco Bay Area organization devoted to mobilizing mid-market companies around the world for the Kingdom of God. Prayer and pocketbook support were a blessing and an encouragement, as I spent three months training as a voluntary business consultant in the U.S. and then trekked to this “foreign land” to serve businesses in the name of Jesus.

I stayed in the city of Chennai for two weeks, working with local Christian business leaders to help them expand their view of business and to show them how their businesses can be used to impact their society and sphere of influence. I witnessed firsthand some stark contrasts to my daily life—poverty, undertones of the latent caste system, the daily challenges of corruption, a population that has outpaced the growth of infrastructure and the ostracism of first-generation believers from their family and friends.

Life in India is hard. But when it comes to business missions, I’m finding the same is true in America.

When I returned from my consulting trip with rēp, the real work began. As part of a larger business missions group, I started consulting with Christian-led companies here in the Bay Area, along with a fellow rēp colleague of mine.

We found that Christian business people here weren’t too interested in exploring how God wants to transform their businesses and use their companies as a vehicle for His Presence and Purpose. 1 (footnote: 1 Presence and Purpose are two components of The 10-P Model®, a framework from The Institute and rēp in which ten elements of a business are examined through the lens of Scripture.)

However, in this process, we also found a treasure for ourselves: a new, long-term assignment in domestic missions. God gave us a vision to reclaim and transform the world of commerce in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I saw God at work in India. And I always believed God could work in a place like Chennai, or even Mozambique, so why not in my town, Walnut Creek, California?

God is sovereign and the answer is in his hands, but I do know one thing for sure: I now recognize that I am on God’s mission board. It was easy for me to see (and believe) this when I was abroad. Now I have to re-imagine God working every Monday morning in the “here and now” and not just in the “over there.”

I am also reminded of Jesus’ frustration with the people around him as he grew up. The locals saw him only as a carpenter and not as a carpenter with a mission. I remember the time Jesus taught that “only in his hometown does a prophet have no honor.” It is also noteworthy that Jesus did few miracles in that place due to his neighbors’ limited expectations (i.e., “See, he IS only a carpenter like his father Joseph! I told you so!”).

Even though I wonder if the Christians in the “Indias” or in the “Mozambiques” of the world have more faith than the Christians in places like Walnut Creek, I am choosing to focus on building my own faith in businesses right in front of me—and I’m not waiting until Sunday morning to do it.

Why do you think there is resistance for believers here in America to integrate their faith more fully with their business?

Wayne is a rēp consultant working with companies in India and the U.S. His ministry aspirations led him to start a local workplace fellowship, Vocari. He also practices workplace ministry principles in his marketing group, InSighting Ideas. rēp is the business missions arm of The Institute, a management consulting firm that mobilizes, equips and deploys businesspeople to use their skills to build the kingdom of God.

I Have a New Hero - Stanley Tam

2009-06-22T07:59:00.004-05:00

From Mark Batterson's Blog - " I have a new hero. His name is Stanley Tam. Can't even put into words how wonderful it was to listen to him preach and then share a meal. Stanley has made 93 trips around the sun! And he's still preaching. That, in and of itself, impacted me. I hope I'm still preaching when I'm 93. He has the spirit of Caleb. I had read two of his books, God Owns My Business and God's Woodshed. So I felt like I knew Stanley. I knew he had made God the Senior Partner of his business in 1955 giving God all of the stock. I knew he'd given away more than $100 million. And I knew he was a soul-winner. So I couldn't wait to meet him. But he shared some things in his message and over dinner than blew me away.He talked about the way he was inspired by George Mueller who never asked for money and God always provided. He said, "I've got the same God George Mueller has." It was so blunt yet so true. I couldn't help but think: "I've got the same God Stanley Tam has." One of the principles he shared was: get started. He shared how he started his business with $12 from his dad and $25 of his own, but he didn't let the fact that he only had $37 in capital keep him from getting started. Over dinner he said something so profound I'm still trying to grasp it. "God cannot reward Abraham yet because is seed is still multiplying." Wow. Never thought about it that way, but the truth is that everything we do for Christ multiplies for eternity! That's the tip of the iceberg, but I hope it inspires you the way it inspired me." Read more about Stanley Tam's story in his book God Owns my Business.

Acknowledging Faith in the Workplace - Jon Venverloh of Google

2009-06-18T07:41:00.001-05:00

By Jon Venverloh - Strategic Partnerships, Google - "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10:32

In many areas of the country, and particularly the San Francisco Bay Area that I call home, the culture of political correctness and multiculturalism frowns on any favorable mention of the God of the Bible.

Submitting to God and the decrees of His Word are contrary to the prevailing secular humanist mind-set in which the individual is esteemed above all and God is perceived as a fairy tale or as an opiate for the masses. In the workplace, reliance on God is often seen as irrational, non-intellectual and perhaps even irresponsible.

Google, my employer, has its origin in academia and retains incredibly bright, high-performance
people. A lot of brilliant minds are hard at work in the Googleplex, where the culture is dominated by computer science and where scientifically observable proof is highly valued. For many, this culture leaves no room for matters of faith.

Of course, Google is not unusual among Silicon Valley tech companies. Many workplace cultures are ambivalent and even hostile toward religion in general and Christianity in particular. So as a Christian, I pray and ask God regularly how I can best honor Him in the workplace. But I must confessthat I have often feared that my faith will perhaps alienate my peers and superiors.
What does God want from us in the workplace? As in other contexts, He calls us out of the mainstream to a different standard—one of holiness:

Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Jesus promises to bless us if we honor Him publicly with our words and actions: Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven
(Matthew 10:32).
Finally, His Word calls us to exemplify integrity to nonbelievers: Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Peter 2:12). I believe God wants to bless those who believe in Him. In the context of the workplace, “blessing” usually means success in our work and perhaps career advancement (though not always, as sometimes He has something different and better in store). Regardless of my specific circumstances at any given time, however, I want God to approve of what I am doing, for if He is with me, who can be against me?
I want to honor the Lord in my workplace, being faithful to and honoring my employer through exceptional performance. I want to glorify the Lord through sanctioned forums such as a workplace Bible study or lunchtime fellowship meetings.
It is my prayer that the Lord will show me opportunities each day to share with my coworkers that I believe God is to be thanked for the abundant life we all lead. For the Lord truly can bless the work of our hands and let our words and actions glorify Him, not just at home or at church, but also at work.

POINT TO PONDER

Our faith will be tested when we seek to give glory to God instead of to ourselves in the workplace.

Questions to Consider ...

1. What can you do today to glorify God at your specific place of business?
2. Do you think God can use you to glorify Him even in a place where talking about what God has done in your life might feel uncomfortable?
3. Do you think you can live in such a way that even the “pagans [will] glorify God” on the day He returns, as it says in 1 Peter 2:12?

This is an excerpt of Devotional Ventures: 60 Inspiring Devotions by Business Professionals for Business Professionals. Corey Cleek, the author and editor is a friend of the Business as Mission Network and has given us the ability to share some of them with you. Used with permission, all rights reserved. Pick up a copy of the hardback book on amazon, right here.

A Conversation with Ken Eldred, Author of God is at Work

2009-06-17T06:17:00.001-05:00

Interview by Janet Maxim - Ken Eldred is author of God Is at Work: Transforming People and Nations through Business, a benchmark analysis of BAM published in 2005. He holds an MBA from Stanford and has developed several successful businesses practicing Scriptural principles. Eldred’s new book, Living the Abundant Life: How to Live at the Intersection of Faith and Business is available through his website, http://www.godisatwork.org/newbook.html

Q: At the end of God Is at Work, your chapter titled “Outrageous Visions” suggests how Kingdom businessesmight transform people and society on a grand scale. Four years later, what progress is being made toward those visions?

A: They remain somewhat outrageous and somewhat elusive, yet we are seeing roots of change in a lot ofdifferent places. More mission agencies are picking up the idea of BAM; really, they can’t afford not to, there is such a slowdown in microenterprise funding. And more Christian colleges are teaching BAM—just look at what Regent University is doing, setting up Centers of Entrepreneurship around the world to provide the ability to develop BAM, and to gain resources and funds for it. Regent graduate students are working with locals to create BAM within local
churches.

Q: I’m wondering about the “outrageous visions” of BAM “reaching enormous scale” and “transforming societies.” Any examples of these?

A: Yes, there are enormous transformations happening around the world—they’re documented in Sentinel Group’s Transformations videos. On March 10-12, I was in Guatemala for the Luis Palau Festival where we spoke to more than a thousand people about how we can do business as mission. You know, fifty percent of Guatemala professes to be born-again Christians, but the country still has very, very serious problems with the drug trade and kidnappings. But in the village of Almolonga, which was once dirt-poor, there has been a huge transformation and ninety-five percent claim to be born again there. The story is in one of the Transformation videos. So I asked for some vegetables from Almolonga, to show people at this conference. Do you know why? Because their carrots are as long and as big around as my arm.

Q: Oh, tropical carrots, right?

No! The U.N. has certifi ed that Almolonga’s fi elds are 42% more productive than anywhere in the world. But when you go there, the fi elds don’t look any better, and they’re actually pretty small. My son, who speaks Spanish, overheard a woman say that she bought seeds from Almolonga and planted them in her garden in Guatemala City, but the carrots were only regular-sized. But in Almolonga, the radishes grow to the size of baseballs...and it is just the blessing of God. The pastors of that area got together and prayed, and there was revival. When the people
changed, and practiced godliness in their lives and businesses, He blessed them. When God commended Job (in Job 2:3) it was for his integrity—that is the most important issue to God.
When we are Christians, but we operate as non-Christians in our business lives—God doesn’t bless our businesses.

Satan’s biggest lie is that God doesn’t care about this portion of your life. But if we are unrighteous in our businesses, we do not refl ect His righteousness—and He does not bless our businesses.

Q: What opportunities will open for Kingdom businesses as a result of the current economic conditions?

A: Enormous ones...depending on what people do with it. The challenge is, how do we get these ideas across to people? Everyone wants economic well-being. The communist governments have seen the failure of communism, and they’ve never been so wide open to Biblical businesses. The opportunities there are great. Did you know there are two competing bus lines in North Korea? There’s the public line, operated by the communist government, and a private line, operated by Christians. The public line is free, but of course the private one has to charge fares. Yet more people patronize the private line because it runs on time and the buses are in good repair, but the public buses are always late or breaking down. Change seems to take forever, but I believe we are lighting a fuse to a very large piece of dynamite.

Janet Maxim is a freelance writer from Maryland. To read more from Janet on the idea of Business as Mission, click here

Why are Small Groups so Important to a Christian Business Leader?

2009-06-16T08:15:00.000-05:00

By Kent Humphreys - I listened carefully as “Charles” explained how the nightmare had begun. Charles was now being forced out of his own firm as CEO. He explained how the equity partner wanted to save money and did not hire an attorney to write up the company’s operating agreement. Charles arranged for two other Christians to put up most of the money for the startup. They had a Christian friend who was an accountant who knew how to set everything up properly. Having left a successful sales career, Charles was not ready to make his mark as a business owner.

Charles started with about 48% of the company and had options to buy more stock. It got to be a blur as more and more money was lost. Eventually Charles borrowed another $150,000 from family and friends and “loaned” it to the company. Then Charles began to put the company expenses on his credit card which soon rose to $75,000. Of course, Charles guaranteed the loans at two banks and another $800,000 of investor equity was also at stake. A few months after an outside consultant came in, Charles was out as CEO. It became unclear as to what was a loan, what was equity, and what were the company expenses. Since all the papers were unclear, Charles was asked to sign new ones.

As the company is liquidated up to $1 million dollars will be lost by Christian friends and the emotions and tempers will be raw for years to come. The bank loans may require the guarantors to put up more money to satisfy the debt. Charles is a young man and can start over, but the nightmare will impact him for years to come.

“Frank” had lunch with me the next day after my evening with Charles. Several months before, Frank had shared with me his passion for Jesus and his enthusiasm for a new workplace ministry at his church. Inside, Frank was dying. He shared with me how the IRS demanded immediate payment of $25,000 in unpaid payroll taxes. They would work out a payment schedule for the rest. For five years Frank’s business was profitable, but the last four years Frank had lost money. He had not shared with his wife the extent of his problems. Like Charles, when Frank finally got some friends to examine the company’s books, it was much worse than he imagined. He has stopped some of the bleeding but the road back will be difficult.

Frank and Charles both allowed their pride and stubbornness to make matters worse. When they needed a small group of other business leaders around them, they were too busy to seek God first or get wise counsel. They even wanted to do things for God and be active in their churches, but did not want to be vulnerable with other leaders. All of us make mistakes and both of these men have time to start over. What would have happened differently if they had been in a weekly small group with other company leaders? These groups are available through many different workplace ministries and some churches are starting groups specifically for workplace leaders. The book of Proverbs is full of admonition for us to seek godly counsel. (15:22, 3:13-14, 4:6-7, 15:22, 8:33-34, 9:10, 13:20, 19:20, 20:18, 24:3) Wise leaders spend time with other leaders and learn together.

Do you have a friend that may be in trouble? Is someone you know starting a new business? Is your own business having cash flow problems? Why not take that friend out to lunch and join an existing group or start one yourself? The financial rewards of these groups may be large, but the emotional and spiritual rewards are much greater. Can you really afford to take the risk and continue to stand alone? Make that call today. The life you save or business that you spare may be your best friend’s or it may be your own!

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.

What's the Opposition to talking about Faith in the Workplace?

2009-06-15T07:39:00.000-05:00

Read an interesting collection of data on a post by Sam Rainer. Check more from Sam out at http://samrainer.wordpress.com/.

"LifeWay Research has data from a new survey that answers the question, "what's the opposition to talking about faith in the workplace?"

Despite several high-profile court cases over the past few years that tried to limit religious speech and the display of religious items in the workplace, most Americans have no problem with either. According to a recent survey by LifeWay Research, less than a third of Americans have issues with those who display religious items at work. Also, less than 4 out of 10 mind religious talk in the workplace.

The survey asked respondents to agree or disagree with the following statement: “Coworkers should not display religious items at the workplace.” Respondents were also asked to agree or disagree with this statement: “Coworkers should not talk about religion at the workplace.”

Opinions differ by age, with young adults most open to religious talk and religious items in the workplace and senior adults most resistant. The survey shows that 25 percent of 18 to 34 year olds somewhat or strongly agree that coworkers should not display religious items. In contrast, 44 percent of those over the age of 65 agree. The same trend is true in regards religious talk. A total of 33 percent of 18 to 24 year olds and 31 percent of 25 to 34 year olds said they agree that it is wrong for people to talk about religion in the workplace. However, a majority of those over the age of 65 (54 percent) agree that talking about religion does not belong in the workplace.

I find it intriguing that the younger generation is more open to religious talk in the workplace. This research corroborates other research about the openness of young adults to spiritual issues. During my years in the corporate cubicle, I found a lot of people open to talking about spiritual issues. In fact, when I started seminary and worked bi-vocationally as a minister, several people at the office would come to me for “spiritual advice.” The difficulty for me was one of degree: how much should I say? And how much company time should I use to talk to a person? I typically talked openly but briefly, prayed with the person, and then offered to extend the conversation at lunch or after work hours. What’s your take? To what degree should believers talk about spiritual matters in the office?"

Video Spotlight: Isolated and Alone at the Top

2009-06-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

CEO Painpoint Videos by Convene - The life of a Christian CEO or Business Owner is filled with a myriad of challenges, often leaving us believing we're alone in the struggle.

One of the big issues for business leaders is isolation. Where can you truly let your guard down and recieve coaching and accountability without any competing motives?

Convene (formerly BBL) has captured some great 1-2 minute videos of real CEO's sharing how the community of other Christian business men and women has helped them integrate business and ministry.

Click below to hear from some members of Convene talk about some of their struggles with isolation. You'll see from the power of these videos how community and small groups have made a significant difference in the lives of these leaders.

Acknowledging Faith in the Workplace - Jon Venverloh of Google

2009-06-11T05:51:00.001-05:00

By Jon Venverloh - Strategic Partnerships, Google Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. Matthew 10:32

In many areas of the country, and particularly the San Francisco bay area that I call home, the culture of political correctness and multiculturalism frowns on any favorable mention of the God of the Bible.

Submitting to God and the decrees of His Word are contrary to the prevailing secular humanist mind-set in which the individual is esteemed above all and God is perceived as a fairy tale or “opiate for the masses.” In the workplace, reliance on God is often seen as irrational, non-intellectual and perhaps even irresponsible.

Google, my employer, has its origin in academia and retains incredibly bright, high-performance people. A lot of brilliant minds are hard at work in the “Googleplex” where the culture is dominated by computer science and where scientifically observable proof is highly valued. For many, this culture leaves no room for matters of faith.

Of course, Google is not unusual among Silicon Valley tech companies. Many workplace cultures are ambivalent and even hostile towards religion in general and Christianity in particular. So as a Christian, I pray and ask God regularly how I can best honor Him in the workplace. But I must confess that I have often feared that my faith will perhaps alienate my peers and superiors.
What does God want from us in the workplace? As in other contexts, He calls us out of the mainstream to a different standard—one of holiness:

Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you (2 Corinthians 6:17).

Jesus promises to bless us if we honor Him publicly with our words and actions:

Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32).

Finally, His Word calls us to exemplify integrity to non-believers: Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Peter 2:12).

I believe God wants to bless those who believe in Him. In the context of the workplace, “blessing” usually means success in our work and perhaps career advancement (though not always, as sometimes He has something different and better in store). Regardless of my specific circumstances at any given time, however, I want God to approve of what I am doing, for if He is with me, who can be against me?

I want to honor the Lord in my workplace, being faithful to and honoring my employer through exceptional performance. I want to glorify the Lord through sanctioned forums such as a workplace Bible study or lunchtime fellowship meetings.

It is my prayer that the Lord will show me opportunities each day to share with my coworkers that I believe God is to be thanked for the abundant life we all lead. For the Lord truly can bless the work of our hands and let our words and actions glorify Him, not just at home or at church, but also at work.

Point to Ponder

Our faith will be tested when we seek to give glory to God instead of to ourselves in the workplace.

Questions to Consider

1. What can you do today to glorify God at your speicific place of business?

2. Do you think God can use you to glorify Himself even in a place where talking about what God has done in your life might feel uncomfortable?

3. Do you think you can live in such a way that the “pagans glorify God” on the day He returns, as it says in 1 Peter 2:12?

Business as Mission Company Attracting Top, Young Talent

2009-06-10T07:58:00.000-05:00

It is always encouraging to talk to others God has called to help move forward His call of the business person. Since I work for a video publisher, I love short videos. Here’s a couple that highlight the vision of Enterprise International.

Brandon Wade was an intern who went on to get a job with Accenture consulting due in large part to his experience Enterprise International.

Jim Caya was the #1 Finance student to come out of the University of San Francisco and joined Enterprise instead of going to the marketplace.

Enterprise International is a part of several businesses that have been featured on the website, most notably Little Texas (Romania), rated number 5 in our list of most admired kingdom companies. eKreative (Ukraine) was nominated also nominated and they are also involved in other companies like Kafe Kreative (Ukraine), Spohad photo studios (Ukraine), Wholesome Bakeries (South Africa), Pangani Tours (South Africa), Christo Auto Rebuild and Sales (South Africa), and Buythegood.com (Los Angeles). In the coming months they will also be opening a couple of other businesses, a dentistry—practice and lab (Cambodia) and a new import/export businesses going into Venezuela.

Business as Mission - Service to Man as Service to God

2009-06-09T07:55:00.003-05:00

By Janet Maxim - The “businessman” has long had a black eye— many people falsely assume he cheats customers, misrepresents products, exploits employees and pockets all the profits. The enemies of private enterprise regularly use this stereotyped perception to undermine a free market economy and, unfortunately, the ongoing fi nancial crisis has given them more talking points to use against the global expansion of business enterprise.

It hasn’t always been this way. When Communism collapsed, the people of Eastern and Central Europe were eager to “go into business,” and this attitude opened new doors of opportunity for Americans eager to help them. When a restless California fi nancial planner named Jeri Little visited Romania on a Christian aid mission in 1988, just before the overthrow of its dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, he couldn’t believe the destitution he saw. Little responded by returning to the country with $100,000 in medical supplies. But he questioned whether what he could do as a short-term part-time missionary was enough. “We needed to not just send them money and create another banana republic dependent on our aid,” he explained. “We needed people to create business.” Jeri and his wife Gloria threw in their lot with the Romanians, opening a secondhand clothing store that offered “good used clothing from America at good prices.” By 1997 he had three clothing businesses, which he passed on to local Romanian charities. He then opened Little Texas, a Tex-Mex restaurant—complete with a John Wayne Room!—and he used the profits to start churches and help local schools and charities. He also helped Romanians set up a homebuilding business and medical and dental clinics.

Like any good businessman, Jeri saw a need he could fulfill, and he took a risk to make a profi t. But he also saw business as a mission to build the Kingdom of God. “Those engaged in Kingdom business must consider themselves agents of transformation,” writes Ken Eldred, a pioneer of the Business As Mission (BAM) movement and the author of God Is At Work: Transforming People and Nations Through Business. Those who consider themselves Kingdom businessmen have what Eldred calls the triple bottom line: “profi tability, local job creation and building spiritual capital.” They locate their businesses to provide jobs and training to people in need—but they also seek to make a profi t, for every business missionary knows that without profi t he quickly becomes an out-of business missionary.

Those who think seriously about missionary work have long known that the great barrier to spreading the Christian gospel is having doors slammed in your face. “About half of the world’s population is inaccessible to traditional missions...about 70 countries and 265 megacities,”
states Crossworld, a Pennsylvania-based group that sends 400 missionaries in 80 teams to 25 mission areas of the world.

According to the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, 90 percent of those unreached by the Gospel live in lands where Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism predominate between the 10th and 40th parallels of northern latitude, called the 10/40 Window. In many of these areas proselytizing for Christianity can be a capital ... Read the rest of the article

Janet Maxim is a freelance writer from Myersville, Maryland.

Busy for God - Katie McNerney - Marketing Manager, eBay, Inc.

2009-06-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

By Katie McNerney - Marketing Manager, eBay, Inc.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8

Most people would call me an overachiever, a label that for me has generally positive connotations. I enjoy staying busy. It makes me feel productive. Being productive also often translates into accomplishing goals, which typically lead to some kind of reward. It's an appealing cycle, and one that I've practiced much of my life.

In my life, I have found that the benefits of being an overachiever have typically outweighed the disadvantages. The pleasure I have taken in accomplishing a goal usually has trumped the long days and sleepless nights. Throughout my life, I have been rewarded (at least in the worldly sense) for my accomplishments. Whether is was praise from my parents, acceptance by teachers, or wins on the soccer field, my achievements always seemed to translate into the value I offered to the world. In turn, I overbooked my schedule with activities in order to stay busy, and therefore productive.

One February morning a few years ago, I achieved the pinnacle of my goals when I was accepted into one of the country's top business schools. At the time, I couldn't imagine a more perfect reward for all my hard work. To top it off, I was engaged to a wonderful man, and we were busy preparing for our wedding.

My life looked pretty amazing, clearly the result of a lifetime of hard work (or so I told myself). Not one month later, however, the perfect little world I had worked so hard to build suddenly fell apart. My fiance' died of a heart arrhythmia. I remember waking up the next morning wondering how I could be in this place after all I had accomplished in my life.

It has taken a while for me to realize that my destructive pattern of motivation came from an insecurity of wanting to prove my significance in the world. And, yes, I've even been tempted to work hard at fixing that. The good news is that we don't have to fix ourselves, because God has already done the work for us.

In Ephesians 2:8, Paul reminds us that it is by grave we have been saved, not by works. God wants us to work, use the gifts he has given us and not stand idle, but we must remember that we do this work not because it will save us but because we are already saved. Our motivation for work must be gratitude and praise for God's mercy. "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." (v. 10)

Point to Ponder
No accomplishment or act we can do will save us.
It is only through God's grace that we are saved.

Questions to Consider...

Do you attempt to achieve goals just to achieve them? Does achieving a goal sometimes feel more important than the reason for achieving that goal?

When you analyze your work habits and your schedule, what do you find truly motivates your actions every day?

Where do you find your worth and significance as a person? Is it found in the things you achieve or in God's love for you?

This is an excerpt of Devotional Ventures: 60 Inspiring Devotions by Business Professionals for Business Professionals. Corey Cleek, the author and editor is a friend of the Business as Mission Network and has given us the ability to share some of them with you. Used with permission, all rights reserved. Pick up a copy of the hardback book on amazon, right here.