Many business professionals and church leaders today are hearing of the term “Business as Mission” (BAM). While there are many variances to a perfect definition, I like the expression of J.D. Greear of the Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, NC, “Christians in the marketplace today are able to gain access more easily to strategic, unreached places. Globalization, great advancements in technology and urbanization have given the business community nearly universal access.” Greear reminds us that God has placed in his church the skills necessary to penetrate the most unreached parts of our world – and those skills are business skills. Business people should focus on a two-fold vision, “whatever you are good at, a) do it well for the Glory of God; b) do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God.” Mats Tunehag, one of the leaders of the BAM movement suggests that Business as Mission (BAM) is simply “legitimate economic activity (business) by a workplace professional which serves as a vehicle for sharing the love of Christ…” He and the Lausanne committees on BAM insist that BAM activities must be profitable and sustainable, create jobs and local wealth; and produce spiritual capital (disciples of Jesus). While such a definition would encourage one to think that BAM could, should and does take place in every workplace in the world where God’s people in business are faithfully living like Jesus and looking for ways to bring people to know him. And while to a certain extent that is true, BAM over the past 20 years has tended to think in terms of “developing impoverished” countries, and unreached areas where Jesus is relatively unknown. Three propositions may help to justify and explain the Business as Mission movement as understood by GEN and those seeking to reach the world for Christ through business.
A recent memo from a friend who is a kingdom business entrepreneur in an Asian country: “Upon entering a local office where local authorities facilitate some aspects of our company, I saw my national friend who manages the office. Amidst the hubbub we greeted one another and caught up on personal news. Suddenly my friend asked, “Do you have a divine connection? I’m sensing a positive energy emanating from you and I don’t know what it is.” Stunned, I replied, “Well as a matter of fact, I do have a divine connection to Jesus!” I then went on to explain who Jesus is and His presence in my life. He listened intently. Something is happening in my friend’s heart and mind…something we believe that God is doing.” So Business as Mission is not “business as normal” neither is it “missions as normal”. It is living out the commands of Jesus in the workplace - to love our neighbor and make disciples so individuals and communities are transformed – spiritually, economically and socially – for the greater glory of God and the establishment of his church. Larry Sharp IBEC – Director of Strategic Partnerships
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What's all the buzz about in MARKETPLACE coaching?Coaching Works! Research has shown that business and leadership coaching is the best way to create sustainable leadership growth, which directly impacts the success of an enterprise. Coaching is a proven method to assist a person’s ability to fully develop their leadership competence. Coaching can move good leaders to great leaders. Coaches facilitate, challenge, endorse, and empower others to do their best and accomplish their goals. Coaching is powerful because the process provides structure, feedback, and accountability. A good coach is able to facilitate a shift in a leader’s knowledge and behavior. How? - by specifically tailoring the coaching around a person’s work experiences, current challenges, while always keeping a focus on the leader’s future desired outcome. Introduction to Coaching Course – The Global Enterprise Network is offering a short course in Business Coaching at the ERW on October 10-12. This is an amazing opportunity to learn the basics of coaching from a couple experienced professional executive coaches. Learn what coaching is and is not. Learn the basics of coaching and practice with your peers. Learn when coaching is the best method to use. What will I get? – Knowledge, practice, increased skill, and confidence! The “Introduction to Coaching” course will cover 5 foundational aspects of coaching:
Visit the ERW page or contact us, for more information about the workshop.
We are excited that many people have been asking about future ERWs. The next Entrepreneurial Readiness Workshop (ERW) is October 10-12, 2014 in Colorado Springs, CO. We will introduce newly refined content and a coaching track this October. For more information, visit the ERW page for details, testimonials, and video. Registration begins August 1, 2014. If you would like to be added to the ERW invite list, please contact us or send an email to gen@navigators.org.
Who is the perfect missional entrepreneur? Ten years ago, a couple of families formed a team to reach an unreached people group in Asia. They desired to plant themselves long-term creating a business, but had never taken a business course. Currently, this team owns and operates one of the best examples of a missional enterprise around the world. They have a growing heart for Christ, desire to refine their entrepreneur niche, and call to be Kingdom ambassadors amongst an unreached people group. The perfect missional entrepreneur is someone with a passion for Christ, business niche, and people. God is in the business of transforming people. We want those people who God is working in. You may not already be perfectly refined around every edge, but you’re in process. Romans 12:1-2 calls us to offer everything to God, fix our attention on Him, and learn what He desires most. His gospel continues its work throughout our lives and produces the passion for Christ necessary to live each day. Likewise, a business needs passion to succeed. You will need to invest personal sweat and blood. This is going to take your time, money, and energy. So how do you go all-in without doing something you’re passionate about? It just won’t happen, you will get burned out and crash or always feel the tension of not doing what you are called to do. Your business needs to reside in your niche passion. Whether your passion is growing or already matured, work out of your passion! Our earthly business is to make disciples of every nation. We are called to take the gospel message to the ends of the earth. There is no way to accomplish this calling on our own. It is God’s mission and calling that empowers us and gives us passion for people from every nation, tribe, people and language. Who then is the perfect missional entrepreneur? Missional entrepreneurs and teams need to be composed of people with backgrounds in business, engineering, design, technology, adventure, athletics, missions, medical, and more. You could be a recent college grad or a seasoned executive. If God is driving your passions, you’re the perfect person! - GEN Desk Author GEN Desk Commentary –
How is God shaping your passions? In the early 1980s, I was young and zealous. I was deeply committed to Jesus and the Great Commission. I had a Message that every person on earth needed to hear. I was filled with faith and ... naiveté. My goal was to do evangelism, discipleship, and church planting with oppressed people who did not know Jesus. My wife, two toddlers, and I moved into a restricted access nation. The country was closed to traditional missionaries. I needed an identity that was acceptable to the repressive regime so they would give me a visa to live there. I became a businessman and got a work permit. I had an impressive letterhead and business cards. I did not have a real business. I was a ‘tentfaker’. Contrary to the Apostle Paul who actually made tents (Acts 18:1-3), I was a pretender. The charade was doomed to fail from the beginning. The discrepancy between what I told people I was doing (business) and what I was actually doing (ministry) began to burden me. The lack of authenticity and integrity weighed on my conscience. How could I teach Truth and expect others to live by it, when I was being untruthful about my identity and activities? My duplicity also became apparent to the authorities. They asked us to leave the country. The crucible of reality forced me to rethink my theology and my practice. We returned to the States and I re-tooled. I got an MBA in International Business. I also developed a more biblical theology of work. Within three years, we again moved overseas to a different closed country. This time around, I was committed to live out a viable identity in the country. Our business ventures met a real need. We made an authentic contribution to our clients, their families, and their communities. The government loved us. Internally, I was at peace, knowing that I was working and ministering out of integrity and truthfulness. We were also having a positive spiritual impact. By the grace of God, I helped to establish three separate financial institutions that are still operating today. Many of the people we ministered to in the context of those businesses are walking with God and ministering to others 25 years later. I’m thankful that God had mercy on me and transformed me from being a deceiver, albeit well intentioned, to being a bona fide missional entrepreneur. - GEN Desk Author GEN Desk Commentary –
This real-life story illustrates some of the basic principles within GEN:
How do these principles resonate with you as you think about missional enterprise? |
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