Is it Possible to Build a Christian Business School in Rwanda? :: Chris Page
A Christian school that teaches business is not an unusual phenomena.A Christian-run school that teaches business in a developing country is much rarer, but not unheard of.
But imagine that there’s a business school in the heart of Africa that has the glory of God at its epicentre. Imagine that this school seeks to be a catalyst not just for business creation, but for Kingdom business creation. Imagine that this school provides superb opportunities to build relationships with budding and existing entrepreneurs through it’s teaching and mentoring program, in order to communicate God’s heart for missions through business.
Now imagine that this school is a model that can be replicated by individuals and organisations across the globe wanting to impart practical business training along with Kingdom business education. Imagine that a tiny country once decimated to pulp becomes a blessing to so many other countries because people come from all over to learn how to run this school in their own communities, adapting it to their local needs. Also imagine that bussionaries (business missionaries) are raised up within these schools that will go to spiritually and economically impoverished areas across the globe.
Now that doesn’t exist. Yet! But by God’s grace it will!
That’s the vision that a small group of people have in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. But we need others to come on board to help make it a reality. Young, old, recent graduate, middle-aged or retired – it doesn’t matter!
In 2001 I, Chris Page, visited Rwanda and saw the enormous poverty and need amongst youth. As I was praying about it God gave me the word ‘dignity’. Back in the UK, God helped me realize that job creation and business development was an excellent way to help restore dignity to these needy youth, lifting them from the oppression of poverty.
In May 2003 I moved to Rwanda, and spent the first two years learning the language, beginning to build relationships, researching etc., and during this time God helped me to refine the following vision:
To see God’s Kingdom come in the lives of individuals and communities where economic and spiritual poverty are the greatest, by demonstrating God’s love in practical ways to needy and vulnerable young people through the development of Christ-centred Kingdom businesses.
Pearl Buck said ‘To eat bread without hope is still slowly to starve to death’. I have a desire to see hope for an improved life on earth, as well as a hope for eternity, grounded in the hearts and minds of Africans.
I started implementing this vision by starting my first business, Cards from Africa (http://www.cardsfromafrica.com/) in late 2004, and have since started another eight. However, valuable those these businesses are in providing much-needed services, products and jobs to the communities they are in, God has helped me see that His desire is to see thousands of Africans equipped and enabled to start and run successful Kingdom businesses. I have this unquenchable dream of seeing thousands of Kingdom businesses start-up across Africa, each one helping to play a crucial part in alleviating both spiritual and economic poverty that holds so much of the continent from blossoming, and believe that this Christian Business School model can be a catalyst for that very purpose.
So……….
Do you have a heart for Christ-centred business development?
Do you want to help restore to the poorest in society the dignity God intended them to have when He created them?
Do you have a passion to see business missionaries go to places where traditional missionaries are not welcome, but business people are?
Has God given you entrepreneurial gifting, organisational, administrative, teaching or business management abilities?
Do you want to start up a business, and at the same time help mentor and train Africans to start up businesses that are God-focused?
Do you want to commit yourself to living in the heart of Africa, dedicating your time, skills and energy to help raise up Kingdom business people and at the same time helping to alleviate poverty through business development?
We’re calling all entrepreneurs, teachers, people with business training &/or experience, preachers, administrators, but above all people who share God’s heart for business and want to come and live in Rwanda for at least two years. We don’t mind what organisation you come with, if any at all. It’s your desire to be a blessing to Rwanda, your humble attitude to learn, and your commitment to developing Kingdom businesses that we want to see. If you’re interested, please get in touch with us at bussionary@gmail.com and we’ll send you an application form and more details of where we’ve got to so far with the planning of the school.
We’ll be starting our first course next year – a simple short introduction to the basics of business, and doing business God’s way, run in the evenings over a course of 3 months. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We’d like to see a whole variety of modules taught, some tailored for the poorest of the poor, others for the most developed established business people on the continent, and of course a whole range in between.
‘Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.’ James 1 v 27 (The Message).
Chris Page is the founder of Cards from Africa (http://www.cardsfromafrica.com/), a kingdom company based in Rwanda and is actively involved with the mission organization YWAM. He is a regular contributor to this website and he welcomes your emails at bussionary@gmail.com.
Labels: Business as Mission News and Notes, Recruitment and Job Opportunities
1 Comments:
commented by 
Alexis Walz, 10:44 PM
Alexis Walz, 10:44 PM
Blessings,
Alexis