1. The business is the ministry and it is sacred; it is not an excuse to do ministry, but a way to live among people with a common goal of producing products and services to glorify God. It provides the opportunity to expose people to the kingdom of heaven in real time and to do it with transparency and integrity.


2. Profits ensure sustainability and credibility. Without profits, a business cannot exist, and if it does continue to exist, people may wonder who is funding it. Profits also produce jobs and tax revenue that can be enjoyed by the host country.


3. Integrity and transparency are critical if a business is truly a ministry. I recently spoke to a missionary living in a closed-access country that does a little business to be in the country. But by his own admission, people wonder who he really is and why he is there.


4. A business that meets the spiritual and physical needs of the people demonstrates the kingdom of heaven and transforms everyone it touches. When employees understand that the Bible has the answers to running a business, it dramatically increases its credibility. When people understand that a business exists for the glory of God, and they see the needs of employees, beggars, and villagers being met by the business, transformation clearly takes place.


5. Introducing the kingdom through business is much faster than traditional church planting. While most missionaries spend years just trying to cultivate a few relationships in closed-access countries, businesses provide immediate relationship capital and consistent contact around a specific purpose—serving customers. As people come to Christ through businesses, churches are started organically.


6. Prayer is the backbone of every effective BAM model—prayer for the business, its employees, suppliers, customers, and everyone else it touches.

Models

Many of us have several years of business experience. We catch a vision for the world and are anxious to know what to do. Here is a principle of life: God prepares us perfectly for what He has next for us. Every experience and every job up until this point has been preparation for the next assignment.

As you consider these things, it might be helpful to read about four models of business that are being used successfully in closed-access countries today. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but simply four models that are working. Two of them, the factory and the outsourcing, require a market for products outside the host country. The other two, franchise and micro-economic development, depend on sales within the host country. Opportunities abound for Westerners to start such businesses or to be major parts.

The Factory

There are a number of these in operation that are pure business as mission models. Most often the products are produced overseas and marketed in the United States. Having a good market for the products produced is critical to the factory being profitable and sustainable. It is helpful to have a niche market, a specialized product that does not have a great deal of competition. Some examples of goods produced are painted furniture, teak outdoor furniture, glass products, leather goods, lamps, and accessories. Keys to this model working well are low labor costs in the sourced country and bypassing middlemen as products go to market in the United States. In this model, we have seen many employees, suppliers, and customers come to Christ. In addition, when the factory becomes a transformational influence on the community—meeting needs, taking care of beggars and orphans—it gains great favor with government authorities.

Outsourcing

In this model, the worldwide labor market is tapped by providing services in a host country that are useful and cost-effective due to labor rates. Some examples are computer-aided design work for architectural firms, software development, and the production of agricultural products like sun-dried tomatoes.

The Franchise

In this model, the goods are sold in-country and, frequently, many are employed. In one version of this model, believers are employed, providing them income and influence as they interact with customers. It is a scalable model that has the potential to employ thousands of people who can begin franchises, often with very small investments. Ideas include: convenient copy kiosks, sales of books, small restaurants, or other goods or services that are needed. Managers provide the spiritual and business mentoring.

Micro-enterprise Development

There are two typical BAM models of this. In one case, micro loans are provided to believers to support them, give them a reason to relocate to unreached places, and integrate them into society very quickly. In another model, a believer becomes the project administrator, making loans and mentoring a group of unbelievers —meeting economic needs while building close relationships. Successful programs include carefully selecting participants for micro-enterprises that meet unmet needs and providing these participants with ongoing mentoring relationships.
So how has God been preparing you? Next steps: read more about some of these models and visit some field operations to explore more.