Women in Thailand Choosing Business as Mission over Prostitution
By Tiffany Ladebat - (Phuket, Thailand – August 2009) –It’s Tuesday night and the Biddells have just entered their second bar of the evening on Bangla road in Patong, Phuket, where over 1,200 girls work every night. In the entrance to the bar, there stands a young lady with an inviting smile asking them to sit down. She starts to tell them how she wishes she didn't sell herself and then she enumerates all of the reasons why she feels she can't leave the lifestyle in which she is now trapped. The Biddells have already prayed over the conversation they know is about to take place. Darkness weighs heavily on every word coming out of the young ladies mouth. She has her parents to take care of, as well as her children. She needs to make money quickly and pay her debts. It's only for a short time. It won't last forever. This is only one version of the same story they have heard too many times to remember. Now is the time to give her God's truth and hope.
Young women trapped in prostitution are invited one by one to lunch with Mark and Sharon Biddell and to visit the Thai ladies of SHE -Self Help Empowerment. They would probably make more money working in the bars, but is it worth selling themselves to make that money? Sadly, for too many of these girls and women, the choice is prostitution... but for a growing number of them, SHE provides a choice they didn't know they had. SHE opens the door to a new identity, life and one with a better option to earn their livelihood.
Labels: Mark Biddell, SHE Thailand
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Business is Mission
I still think about those graphics when I hear people talk about "business as mission"—or, in some circles, "BAM!" With shifting global dynamics, traditional missionaries no longer enjoy easy access to visas for entry into previously "open" countries, so some are considering business skills as a way to acquire a visa and enter a country. The skills needed for a visa also provide BAM missionaries a reason to live in the community (instead of being those weird Americans who don't work, but are constantly inviting people over for coffee).
In BAM, business is the means, and ministry is the end. But I don't agree with this perspective.
Business, like art, is inherently creative and vividly reflects our Creator. It is not a means to the end of ministry; when understood in a biblical framework, business is itself a redemptive process of ministry. It all begins with design, as children of the Creator debate, discuss, and deliberate over what act of commerce they could be engaged in, what could be produced, or which service can be developed. As in any art, the parameters are defined—not by the blankness of a cotton canvas, but by the limitations of investors, capacity, or market potential. As the design is developed, the physical expression follows: a plant, a spreadsheet, or a strategic plan, all of ...
Read the rest of the article here: http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/2053/
Labels: Cardus, Mark Meehan
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More than profit - Christianity Today Article on Microfinance
Finally, the women get down to business. They belong to Fellowship 3 of the Center for Community Transformation (CCT), a community development organization that focuses on fellowship members' spiritual as well as economic needs. Almost exclusively women, CCT business owners earn money selling fish and bananas, trading inexpensive products, operating mobile phone stations, and selling consumer goods door to door. All are facing new struggles to make ends meet: About 35 percent of the Philippines' 97 million people are destitute, living on $1.25 or less a day. The global financial crisis has only compounded their plight, as the national economy is down 30 percent.
Keys to the success of the center's many fellowships, which function like cell groups, are its microloan program and its instruction in Christian living, coupled with teachings on sound business practices. The average CCT loan is $300, enough for one woman to launch or grow a local business. During the business end of the meeting, women solve problems and encourage each other. Each woman harbors high hopes of making a small profit and paying off her loan on time. At the end of each weekly meeting, members sign the general ledger, and a local pastor closes with prayer.
In Fellowship 3, most of the participants come from a Roman Catholic background. A growing number of them have had a born-again experience, revitalizing their faith. But the group does not discriminate and is open to all. "They listen to the Word of God and are refreshed," Letty, a CCT client and fellowship leader, observes. "At first they came to join because of temporal needs. As the fellowship aged, their spirituality matured." The women's lives and families change, too. Why the poor are still poor
With its motto of "serving God by serving the poor," CCT is highly effective in doing just that: Since 1992, it has partnered with 125,000 individuals in 6,000 fellowship groups. Though it works with international ministries such as Habitat for Humanity and Campus Crusade, CCT is an entirely Filipino venture, funded, staffed, and directed by nationals. Read the rest of the article at the Christianity Today Website http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/september/31.70.html.
Labels: Christianity Today, Microfinance
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Combining Business and Ministry is a Team Sport
Over a month ago, I was invited to visit a local C12 (www.c12group.com) gathering of Christian Businessmen here in Dallas. Don Barefoot, the President of C12, is a good friend and this was a great opportunity to spend some quality time with a local group of 12 CEO's here in Dallas.
I walked away amazed by the experience. The level of accountability and authenticity was something that I think few people experience in their own church. It was inspiring to see Christian men being so incredibly transparent about both the challenges and opportunities they were experiencing.
Trying to build a business in this economy can be tough. Building a business that can have a deep ministry impact is even more challenging. Its a road that's not meant to be walked alone.
So if you're on this journey to combine business and ministry, please find someone. Find a mentor. Find a friend. Find someone in your business or find a local group like C12. Make yourself known to a group of guys because combining business and ministry is meant to be a team sport.
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Microfinance: The World’s Best! …no Worst! Idea
Because the concept was so potent, so preeminently powerful, some industry leaders claimed it would single-handedly put poverty in a museum. Every major news source in the country (NYT, The Economist, Newsweek, CNN, etc.) featured a steady stream of microfinance stories, all with the same message: We have discovered poverty’s cure-all—our silver bullet. There was literary and conversational “dancing in the streets” as we celebrated the discovery of the one-stop solution which would solve our world’s problems. The clear verdict: Microfinance eradicates poverty.
During early 2007, however, the news soured. The dancing turned to questioning as those bold proclamations were challenged. Research findings painted a less than glamorous picture of the impact of microfinance. Journalists (from these same publications) discovered microfinance clients who had taken out loans from one institution to pay off loans at another. Last month, it was revealed that some lenders’ high-pressure loan delinquency practices actually drove over 50 Indian microfinance clients to commit suicide, sparking a growing unrest in the Indian microfinance sector. The clear verdict: Microfinance perpetuates poverty.
Here is my question: Why are we so desperate to label microfinance as either a panacea or pandemic? Might the reality be that microfinance is neither? When the Toyota acceleration debacle hit mainstream or NWA Flight 255 crashed, nobody suggested that the automobile, airplane, or transportation system in general were detrimental to our society. Similarly, when Waiting for Superman hit theaters this month, highlighting the sad reality that many of our nation’s public schools are failing our country’s youth, even the biggest of educational critics do not suggest that all schools be shut down.
On the flipside, we share a belief that for every pastor scandal or denominational split, there are many more positive examples of churches truly making a positive impact on our world. The reality is that no single idea, concept, industry or poverty alleviation strategy is perfect or devoid of abuse and corruption. We all know hospitals, airlines, car manufacturers, schools and churches which are successful – and probably a few which have failed.
Microfinance is not a new idea – we all benefit from the core concept every day. Savings accounts, business training, loans, and insurance products are tools we all use every day. I am personally grateful for Graystone Bank and Wells Fargo, both of which have provided an immeasurably positive benefit to my life. I also know countless successful entrepreneurs across the globe whose businesses were fueled by mentoring, biblically-based business training and access to capital.
It is just as wrong to talk about microfinance eradicating poverty as it is to lump payday loan shops, ruthless money lenders and usurious banks with sound, values-driven, client-focused microfinance initiatives. Not all microfinance is created equal.Sadly, a nuanced and balanced perspective does not make headlines, but my encouragement is to critique every extreme story, on both sides, in the court of commonsense and sound judgment.
Please let me know if you have questions about any of the recent articles or news stories on microfinance. I’d love to dialogue with you!
Labels: Chris Horst, Hope International, Microfinance
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Commissioning God’s people for the Workplace
Guest post by Joe Galindo - Excerpt from: Kingdom Business Transformation: Structuring Leadership to Transform the Marketplace by Joe Galindo and Greig Detering
I would encourage you to think about the following idea. It’s a simple concept, and it might not be that difficult to implement it in some of today’s churches. Here is the concept: Take every business owner, entrepreneur and business leader in your church, whether it is 10 people or a 100. Consider each to be a "strategic plant" for your church body. Then plan to come along side of them with the following objectives in mind:
1) Equip them and train them for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two in the word of God and the strategic principles of God, especially where it pertains to doing business with the mindset of God
2) Encourage them in their strengths and giftings they are currently practicing within their business operation instead of trying to bring their gifts and expertise to be a part of a church program
3) Pray on site for them. Spend some time on site with them, encouraging and coaching them with the end in mind that they are a strategic "church plant" who is multiplying the Kingdom of God through their marketplace calling
4) Release and Commission them after an appropriate period of training/equipping
5) Follow more intentionally the principles, processes and patterns that are espoused by Paul in Ephesians 4:1-17 and 1st Corinthians 12,13 and 14 on biblical leadership and unity of the body of Jesus Christ.
Could this be done? I believe that it could, but the question we have to ask is "Will we do it."? Whether you agree with the concept or not, I believe that this question should still be asked. As I have pondered this, it has led me to ask another question: "What church would not want to do this"? As I think about this, I find this concept wonderfully stimulating. If just 1000 churches across the country did this with 100 strategic people in each of their congregations, within a year or two, there would be 100,000 commissioned "business as mission" people out on the front lines seeking to multiply the Kingdom of God to employees and their families, clients, vendors, investors and business associates. Granted, a number of those 100,000 might already be operating as effective "business missionaries", but many of those could be "further encouraged" by this and even "commissioned" on site by their churches.
So, what is holding us back from bringing forth this model more readily in our churches of today? Two things come to mind for me as I seek to answer this question. The first is the issues of divine order and the second is wrong thinking that is being practiced more so than we realize. In other words, repentance is truly the order of the day! We are in need of changing our way of thinking and moving from our current order of doing things to more of His divine order for doing things. My personal observation is that the typical North American conservative evangelical church operating model is in need of strategic and significant alteration. Please don’t take that as a slam against the "church". I think that the same is true of myself and most every believer that calls himself a follower of Jesus. Moving from wrong thinking to right thinking is not as easy as we think, and moving from "comfortable, convenient and under control" to the radical ways of Jesus and His disciples is always easier said than done.
However, if we focused on the traditional church model of today, and what changes could be made along the lines of what I am talking about, it will most definitely not be easy to make significant alteration. The most obvious hindrance is that a very high percentage of revenue that comes in to a church is designed to cover three things: Facility expense, Staff salaries and Church programs. This revenue is used to either increase or maintain the existing infrastructure. Here is the reality that we must sooner than later examine. For whatever the reasons are, the DNA of today’s traditional church is often locked in to operating with an inward focus more so than an outward focus. For those churches who are multiplying by equipping and commissioning their marketplace people, praise God for you! Please continue on! However, my guess is that you are working against a system and an operating infrastructure that is like the slow moving oil tanker we mentioned earlier. If that is the case, then the key question once again becomes "what then shall we do to more effectively multiply the Kingdom of God as the body of Christ through those who are strategically placed in the marketplace?"
Most businesses, if not all of them, have no choice but to operate with a mindset that focuses on multiplication and distribution of their products and services. If they don’t build, develop and multiply these things in some form, then the revenue is affected, business activity goes away, and ultimately, the business itself goes away. Ironically, whether a church is growing and multiplying in the ways that God intended or not, it can still be funded depending on the donors and donations that bring the financial support into its operation. There are some churches that are thriving, yet their operating model is inward, and the new membership that comes into their church are transfers from other churches, with very few new converts, if any. Please don’t misunderstand me, we all have observed that there are some tremendous things that are going on in many of our churches across the globe, mine being one of them. However, would we not agree that many if not most of our churches of today, are very busy minding the ship at home and taking care of their people through their programs and activities. In addition, they are slow moving in nature and typically, they just can’t multiply as fast as the business and franchise models that I have observed and studied over the past number of years. So how do we more effectively produce what the scriptures talk about that is the fruit that is 30/60/100 fold, or as stated in John 15:16, how do we produce the "fruit that remains" in the work that we do and in the marketplace where we have been strategically placed?
I would highly encourage you to look more closely at the concept that I brought forth earlier in this writing. Why do I believe so strongly in this concept? For over the past two years, I have personally been involved with a national organization which gathers Christian business owners, Presidents and CEO’s for monthly forums. The objective of this organization is to encourage, equip and commission business owners to multiply the things of the Kingdom of God through their businesses and their business operations. Every one that I work with is incredibly on fire for God and it is extremely powerful for me to see them "impact their worlds" for Jesus as they seek the Lord in regard to their business operations. The monthly forums that we have often serve as a type of "commissioning" process for them which encourages them to keep doing what they are doing, or to help them move into the "newer wineskin" that God has been leading them toward. The "stirring one another to love and good deeds" as stated in Hebrews 10:23-25 has been taking place most every meeting since I have been involved with this process. Case History of Apostolic Community and Apostolic Business Process One of the CEO’s I work with has built a company that operates like a community and has proven to be a powerful example of what I have been talking about throughout this writing. First of all, without really intending to, he has built a leadership infrastructure that houses the 5 fold leadership model of Ephesians 4. He clearly operates in the function of apostle. His C.O.O, one of the Presidents, and myself operate in the function as prophet, mostly independently of each other, but on occasion in concert with each other. He has strategic leaders who operate in the functions of pastor (manager) and teacher (trainer). They have an established and consistent training process that either raises up evangelists (sales and marketing) or enables those who are there who are already operating as evangelists. Second, he has intentionally built an organization that multiplies itself through the products and services that they offer. I have been able to be a part of the process where he has tripled in size over the last three years, and yet they are still very clearly an operating community that could be a great model for kingdom business or a church to either emulate or support in some form.
Each year at his annual community conference where all of his employees and independent contractors attend, he shares his personal testimony with everyone in a powerful and pertinent way. In addition, he has hired a chaplain who serves many of his on site staff through counseling, bible studies and personal ministry. This CEO regularly looks to strategically and generously give to certain ministries that he is connected to either personally or those he has come across through his business operation.
So, what is the point that I am trying to make by discussing this case history? This CEO and his organization are practicing many of the things that I have been discussing in this writing. It is not unusual for him to be approached regularly by his pastors and other ministry leaders to donate dollars as well as operate in a leadership role in certain church activities and programs. Yet, we must ask the question if some of these traditional church activities are truly a good use of his time. Why? Over the time that I have worked with him and his company, it has tripled in size, their products and services are continuing to be distributed and multiplied, they have provided a community with an atmosphere of life, a number of employee salvations has resulted, and the growth and sanctification process of the believers who work in his company has certainly been taking place in unique and encouraging ways. The multiplication of the Kingdom of God is truly a reality with his business operation, yet he is constantly being asked by well intentioned church leaders to pull away from what he does best and participate in their "pastor centers" activities and programs. None of his pastors have ever been on site in his company to encourage, affirm and commission him in the remarkable things that God is doing in his company. I believe that if pastors would just take the time to go and visit on site some of their entrepreneurs (apostles), they would be greatly encouraged to see prayer, ministry, and multiplication of the Kingdom of God as a regular occurrence which needs to continue on!
Allow me to give you another example which will stir your heart and challenge you as well. One of the other CEO’s that I work with has established and operated a factory in China for over five years now. For nearly twenty years, he has had a sales operation in the United States that sells items their factory produces. This strategy was the key factor that launched the factory in the first place. Since the factory opened in China, there has been the following fruit with the Chinese employees whom they have employed:
1) Over 30 salvations
2) Their employees earn three times the wage that they previously had elsewhere
3) Health Insurance for the employee and their family
4) On site worship, praise and bible study at the factory on a regular basis
These are two examples which effectively manifest the "multiplying DNA" of the Kingdom of God as described by Jesus when He said that "Kingdom of God is like leaven" and that it is meant to truly spread and multiply. When I look at these two kingdom business examples, I see the "Church" (as I believe God intended) operating and multiplying. If a typical North American church were to produce fruit like either of these two examples, we would be applauding on Sunday morning! It is truly good fruit! Now is the time to produce more of it! However, the answer is not to try and bring examples like this into the four wall confines of the church operation, but rather for the people and the resources of the church to help facilitate the rising up of the "living stones" that are already strategically placed in the marketplace.
So that brings us back to the key question of "what then shall we do?" If we are truly followers of Jesus Christ, none of us would be excited about a church that is static in nature with little or no multiplication of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. If we are to have a biblical view of the way that the church and the things of God multiply, then we must come to grips with the truth that many of the things that we traditionally do are not necessarily the most effective multipliers of the Kingdom, and in some instances, even work against and hinder the progress of "His Kingdom come and His will to be done".
There is another truth that many in the North American church culture must examine. I don’t believe that many of our typical "church programs" are the most effective way of multiplying the things of the Kingdom. I have been a "first hand observer" of business owners and entrepreneurs who are either frustrated or have retreated from the church culture of today. More "professional ministers" who build "pastor centers" or "teaching centers" is not the answer for connecting with the people in the marketplace and more effectively multiplying the things of the Kingdom. Just take a look at what happened in the book of Acts. The powerful birth of the Church in Acts 2 was about relationship building and community building around the exaltation of Jesus as Lord. As mentioned before, it strategically was started by the Holy Spirit with twelve businessmen and then an additional 3000 business people on the day of Pentecost. Ministry to the sick, to the oppressed, and to the lost became the operational mode of the day for these people of God right where they were placed through the business that they were doing and the everyday life they were living.
Equipping, encouraging and empowering the followers of Jesus are the things that I see in Ephesians 4. Divine order is what I also see. Operating in the 5 Fold Leadership process is what I see as vital to those who will be participating in the greater things to come as we move toward the final days that Peter talked about two thousand years ago. Repentance is part of "preparing the way" for Jesus to return. Moving from wrong thinking to right thinking is more vital than ever during these times. Moving from words to actions is the challenge for every follower of Jesus, both in their individual identity as well as for the "church universal".
Labels: C12 Group, Joe Galindo
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What’s ahead for your Business in 2011?
Guest post from the C12 Group - As we approach year-end in our businesses, we specifically want to do
two things: (1) encourage you as you look towards the next year and (2) exhort
you to think strategically about
2011.
Continue reading 'What’s ahead for your Business in 2011?'
Let’s begin by remembering that our God is sovereign, awesome and
limitless! Sure, 2010 has been a very
difficult year, at least economically, for many of us. Further, there remain many troubling unknowns
as we attempt to peer into 2011. Of course this is always true, as even
life itself is uncertain, but our God doesn’t change and He isn’t surprised or
limited by economic circumstances.
Further, He knew precisely that things would be as they are when He
chose to call us in our current places, roles, and at this very time, as His
Ambassadors! Remember… He will always provide all we need to do all He
wants, so be of good cheer! Press
on! If you’re in Christ, you’re in good
hands!
Second, this time of the year tends to be a bit slower for those of us
not in the retail trade and it’s a great time for thinking strategically and
planfully about the year soon to begin.
The value of stepping back to think strategically about our businesses
really can’t be overestimated. Even in
fast-changing markets where 5-year plans seem unimaginable, a solid plan for
the next year that’s owned by the entire team and reflects sound information
and assumptions is a priceless baseline.
In a time when so few plan, and so
many simply just react, taking the time to reflect even on just a handful
of the basic and critical elements of our business can pay huge dividends.
In our C12 group meetings, we offer each member the annual opportunity
to present their life and company’s situation and to share their business plan
with their peers for critical review and input.
The group acts as a council of advisors.
As a trustworthy personal board, fellow members give extremely
thoughtful and valuable feedback to the presenting member, reflecting their
collective experience and godly wisdom.
Many millions of dollars are gained or saved every year through this
process in C12 groups across America.
You may not currently be a C12 Group member or have a group of
trustworthy peer advisors with whom you can bounce issues and ideas
around. This resource is certainly
valuable in its own right, but C12 members are also greatly helped by simply
being intentional in taking the steps necessary to prepare to engage their
peers. C12 members tell us that properly
defining and framing the issues, problems and opportunities is a huge value to them
and helps to tee-up key questions and alternative solutions as a part of the
presentation process. Just thinking
through how they will present and defend their key issues and plans is a
powerfully beneficial practice.
Imagine that you’ll be presenting your answers for peer-review as you
think through the following key questions:
§
Given where you are as 2010 closes, where do you
want to be a year from now?
§
What has to change for this to happen? Increase sales? Cut costs?
Grow margin? New product(s)? Remove internal stumbling blocks and
obstacles? How?
§
Do you currently have the right people in the
right seats to enable this to happen?
Obviously, there are many more important issues and details related to
these broad questions. But for most of us,
a small upfront investment of time and effort here can net real gain. A brief, but well thought-out, plan is
exponentially better than no plan at all.
The reality is that if we don’t
change our direction, we’re likely to end up where we’re heading!
Labels: C12 Group
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Take this Job and Love it
Whoa!
First of all, anyone who quits a job in this economy is not thinking straight. Certainly, there are thousands of other flight attendants who are doing just fine and would never think to quit. But there are two sides to every job and it comes down to our attitudes. That's why two people can do exactly the same work and have two totally different opinions.
How many nights have you stretched out on your bed, wide awake, replaying the day’s events? You recall the criticisms being thrown around, the personality clashes, the seemingly impossible deadlines, and the overbearing bosses.Then a thought begins to worm its way in between your ears. An innocent notion that flies in from out of nowhere, just a quiet whisper, “I’ve got to find something better.” And for some of us this errant thought can take on a much darker tone.
Many of us can hear Johnny Paycheck singing somewhere in the background.
Have you ever thought about just getting up and quitting a job, no matter what the consequences? Or, have you had a job you were thinking about quitting, but hung in there and stuck it out, choosing to "take this job, and love it."
Labels: RedLetterBelievers
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People At Work: Preparing To Be The Whole Church
The Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization is a global gathering of leaders from around the world. A few weeks ago, the third congress was held in Cape Town.
Many who attended mentioned there wasn't anything new presented in the area of Work as Worship but I thought I'd share a few links to some videos and papers from the congress.
Willy Kotiuga presented the paper, People At Work: Preparing To Be The Whole Church.
About the Paper:
One of the largest ‘unactivated’ peoples’ groups that spans across all nations and continents is the workplace where most of the world’s populations is actively engaged in earning income to support their families. Within all segments of the workplace are believers who have a personal relationship with God. Some are extremely effective in using their workplace to invite others to join them on their journey while for others work is a place where faith shapes their behavior but not much more. The fields are ripe unto harvest and in the workplace there are many harvesters but only a small percentage are fully engaged in proclaiming hope to a world looking for hope.
While there is little disagreement on the theology of being salt and light where we are planted, the reality of our current situation is that we have fallen short in our passion to live out our responsibility to declare Jesus Christ as Savior. In this paper we explore where we are today, highlight the many positive developments in workplace ministry and look at the barriers to getting where God would like us to be so that there is sustainable development in properly equipping the believers in the workplace to do what God has called them to do.http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/conversations/detail/10380
Labels: Cape Town, Lausanne World Pulse, Willy Kotiuga
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How to Get Businesspeople into Missions by Access Partners
Most churches already understand how they can support missions through prayer and financial support. Yet many churches overlook how members can put their business skills to work for the sake of overseas missions. Not only that, but it's the members with real business skills who may provide the best access for Christians to obtain access to closed or restricted countries.
Have you heard of something called business as missions?
WHAT IS BUSINESS AS MISSIONS?
What is it? Business-as-Missions (BAM) is about creating legitimate businesses that enable church planting in areas that would otherwise be closed to evangelism.
BAM is needed today because it is increasingly difficult for church planters to live and share the gospel in many countries around the world. Think places such as Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and China, where governments continue to crack down on mission work. If we make it our "ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named" (Rom. 15:20), then we need to help church planters find creative means for gaining access into these countries.
Fortunately, governments welcome business. They value the investment and the jobs that businesses bring. Being identified with a business also helps church planters to be more accepted in their community as they operate in cultures whose understanding of "missionaries" dates back to the Crusades.
HOW CAN LOCAL CHURCHES BE INVOLVED IN BAM?
Even as the task of church planting belongs to the local church, so the task of BAM also is one that is finally rooted in the local church. How can local churches get involved?
Raise up fruitful businesspeople who are passionate for the gospel
Churches should raise up mature and faithful businesspeople in their congregations, people whose lives are fruitful regardless of where they are in the States or overseas. Businesspeople should be discipled and encouraged to be discipling and sharing the gospel with others.
This doesn't mean developing a program per se, but rather cultivating a culture that encourages members as a whole in the task of missions. Concern for the spread of the gospel should not be limited to a missions committee or a few members; rather, the whole church should be involved in supporting their church planters.
At the same time, it is all too easy for businesspeople to think they are competent and qualified simply because they are good businesspeople. However, they will find out quickly that their experience, though helpful, is not directly transferable to BAM projects. Given the church planting focus of BAM and the fact that most restricted countries are usually developing countries with unfriendly business climates, businesspeople must be flexible and approach situations with a learner's attitude. Churches should thus filter their ranks of businesspeople for the right combination of experience and humility.
Involve businesspeople in specific opportunities
Businesspeople can be involved with BAM several ways. Let me highlight three. The first two can be done at home while the third, which is the most effective, must be done overseas.
1) Businesspeople can be consultants for a business project.
Church planting teams who desire to establish a business need help in developing a business plan, launching the business, and running the business. At Access Partners, a group that I work for which helps to foster sustainable business development for the sake of church planting in restricted areas, we have broken down the business development process for a BAM company into 6 discrete steps:
Discovery: defining a potential business opportunity
Exploration: determining the viability of such an opportunity (including a preliminary business plan)
Pre-Launch: preparing for launch through doing paperwork, raising funds, and recruiting personnel
Launch: beginning operations
Growth: on-going support
Transition: defining an exit strategy
Each step has a way to involve businesspeople. For example, a member of Solid Rock Church helped us develop a business plan for a training center. Another member of Covenant Life Church mentors a sales director for a coffee business that we support.
Consultation can occur from a person's home city or through a short-term trip. We have done both.
2) Business owners can extend their operations overseas.
Church planters need legitimate pre-existing businesses. It is difficult to start a new company in the U.S., one of the most business friendly countries in the world, it's nearly impossible in the kinds of countries that restrict the spread of the gospel, such as Pakistan, Vietnam, or Yemen. Such countries not only are developing, with limited infrastructure, but also have corrupt business practices and huge amounts of government red tape.
One solution is to partner with existing businesses to support these church planters. If you have business owners in your church, encourage them to look for ways to use their business in a way that supports church planters overseas. The goal is not for these new overseas branch offices to be wildly profitable; however, they should at least be close to breakeven in order that the business is able to support their on-going operations.
3) Churches can encourage their businesspeople to move overseas and run a BAM company themselves.
The biggest need in BAM is the right people. Too often, businesses are run by church planters who are both unqualified and not uninterested in running a business. We believe the solution is to recruit seasoned and experienced businesspeople who will go overseas.
At Access Partners, we have a Business Directors program in which we recruit such people. We look for businesspeople to partner with a church planting team and manage the team's business operations, freeing up the rest of the team to pursue their church planting focus.
A note of caution: filter the missions teams that you support so that you are sure they have a church planting strategy that is biblical. Simply because a team is doing business does not mean they should be supported. We recommend establishing long-term relationships where you know the church planters personally. Ideally, you should help members of your church whom you have sent out.
A GOSPEL OPPORTUNITY
Given government restrictions at the present, BAM presents an opportunity to encourage new partnerships in our churches in an increasingly important and strategic way for the gospel. May God use the whole church to bring the whole gospel to the whole world!
The author of this article is the executive director of Access Partners. For more about Access Partners, visit www.access1040.com.
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