The Integrated life

What if we could resolve the exhausting struggle between work, family, and spiritual life? What if we recognized a dep connection between faith and business? What if we could see our everyday work as ministry that has spiritual value? and What if God were even involved as an everyday partner in our work? Experience the Integrated Life... Ken Eldred, in his new book The Integrated L...

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Kingdom business is purpose-driven business

Kingdom business is purpose-driven business. It is business pursued with a goal of achieving spiritual, economic and social transformation in individuals and nations. Dr. David Yonggi Cho, from the forward of God is at Work, by Ken Eldri...

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How Small Ministries Can find Partners to Do Big Things- The 755 Network

If a ministry looks at it's calling and resources in three ways, (1) - Pick one of 7 Categories of how they intend to influence the world for God's kingdom, (2) - Pick one of  5 areas of  Christian Saturation where they intend to serve, and (3) - Pick one of  5 roles they are called and willing to play  the organization can make good decisions about what kinds of work projects they want to engage in, and who they should partner with. If a number of small groups do this together, they become - a 755 network. A Real Life Case Study: Banda Ache and the Tsunami Its January, 2005, Lewisville, Texas, two days after the worst tsunami in living memory devastates the Banda Aceh region of Java, Indonesia. Reporters on the scene said the area resembled pictures of Hiroshima...

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Biblical Enterprise is not a Work Toward Salvation, It is A Fruit of Salvation

Do not give your business life in an effort to help you earn your salvation. Your work, your enterprise is a fruite of Gratitude for the salvation he gave you, that you did not earn...

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Post Denominational Missions

A decade ago, there was controversey over whether American churches had entered a post-deominational period. As shown by this article, the consensus appeared to be that denominational affiliation was strong; however, since that time, it seems that some of the most prolific religious activites have grown outside denominational affiliations.  Post denominationalism was discussed, in some confusion by people trying to find out what Sarah Palin believed in 2008. Since I find no definition that makes sense, I will provide one: "Post-denominational"  , or postdenominiational, or "post denominational" attempts to identify a period of general decline of centralized infulence among mostly protestant Christian denominations. This neither creates a meta-denomination, nor a...

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The Theology of Serving God - The Ministry of Enterprise

Service to God must be done out gratitude for his love and mercy, not to earn a passport to heaven or even in repayment of a passport to heaven. So every part of our service portfolio is in gratitude. Our Service in Enterprise, in church (which is our refuge, not our biosphere) every interaction with every person at anytime. Am I really called to service right now, right were I am?\ You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of  God, who called you. (1 Peter 2:9 GW). Now you belong to him ... in order that you might be useful in the service of God." Romans 7:4 TEV Is everyone called to service?  9, 26; 7:17; Philippians 3:14; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:3) Why was I called to service? Did I earn the Job? Now you belong to him ... in order that you might be useful...

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America a Christian or Islamic Nation?

Someone near and dear to me recently asked me to check out the rumors that President Obama was turning this nation into a Muslim Nation instead of a Christian Nation. I shared the following: In 2009 Obama Signed the proclamation for the day of prayer but decided to not to hold a public meeting in the white house He will again did not hold a white house prayer meeting in 2010., though The national day of prayer is still in place, but not supported by a White house meeting. Obama did say that we are a secular Country  As a Christ follower I am saddened, but not particularly worried about these events because The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD;  he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. (Proverbs 2:1). I personally value the fact that my country's leaders, which...

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Charles Spurgeon on Prosperity

“Moab settled on his lees, he hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel.” Give a man wealth; let his ships bring home continually rich freights; let the winds and waves appear to be his servants to bear his vessels across the bosom of the mighty deep; let his lands yield abundantly: let the weather be propitious to his crops; let uninterrupted success attend him; let him stand among men as a successful merchant; let him enjoy continued health; allow him with braced nerve and brilliant eye to march through the world, and live happily; give him the buoyant spirit; let him have the song perpetually on his lips; let his eye be ever sparkling with joy—and the natural consequence of such an easy state to any man, let him be the best Christian who ever breathed, will be presumption; even David...

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Operating Agreements for L3Cs

(Excerpt from L3C Discussion) It must be remembered that an L3C is a variant form of an LLC and that an LLC is essentially a partnership with corporate protection. Therefore, within the constraints of the laws of the states within which the organization is organized and or headquartered there may or may not be certain requirements for items that must be included within the operating agreement. It is also important to remember that the operating agreement should clearly state the charitable purposes of the L3C and how they will be executed. A foundation member is apt to want to include assurances that the L3C will stay true to its mission. The number of investment tranches used and the returns indicated in these sample agreements are strictly for illustration purposes only. At all times,...

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Church - Work Word TripUps Create Barriers

Here are some terminology that subtly reveals some pastor's view of the workplace. Really, its a double entendre  "Reach out and redeem your work." Workplace Ministry as an Out Reach. The term outreach implies that any activity the church undertakes is to reach out of it's ideal, cloistered atmosphere, and retrieve people from the workplace, bringing them into the church. While this may be a helpful term to church program developers, to business people it suggests a generation old concept that creates passive Christians in the workplace. It suggests that if you meet someone at work and convince them to go to your church, you...

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Low Profit Limited Liability Company (L3C), a Business as MIssion Start up Solution

There is an emerging company in the US called the Low Profit Limited Liability Company (L3C). I believe that this company structure can resolve the problems we have experienced when investor try to give grant start up money to for profit companies.... Check this out. Lee Royal *************** A low-profit limited liability company (L3C) is a legal form of business entity in the United States that was created to bridge the gap between non-profit and for-profit investing by providing a structure that facilitates investments in socially beneficial, for-profit ventures while simplifying compliance with Internal Revenue Service rules for "Program Related Investments". Contents [hide] 1 Background 2 Legal Structure 3 Capital Structure 4 Tax Implications 5 Advantages 6 Applications 7 Legislation...

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Haiti Update for Relief Teams

 USAID put out This map on 2/26/2010 shows the current status of  aid to Haiti Earthquaqe relief. If you are planning a mission trip or a BAM activity for Haiti Relief, you need this map. On January 25, the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) coordinated the donation of USAID/OFDA-funded U.S. urban search and rescue (USAR) tent supplies to the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and area hospitals, including a total of seven tents to the University of Miami field hospital at the Port-au-Prince airport and the Port-au-Prince General Hospital and three tents to the Foyer L’Escale Orphanage in northern Port-au-Prince. UNICEF...

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BAM Survey Conclusions Still Relevant

What follows below my comments is an excerpt from a 2007 BAM Study from Kervin Ring's site. The survey sample size was a bit small (497 people in 38 countries), but the conclusions remain useful. It appears that, at the time of the survey, at least among survey participants, 10% may have been involved in "creative access" business ventures, and that the remaining 90% had a significant negative response to those who engage in creative access business. It is  a personal observation that now, three years later, most "creative aceess" ventures have either failed or become transparent. The premise of these...

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Business as Mission Books

Suggested Reading on Kingdom Business As compiled by and with acknowledgement to Regent College Books Befus, David R. (2002). Kingdom business: The ministry of promoting economic development. Miami: Latin America Mission. Befus writes from his experience in integrating ministry with economic activity and presents five models of integration. There are both Spanish and English translations. Burkett, Larry (1998). Business by the Book: The complete guide of Biblical principles for the workplace. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Practical advice for how to apply Biblical principles to business operation and management. Bussau, David, and Russell Mask (2003). Christian micro enterprise development: An introduction. Regnum Books. A handbook to equip practitioners and donors to build...

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WHAT IS BUSINESS AS MISSION?

 A group of global Christian business leaders got together in 2004 and developed an historic working document, the Lusassane Occasional Paper 59 guiding an emerging concept called Business as Mission ( BAM. Luassane leaders recongized that this was different from Tentmaking Some BAM pioneering events and organizations which followed were: The YWAM BAM Initiative Conferences like the ICBMI and Urbana  Global Advance The Business as Mission Network The Regent Center for Entrepreneurship The Break Through To People Network The first acheivement of the authors of Lusassane Occasional Paper 59 was to define what BAM was, was and...

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