Low Profit Limited Liability Corporation ( L3C) Update

I believe Low Profit Limited Liability Corporations (L3Cs),  are key entities that will allow believers to fund  BAM initiatives in mission environments.. L3Cs are entities that may allow Corporations to Fund Entrepreneurial Projects and yet still receive Charitable Contribution tax credits. It's  still complicated to set up, but there is legislation pending, the PRIs Promotion Act, which is aimed at making funding of  BAM and other social enterprise start ups easier. The following article is an update on the status of the L3C and the legislation. ******************************** by  Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of the Council on Foundations. Earlier this year, Americans for Community Development held its inaugural conference, “L3C...

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From the Regeny

Three Kingdom Business/Business as Misssion related books Reinventing the Wheel: A New Spin on American Business Leadership By Jonathan D. McDowell  As America loses faith in current models of leadership, the current need for a new type of leadership is described. A reinvention of leadership is suggested through the use of Romans 12:9-21 as a baseline. After laying that foundation, three foci for a leader are outlined: Purpose, Community and Fortitude. These ideas from contemporary business thought are then applied to business with the text of Romans 12:9-21. The result is what a reinvented American business leader should aim to achieve in personal and organizational leadership.  Servant Leader Workplace Spiritual Intelligence: A Shield of Protection from Workplace Stress By...

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Is My Business Labor an Act of Worship?

The word "ministry" carries different meanings depending who's using it and what's being described. In the last decade, there's a movement among some workplace-based believers who pursue business labor as an act of worship.One of the names the movement carries is  Business as Mission (BAM). People involved in Business as Mission, Workplace Ministry, "tentmaking", church planting, Kingdom Business Professionals, Great Commission Companies use the word ministry in a way that appears to carry  a different meaning than when the word "ministry" is used by clergy. Some clergy participating in BAM discussions cautiously explore what BAM people mean by the word "ministry". Some questions they ask are: Do you mean...

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5 Christian owned Companies Uncomfortable With BAM

Christian entrepreneurs who own some kinds of businesses will become uncomfortable the deeper they get into Business as Mission. BAM Questions the world view that make them successful,and when they ask the hard questions, they must either embrace BAM  or turn away from it. People who own these five kinds of businesses will be challenged by real  BAM concepts: 1. Business by The World's Book :Acknowledge Responsibility only to the law and shareholders. Shareholders are majority Christian but exert not influence or do not believe they are accountable for the actions of the company. 2. Old School Sacred/Secular Separatists: Businesses who's Christian owners believe that business is inherently "old nature", and they separate secular and sacred activities and...

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Does BAM Pursue Business Success or Business Fruit?

- (David Skews )The best thing I ever saw on success in the 30 years I have worked as a business owner grappling with the challenges (both business and spiritual) of taking a small business (survival) to a medium one (health and growth) and now to transaction while balancing a heart for mission - was from Henri Nouwen, it went like this... "There is a great difference between successfulness and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control, and respectability. A successful person has the energy to create something, to keep control over its development, and to make it available in large quantities. Success brings many rewards and often fame. Fruits, however, come from weakness and vulnerability. And fruits are unique. A child is the fruit conceived in vulnerability, community is the fruit...

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The Actions of Living A Surrendered Work Life

How do I inhabit my new life as a fully empowered ambassador of Christ in the business world? A little word study of Colossians 3: 1-18 Deliberately choose to set your mind on things going on in the spiritual world, in God's kingdom, in the heavenlies, things above the things being acted out in the natural world. Because you'r dead to the natural world, and are hidden away in Christ. When Christ is revealed, you will be too. So...... Make a well reasoned and thoughtful decision to categorize your earthly parts as dead, as unresponsive to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (If my body is conditioned to reflexively respond to to those things, it amounts to being a slave to, or worshiping those things) Why is this important? Because, it's those things that bring...

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A BAM Awakening

Have you ever felt as a business person or professional that you’re about the only person in church who hasn’t got something to offer mission? I certainly did. I can remember watching teachers, builders, medics, plumbers, electricians, cooks, parents, social workers and all other manner of other people being exhorted to get involved in short-term mission trips. Along with the others who were seen as ‘business people’, ‘office workers’, ‘consultants’ or ‘professionals’, I was exhorted to get involved too, but only by contributing money. We were left with the sense of being second class, good for nothing but tithing and bringing work colleagues along to church events. Little did I know the journey of learning that God had in store for me. The Rest @ YWAM ...

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Three Moments in time

Over 2000 years God brought forth the pivot point in his plan to restore, Mankind, his most favored creation to himself. He did this in three moments, in the birth, the death and the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ. We have since been engaged in a great presentation of these facts and their purpose to the world. He that originally enslaved us, separating us from God in the beginning, received his death blow in those three moments in time. Still, in his death throws, this enemy of God and man resists in every possible way the presentation of these facts, of this great news, in every possible corner of the earth. This struggle will not end until every nation has heard this good news and individuals have chosen to accept or reject the Gift. And so we serve in this battle-field...

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Clarifying the 7 Mountains - 10 Principles

What REALLY is the 7 Mountain Message? from Os Hillman on Vimeo. *************** (Lee Royal, 5-27-2011) The Seven Mountains Strategy is Not: A theology,  Owned by Christian Reconstruction-ism Designed to part of a war plan used by "Dominion Theologists"  The Seven Mountains Strategy is: A simple organizational strategy for bringing the full message of Christ  across a wide cultural spectrum. It illustrates that believers are called to influence individuals at different places in time and culture It helps believers value gifts used by people in other areas to reach people It is a helpful strategy now, but like any strategy it will fall by the wayside when it is no longer helpful,   (for example, during the "Great Awakenings" tent...

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25 BAM Lessons Learned

I was part of a BAM Environmental Engineering business called Paradigm Engineering Owned By Johnny and Karen Combs. Their vision was to operated a kingdom Business. I served several roles there, including Human Resources and Community Services Officer. I was the Business as Mission Officer for the company. We collaborated with many pioneering BAM organizations,as well as doing our own activity. What follows is a quick summary of some lessons learned about BAM. Background of  the Paradigm Engineering BAM Movement Many people in leadership came from Baptist and Bible Church backgrounds; however, since the Business was not affiliated in anyway with any particular mission group, we were able to cross mission  organization boundaries well.  We partnered with...

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What is Business as Mission? ( BAM )

First, BAM or Business as Mission is the idea that there is a "calling" to business. Why, how and where do carry out my calling? How do I interaction with other people in the Body of Christ? How do I connect? Here is a brief introduction. In 2004 a group of  believing global business leaders gathered, and after much prayer and work, wrote  The Lausanne Occasional Paper 54 They said that God is at work in a new way, all over the world, both in the market place and in the Church. This dynamic movement within the Body of Christ is based  on God’s love for the world and His call to His Church.  It is a new wave of activity that is closely linked with the work of the Holy Spirit throughout history.  It is a relevant strategy for the 21st century....

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My Calling to be Both Leader and Follower

The Holy Spirit's strategic vision comes by inspiration to those leading in their place of calling. In most other places in the Body of Christ, everyone is called to wash feet, in skillful and excellent ways, at the direction of others. It is rare that any believer is called to be the head of  the body in many different places of service. Watch what happens when a business Shepherd tries to create a strategic vision for a Church Shepard, or a Church Shepard tries to create a strategic vision for a Business Shepherd . Discord  and Chaos. I Corinthians 12:7 -27: Lays these principles out.... The problem is I see my own calling and gifting as being the main effort that advances the kingdom of God, and that all others are called...

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The Call of Christ to Business

I recently read a great statement of the enterprising ministry of a beliver called to business. "My business is my mission. It is not a cover to sneak in someplace it is an expression of who I am. In the process of doing business with excellence and being genuine, I will have influence in whatever culture I'm in. As people observe our Christ-like behavior they will ask us why we do things the way we do them. This will lead us into a natural conversation of our faith. Our business behavior, that is, fair prices, integrity in our advertising, going the extra mile and being willing to take a loss rather than take advantage of someone, will lead to natural opportunities to share our faith. Jeff Tester...

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Moving Through The Valley of Tears and the Matt 6:1-4 Group

Moving through the Valley of Tears, one outpost at a time on pilgrimage to the city of refuge. God has provided natural springs along the way, and unexpected Autumn rain from a group named Matthew 6:1-4. “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. I thank you, who ever you are,...

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My Fruit in the Space and Time God Gives Me

 It's a profound mystery that God uses broken people to advance his kingdom. There is an amazing continuity of believers before you and me, and believers coming after us that God uses to advance His Kingdom. Therefore, as followers of the way , we have been given a God-ordained space in the lineage of his Kingdom.  The question is, what am I doing with my work of gratitude, in my space in time? Whether I am called to the ministry of enterprise, in the for profit or the non-profit world, I have things to do to advance his kingdom. Small things, large things, long and short things. What am I doing with the moments He has created for me? like Joel Gregory once said, "We're obsessed by trivial things, and miss the monumental things." It...

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BAM's Four Components

Business As Mission (BAM) has four core components. First, it involves the creation of a business controlled by Great Commission minded owners and senior management who seek to glorify God with every aspect of the their business operation. This eliminates Tentmaking which focuses on individual impact rather than the business impact. Second, it has profit (or at least sustainability) as a goal. This eliminates business "platforms" and other ministries and NGOs which cannot operate without donor funds. Third, it exists primarily to advance the gospel among less reached peoples of the world. This eliminates marketplace ministries which are typically not cross-cultural in emphasis. Fourth, it is socially responsible; it does not seek profit at any cost. Restricting our definition in this...

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Ten Principles For Enterprising Ministry Leadership

Principle One: The workplace is the primary appointed place of ministry for those called to Enterprising Ministry leadership. The Marketplace is the is field ripe for harvest, the church building is the seed store. We some times operate as if the workplace is the seed store and the church building is the field for harvest. We are the workers, the church leadership is delighted to be the equippers of  workplace saints. Principle Two: Enterprise without profit is like a local church without the gospel.  Even non-profit enterprises must generate more income than they spend to invest in stability and growth. An enterprising ministry that spends more than it takes in looks and sounds good, but it is no more than a representation...

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