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 Christ’s Kingdom through Christian MED.

Chan, Kim-kwong, and Tetsauno Yamamori (2002).
Holistice entrepreneurs in China: A handbook on the World Trade Organization and new opportunities for Christians.
Pasadena, CA.: William Carey International University Press.
Practical information on the economic changes taking place in China and the opportunities for Christian business entrepreneurs being created.

Danker, William J., Beaver. R. Pierce ().
Profit for the lord: Economic activities in Moravian missions and the basel mission trading company.

De Soto, Hernando (2000).
The Mystery of capital, why capitalism triumphs in the West and fails everywhere else.
New York, NY: Basis Books.
Examines the problem of why some countries succeed at capitalism and others fail. He finds a link to the legal structure of property and property rights of each nation.

Eldred, Ken (2003).
God Is At Work: Transforming people and nations through business.
Ventura, CA: Regal Books
Deals with Kingdom business as an emerging mission movement, one in which Christian business people are meeting significant spiritual and economic needs in the developing world. They are pursuing for-profit business ventures designed to facilitate the transformation of people and nations. There are both Spanish and English translations

Gibson, Dan (1997).
Avoiding the tentmaker trap. Ontario, Canada: WEC International.
Practical guidance for the prospective tentmaker, including a comprehensive resource list of books and organizations.

Greene, Mark (2001).
Supporting Christians at work: A practical guide for busy pastors.
London: London Institute for Contemporary Christianity

Grudem, Wayne (2003).
Business for the Glory of God: The Bibles Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway.)
Examines how business, in particular ownership, employment, profit, money, inequality of possessions, competition etc. may glorify God.

Hamilton, Don (1987).
Tentmakers Speak: Practical Advice from Over 400 Missionary Tentmakers. Duarte, CA.: TMQ Research, 1987.
Research led book sharing insights from tentmakers’ real life experiences.

Hammond, Pete, R. Paul Stevens and Todd Svanoe (2002).
Marketplace Annotated Bibliography: A Christian Guide to Books on Work, Business and Vocation. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Comprehensive listing of 1200 books on marketplace-faith integration. The authors include a historical survey of the marketplace-faith movement and a variety of thematic indexes.

Hill, Dr. Alexander (1997).
Just Business - Christian Ethics for the Marketplace. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.
An introduction to business ethics and help for examining ethical issues that arise in any business development context.

Humphreys, Kent (2004).
Lasting investments: A pastor’s guide for equipping workplace leaders to leave a spiritual legacy. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
Rediscovering the common goals and visions that pastors and workplace leaders share.

Knoblauch, Jorg and Jurg Opprecht (2004).
Kingdom Companies: How 24 Executives Around the Globe Serve Jesus Christ Through Their Businesses. Self published.
Introduces kingdom companies - those businesses that operate on biblical values and as a means of spreading the gospel. Highlights principles for kingdom companies through short company profiles.

Lai, Patrick (2003).
Window businesses: Doing tentmaking in the 10/40 window. Pasadena, CA: William Carey International University Press.
Practical guide for starting businesses as a tentmaker in countries at various economic stages.

Lewis, Jonathan, ed. (1997).
Working your way to the nations: A guide to effective tentmaking. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
A study guide and handbook on tentmaking, with a series of practical essays by experienced specialists. Available at http://www.tentmakernet.com – free to download in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean and Arabic.

Myers, Bryant (1999).
Walking with the poor: Principles and practices of transformational development., (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis.)Theological basis for economic development and holistic mission, with discussion on the application of these principles.

Nash, Laura, Ken Blanchard and Scotty McLennan (2001).
Church on sunday, work on monday: The challenge of fusing Christian values with business life. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
A guide to improving communication between the worlds of church and business. The authors draw on extensive research including case studies and interviews, and define the obstacles to such communication.

Novak, Michael (1996).
Business as a calling: work and the examined life. New York, NY: The Free Press.
Examines the interplay between religion and business and the effect on the moral and social condition of a nation.

Olsen, J. Gunnar (2004).
Business unlimited: Memories of the coming kingdom, (ICCC, 2002: Scandinavia Publishing House.
The autobiography of Gunnar Olson, founder of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce. A story of an intimate walk with God which has lead to the author being used to influence nations.

Prahalad, C.K. (2005).
The fortune at the bottom of the pyramid: Eradicating poverty through profits. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing.
The relationship between business and development in developing nations. Examining the entrepreneurial ability and buying power of the poor.

Rundle, Steve, and Tom Steffen (2003).
Great Commission Companies: The emerging role of business in missions. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Introduces principles for Great Commission Companies in the context of globalization. Provides five case studies from businesses involved in mission.

Silvoso, Ed (2002).
Anointed for business: How Christians can use their influence in the marketplace to change the world. Ventura, California: Regal.
Silvoso shows how ministry in the marketplace should go hand in hand with building God’s kingdom and transforming society. He urges the church to overcome the barriers that remain to integrating business and ministry.

Schlossberg, Herbert, Ronald J. Sider and Vinay Samuel, Eds. (1994).
Christianity and economics in the Post-cold war era. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Developed from the second Oxford Conference on Christian faith and economics, this book reproduces the 1990 Oxford Declaration itself and eleven critical responses on the subject of Christian faith and economics.

Suter, Heinz and Dr. Marco Gmur (1997).
Business Power for God’s Purpose. Greng, Switz.:VKG Publishing.
Introduction to the role of business in the task of world evangelization, including history and ethics and some cases.

Swarr, Sharon B. and Dwight Nordstrom (1999).
Transform the world: Biblical vision and purpose for business. Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development.
A Biblical introduction to the domain of business followed by some practical guides and principles for developing ‘Great Commission businesses’.

Tsukahira, Peter (2000).
My father’s business. Self-published.
By drawing from his experience as both a pastor and a business leader, Tsukahira gives guidelines for ministry in the marketplace.

Wilson, J. Christy, Jr. (1979).
Today's tentmakers. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale.
Introduction to the idea of tentmaking from one of the founding fathers of the modern tentmaking movement.

Yamamori, Tetsunao (1993).
Penetrating missions' final frontier: A new strategy for unreached people. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Yamamori presents a challenge for tentmakers to go out into places other missionaries cannot, all in the light of the remaining task of world missions.

Yamamori, Tetsunao, and Kenneth A. Eldred, Eds. (2003).
On kingdom business: Transforming missions through entrepreneurial strategies. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
This is a thorough introduction to the concept of Kingdom business from a broad range of experienced contributors, and is divided into three parts: case studies, essays and conclusions.

Articles and Papers:

Befus, D. (2002, April). Kingdom business: A new frontier in missions.
Evangelical Missions Quarterly, 204-209.

Dwight Baker (2001). William Carey and the business model for missions. Unpublished Manuscript.


K.C. Chan and Scott McFarlane (2002, October). Business as missions: Stewardship and leadership development in a global economy at Christian Business Faculty Association annual conference, Northwest Nazarene University.

Davies, Stanley. (2001, October). Business & mission or business as mission: A report by Stanley Davies. Global Connections, London.

Derek Christensen (1997). Training endurance food for serious tenmakers. International Journal of Frontier Missions 14, 3, 133-138.


John Cox (1997). The Tentmaking movement in historical perspective. International Journal of Frontier Missions 14, 3, 111-117.


Denise Daniels, Tim Dearborn, Randel S. Franz, Gary L. Karns, Jeff Van Duzer and Kenman L. Wong (2003, July). Toward a theology of business. The Fifth International Symposium on Catholic Social and Management Education, Bilbao, Spain. -

Judith Dean (2003, January). “Why trade matters for the poor.” The 20th Anniversary Conference Association of Christian Economists, Washington, DC.

Norm Ewert (1992). The role of business enterprise in Christian mission. Transformation 9, 7-14.

Stanley J. Grenz (1999). God’s business: A foundation for Christian mission in the marketplace. Crux 35, 1, 19-25.

Guthrie, S. (1995, November 13). Tentmaking put down stakes in missions movement. Christianity Today, 39, 13, 80(2).

Hammond, A. L., Prahalad, C. K. (2004, May 11). Selling to the poor. FP Foreign Policy.

Patrick Lai (1998). Starting a business in a restricted access nation. International Journal of Frontier Missions 15, 1, 41-46.

Bob Lupton. (2003, August). Markets and missions. EC Institute.

Mark Markiewicz (1999). Business as mission, or how two grocers changed the course of a nation” at Central Asia business consultation. Published by Business Professional Network.

McLoughlin, M. (2001, May). Back to the future of missions: The case for marketplace ministry. Youth with A Mission (YWAM), Marketplace Mission.

Patrick Lai (2000). Tentmaking: In search of a workable definition. Unpublished Manuscript.

David Llewellyn (2004). The witness of work: Business as mission. Unpublished Manuscript.

Scott McFarlane (2004). Six ways to get involved in the business as missions movement. Regent Business Review 11.

Robert Morris (1998). Shrewd yet innocent: Thoughts on tentmaking integrity. International Journal of Frontier Missions 15, 1, 5-8.

Dwight Nordstrom and Jim Nielsen (1998, Janaury-March). How business is integral to tentmaking. International Journal of Frontier Missions 15, 1, 15-18.

J.I. Packer (1990). The Christian’s purpose in business. In Richard C. Chewning, Ed. Biblical Principles and Business: The practice. Colorado Springs: NavPress.

Padilla, C. R. (2000, April-June). Holistic mission: Crossing frontiers to transform lives.

Price, D. J. (1997, July-September). The tentmaker’s mandate. International Journal of Frontier Missions, 14. 3.

Jim Reapsome (1997). Paul: The nonprofessional missionary. Occasional Bulletin.

Steve Rundle (2000). Ministry, profits and the schizophrenic tentmaker. Evangelical Missions Quarterly 36, 3, 292-300.

Steve Rundle and Tom Steffen (2004). Building a Great Commission Company. Regent Business Review 11.

Dr. Kent W. Seibert and Scott McFarlane (2004, October). For the love of business: Demonstrating the reality of God through the practice of business. The 20th Annual Christian Business Faculty Association Conference.

Ruth E. Siemens (1998). Why did Paul make tents? A Biblical basis for tentmaking. GO Paper A-1.

Ruth E. Siemens (1997). The tentmakers and their Churches: Mutual responsibility. GO Paper A-9.

Ruth E. Siemens (1997). The tentmaker’s preparation for work and witness. GO Paper A-5.

Karen Schmidt (1999). Versatile vocation – Using marketplace skills to reach the world for Christ. World Christian, 31-33.

R. Paul Stevens (2001). The marketplace: Mission field or mission. Crux 37, 3, 7-16.

Sharon B. Swarr and Dwight Nordstrom (1999). Best practice for business as missions. Transform the World.

Smith, K. (1998, January-March). Tentmaking: The practical dimension. International Journal of Frontier Missions, 15, 1.

Suter, H., & Gmur, M. (1998, January-March). Business power for God’s purpose. International Journal of Frontier Missions, 15, 1.

Gary Taylor (1998). Don’t call me a tentmaker. International Journal of Frontier Missions 15, 1, 23-24.

Tsukahira, Peter (1997). The business of the kingdom: Guidelines for businessmen and women in the relationship between business and ministry.

Mats Tunehag (2000). Business as mission. Unpublished Manuscript.

John H. Warton, Jr. (2002). Employment and the dignity of life – the economic agenda of the Church. Convention of Christian Businessmen in Panama and Argentina.

J. Christy Wilson, Jr. (1997). Successful tentmaking depends on mission agencies. International Journal of Frontier Missions 14, 3, 141-143.

The Rest @ Now People (Korea)

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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 what it was not, for clarification purposes.

-Lee Royal

Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to briefly clarify a few key terms and
expressions. The descriptions used here are simply to aid us to communicate clearly
and consistently. It is not our aim to create a ‘Business as mission orthodoxy’ or
terminology, or to exclude groups or initiatives that prefer other terms and definitions.

Other expressions commonly used in the movement include ‘transformational
business’, ‘great commission companies’ and ‘kingdom business’. The authors
recognise that in some contexts ‘Business as mission’ is not the most helpful or
preferred term. The expression ‘Business as mission’ itself can be considered a fairly
broad term that encompasses various areas where business and missions connect.
Our terms here are further limited both culturally and linguistically, since this
paper was prepared in English.

We expect alternative expressions to be developed which communicate meaningfully in other languages, and other religious, political and cultural settings. The parameters outlined in this document should beconsidered as a ‘dotted line’ that allows for future change and for anomalies which will force us to reconsider and revise according to the situation and its specific needs.

Business as mission is based on the principle of...HOLISTIC MISSION Holistic mission attempts to bring all aspects of life and godliness into an organic biblical whole. This includes God's concerns for such business related issues as economic development, employment and unemployment, economic justice and the use and distribution of natural and creative resources among the human family.

These are aspects of God’s redemptive work through Jesus Christ and the Church.
Evangelism and social concerns are often still addressed as though they were separate and unrelated from each other. This assumes a divide between what we consider ‘sacred’ or ‘spiritual’ and what we consider ‘secular’ or ‘physical’. The biblical worldview rather is one that promotes an integrated and seamless holistic
view of life. Ministry should not be compartmentalised or fragmented into the ‘spiritual’ and the ‘physical’. Business as mission is an expression of this truly holistic paradigm.

Business is a mission, a calling, a ministry in its own right.

Human activity reflects our divine origin, having been created to be creative, to create good things by good processes, for us to enjoy – with others. Business as mission has a Kingdom of God perspective... KINGDOM BUSINESS

Kingdom businesses start from the theological premise that all Christians have a calling to love and serve God with all of their heart, soul, strength and mind, as well as to love and serve their neighbours. God calls people to work for His kingdom in business just as certainly as He calls people to work in other kinds of
ministry or mission ventures. In this paper, we will often use the term ‘kingdom business’ rather than
‘Business as mission-business’. We recognise the importance of extending God’s kingdom through business in any context. However, we want to highlight the biblical mandate to serve the poor and oppressed, in particular in those areas where the gospel has yet to be received. This will lead us to a focus on cross-cultural activity and should draw our attention to areas of endemic poverty and/or unevangelised communities. We acknowledge that this does not automatically suppose the crossing of international boarders and will be necessary within culturally ‘near’ communities as well.

A function of Business as mission is to act as a catalyst, to inspire and encourage people to get into business and to stay in business, especially in the developing world.

Business as mission is different from but related to...WORKPLACE MINISTRIES

Workplace Ministries are primarily focused on taking the gospel to people where they work, preferably through the witness of co-workers and professional colleagues. These ministries encourage the integration of biblical principles into every aspect of business practice, to the glory of God. Business as mission naturally includes these elements of workplace ministry.

When a workplace ministry is initiated in a business owned by believers to intentionally advance the kingdom of God, there will be substantial overlap.Workplace ministry can choose to limit its focus solely "within" the business context itself. Business as mission is focused both "within" and "through" the business. It seeks to harness the power and resource of business for intentional mission impact in the community or nation at large. Workplace ministry may occur in any setting.

However, Business as mission is intentional about the "to all peoples" mandate, and seeks out areas with the greatest spiritual and physical needs.

Business as mission is different from but related to...TENTMAKING

"Tentmaking" refers principally to the practice of Christian professionals, who support themselves financially by working as employees or by engaging in business. In this way they are able to conduct their ministries without depending upon donors and without burdening the people they serve. Tentmaking infers the integration of work and witness, with an emphasis on encouraging evangelism by lay Christians
rather than clergy and ministry professionals. Where tentmakers are part of business ventures that facilitate their mission goals, there is substantial overlap with Business as mission. However, although a tentmaker might be a part of a business, the business itself might not be an integral part of the ministry as it is with Business as mission. Business as mission sees business both as the medium and the message. Business as mission most often involves ‘job-making’ as an integral part of its mission. Tentmaking may involve this, but is more often simply about ‘job-taking’ – taking up employment somewhere in
order to facilitate ministry.

Business as mission is different from...BUSINESS FOR MISSIONS

Profits from business can be donated to support missions and ministries. This is different from Business as mission. One might call this business for missions, using business ventures to fund other kinds of ministry. We recognise that profit from a business can be used to support “missions” and that this is good and valid. Likewise employees can use some of their salary to give to charitable causes. While this should be encouraged, none of us would like to be operated on by a surgeon whose only ambition is to make money to give to the church! Instead we expect he has the right skills and drive to operate with excellence, doing his job with full professional integrity. Likewise a Business as mission-business must produce more than goods and services in order to generate new wealth. It seeks to fulfil God’s kingdom purposes and values through every aspect of its operations. A 'business for mission' concept can limit business and business people to a role of funding the 'real ministry'. While funding is an important function, Business as mission is about forprofit
businesses that have a kingdom focus.

Business as mission does not condone...NON-BUSINESSES AND NONMISSIONS

Two approaches to business that do not come within the scope of ‘Business as mission’ by any definition are:

• (1) Fake businesses that are not actually functioning businesses, but exist solely to provide visas for missionaries to enter countries otherwise closed to them.
• (2) Businesses that purport to have Christian motivations but which operate only for private economic advantage and not for the kingdom of God. Neither do we mean businesses run by Christians with no clear and defined kingdom strategy in place.

Business as mission pursues...PROFIT

Business must be financially sustainable, producing goods or services that people are willing to pay for. Sustainability implies that the activity is profitable. Profits are an essential element of all businesses, in all cultures. Without profit the business cannot survive and fulfil its purpose. Accordingly, Business as mission - businesses are real business that genuinely exist to generate wealth and profits. Business as mission does not view profits as inherently evil, bad or unbiblical. Quite the contrary, profits are good, desired and beneficial to God and His purposes, as long as they are:

• not oppressive,
• or derived from gouging customers
• or selling products and service that do no honour Christ and His gospel.

Temporary subsidies may be utilised to establish a Business as mission initiative. Permanent subsidies or financial support without expectation of ultimate profitability are closer to charitable or donor-based ministries than Business as mission based ministries.

The business of business is business. And the business of Business as mission is business with a kingdom of God purpose and perspective.

Business as mission comes in all...SHAPES AND SIZES

The methodologies, as well as the business and ministry strategies used, will be creatively diverse, just as God created us in infinite variety. Does the size of the business matter? Yes and No! Christian micro-enterprise programmes exist that help provide necessary income for families and individuals resulting in community development, churches being planted and discipleship taking place. In short, Christian micro-enterprise development has been well accepted and is highly effective for the kingdom. A significant body of work already exists dedicated to it. It has a legitimate place in the broader definition and practice of Business as mission.

However, our focus will be on larger scale business, where there has been a comparative lack of attention. If we are to tackle the enormity of the challenge before us we need to think and act bigger, beyond micro to small, medium and large size businesses.

The Russian Mafia also creates jobs and gives people a chance to earn money. Creating jobs and earning money is not an end in itself. Work and business are ordained by God. Work is a human and divine activity providing a means to support our families and to contribute to the positive development of our communities
and countries. However, Business as mission is not a Christianised job creation scheme. The goal is not simply about making people materially better off. Business as mission is actively praying and incarnating Jesus’ prayer: “May your kingdom come, may your will be done” even in the marketplace. The real bottom line of Business as mission is “ad maiorem Dei gloriam”, for the greater glory of God.

Laussane Occasional Paper 59. Section 1. you can see the entirer 88 Page document here.







Editor

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Being the Praise of God's Glory in Business

In the  2010 Sugar Bowl, Tim Tebow, Quarterback for the Florida Gators had this verse outlined under his eyes, since He knew that hundreds of thousands would be watching Him. The Twittersphere at the time logged a mixture of reactions, anger, confusion, people asking what it meant, but I have no doubt that many believers have had a chance to share this gospel message with their seeking friends as result of his action. In his Marekteplace, the football field, he was being the Praise of God's Glory. Father I bring praise to You today because of Tim Tebow's actions.




Two verses, one Chapter Earlier talked about this.

"He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. "

Ephesisans 1:9-14 (NASB), Biblegateway

Administration here is the Greek word oikonomia, specifically a religious distribution done over a household by its steward. In other words,

God distributed to us the religious knowledge of His will as a part of His work, at just the right time, so that we could see that all things in the heavens and the earth are summed up in Jesus.

In God's unfolding Story of God revealing himslef to us, The event of Jesus in history, the events of His life, His words, His Actions, in these are the Will of God. It was God's will to give us an inheritance before we were born, the purose of this inheritance is to used being the Praise of His Glory.
Being the Praise of His Glory......What does this mean for us called to the Marketplace?

It means

• Publically aknowleding complete dependance on God in all Marketplace Activities
• Ambassadorial behavior representing Christ well.
• Being available, useabel and useful to God for His purposes there.
• It means that your actions will bring good things to your part of the marketeplace
• It means crediting God in all things, so that He is prasied.

Father, teach me to walk in the inheritance you gave us in your Holy Spirit as we carry out our calling in the Marketplace. Teach me that I cannot carry my assignment out there without completely depending on you. Teach me the ambassadorial skills that I need. Help me be available to you at work, not just "holding my breath" until I can breath again among the body of Christ. Make my performance at every level worth of bringing honor toy our name. Father, allow me to bring success to wherever you have me,  that I may bring credability to all you uhave to say through me.  May I never try to steal your glory, but serve You and other before myself @ work, and may I be the priase of Your glory in business.

In Jesus name, I ask these things for your Glory and Honor.

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The Power of the Poor

When the poor get access to property ownership and documentation, their lives change forever.

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Top Three Business as Mission Documents

I.
God is at Work by Ken Eldred

This is a book about kingdom business, the effort to promote Christian faith and commerce through profitable business. It recognizes and describes the fundamental connection between spiritual transformation and economic transformation. By mobilizing its business people, the church has a unique opportunity to make an impact in developing nations. While secular development efforts focus solely on economic objectives, kingdom business recognizes that successful commerce, which improves a nation, requires a biblical moral-cultural foundation.

-Regent Center for Entrepreneurship

II.
Luassane Occasional Paper 59, Business as Mission

This document clarifies what Business as Mission is, and what it is not, This is a must read, as it was a set of standards set up by a working group of passionate Practitioners in 2005.

III.
Business as Mission: The Power of Business in the Kingdom of God  by  Michale R. Baer

If God has called us into business, our goal is to discover why and act on that purpose. As we do so, God's creation will be blessed, and He will be glorified." - Michael Baer

This book is a great read! According to this book, there are four characteristics of a kingdom business:

1. A kingdom business is vocational; something that God has called us to do.
Col. 1:16-20, Eph 4:1, Rom 12:1-2

2. A kingdom business is intentional; God has a very specific purpose for each business.
Eph 2:10

3. A kingdom business is relational; we are exposed to a vast network through business and God wants these relationships to be valued.
Mark 12:30-31

4. A kingdom business is operational; operations must honors and reflect God.
1 Cor. 10:31

Baer suggests establishing a kingdom business by doing the following:

1. Create a kingdom foundation
Write out what you believe about: profit, people, growth, service or quality, productivity and innovation. Examples:
- We will always seek mutually beneficial outcomes in all that we do.
- We will operate in a fiscally responsible manner.
- We will maintain the priorities of family and friendship.
- We will endeavor to find the maximum enjoyment in whatever we do.
- We will seek continual learning and improvement so that what is done is done well and with full commitment.
- We will live lives that invite inquiry.

2. Articulate a kingdom direction
Vision: broad, expansive statement of the general direction in which company is headed.
Mission: a narrower definition of your vision - or your vision with metrics.
Purpose: the expression of what you believe God has as his specific will for your company.

3. Identify kingdom targets and objectives
Target: a three year goal for your business.
Objective: a one year goal.
For example: revenues, expansion, staffing, profitability, ministry and missions.

4. Focus on a few pivotal strategies
For example: execute marketing/business plan, etc.

5. Draft and assign quarterly action items
Break down your plan into a list of 10 or fewer action items

6. Schedule regular accountability

-Review on Amazon

Related topics but not the same as Kingdom Business are:

-Tentmaking
-Church Planting with a partially supporting business
-Business activity built around a ministry.
-A church or parachurch ministry that survives primaily through ongoing donations.
-Social Entrepreneurs
-Ethical Enterprise


-Great Commision Companies are one type, a subset of Kingdom Businesses

There  are about 2 dozen books out there, but these three guys get it.









LeeRoyal

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A Kingdom - Purpose Driven Business

The Purpose Driven Business Concept is one of the Anchors On the Qualitative Axis of the Kingdom Business 3 Dimensional Model. It is at the oppositend of the axis from The Workplace Minitsry Anchor.
So what is a purpose driven business?

Here is what Brad Dawson says in his article, a Purpose Driven Business:

"A purpose-driven business is an organization that balances quantitative financial performance metrics with qualitative higher level personal
values. Unfortunately, a definitive purpose-driven business model does not exist. Since success is subjective and cannot be measured by financial statements alone,it is defined by the attainment of the owner’s vision at a given time."

This ecoomist says that a purpoe driven business considers Outcomes along with Incomes in Building a Business:

Tina Olivero at Trans4mind Suggests that Indivduals design their own purpose driven work experience by asking the following questions:

1. The place we are today, how did I create this? How can we create connection, peace and purpose?
2. The place I want to work becomes a place of personal expression and purpose; what structures do I need to create this?
3. When I look back on my working career I want it to be meaningful. What do I need to do to create that?
4. How can I develop creativity, imagination, and vision within myself and my people that will make a difference and have us in alignment with our mission?
5. How can I foster, courage, persistence, and passion in pursuit of the goals and missions of our people, teams and outcomes?

An adapation of this list provides guidelines for designing A Kingdom-purpose driven business

1. Would Jesus be engaged in doing this kind of enterprise?
2. How can we create connection, peace and purpose in business model Design?
3. How can the business model create an expression of Kingdom purpose that believers will want to join; what structures do I need to create this?
4. When the business looks back at its accomplishments over the past decade, you want it to be meaningful for Kingdom purpose. What do I need to do to create that?
5. How can the business develop creativity, imagination, and vision within myself and my people that will make a difference and have us in alignment with our mission?
6. How can the business encourage, courage, persistence, and passion in pursuit of the goals and missions of our people, teams and outcomes?
7. How Does the business model Serve Matt 28 19-20,
8. How Does the business model Serve The Two Great commandments, loving God, loving people?

Step One is Creating a Shared Vision:

The Design of a kingdom Purpose Driven business is led by a leader with a God-given vision for the business. They cast the vision to a small group of people who, together, will hold a stake in the success of the company. At a minimum, they give detailed answers to these ten questions:

1.     Who are our Customers?
2.     Who are our Competitors?
3.     What are our products and or services?
4.     Where will the business operate?
5.     What is your plan and budget for starting up,
6.     Where will this funding come from?
7.     Who is the owner(s) (Steward (s)), and what roles do others play?
8.     How will the owner meet their own obligations until the business can pay them?
9.     How does the business advance the Kingdom of God?
10.  What are the political, cultural, situational barriers that must be overcome, and how will you go overcoming themt?

The answers are the beginings of a business plan.

Step Two is Begining to prayer together over the vision, and building the business plan.
(Stay tuned)









LeeRoyal

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Kingdom Business 3D Business Model

(c) Enterprising  Ministry

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Tent Makers Are Alive and Well

Originbally published
Sunday, November 01 2009

For Stuart Hake, his personal venture into missions has been mind-bending.

“I’ve come to recognize that much of our thinking about mission has been influenced by Greek thinking—that spiritual is superior to physical,” he says. “The problem with that is it is not biblical. We base so much of what we do on an unbiblical concept.”


Stuart and Debbie HakeIn the summer of 2008, Stuart and his wife, Debby, left their comfortable life in northern Indiana and moved to Bangkok, Thailand. He had spent the previous 12 years as chief financial officer at Grace Brethren International Missions (GBIM). She had a successful career teaching disabled children in the local public school system. Their three children were grown and settled in careers or families of their own.

“I’m recognizing I have only so many years left in my life where I can invest my life for the kingdom,” says Stuart.

In Bangkok, his focus has been to explore business as mission, a concept that encourages economic development at the local level, providing support for the physical needs of the indigenous people while teaching them about Jesus. It’s a biblical mandate that seemed largely forgotten throughout much of the 20th Century and only in recent years has been re-invigorated as thousands of Christian workers around the world strive to share God’s love with the poorest of the poor while helping them learn to support themselves.

The Hakes are virtually self-supporting, needing to raise only about a third of the support a traditional missionary must raise. Though sent by their home congregation, the Winona Lake (Ind.) Grace Brethren Church (Bruce Barlow, lead pastor), Debby joined the staff of the International Community School to help with their support. (The English-speaking school uses biblical principles in their teaching methodology.)

“It’s demeaning to the people we are working with to assume they are needy and we’re not,” Stuart stresses. He feels it leads to an attitude of superiority on the part of the missionary, even if unintentional. “Let’s find out what assets they (the nationals) have,” he adds. “That doesn’t mean we don’t want to assist; we just don’t want to cripple them by doing things they can do for themselves.”

Wayne Hannah, who travels regularly in Asia as the GBIM director for that region, sees business-as-mission as “planting uniquely cultivated, contextualized seeds.”

“We kept bumping up against a cultural glass ceiling,” he remembers. To develop a ministry among many of the unreached people groups was difficult. “We couldn’t go further. There were cultural, linguistic, and economic barriers.”

He also notes that those who study church-planting movements say that to the extent that a people depend upon a subsidy from the west, there is an inverse correlation, to that extent they will not likely reach their own people with the gospel.

“We need to encourage enterprise on a small scale to help the nationals subsidize themselves,” he recognizes. “When that happens, stand aside. When they take ownership, you see that God can empower them to reach their own people.”

Stuart has spent the last year analyzing the region to determine what methods fit best in GBIM’s ministries in Southeast Asia. Soon there will be nearly 12 staff members who will have some role in holistic or benevolence ministries and businesses in the region, according to Wayne, who has overseen missions in Asia for 14 years. He hopes to take the concept of holistic missions throughout Asia.

“It’s a way to approach a country and reach the least reached,” Wayne says. “Without it, the national church will never take full ownership to reach their own people.”

Stuart hopes to play a role in one of four ways—as a consultant with enterprises created by missionaries to work with local people; to mentor interns or students coming to Southeast Asia to learn or study; to be a catalyst for business as mission while promoting the concept in U.S. churches and with business people or pastors; and possibly working as a professional manager in an existing business in the region.

The recent economic downturn has only emboldened Stuart in his quest. “People are seeking help,” he says. “We need to be positioned to help people in all aspects of their lives.”

(Editor’s Note: If you would like to help Stuart and Debby Hake in their unique mission, contact them at sahake@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .)

The Rest @ FBGC World









LeeRoyal

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Business as Mission: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice

Business as Mission
A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice
C. Neal Johnson Inter-Varsity Press, January 2010

Business as mission (BAM) is a mission strategy whose time has come. But Christian companies and business leaders do not automatically accomplish missional purposes. BAM requires mastery of both the world of business and the world of missions, merging and contextualizing both into something significantly different than either alone. C. Neal Johnson offers the first comprehensive guide to business as mission for practitioners. He provides conceptual foundations for understanding BAM's unique place in global mission and prerequisites for engaging in it. Then he offers practical resources for how to do BAM, including strategic planning and step-by-step operational implementation. Drawing on a wide variety of BAM models, Johnson works through details of both mission and business realities, with an eye to such issues as management, sustainability and accountability. More book information. Download 40% discount code.

The Rest @ Business as Mission.com










LeeRoyal

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Reclaiming Enterprise as an Act of Worship: 10 Essential Principles

1. Whereas enterprise is a biblical domain in God's Kingdom, the place where vast numbers of Christ followers are predestined to joyfully labor in advancement of His Kingdom, Christians in the secular workplace and workplaces designed and owned by believers in Christ are called to Matthew 6:9-13, Mathew 10, and Matthew 28:19-20 Commissions.

2. God often places kingdom business professionals in kingdom businesses and non-kingdom businesses alike to advance His Kingdom. Wherever they are called to serve, Ephesians 2 is their guide, serving their workplace leaders whether present or not, knowing they are really serving God.

3. A kingdom business is owned or privately controlled by a kingdom business entrepreneur, a subset of kingdom business professionals.

4. A kingdom business may be in any principled business area, no matter how mundane it's labor, and is designed and operated according to the following:

-The enterprise, whether constructed as for profit or non-profit, is designed for and is successful in generating both revenue and sufficient profit to stabilize it, and plan for enterprise survival and growth, and the development of its employees.
-The enterprise's policy and practice obey the laws of the land.
-The Steward of the enterprise can ask God's blessing for its mission, short and long term objectives, within the transparent context of advancing God's Kingdom.
-The Enterprise's demands of and ministry to its employees advance God's Kingdom while obeying the laws of the land.
-It's demands of and ministry to its suppliers and other partners advance God's Kingdome Enterprise, demonstrated by the enterprises character and integrity.
-It's products, services and ministry to it's customers advanced God's Kingdom through their joint interactions.
-The enterprise is known in it's community as a good citizen.
-It practices sound and biblical financial practices in a transparent manner.

5. The Kingdom Business encourages its employees to support the local church, and recognizes The church’s authority. Kingdom Business Professionals actively practices the personal disciplines of a believer, including Active participation in the local church and small group accountability. The enterprise makes no attempt to create a parallel or replacement organization for the church in the workplace.

6. As in all things belonging to Christ, the enterprise acknowledges it's entire dependence on God for provision, most notably the provision of work for the enterprise to do that generates revenue.

7. Therefore, an interpretation of economics which suggests that any successful enterprise must always act in its own self-interest toward the accumulation of wealth, and that only individuals who receive that wealth are capable of good works, is rejected as an incorrect, and amended as follows:

-The "invisible hand" that guides economies proposed by Adam Smith, who wrote both The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations, is the Hand of God.

-That Christ followers in the workplace act in the interest of God's Kingdom, which may be interpreted by non-believers as their own self-interest, or the interest of the company. However, the supremacy of God as revealed by His Word reigns in all actions and choices, including enterprise.

-Therefore, Kingdom Business Owners and Kingdom Business Professional alike are stewards of business opportunities provided by God for His purpose.

8. The Enterprise is a "finger on the Hand of God" just as are other domains which actively engage our world culture, such as government, media, art and entertainment, education, the church, etc.

9. Kingdom business owners (Stewards) and Kingdom Business Professionals reject the concept of secular business, with a set of truths and principles separate from God's word.

10. Kingdom Business Professionals who operate inside an enterprise designed on a secular-sacred separation hold themselves to a higher standard, and pray for creative ways to demonstrate Kingdom Business integrity, principles and solutions while serving their leaders in their most excellent way, using Shadrack Meshack and Abendigo as Models. (Daniel Chapters 1 and 2)

- Lee Royal










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About US

We support the Lausanne Covenant as our Statement of Faith,

·Enterprising Ministry's aim is to share tactics, techniques and ideas that integrate business in ways that awaken the global entrepreneur.

· We believe that ministry without enterprise is like faith without works.

·We believe enterprise without ministry is like works without faith; both approaches, alone, are dead. Tactics that separate ministry from enterprise reinforce the sacred - secular separation myth.

· We are interested in concepts that find, encourage and equip believing entrepreneurs, removing barriers that prevent them from serving in their evangalical, God-given roles, in every country on earth.

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The Kingdom Task Force Team

A Kingdom Task Force Team is a small group with specialized skills. When linked together as part of a larger Task Force, The Team serves a vital but narrow role in a much more com plex ministry.

Though a tems my have a multitude of Specialities, there are three functional types: Front line teams, Support Teams and Catalyst Teams


Some Examples of Front line Teams are:

• Prayer walking Teams
• Personal Evagalism Teams
• Church Planting Teams
• Remote Learning Center Instalation team
• Micro-enterprise installation teams
• Water treatment project installation
• teams

Some examples of Support Teams are:

• International Project Finance Teams
• Remote Computer Learning Center Architecture Teams
• Water treatment project specialists

Some examples of Catalyst Teams are

• Regional denominational teams
• A strategy team made up of representatives from Catalyst teams
• A team with a full vision who recruits the other teams they need

Charachteristics of a Kingdom Task Force Team are that they:

• Have a biblical accountablity structure
• May be or operate like a small or life group
• Constantly maintaining expertise in their specialty
• Have a self-sustaining operating plan
• Participate in newtorks where they can engage in Task Force Projects

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The Fishermen

There were three fishermen Who fished with their sons everyday on Lake Malawi.
Each day, the three Father and sons would each would pray to God to bless their work, and the family would take their boat out on the waters. Each day, every Father and son's boat brought back ten fish.

Al three fishermen families brought their ten fish back to the beach each day, and cooked them all over coal fires. Each prayed together with the rest of their Families.

The First Fisherman's Family


The first fisheman's family always prayed this prayer:
Thank you God that you made us wise enough to know the sea and the fishing grounds. We are grateful for great eyes to see the good fishing places.
We will take the ten fish, the fruit of our labor, and we will feast tonight.

The second fisherman's family:

They brought their ten fish back to the beach each day, and they took one fish to the local priest before they cooked the 9 remaining fish over coal fires. They then prayed:

Thank you God that Showed us favor today and send the fish to our nets. We show our gratitude by returning to you one of the fish from the ten that you have given to us.

We will take the nine fish, the fruit of our labor, and we will feast tonight.

The third fisherman's family

They brought their ten fish back to the beach each day, and they took one fish to the local priest.

They built a hut where there was a slow smokey fire buring all the time. They took the second fish and hung in on a rack in the smokeing hut, where it dried.

They cooked the eight remaining fish over coal fires.

They then prayed: Thank you God that Showed us favor today and send the fish to our nets. We show our gratitude by returning to you one of the fish from the ten that you have given to us, and we set aside another fish so that you may use us to share with others who have no fish.

One Day, a great tsunami blew over the reefs, and for seven days that came and went when the fish disappeared from their waters and all the nets of the fishermen came up from the sea empty.

After their first day without fish, The first and second fishermen came together and cried out to God, because they knew that their children would soon not be able to sleep because of their hunger.

The third fisherman's family took their dried smoked fish and fed all three families for the next seven days.

The third family prayed this prayer:

Father God, we are thanfull that you provide all our needs, thank you for using some of the fish you sent us to meet the needs of your people.

Such is the way of God's provision and fellowship:
He often uses the most grateful, those most dependent on him to sometimes be the provision and instrument of fellowship for his people.

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What Roles do Business as Mission ( BAM ) Leaders Play?

• Justin Forman has just written an excerpt Ken Eldred's God is at Work book in the Business as Mission Network Newsletter. If you are just now exploring BAM, It takes us to the next level:
  
  Now that I get Business as Mission, who is doing it, what roles do they play, and where are they serving?

He identifies nine roles:

• Founder or manager of a Kingdom business. Those with entrepreneurial or managerial skills are building and leading successful businesses in developing nations.
• Lender to the poor. Christians are extending microloans to those considered unbankable. They are also providing business and spiritual instruction to loan recipients who typically establish simple cottage industry ventures.
• Mentor and financier of Kingdom businesses. Christian business professionals are providing the necessary funding, advising and mentoring to local Christians who are establishing or operating businesses in the developing world.
• Trainer in Kingdom business. Some are training local managers in the basic skills and principles of business. These training courses typically include instruction in biblical values and principles that lead to successful business.
• Short-term consultant to Kingdom businesses. Christian professionals are engaging in short-term missions work that seek to bless business owners in developing nations.
• Expert advisor to Kingdom businesses. Western Christians with relevant business experience are using their knowledge, expertise and contact network to assist Kingdom businesses in the developing world.
• Sales partner to Kingdom businesses. Kingdom business professionals and organizations located in the First World are seeking to promote Kingdom business companies in developing nations by marketing products or establishing sales channel partnerships.
• Investor in Kingdom businesses. God has blessed some people with the financial resources to be major investors in Kingdom businesses around the world.
• Manager of Kingdom business funds. Though this role is still emerging, Kingdom business professionals can also act as private equity fund managers. Working within existing laws governing the establishment and management of investment funds, they can serve entrepreneurs, managers and investors by assisting and funding Kingdom businesses.

Get the rest of this great article in the Business as Mission Network Newsletter, and God is at Work

Ken Eldred is currently CEO of Living Stones Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Parakletos @ Ventures. For over 20 years, Ken served as CEO of Inmac, a public company he founded. He has assisted in the founding of several other successful companies, including Ariba Technologies. Ken is involved in ventures in the US, China, Europe and India, and he advises various Kingdom business ventures and ministries. He has an MBA from Stanford and was a Visiting Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution.

Ken is the co editor of On Kingdom Business, winner of a 2004 Christianity Today Book Award. Ken and his wife, Roberta, have three sons and spend their time in Northern California and Colorado.

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Enterprising Ministry in the Transformational Wave

• Introduction: What is Enterpising Ministry and what are Transformational Waves?
• Chapter 1: Four dimensions to help you find where your Enterprising Ministry fits
• Chapter 2: Dynamics in the Body of Christ that Shape the Four Dimensions
• Chapter 3: Relationships between Enterprising Ministries - Teams and Task Forces
• Chapter 4: Give us this day our daily bread: Funding Enterprising Ministries

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