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Business as Missions -- blog
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BAM, Learning from Examples 
Over the years of this blog, we have illustrated many real examples. There is value in that, so that we can learn from the experiential learning that others have live out in the world of BAM. We will do that again in the future, with some new additions to our list of example projects.
Before we look at more actual cases in the world, let's remind ourselves that there is not one specific pattern that makes for the best BAM project. Let's briefly consider a few generic models before we look at more real cases.
Kingdom companies– these are Christian led companies, often in a mono-cultural setting. The leaders work to include the Christian faith in the operation of the company.
BAM companies– these are Kingdom companies that operate cross-culturally. These companies focus on positive community impact in order to achieve impact for the Kingdom of God.
Great Commission Companiestend to be larger BAM companies.
Global Outsourcingis a BAM strategy to cooperate with established business and use BAM companies to provide resources matched to the needs of the larger businesses.
There exist other terms and models as well. The important point here is that these are not mutually exclusive. Some projects will weave these models together as the BAM initiative grows and transforms over time.
Blessings and many thanks,
Larry
| BAM with Solid Grounding 
Our previous post talked about the beauty and necessity of entrepreneurship for our BAM endeavors. At the same time, building our business structures on a solid foundation is also a priority.
That is true for our individual lives, and certainly true for any ministry effort.
What you know about business remains very important, even as you strive to stimulate creativity in a BAM startup.
Blending the two things, entrepreneurial capabilities and business principles, is perhaps one of the most interesting challenges.
As any business starts to really get legs under it and grow, business processes become increasingly important. It is like turning a corner, stepping out of the laboratory of invention into the tasks of running a business. Some people really struggle with turning that corner, and great ideas never become great businesses.
Look to Christ through it all, each phase of design and implementation. Keeping his purposes in mind will help you with each transition in the journey.
Many thanks,
Larry
| BAM and Entrepreneurship 
BAM definitely involve entrepreneurship. That includes some interesting characteristics and skills:
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Vision
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Creativity
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Risk taking
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Complex problem solving
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Much more...
Though including discrete elements such as the brief examples above, truthfully, entrepreneurship is almost like an art form compared to more rigid business models. It requires people to understand business principles, but to be adaptive and flexible in applying them as new ground is broken.
That capacity is tailor made for BAM. So, our strategies to implement BAM should not try to control or restrict the God given creative capacities and gifts. Instead, our strategies should seek to release that creative energy for God's purposes, and then blend our business practices with the creativity in a way that serves the Kingdom, and thus succeeds for the communities where we are working.
After all, our model is the Lord, who from the beginning has been in the business of creation.
Many thanks for your continuing interest,
Larry
| BAM and Work Ethic 
Everything we do as Christians is seen and perceived by those around us. That is certainly true in areas where we serve with business projects and companies. In recent posts we have talked about "influence" and our intentional work to influence others in a positive and inspiring way.
We pause here to consider this, everything we do with our business practices in the mission fields will have influence, whether intentional or not. Whether its impact is positive or negative will depend to a great extent to how people see us modeling work concepts.
This is prominent in a brief passage by Paul found in 2 Thessalonians.
2Th 3:8nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
2Th 3:9We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
Go forth with your BAM ideas and projects. As you go, pay close attention to how you work in the process. Simply being seen as hard working, committed, positive... (the list can go on and on), the point is, it all sends powerful signals to those you are trying to reach ultimately in the name of Lord. There is something of a universal honor given to those values; people appreciate those that work hard and serve people in a community.
Many blessings,
Larry
| Confronting Barriers to BAM 
Some of the topics we have been addressing illustrate that we can encounter some huge challenges when implementing BAM projects.
Our strategy should seek to confront those potential problems in a way that honors and glorifies God in the process.
For example, as we confront what can be huge cultural differences, we can undertake our responsibilities as influencers in a way that exists in harmony with and within the culture we are entering.
You and your team can work to not just enter another culture and society, but to navigate within the local economy in a way that builds opportunities for people and their families.
Greatest of all the opportunities will be the relational way that you will be able to introduce people to our Savior in the process. When we find that our focus is on His purposes, we should find that our attitude is to shape our business projects in a way that make them a part of His master plan to reach people. This may sound overly simple, and that is because the point is subtle. Let me break it down a little.
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Instead of thinking about how to make God fit into your BAM plans, think about and pray about how your projects can be designed and implemented in a way that fits God's plan.
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Instead of being driven by business purposes simply tailored by our professional life experiences, we should strive to see God's design and purpose for all life, including our own.
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Rather than thinking about how to apply the Bible to our business, we should dwell on how to apply our business and life to the Bible and all that God has revealed to us in his holy Word.
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These days, fortunately, many business practices carefully consider the impact of business on God's creation, the world and its environment where we live and work. With BAM, we stretch still further beyond that, and consider how our business can impact the new heaven and new earth that we lean toward on the eternal timeline.
I hope you sense the power behind these points. They suggest that we invert our thinking in our business strategy in order to see how we can fit into the marvelous eternal story that is God's.
Many thanks,
Larry
| Diversity, What a Beautiful Design 
I pray that you will approach crossing diverse cultural boundaries as a wonderful privilege from God.
Work to hold cultural diversity in your mind and heart as a precious and beautiful part of God's design. As we have discussed, you will be wearing the hat of a "change agent." For all of our efforts in this role, we can still seek to all of the cultural beauty in its best forms, even while we are striving to help people out of poverty, and into God's family of believers.
There can exist great creativity and opportunity within our diversity. Let's just reflect on the United States of America for a moment. We don't bring this nation forward as an example out of arrogance, but simply as an example of a couple of fundamentals that have led it to grow into the its leadership position in the economic markets of the world.
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The USA was founded on Judeo-Christian values
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It is perhaps the most diverse country on the planet – it is a land of immigrants
That one example should help us grasp the tremendous strength and creativity that emerge from our diversity.
The other fundamental, connection to God's values, is most important. Let's be honest, raw capitalism and increased wealth can and often is accompanied with sin. Self interest and progress tend to go that direction.
On the other hand, economic advanced that is focused on God's purposes can move powerfully in a positive direction.
Many thanks and best wishes,
Larry
| BAM Influences Those It Touches 
Introducing and/or creating a new business in a new place, just by its existence and nature, will influence those involved. It is an introduction of ideas and business concepts into a different culture.
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The ideas often are often framed or based on Western, or other international, business culture
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The receiving culture is often a traditional, underdeveloped, or possibly even impoverished part of the world
The injection of ideas will include many elements:
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Business ideas
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Technologies
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Production concepts
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Management practices
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Marketing methods
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More...
And, of course, that comes all wrapped in our Kingdom purposes and mission. The business stuff provides the platform for developing relationships that can then lead to Christ.
As you think about and/or perhaps plan for BAM projects, keep in mind that you will be acting in the role of "change agent," working to influence change in a foreign culture. Prepare yourself carefully for that role. If not done well, it can actually do harm, rather than the serve and benefit the Kingdom, the society and the people.
Many thanks for participating in the discussion,
Larry
| BAM Is Empowering
Empowerment is an ingredient that is essential in many business. Truthfully, very few learn to grasp the concepts and employ them correctly and effectively. Without successful empowerment, business can become limited in growth, as the leaders who strive to control all aspects of the business hit their limits. The bottleneck for growth and increased success truly become the top of the bottle – the leaders.
When we focus on business as a mission for God, we must in that process be equipping others to receive empowerment. Our intent from the beginning should be to prepare and equip our local leaders and teams to successfully assume the decision making authority and the essential responsibilities related to making business and kingdom decisions. We see it is a two fold equipping process:
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Understanding of God's mission and purposes and how we can run business in a way that honors and brings glory to Him
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Developing the business skills to successfully be empowered
Empowerment is not like throwing a switch. It is a continuum along which people develop. It requires keen leadership skills to create an environment and working relationships that embrace and move toward empowerment. It is a journey. (You can reference our webpage on empowerment by clicking here.)
Many blessings and thanks,
Larry
| Incarnational BAM 
What a powerful demonstration of God's love for us, that He would leave heaven and come to us, clothed in the flesh of humanity as God's Son, Jesus Christ. It is miraculous. It is humbling. It is truth.
And, it also is for us a great model of reaching people. God reached us through incarnation and coming to us. As we think about all types of mission outreach, this wonderful model provokes us to think of key factors and opportunities.
Most significant are lessons related to culture. God came into man's culture in human form. We know that mission work is powerfully enabled by emerging from within a culture. It is limited and often nil if the effort is to somehow drive it in from outside of a culture.
We can embrace this learning in BAM strategies, both planning and work. First, understanding the culture and preparing for the work from within the culture is essential. Business strategies solely from outside of a culture may not be applicable or effective. We must adapt them. As businesses have been forced to learn how to successfully globalize, we in the process have become much improved at understanding and responding to different and diverse cultures. This experience can now apply as we advance the gospel with businesses.
Simultaneously we can plan to contextualize both our business and how the gospel message can be best communicated in any given culture.
Warning – as we work to do this we must never compromise Scripture. We are contextualizing how the message can best be brought to life in a culture. We are not changing the message.
Much depends on this capacity to "contextualize." Both the business and the gospel message depend on it in order to be accepted by the community we are working in. Without acceptance, the business will fail. Without acceptance, the message will not be heard. It will be viewed as foreign, and it will be rejected. Opportunity will be lost.
Many thanks,
Larry
| BAM is a resource for learning 
For many, the business becomes the source of much learning that can spill over into other aspects of life.
Learning can be another blessing in itself, again expanding people's image of themselves. Learning about our Savior is the most precious of lessons to be learned.
The opportunity to learn and grow is a natural attractor to human beings. It can allow us to reach people. That is the purpose of BAM projects – it is all about reaching people in the name of Christ.
How many people are there? Well, current figures show the world population at 6.7 billion. That has grown from 5.3 billion in 1990.
It is a much more urban population, too, showing that migration to cities has been extensive. On my first visit to China some five years ago, I spent time in the city of Tienjin. It was then a city of nine million. I was staggered to view the skyline of this and other cities in China, seeing what seemed to be endless lines of construction cranes. When I inquired, it was reported to me that the city was adding infrastructure to assimilate one million new citizens each year. What an amazing number.
A lot of the people that need to be reached are city dwellers, and all are impacted significantly by businesses and the resulting economy. This continues to encourage our thinking about business as a vehicle to reach people.
Many thanks,
Larry
| Legitimate Business Can Gain Access 
Entrepreneurs with capital and infrastructure to get started can venture into any mission field. Access is likely possible.
For-profit businesses have a way of finding and gaining confidence within communities. People's thinking doesn't have to stretch very far to see benefits to jobs and economic activity. Products and services that benefit people are easily embraced, too. This all contributes to paving a path for the gospel.
There has been some bad mission history that we need to be aware of. Some have gone before, feigning business as a poorly concealed disguise for evangelism. We must not lose focus of this painful lesson from history. The business must be legitimate and a positive contributor to the communities. If not, it will be seen as a ruse and do more harm than good for the gospel mission.
The simple process of creating jobs, allowing individuals and families to achieve real increases in quality of life and sufficiency, are some of the most basic, yet real, outcome of authentic business creation.
The transformational benefit and impact of real jobs in the community can cascade from there. Families have more resources to acquire products and services to meet their needs, stimulating other businesses in the community. Increase resources can begin to flow through the community and increase an economic vitality that touches many lives.
This combines with the success of valuable products and services entering the local economies. And this is not limited to the local communities. Products and services can flow to other communities, stimulating increased economic dynamics and vitality to growing spheres of people.
Blessings and thanks for your interest,
Larry
| Transformational Power Within Communities 
Business as mission hold lots of potential transformational power in communities.
Communities do need help. Lots of focus these days is on what is referred to in missions circles as the 10/40 geographical window of the world, especially as is cuts across East Asia and Africa. Here are a couple of facts about that geographical stretch of the planet:
- About half of the people on the planet live there – over three billion
- Some 95 % of those people do not know Christ
- Estimates illustrate that the largest percentage of these, over 80%, are among the poorest of the poor on the planet.
It is logical that effort such as BAM finds a ripe field of harvest in such as setting. As we have pointed out in the past, however, don't think BAM is limited to such concentrated areas of suffering. There may also be candidate fields ripe for harvest right under our nose in our cities and communities all over the globe.
Author and BAM expert, Mark Russell makes a statement I fully agree with in his new book, The Missional Entrepreneur, "...BAM can be done by anyone, anywhere, and at anytime." Let's not limit our thinking about where business and economics can benefit God's purposes for the world. I love how Mark defines this interesting title of "Missional Entrepreneur" – "A person who lives on mission and stats up a business(es) in order to live out that mission..."
Blessings and thanks for your interest,
Larry
| The Harvest is Great, the Workers Are Few 
Critical point – we need capacity for both missions, the physical business and the spiritual. Be prepared to prepare yourself and BAM participants for both.
What is really amazing to fathom is the potential numbers of Christian men and women who can serve. Christians in business often struggle to find a fit between what God has enabled them to learn and to accomplish and Christ's Great Commission. BAM has a path to fill that spiritual void for many.
It is a beautiful thing to see accomplished business people connect the dots with God's will for them in the global mission to reach all nations and peoples. For them to discover that their mission in life (business) has prepared them for God's mission is amazing.
If this is of interest, please cruise back through our initial posts and get the background, beginning in October 2009. We will revisit basic as we go in the coming weeks, also.
Your gifts and experience are needed.
Your kingdom rewards can be great.
Blessings,
Larry
| Two hands for reaching people 
It is not without challenges that need careful attention. As with all ministries that seek to reach and serve, there exists a serious trap that attention will not be balanced between the two components:
- The mission to take the gospel to all peoples
- The missions of mercy and service
My favorite way to look at this is to consider to work of two hands together. Our right hand works to deliver the message of Christ. Our left hand labors to serve people (this can be on many social platforms of service). The critical point we must always see is that the power is in how the two hands work dynamically together. Sometimes the left hand must lead. That is fine. But we must never forget that the right hand is essential. Truth be known, the right hand, the work of sharing the gospel, is the reason for our labors. On the eternal timeline, our missions to serve people's needs and pain are useless unless we also serve their spiritual needs for Christ in their lives.
You may think this is common sense. However, I think it was the American author, Mark Twain, that once said, "The only problem with common sense – it's not that common." He was correct. Major Christian relief and service organizations are realizing that they have lost ground in their "Christian witness" as they have fought and labored valiantly to serve sources of people's physical pain. Fortunately some are recognizing this now, and beginning to make corrections.
The two hands working together for the glory of God is the goal. And real business that help to transform lives and communities can be a powerful "left hand," enabling the saving work of the Holy Spirit through the work of the "right hand" – the redemptive power of Christ.
Blessings,
Larry
| Great Christian Work 
Great Christian work happens under many umbrellas. Business and the economy are yet additional ways for us to help people learn to meet their needs, and to discover God and his Son Jesus in the process.
Economic improvement and transformation in communities has a unique attractiveness. When it is done well and in a way that multiplies good, it can impact a community's and people's capacity to improve in the other areas of life – improved health, education, etc. ...
It is another way to apply ourselves to good works, as we learn through Scripture that we must.
Jas 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
The point is, business done for the glory of God is a legitimate and powerful way to serve people and communities. For some cultures, it may be one of the rare possibilities to penetrate and participate in a way that can build trust that leads to sharing the gospel message.
Simply put, business has a high potential to have an impact in parts of the world that are suffering. This is certainly true in the most impoverished areas of our globe, but we must not limit our scope of possibly application to countries beyond our own borders. There are places close to home with hurting people. Some of these can be well served by BAM that is applied in a way that brings economic transformation to those that are suffering.
More next time...
Blessings,
Larry
| The Attraction of BAM 
Although conceptually attractive to those who want to reach out to the world for Christ, many people are still seeking understanding of exactly how BAM might fit into God's plan. Many are still searching for how it might best connect with local churches in the mission field. This is critical.
Additionally, we should recognize that this is not a strategy that serves all that is needed in the name of the Lord. It is one more process by which we can connect with and serve people, so that we might then demonstrate to them the light that is found only in Christ.
Other strategies and mercy and service remain important for this purpose, too.
- Health issues
- Hunger
- Water
- Education
- Much more
Can you see how breaks in the economy create and aggravate these grave problems of the world? They do. The greatest oppressions and pains in the world are fueled by brokenness in economic health.
That is a huge connection for Business as Mission. Economic help can result in improved situations on any of these fronts.
More next time...
Blessings,
Larry
| 2011 and Our BAM Discussion Continues 
I hope all of you have enjoyed the Christmas and holiday season as we closed out the year 2010. As we re-enter our discussion on Business as Mission for this new year, we will revisit some of the basic groundwork which we began with over a year ago. It will not be simply a re-copy of those posts. Instead, it will be looking for new resources that address some of those fundamentals. Some new books and many articles have been written in 2010, so we will glean new insights from those as we again look at the foundation of this powerful ministry area – Business as Mission (BAM).
Of course, the economy continues to get great attention. As the world shrinks with technologies proliferating at light speed, "globalization" is a key work we constantly hear when "experts" are addressing the economy. Economy is a world issue. Our mission interests as Christians is also a world issue.
Our God loves the entire world. He has commanded us to tell the entire world about his Son. How we care about the world and work to impact the world in an economic sense can be a powerful platform for the "globalization" of the Gospel – taking the message of Christ to all people.
By now, the term "business as mission" is quite well known among people involved in mission and mission work. It seems that most people intuitively see the power of "business" as a means to connect with people. There still is confusion about exactly what it is and how it can be initiated and supported, but we don't see the concepts lacking support.
- There is deep interest.
- There is an increasing experience base that we can learn from.
In the coming weeks we will continue our explorations of BAM as a powerful platform for reaching the world for Christ.
Blessings,
Larry
| BAM , Variations of this Theme
According to Steve Rundle, there are several terms that are being used to describe the integration of business and ministry/mission. He points out that there are some important differences. Here are three that he identifies.
Tentmaking – this is often used to describe individual Christians who find employment in a cross-cultural context, taking jobs in schools, hospitals or businesses, etc. It is not a business-specific term.
Marketplace Ministry – this is a reference to para-church organizations that disciple and coach Christian business professionals to be more effective witnesses in the workplace. Increasingly, the term "Workplace Ministry" is being used instead, which broadens the focus to include all working professionals.
Business as Mission (BAM) – this refers to businesses (often called "Great Commission Companies" or "kingdom businesses") that are created and managed specifically for the purpose of advancing the cause of Christ in less-reached and/or less-developed parts of the world.
Christian Microenterprise Development – this effort seeks to help the world's poorest people start and run successful, God-honoring businesses, often with the help of small loans.
One of the concerns with these versions of work as ministry is that intentional time and resources be placed on evangelism and ministry. This can be difficult, as the demands of business require time and resources.
The success depends to a great extent of building in training, experience in the field, and accountability.
We will continue exploring this next time.
Blessings,
Larry
| More Encouragement 
I hope you enjoyed the quotes from last time. Today we include some more.
All of this is great encouragement to those of us who are in business. God has thus prepared us and placed us, and it is wonderful to know that we can work for his purposes right here where He has us -- in the marketplaces of the world. Something significant is there for each of us to do for the Kingdom.
“We reviewed 52 movements in the body of Christ. We narrowed it down to 28, then 12, then 4 to invest our resources in the coming years. The workplace is one of those because this is an area where we see God working.”
– Chad Hammond, Director, New Ventures (division of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc.)
“Societal transformation is high on God’s agenda and the chief catalytic force to bring it about will be Christians
ministering in the marketplace.”
– C. Peter Wagner, Chancellor, Wagner Leadership Institute
“The church in the workplace is the purest form of the body of Christ today due to its diversity. Workplace believers are less prone to denominational differences because they have a common goal of representing Christ in their workplaces. The movement will break down denominational barriers that have been held in the past.”
– Os Hillman, International Coalition of Workplace Ministries
Christianity, it all begins in the marketplace, where the disciples of Jesus daily rub shoulders with the lost.”
– Bill McCartney, Promise Keepers, Anointed for Business, Reqal Publishing
More to come!
Blessings,
Larry
| BAM is not New 
Sometimes we think that reaching people for Christ through business or commerce is a brand new strategy. With a little reflection and study we see that it is not.
When we started this blog many months ago, we pointed out examples from Biblical times. Remember that Jesus' immediate team of disciples were all from business backgrounds, whether fishing businesses, government tax collection, tent making or more.
Here are a couple of quotes that bring it somewhat more into the modern frame of reference:
“The two pioneers of civilization-Christianity and commerce-should ever be inseparable.”
– Dr. David Livingstone, missionary to Africa, 1857.
“I believe one of the next great moves of God is going to be through the believers in the workplace”.
– Dr. Billy Graham
“God has begun an evangelism movement in the workplace that has the potential to transform our society as we know it”.
– Franklin Graham
“God is marshalling his people in the workplace as never before in history. God is up to something.
The next spiritual awakening could take place in the marketplace.”
– Henry Blackaby
“Workplace ministry will be one of the core future innovations in church ministry.”
– George Barna, Boiling Point, Regal Publishing
We will add more great thinking and quotations next time.
Blessings,
| BAM Resources 
Searching for BAM resouces to share, I came upon this list of books on the topic. That particular website stated that these were the "top" books on the subject. Click on individual titles to view more information.
- God is at Work :: Ken Eldred
- Lausanne Forum Papers
- Business as Mission :: Michael Baer
- On Kingdom Business :: Eldred and Yamamori
- Great Commission Companies :: Steven Rundle and Tom Steffen
- Marketplace Christianity :: Robert Fraser - (NEW to the List)
- Business for the Glory of God :: Wayne Grudem
- God at Work :: David Miller
- Kingdom Catalyst :: Johnny Combs
- Doing God's Business :: Paul Stevens
- Tentmaking :: Patrick Lai
- Transformation :: Ed Silvoso - (NEW to the List)
- Business as a Calling :: Michael Novak
- Devotional Ventures :: Corey Cleek
- Annointed for Business :: Ed Silvoso
- Convergence :: Brett Johnson
- God at Work :: Rich Marshall
- Where there are no jobs :: David Befus (NEW to the List)
- Kingdom Companies :: Knoblauch and Opprecht
- Transform the World :: Nordstrom
- Entreprenuer's Creed :: Oster and Hamel
- Business as Mission :: Steffen and Barnett
- The Gods of Business :: Albertson
- Loving Mondays :: Beckett
- Galtrnoics Story :: William Goheen
If you have read from this list, please post your comments and/or recommendation for us to read.
Blessings,
Larry
| BAM in Romania 
Here is another interesting and motivating BAM story from Romania.
A businessman from California visited Romania in the late 80s on a church trip and was moved by the desperate conditions there. In 1989, he went back to Romania with thousands of dollars worth of medicine and supplies.
Finally, this man moved to Romania, wanting to do something more than just a quick fix. "I realized that we needed to not just send them money and create another banana republic dependent on our aid," he said. "We needed people to create business." The question was what kind.
He began by opening a secondhand clothing store in Iasi, Romania's second-largest city. "Good used clothing from America at good prices," he recalled. "And we introduced a number of new measures, like smiling." Soon there were three stores. The profits were put into local mission projects.
Next came a restaurant. "The most popular TV there at the time was 'Dallas' ". They gave the restaurant a Texas theme.
They later built a hotel with 32 rooms above the restaurant for Romanian business travelers. Some of the restaurant's profit go back into expanding the business, but the rest will go to local aid and ministry projects. This family has, for example, opened a kindergarten and day-care center in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods.
They are now planning for a dental clinic in another town.
Isn't it great to see how God is blessing this Business as Mission work, allowing it to grow and spread. It is serving people in a variety of ways and providing resources for the ministry work.
We applaud the vision and follow through.
We continue looking for examples of interest and that contain lessons and evidence of business being used to serve the Kingdom.
Blessings,
Larry
| Roots of BAM 
Business as mission experience growth following a mission movement in the 1980's to reach people in what was referred to as the "resistant belt" across North Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
These locations were typically Muslim, Buddhist or were simply ruled by governments that made it hard or impossible for religious workers to get visas. Missionaries with no business experience opened travel agencies, Internet cafes and other small companies, sometimes accused of being little more than fronts for proselytizing.
According to Steven L. Rundle, an associate professor of economics at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., that model was about getting missionaries into these countries by whatever means you could, whether it's teaching or business or whatever.
Professor Rundle authored a 2003 book, "Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role of Business in Missions."
Since that time there have been evangelical groups recognizing that mission-minded businesspeople can do things that traditional missionaries cannot. Rundle stated, "The future generation of missionary will be the rank-and-file businessman,"
The wheel, he added, has come full circle: many of the first emissaries of the Gospel were tradesmen, not priests.
Next time we will see some example work in Romania.
Blessings,
| More on Christian Run Companies as Missions
Today we consider a few more elements and observation from the article by Mr. Sudyk.
He notes that Christian-run companies are multiplying all over the globe. This is reshaping overseas mission work, or at least providing another dimension to mission work. Sudyk reminds us of the three general titles of this type of mission work:
- Business as mission
- Kingdom businesses
- Great commission companies, after the biblical charge to "make disciples of all the nations."
He also mentions more examples:
- In Romania, for example, a Californian runs a Tex-Mex restaurant and catering hall said that he expected to clear $250,000 in profit this year, most of which will be donated to local ministries.
- In a Muslim country with a history of hostility to Christianity, Sudyk mentions a medical-supply importer from the Midwest that leverages the trust she earns through her business dealings to quietly spread the word.
- Micro-lending banks are another area we have featured in past posts
- Fair-trade coffee companies is another.
He points out that in countries there is more hunger for economic development than for missionaries. In those settings, some supporters of BAM think that a profit-oriented company centered around Christian values can be a powerful tool for building a Christian society. A job-creating, taxpaying enterprise, they say, will be more legitimate in the eyes of locals, harder for a government to expel and better for the resident economy than one propped up by handouts from back home.
An addition point -- "The real power of the movement is that it's not donor-funded, it's basically globally funded," Mr. Sudyk said. "There's no restraint in the capacity of this system, because you avert the donor and plug into globalization."
Blessings and thanks for your continuing interest,
Larry
| Christian Run Companies 
I recently found another example on the internet which brings some interesting points to the surface. The article highlighted a person from Michigan, Mr. Sudyk. He has an outsourcing company in Chennai, India, providing medical transcribers and software engineers to American businesses, employing 75 people.
Mr. Sudyk says the Gospel is used to illuminate every aspect of his business, from its ethics to its help to local ministries. The business is located in a non-Christian region, so some interesting practices are used.
- Each afternoon at the Chennai office, there is a 10-minute prayer.
- People are not pressured. "We don't push our religion down their throat," Mr. Sudyk said. "Our philosophy is that you're not going to talk anybody into it. But they clearly know it's a Christian-run company."
This reminds me of similar practices by some excellent Christian-run companies in America.
- Values and leadership practices model Christ's teaching.
- Prayer meetings and Bible sessions are permitted on a voluntary basis.
- Evangelism is within the limits of law -- no one is pressured or pushed toward Christ, yet those who seek information are assisted with joy.
Christian companies often experience some wonderful rewards, including things such as better people retention, thus reducing recruiting and hiring costs. People enjoy and tend to thrive in the Christian environment, working under a value system that values and loves people.
This should be food for thought for a lot of Christian leaders.
| An Example and Resource from Romania 
It is really enjoyable to see other groups that are doing great BAM projects around the world.
Below is the link to one that has an informative website.
In particular, I enjoyed and applaud the three elements of their Vision.
Christian Business International, formerly the Romanian Christian Business Development Project, has a vision that is best described in the following three statements:
- Create Christian businesses that will provide sustainable support to local churches and pastors through their tithes and offerings.
- Train Christian business owners to operate businesses which are ministry points in the marketplace.
- Train local church leadership and congregations in financial management principles.
Please let us know of links to your projects or those you reference. You can share them by writing comments to this blog.
Blessings,
| BAM Example from West Africa 
Cashew Processing Plant in Catel, Guinea-Bissau
This BAM example is in a rural West African village. An increasing array of example projects is not accessible via the internet. The article was complete with photos and written by Beryl Forrester, of Eastern Minnonite Missions. The accompanying photo is also by Beryl Forreste. Here are some excerpts from his piece.
"This isn’t the first such industry for Catel, but it is the first one to actually process locally grown agricultural products for the global market, Forrester said. In the past, the abundant crop of local cashews often rotted on the ground, going to waste without proper processing and marketing procedures.
Forrester said the new plant “is still back there a century or two,” but it’s appropriate technology for Catel.
First the nuts are boiled in the husks over a fire fueled with husks from the previous batch. The husks, which contain a highly flammable petroleum product, burn well.
After the nuts have been cooked, a hand-operated mechanical knife splits open the softened husks, and workers pop out the cashew kernels with nails. Each cashew is handled individually several times, making for rather tedious labor
“It might be boring,” Forrester said, “But it sure beats sitting day after day on the veranda with nothing to do but visit and drink tea.” He enjoys hearing the hum of workers’ happy conversation blended with the squeak and clunk of the nut crackers.
Most of the 10 employees are young adult students. Their earnings, which aren’t yet up to what Forrester is aiming for, are paying for school fees.
In the new year, they plan to add a roasting facility and eventually a packaging unit. In the long term, they hope to export internationally and open similar processing units in other villages. Forrester believes the cashew processing business has great potential in West Africa.
As they build up a larger stock of nuts and include more processing steps, Forrester believes they could easily triple in size in the coming year. This past fall they produced 150 pounds of shelled nuts a week.
Mamadou Mane operates a cashew nut cracking machine at the new cashew processing plant in Guinea-Bissau. Each nut must be held in place individually as the worker – using both hand and foot – manipulates the blade that cracks open the nut. Photo credit: Beryl Forrester
Forrester is pleased with initial indications of profitability. “We want both just wages for the workers and a modest profit that, in the years to come, will sustain the business and subsidize the work of the church and our nongovernmental organization – Mennonite Educational & Horticultural Development Associates,” he said. “I firmly believe it can be done.”
Forrester sees the new plant as a good example of “business as mission.” It utilizes local resources, both human and agricultural, to create opportunities for people in poverty to take responsibility for their own lives.
It’s also an acknowledgement that God has placed wealth on earth that can sustain human life, dignity, and a better tomorrow. It puts an end to dependency on overseas dollars and a “poor me” mentality.
In addition to Forrester, the EMM team in Guinea-Bissau includes Andrew Stutzman and a six-member Youth Evangelism Service (YES) team that began eight months of service in December.
Seven small church fellowships have been started in Catel and the surrounding villages."
Many thanks to Beryl for providing this example on the internet. Some interesting a key points that are congruent with our discussion include:
- This BAM takes advantage of local product -- cashews
- In start-up, the processing is very labor intensive, far from modern processing, but that is okay for this place at this time
- The vision includes growth and profitability
- Earnings for the workers will improve quality of life -- a means of education
- The BAM accompanies church fellowships in the villages
Thanks for your interest,
Larry
| BAM Definitions 
When we started this blog in October 2009, we defined “Business as Mission” (BAM).
Here are a few definitions by other authors. You might find comparing them interesting. In particular, look for the similarities.
Neal Johnson, 2009
A for-profit commercial business venture that is Christian led, intentionally devoted to being used as an instrument of God’s mission to the world (missio dei), and is operated in a cross-cultural environment, either domestic or international.
Mats Tunehag, 2006
Business as Mission is about real, viable, sustainable and profitable businesses; with a Kingdom of God purpose, perspective and impact; leading to transformation of people and societies spiritually, economically and socially – to the greater glory of God.
Ken Eldred, 2005
Kingdom Businesses [BAMs] are for-profit commercial enterprises in the mission field of the developing world through which Christian business professionals are seeking to meet spiritual, social and economic needs.
Rundle and Steffen, 2003
A Great Commission Company is a socially responsible, income-producing business managed by kingdom professionals and created for the specific purpose of glorifying God and promoting the growth and multiplication of local churches in the least-evangelised and least-developed part of the world.
Did you spot the similarities?
- BAM is about real business – for profit
- Mission is about reaching people spiritually – the higher level purpose of the BAM
Many thanks for your continuing interest in BAM discussion.
Larry
| BAM Best Practices 
As movement continues to increase for Business as Missions, it is worthwhile to keep an eye on what is being learned around the globe. It can be especially useful to read summaries of what organizations are finding to be “best practices.” The following is one such summary, pulled from the on-line paper, Business as Mission Through the Lens of Development by David Bronkema and Christopher M. Brown, both having experience and responsibilities through Eastern University.
Their summary of 15 best practices was based on a survey of Business as Mission practitioners and theorists working in 11 countries. The majority were working in Asia.
1 Working with a sending agency is a recommended practice for BAM.
2 Capital should be obtained on an investment not a grant basis.
3 BAM practitioners should work in teams.
4 Teams should be multicultural.
5 The local language should be studied and learned as well as possible.
6 The local culture should be studied and learned as well as possible.
7 The business strives to be profitable and sustainable in the long term.
8 The business has a system of accountability.
9 Compensation can be a combination of salary from the company and support as
long as there is transparency.
10 The business should have a written business plan.
11 The business should have updated yearly goals for the business plan.
12 The business should have a written spiritual impact plan.
13 The business should have updated yearly goals for the spiritual impact plan.
14 The business should be proactive in intercession.
15 The business should actively seek the prayer support of others.
Many thanks to the outstanding efforts that are being made to share learning and knowledge so that the impact of BAM can increase around the globe.
Blessings,
Larry
| Business with Church Planting 
Business as mission is a powerful strategy when combined with church planting.
The newly planted church can face a huge challenge in pulling people from the community into the church family—the Body of Christ.
A business penetrates outward into the community rather than simply attempting to pull people from the community. When the business is Christ focused, it thus has a capacity to reach a large segment of the community with the love our Lord.
The combination of church and BAM is very important. As people are reached from the activity of the business, the church becomes a home for assimilation and discipling new believers.
I am researching some examples to share in the coming weeks. One that is of interest to me is from an organization called “Peru Mission.” This is of particular interest to me, as this church and business are located in Trujillo, Peru. Trujillo is fairly close to the project planning which we recently featured for the church team in Otuzco, Peru. Trujillo is near the coast, and Otuzco is above Trujillo in the Andes. I hope these pastors and project leaders can share information and learning in the very near future.
Here is some information from the websites of Peru Mission and also Christianity Today.
In Trujillo, Peru, a hybrid effort is underway, teaming the church with a for-profit business. Peru Mission began in the late 1990s, under the care of Christian Missionary Society based in Statesboro, Georgia. Much of Peru Mission's funding comes from Presbyterian Church in America congregations. "We have a high view of the church as community," explains Brad Ball, a businessman and early Mission member. "When you work in the context of the church as community, the church isn't just a club you belong to, but it's a place where people's lives get intertwined and people are interdependent, and it's territorial."
Peru Mission has already planted two churches, one of 200 members and another of 50 members, both led by ordained Peruvian pastors. Medical missions are operating. The next step is to boost the local economy. Unlike the typical BAM, Peru Mission starts a church first, and then follows with businesses.
Peru Mission is working in the midst of great poverty. Less than 50% of the country is employed in the formal economy, which means that most of the rest are getting by as day laborers or street vendors. In urban neighborhoods, there are a staggering number of single mothers struggling to feed their children, as men drift between jobs and families.
However, after providing temporary band-aids for financial difficulties for a while, we saw time and time again the need to be actively pursuing long-range solutions to economic problems as well. So, as we strive to rebuild the ruins and lay the foundations of a righteous community, part of our work here includes economic development. Currently we have several economic development projects designed to create jobs and help poor families steward their limited resources more wisely, as well as provide training and skills to improve their chances for employment in the future.
As you can see, they see the power of combining the planted church with BAM projects.
I hope to visit them in Trujillo on our next trip to Peru.
Blessings,
Larry
| Panaderia Planning Documentation, Part 3 
This is the final post to present this example document. Another important section of the document deals with the finances required for the project. That is what we will highlight here. The currency is the Peruvian Nuevo Sol.
Implementation
1.1.The oven………………………………………………………. S/ 2,500.00
1.2.Mixers………………………………………………… S/ 1,500.00
1.3.A cutter………………………………………………. S/ 1,400.00
1.4.Scales / timer……………………………………. S/ 250.00
1.5.Work tables………………………………. S/ 1,200.00
1.6.Basic Utensils………………………………………… S/ 600.00
1.7.Government registration……………………… S/ 150.00
1.8.Initial ingredients………………….. S/ 2.200.00
S/ 9,800.00
Capacity—initially production is assured at 2,000 loaves of bread per day, then projected as a goal after a year is 5000 / day. The oven has a capacity of 500 per 45 minutes, so there is not an equipment bottle neck with this plan.
Location is not a problem as we have members willing to use parts of their homes to install the ovens and equipment. Space will be rented for sales at a cost of S/ 350.
Salaries are oriented for daily payment and a monthly wage contracted for each member for their time. To assure three people full time at the start will mean a monthly base salary of S/ 500. The rest of the people will have a commission based on their sales. This is customary in the city for sales people.
For an initial volume of production at 5000, at 0.10 per bread, income will be 500 soles/day making a total of 15,000 per month. Variable and fixed expenses will be 370 soles/day for a monthly total of 11,100, leaving a net of 130 soles/day or 3900 nuevos soles monthly. Allowing an additional 25% for variables would yield a monthly net of 2925 soles.
Financing
Local Church…………………………………………….. S/ 1, 500.00
External Support…………………………….. S/8,300.00
S/ 9,800.00
Rate of Exchange with USA dollar is 2.92 soles/dollar
For the external support, there are two possibilities. One is donation, which would allow us to use income to enlarge and improve operations. The second is repayable support, which would slow the process of reaching sustainability.
Other details are included in the plan as well, including timelines for implementation, etc.
These three posts have represented actual planning that has been performed by this missionary team in Otuzco, Peru, directed by Pastor Javier Martinez.
If you would like to provide support for this wonderful work, please write to me at lmeeker@atctraining.com and I will send you the information and directions for the sponsoring church. Your involvement would truly be a blessing to them and greatly appreciated.
Blessings,
Larry
| Panaderia Planning Documentation, part 2 
Today we continue reviewing the actual planning document prepared for this bakery in Peru. This piece provides important background information essential to the decision to proceed.
II. Social Economic Assessment – (This is an important element of planning for a BAM project. It gives the planners and potential investors the background of the area in which the business will be established. This is an important element in assessing the potential viability of the proposed business.)
The local church initiating this project is under the direction of Pastor Javier Martinez Rojas, who directs the mission in Otuzco and its two additional missions: El Alizar and Santa Cecilia in the District of Usquil, Province of Otuzco, Peru. He and a team carried out this assessment study about the social economics of the church in the context of the City of Otuzco. Through that study the following results were obtained:
2.1.Population, Otuzco is a city located 65 KM from the city of Trujillo, capital of the Libertad region of Peru, at an altitude of 2640 meters above sea level. The population is approximately 33,000 inhabitants. The majority of the population is young, with more female than male.
2.2.Social reality
This city has a strategic location for tourism, with many visitors both from this nation and foreigners. At the same time it is a key commercial point in this part of the province, already having a concentration of inhabitants from the districts of Uzquil, Huaranchal, Coina and others in order to exchange commercial specialties on Sundays.
The occupations are dedicated basically to commercial and agriculture. 75% of the inhabitants profess to follow the Catholic religion. Issues of religious questions are fluid, permitting consumption of local products.
2.3.Economic reality
The economic level of people here is between the middle and lower levels. That is why it is necessary to create work opportunities that permit us to help the local homes/families.
Next time we will provide additional components of the document, continuing to reveal important parts of the plan and process.
Blessings,
Larry
| Panaderia Planning Documentation, part 1 
I will take the elements of this plan slightly out of order. Part 3 of the planning document is actually the section that highlights the purposes for this BAM Project. Let’s start with it. In terms of the thinking process, this should be one of the first elements to be developed for the project. (The original document is in Spanish.)
III Proposal
The proposal is to create a business that generates economic profit that will help different families within the local congregation at the mission in Otuzco, selected by evaluation, with their economic needs. It will serve similarly for the pastor family, in advancing the missionary effort. It will achieve self sustainment of the Mission going forward over time.
In the same way, the objective of the BAM is to strengthen and expand the Gospel mission of salvation for our brothers in the Andes, to strategic places that the mission of Otuzco proposes to reach in the confines of the province.
We like the purposes:
- Good work for members of the congregation
Our goal is to be a definite benefit to members of the church, who should be able to achieve an improved lifestyle and give a good testimony as children of God.
- Sustain and advance the work (the mission)
To begin, based on the budget of the local church, the project needs financial support to get started. In time the project should be self-sustaining and the bakery process should become more profitable as production is diversified.
(This proposal section on Purposes is simply stated, and it is very clear. The project will provide needed employment in a wholesome, Christian business environment. This meets a real need within the current mission church family. The profits will fuel the ministry outreach, not just in the community of Otuzco, but to other mission points in the Province. This church has already extablished two specific mission points and is currently finishing a mission church building in one of the locations. It is an amazing work.)
Next time we will include additional sections of their planning document.
Blessings,
Larry
| New BAM Project in Planning - Panaderia 
We are very excited to learn that one of our dear missionary brothers in South America is in the planning stages for a new BAM project. He has given permission to share with you via this blog the planning documentation that he and his team have prepared. In the next few posts we will print portions of that document, beginning with the purposes they have defined for the project.
This project would involve starting a bakery, known commonly in this part of the world as a panaderia.
Here are a few photos of an actual panaderia that we visited in Mexico earlier this month. These will give you a feel for the actual project.
Labor will be required in all aspects of the process, providing needed jobs for church and community people.
Space and materials are dedicated to allowing the different versions of bread to rise. These racks are for French style bread.
There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread coming out of the oven, by the thousands each day.
The selections from this panaderia in Mexico were incredible.
Next post we will start sharing the details. If you or others in your network of Christian friends find interest in the project and would like to provide support, we will connect you with the sponsoring church here in the United States so that you can contribute. That would be fantastic.
Blessings, and check back soon to follow this project as it is being planned.
Larry
| Business as Mission Manifesto Christian from around the world have interest in BAM concepts. I think you will enjoy the following excerpt from the Lausanne Forum.
Blessings,
Larry
The Lausanne (LCWE [1]) 2004 Forum Business as Mission Issue Group worked for a year, addressing issues relating to God’s purposes for work and business, the role of business people in church and missions, the needs of the world and the potential response of business. The group consisted of more than 70 people from all continents. Most came from a business background but there were also church and mission leaders, educators, theologians, lawyers and researchers. The collaboration process included 60 papers, 25 cases studies, several national and regional Business as Mission consultations and email-based discussions, culminating in a week of face to face dialogue and work. These are some of our observations.
Affirmations
- We believe that God has created all men & women in His image with the ability to be creative, creating good things for themselves and for others - this includes business.
- We believe in following in the footsteps of Jesus, who constantly and consistently met the needs of the people he encountered, thus demonstrating the love of God and the rule of His kingdom.
- We believe that the Holy Spirit empowers all members of the Body of Christ to serve, to meet the real spiritual and physical needs of others, demonstrating the kingdom of God.
- We believe that God has called and equipped business people to make a Kingdom difference in and through their businesses.
- We believe that the Gospel has the power to transform individuals, communities and societies. Christians in business should therefore be a part of this holistic transformation through business.
- We recognise the fact that poverty and unemployment are often rampant in areas where the name of Jesus is rarely heard and understood.
- We recognise both the dire need for and the importance of business development. However it is more than just business per se. Business as Mission is about business with a Kingdom of God perspective, purpose and impact.
- We recognise that there is a need for job creation and for multiplication of businesses all over the world, aiming at the quadruple bottom line: spiritual, economical, social and environmental transformation.
- We recognise the fact that the church has a huge and largely untapped resource in the Christian business community to meet needs of the world – in and through business - and bring glory to God in the market place and beyond.
Recommendations
We call upon the Church world wide to identify, affirm, pray for, commission and release business people and entrepreneurs to exercise their gifts and calling as business people in the world – among all peoples and to the ends of the earth.
We call upon business people globally to receive this affirmation and to consider how their gifts and experience might be used to help meet the world’s most pressing spiritual and physical needs through Business as Mission.
[1] Lausanne Committee for World Evangelisation
| More BAM Examples  Welcome back,
The following are two more actual example of BAM projects:
Place 3 – India
Business – Micro-loan banking
Description – The business addresses the issue of poverty by providing banking assistance to the poorest of the poor. Microfinance gives the poor people an opportunity to work their way out of poverty. A micro-loan of as little as $100 can make the difference between chronic poverty and modest prosperity for a family.
Place 4 – Asia
Business – Business training, including schools that teach English
Description – As this Asian country strives to rise rapidly in the global marketplace, there exists a thirst for two very important bodies of knowledge for the emerging leaders:
- Education in business leadership skills
- Education in English
This BAM has been reaching many people of influence with the Gospel as a consequence of this business focus.
Next time (Monday, Nov. 9, 2009) – what might a BAM workplace be like?
Blessings and thanks for your interest in this important topic,
Larry | Examples of BAM Projects/Companies Examples of BAM projects/companies – (Some of the examples listed are wonderful works for God in regions of the world where Christians are still being persecuted. In those examples, I will not use the organizations' actual names or the precise locations in order to protect those workers.)
Place 1 – country in the Mideast that has been in war for many decades
Business – Human resources consulting services
Description – Within the cities of this war-torn country, young men are striving to learn how they might become successful in business and somehow rise above the rubble of the war to create opportunities for themselves, their families, and the communities.
This BAM is exciting, as it is providing these potential business leaders with skills that they have had no previous opportunity to learn. Within this context, (teaching business and business values), exist opportunities to share the power of Christ.
Place 2 – Grapevine, TX
Business – GRACE
Description –This non-profit enterprise was established to assist the needy in Grapevine and surrounding communities. Services they provide include food pantries, apartments for families needing shelter, a medical clinic, and much more. Revenue is generated from a combination of donations and business, including a storefront business that sells “like new” clothing and merchandise at very reduced pricing. This provides affordable clothing to families in need, and generates revenue for the other services.
Next time we will look at more examples.
We are traveling to Guatemala this week, so the next posting is planned for Thursday, November 5, 2009.
Many thanks,
Larry | | |
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