I Heart Jesus... and Business

Since college I think the faint question I've been wrestling with is "how do I combine business and missions?" That faint question has evolved into a loud vision which the Lord has orchestrated one piece at a time. And I am slowly learning to trust Him with the plans for my life and that He somehow is going to unite my heart for Jesus, my passion for business, and my love of the coffee industry into one big beautiful mess.

This is an excerpt from the CAM International website. It explains with more clarity what I am hoping to do in the coffee world:

"Entrepreneurialism, kingdom business, microenterprise development, Great Commission companies, missional corporations... No matter what name you give it, doing business as mission is a movement gaining momentum worldwide. Business men and women, field missionaries with business mindsets, and national leaders with a foot in the business world are increasingly involved in economic development by creating jobs through businesses. In some cases large scale ventures are launched, with potential to influence entire cities and regions."

The traditionally black and white division between ministry as sacred and business as secular has intentionally, blurring lines. Mike Baer, in his book Business as Mission, challenges the reader to “imagine what could happen if every Christian businessperson recognized that God had a purpose for their company greater than profit, employment, or customer satisfaction. Imagine if the vast number of believing business owners and operators turned their companies over to God to use for His glory. Imagine the power and joy of integrating business and faith for God’s kingdom. Think of the financial, technological, and human resources that would come into play. Think of the ways in which entire societies could be transformed for Christ.”

In God is at Work, Ken Eldred defines kingdom business as a “for-profit venture designed to facilitate God’s transformation of people and nations.” He also defines the key players in this movement as kingdom business professionals, or individuals who are “authentic, skilled business people who use their talents to further the worldwide mission of the Church through kingdom business.”

The Business as Mission strategy not only provides new channels for recruitment and the potential expansion of ministries. It also helps develop infrastructure (especially in economically poor Central America) as part of a supportive foundation upon which we can more easily accomplish global vision (i.e. training, empowering, and sending). Business as Mission can also be a supportive part of holistic ministry and outreach, which is not only biblical, but also has strong potential to enhance the ongoing viability and sustainability of continued involvement in CAM's historic fields.

Here are just some of the many available resources to learn more about the growing Business as Mission movement:
· Business as Mission, by Mike Baer. YWAM Publishing, 2006.
· God is at Work, by Ken Eldred. Regal Books, 2005.
· Great Commission Companies, by Steve Rundle and Tom Steffen. IVP, 2003.
· http://www.businessasmission.blogspot.com/, a B.A.M. resource blog
· www.kingdomcatalyst.org, an October 2007 B.A.M. conference in North Texas