businessasmission.blogspot.com
the place to fuse good business and great ministry
November 2006 - Vol 1, Issue 3
Issue: Commitment
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The Long Term Commitment of Business as Mission

Last week I heard the story of Integra Ventures. I must admit it was incredibly inspiring to hear stories of individuals from Eastern Europe and Russia who have fused together business and faith for the sake of Christ. One of the many things that stood out in that presentation was the deep passion that the organization shares for the long term commitment to an individual project. When we reflect back on the recent history of missions commitment of the church, we notice that some have developed a mentality that it is alright to be the "hired gun" who moves from country to country, project to project, thinking that real transformation can be done in a matter of a round trip plane ticket and 5 days of paid vacation. We cannot accept that mentality as the Business as Mission movement continues to takes off. We must change and focus on long term planning. As entrepreneurs we recognize that a startup can easily take 5, 10, or 20 years or even a lifetime to develop significant results. We should plan that it will take even longer to develop a successful business as mission company.We must take this to heart and our foundation must be deep and we should invest for generations to come. Engaging the next generation of 20 and 30 somethings is key to our long term success. And if we go, then we must go strong and focus and not be focused on unrealistic short term results. If we commit to help, then may it be a long term plan for this generation and the next. And, if we find ourselves unwilling to commit to the long term, then maybe it's better we don't go at all?

Recently, my wife and I were walking through the John F. Kennedy presidential library in Boston and at the end of the tour we were saw this quote "A many die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on." The idea of Business as Mission is larger than any one individual. As noted in the previous post and related to the above quote, we must have a long term commitment to specific projects and for the movement as a whole. The generation of seasoned business professionals in their 40's and 50's have been an incredible part of rebuilding the foundation. The role of this generation of 20 and 30 somethings is crucial to keeping momentum. We must build on this moment and able willing to take the baton when it is ready to be passed.
For years, young professionals in their 20's and 30's have faced some significant challenges in getting involved in cross cultural work via traditional missions. Our team is quickly learning, that Business as Mission provides some incredible opportunities to overcome some of these hurdles: Concerned Parents, 12-18 Month Lead Time to the Field, Student Loans, Adding New Talent to the Pool, Opportunities for the Talented, Balancing the Tension of Expatriate vs. National Workers.

The first hurdle of concerned parents usually starts with "What are you going to do with your education? This is a response some 20 and 30-somethings sometimes encounter when they tell their parents they are going to pursue traditional mission opportunities after spending anywhere from $30,000-80,000 dollars on an education. A job in a profitable and sustainable Business as Mission company can address these concerns by providing both invaluable career experience that the parents embrace and an opportunity to be involved in ministry.
How do we break down the divide between the sacred and the secular in the church? Ok, so that's not something we can answer in a blog, or even in a book because the divide is a lot more than just surface deep and it must be done for our long term success. That being said, there's one simple, subconscious thing I continue to see done in church services across the country that is easy to change. We only "send out" full time ministry people through prayer in front of the church. Don't get me wrong, I think think that praying for an individual, family or team before they go out is wonderful and an important step towards showing what we support. So, let's take it a step further... If we are truly committed to breaking down the divide between the sacred and the secular, then we should be praying for and sending out our teachers every August when they return back to school. We should be sending out our accountants to be a light for Christ when they hit the crunch of the spring deadlines. We should be praying for the CEO's and Entreprenuers of companies when they undertake new business venutres...
Do you have a passion for business, but want to see it fit into a larger purpose? When you look at those who are often overlooked and forgotten, do you envision yourself empowering them to transform their community through a business? Are you an accountant? Are you an engineer? Are you ready to try something different? Then we welcome you to join the revolution of Business as Mission. One way to get inolved is to search a list of current part and full time job opportunities by The Rightnow Campaign. These opportunities come from a growing list of Business as Mission companies in the "Business as Mission Network."
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has taken a significant step by awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006, to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank for their efforts to create economic and social development. While some columnists and bloggers have recently been challenging whether or not the award fits the vision of the committee's history, Yunnus silenced some critics when he made the announcement of his plans to donate all of the prize money ($1.4 million) towards furthering the cause. I couldn't be more thrilled that the committee has recognized the importance of economic and social transformation. This award directly validates one of the key pillars of the Business as Mission movement, and it should create a larger spotlight around transforming societies in the undeveloped world.
A little over a week ago my wife and I had the opportunity to travel to Boston for a long weekend. During our trip we were able to take in things like "The Freedom Trail", Fenway Park, and historic campuses like Harvard. The day after our visit I read an article on the FOX News website, reporting that a six member faculty committee at Harvard had made a bold recommendation to require all Harvard students to take a course in "reason and faith." The report from the committee stated "Harvard is no longer an institution with a religious mission, but religion is a fact that Harvard's graduates will confront in their lives." The report also noted that 94 percent of incoming students claimed they discuss religion and 71 percent claim to regularly attend services.

If you have thoughts, comments, or would like your voice to be heard please comment at http://businessasmission.blogspot.com.
Justin Forman
Business as Mission Blogspot