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The recent economic troubles in global markets will trickle down to business, consumers and ministries in the coming months. With wallets tightening and credit lines constricting, the spotlight on business-as-ministry models will only continue to burn brighter.
Tom Sudyk, President of the EC Group and Ken Eldred, Author of God at Work recently had the opportunity to speak with a group of foundations and high net worth individuals about the growing investment opportunities in Business as Mission companies.
By the way, if you're looking to connect with other people who have a passion for business and ministry, join 400 others on the Business as Mission Network on LinkedIn. We've recently had some great discussions about internships, Silicon Valley Hubs for Business and Ministry and discussing whether or not Creative Access is just a case of bad wording or misguided?
Director - Business as Mission Network
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Featured Sponsor |
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Major Foundations Learning about Business as Mission Investment Opportunities |
 A large group of foundations and high worth individuals at The Gathering's Annual conference held at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island, Florida heard how they could be strategic in the Business as Mission (BAM) movement. Ken Eldred and Tom Sudyk chaired a panel discussion about the growing BAM movement including examples of business operations in China, India and Eastern Europe. Cornerstone University provided the educational perspective of how the next generations of BAM leaders are being developed through adult graduate programs and alumni involvement.
Foundations expressed frustration in funding requests being "repackaged" as BAM and were particularly interested in having a better understanding of BAM so they could support the movement by making wise grants. They also expressed disappointment that only a few mission agencies were embracing this new strategy seriously - most are still looking at business as only a method of getting a visa and not as a self funding mission strategy way to have a legitimate place to influence employees and community.
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Last Chance to Attend Fall Business as Mission Events |
The event season is in full swing. Partners Worldwide and Fellowship of Companies for Christ ( FCCI) just wrapped up their annual events and next week the Global CEO Network and Baylor University step up to the plate. Here's the update list of upcoming events. If you've got some frequent flyer miles left to cash in, now would be a good time to book your last minute flights and make plans to attend.
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| Regent Center for Entrepreneurship Launches The Africa Project |
 Here at Regent Center for Entrepreneurship (RCE) we have embarked on a Great Adventure we are inviting all of our Founders, Friends, and Regent Alumni to join with us!
This Great Adventure is the heart of Kingdom Business - transforming lives and nations through business - beginning on the continent of Africa!
Dale Neill, President of the International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC), has invited Dr. John Mulford and the RCE Team to partner in a Great Commission venture. We'll be creating Business Development Centers in the nations of Burundi, Rwanda, Benin, and Liberia, in association with the ICCC Global Trade Center based in Jerusalem.
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| Business as Mission Group Launched on LinkedIn |
 We've launched the Business as Mission Network Group on LinkedIn as a way of identifying other people who share a passion for both business and ministry.
Over 400 people have joined and recently the groups discussion board has hosted some interesting discussions:
- Silicon Valley Hub for Business and Spiritual Integration
- Is Creative Access Bad Wording or Plain Misguided
- Business as Mission Internships
- Helping Believers Fulfill Marketplace Assignment
You can still get in on the group by clicking here. After joining, click here to email us a couple of sentences about your business as mission story so we can welcome you to the group. | |
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| The Second Edition of the Business as Mission Journey |
 Last year we followed the journey of a few interns as they got more involved in Business as Mission. We shared their observations, reflections and lessons learned as they visited and interact with different Business as Mission (BAM) practitioners. We share the program directors hope that this sharing will spark your imagination and encourage you to get involved in the idea of combining business and ministry. Here's the start of their second edition!
Updates- Apologies for the gap in sending out these notes (the last case study was sent out May!). Our first year's BAM Journey participants have returned to North America. One is now gaining practical work experience managing a store for her parent's business. And the other is reporting back on his year while we liaise and try to develop a working BAM internship for him in-country. A new BAM Journey team is coming together for Fall '08! Thus far we have 2 Couples and 2 Singles. We're still waiting for all the dust to settle with people moving over here, a new baby arriving and adoption paper work on another to be finalized. Hopefully by the end of this month we are settled in and started into our program.
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| Difficulties of Success by Sarah Dusek |
 One of the most challenging aspects of Business as Mission (BAM) company has to be the difficulty in ascertaining what constitutes a successful BAM company. BAM companies have the double-edged challenge of trying to create a thriving business that is economically viable and at the same time make an impact for the Kingdom of God. What indicators therefore, should be utilized to measure success? How should success be defined? If success is understood too narrowly BAM companies could be limited in their growth and development and similarly if too broadly, companies that achieve little for either the Kingdom or economically could be perpetuated that perhaps should cease. Peter Shaukat, CEO of a global investment fund for BAM enterprise in the Arab world and Asia, shared his thoughts on the subject at this year's Introduction to Business as Mission Course (IBAM). He outlined the need for a biblical perspective on success as a whole and explored some bottom-line success principles for BAM companies, together with guidelines for setting realistic goals and targets.
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| International Business as Mission Training in Thailand Heading into Second Year - Mats Tunehag |
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 I have worked globally on specific Business as Mission (BAM) issues and applications over the past ten plus years, I have witnessed great strides and consistency gained with regards to the definition and acceptance of BAM. However, there are a few things that still stand out as major needs to further the cause of the BAM movement globally. Among them is a greater depth and investment in training.
Some crucial issues pertaining to training are: Vision impartation, Concept clarification, Practical implications, Business applications and Mentoring.
These are important issues for three major constituencies in the BAM Movement: Businesses, Churches and Mission Agencies.
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| Welcoming BBL Forum as a New Partner to the Business as Mission Network |
 Its a lot of fun to develop partnerships with other ministries that embody the idea of combining business and ministry. The Global CEO Network, YWAM's International Business as Mission Training, The C12 Group and Partners Worldwide have been featured ministry sponsors and now we'd like to welcome a new group, the BBL Forum. Here's a quick description from their website, "BBL Forum is a dynamic organization exclusively for Christian CEO's, company presidents, and business owners that delivers cutting edge business advice from a Christian world view that honors God, challenges and transforms you with peer accountability, and is phenomenally profitable to your bottom line." You can learn more and check them out at http://www.bblforum.com | |
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