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Business as Mission can be smelly

Mar 30th, 2013 by

Christ talks about invasion: may God’s Kingdom come on earth, may God’s will be done in our lives and societies today. The incarnational mystery is one of engagement, living among us, sharing our lives and circumstances.

Business as Mission recognizes our calling to be salt and light in the marketplace. It is not about evacuating Christians from a sinful and corrupt commercial sphere, but rather becoming an answer to the Lord’s Prayer: May your Kingdom come in the business world. We are a part of an invasion force, as it were.

Being involved in business, shaping it for God and the common good, will never be an easy ride or a smooth sailing. But we are to pursue an incarnational witness in all our relationships and dealings in the marketplace. And it may carry an odor:

“What is holy in our midst has something to do with the odor of dung on a stable in Bethlehem, the fruity taste of wine on the table at Cana, and the smell of dried blood on the cross at Golgatha.”  (Thomas Merton)

“…the odor of dung on a stable in Bethlehem, …”

Joseph and Mary were forced to travel and make great sacrifices due to tax authorities. It was not a grand start of a relationship and family life. It was most likely stressful, disappointing, and definitely smelly. But they carried Jesus, and He transformed many lives and circumstances.

Starting and operating business can be stressful and disappointing. Dealing with tax authorities can be tough in all countries. But God’s holiness can be displayed in the messiness of the marketplace. We are, like Joseph and Mary, to carry Jesus – into the marketplace.

“…the fruity taste of wine on the table at Cana,…”

Jesus produced wine, not just any wine, but superb quality wine. At a time of celebration Jesus was not a party pooper. There is a time and there is a season, a time to preach and a time to make good wine.

We want to make good quality products, and excel in serving our customers. Sometimes our businesses prosper and we can rejoice and “enjoy the good wine”, as it were. God’s holiness can be displayed both in the smelly and dirty stable, and in the festive occasion where material blessings abound.

“…and the smell of dried blood on the cross at Golgatha.”

There was a short time between Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the mob crying ‘crucify him’. Jesus fed the hungry and healed the sick, and he was also betrayed, abandoned, put through a mistrial and killed.

There are elements of dying, of pain and hurt, even as we engage in Business as Mission. Some may sing our praises one day, and intentionally try to destroy our business the next day. Customers may steal and partners cheat. Authorities may falsely accuse you of wrongdoing.

Doing business, as unto the Lord, will have “something to do with the odor of dung on a stable in Bethlehem, the fruity taste of wine on the table at Cana, and the smell of dried blood on the cross at Golgatha.”  

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Historic Global Congress on Business as Mission in Thailand in April

Feb 1st, 2013 by

The Global Congress on Business as Mission, BAM, will be a unique gathering of leaders and practitioners from all continents.

The Congress is the culmination of a yearlong think tank process engaging hundreds people from all over the world, addressing key strategic issues related to Business as Mission.

Over 30 national, regional and international working groups will present cutting edge BAM practices and models and bring strategic recommendations during the Congress.

The global Congress will provide a unique ‘one-stop shop’ to meet and interact with BAM leaders from all over the world, on an unprecedented scale.

♣ Discover what God is doing around the world through business
♣ Tap into the latest research and thinking on business as mission
♣ Hear from leaders sharing cutting-edge material
♣ Be equipped through practical input
♣ Meet practitioners sharing real business models
♣ Build the connections you need for the future

The Global Congress will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand – April 25-28, 2013.

Visit BAM Congress to find out more and to register.

Quotes from key leaders in business, church and missions endorse the BAM Think Tank & Congress: BAM Think Tank and Congress Endorsements

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Jesus is the Unemployed – to be given a job

Jan 9th, 2013 by

There is a fascinating book* about Mother Teresa and her life journey. Most people know of her dedicated and commendable work among the least and the lowliest.

But fewer are aware of the intense struggle she suffered for years regarding the silence of God. She experienced immense pain when her bridegroom Jesus felt absent, far away and silent.

But she remained faithful to Him and saw and served Him in the people she met. She wrote the following, as an answer to “who is Jesus to me?”. Excerpts:

Jesus is the Joy – to be shared

Jesus is the Peace – to be given

Jesus is the Hungry – to be fed

Jesus is the Thirsty – to be satiated

Jesus is the Naked – to be clothed

Jesus is the Homeless – to be taken in

Jesus is the Sick – to be healed

Jesus is the Lonely – to be loved

Jesus is the Unwanted – to be wanted

Jesus is the Beggar – to be given a smile

Jesus is the Crippled – to walk with him

Jesus is the Drug Addict – to be befriend him

Jesus is the Prostitute – to remove from danger and befriend

Jesus is the Prisoner – to be visited

Jesus is the Old – to be served

This is of course in line with Jesus’ own words: what you have done to one of the least, lost and lowliest, you have done to me. (Matt. 25:35-40)

Most of the social ills and personal problems described by Mother Teresa above, and also listed in the Matthew 25 passage, are related to unemployment. People who have jobs are less likely to suffer hunger, thirst, homelessness, lack of medical care, et cetera.

As Christians in business we thus come alongside Mother Teresa, and countless others around the world, when we express our love for Jesus by starting and growing businesses.

We also respond to the question: Who is Jesus to me?

Jesus is the Unemployed – to be given a job

 

* Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta. Edited and with commentary by Brian Kolodiejchuk

 

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New and important book on business behavior and positive impact

Jan 7th, 2013 by

We know that businesses can fail and hurt people (Enron) and harm nature (BP). But it is equally true that we all depend on businesses and that they can do good. The woman in Proverbs 31 was an astute businesswoman whose ventures served people and her community.

The Quakers practiced a kind of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), long before academics developed the term. Their motto was ‘spiritual & solvent’. They served God and people in and through business.

Even Adam Smith, the author of The Wealth of Nations and sometimes called the father of capitalism, said that business should operate within a framework of fair play, justice and rule of law.

Five highly qualified American academics have produced a landmark publication: Corporate Responsibility: The American Experience.* It is a thorough and helpful study of the development of business behavior in the USA from the mid-18th century till today.

There has been a gradual shift from focus on shareholders and profit to the inclusion of growing sets of stakeholders, like customers, staff, suppliers, community, and environment. Corporate responsibility is about businesses having a positive impact economically, socially and environmentally – the triple bottom line. This is beyond corporate philanthropy, merely giving part of profit to charitable causes.

The book refers to a 2008 study which showed that although there are 37 definitions of CSR, there is a strong congruence in the understanding and praxis of corporate responsibility. The concept is still evolving through the interaction of theory and application, and its global impact is growing.

This is similar to the on-going dialogue in the global Business as Mission (BAM) movement. There are several terms being used and some prefer to use no particular label. But there is a growing alignment among BAM practitioners and thought leaders worldwide, and the Global Think Tank on BAM is a key forum in this process, www.BAMthinktank.org.

As Christians in general, and as Christians in business in particular, we welcome these CSR conversations and developments. We should join in various ways, including drawing from the enormous well of intellectual capital regarding CSR found in this book.

But we must also include God as a stakeholder and thus we need to ask: How can we shape business for God and for the common good?  We recognize the importance of and embrace Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR.

But we aim at more than CSR: BAM is CSR+, i.e. to start and grow businesses to serve people, align with God’s purposes, be good stewards of the planet and make a profit.

See also Business as Mission is bigger than you think.

* Corporate Responsibility: The American Experience. Archie B. Carroll (Author), Kenneth J. Lipartito (Author), James E. Post (Author), Patricia H. Werhane (Author), Kenneth E. Goodpaster (Editor). Cambridge University Press, 2012.

 

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The Global BAM Think Tank and the 2nd Vatican Council

Nov 16th, 2012 by

It is 50 years since the 2nd Vatican Council started. It has been a major influence on the church’s beliefs and praxis, and will be for generations to come.

The Council lasted for three years; they met for four sessions in the autumns of the years 1962 to 1965, with committees doing a lot of work between sessions. 2400 bishops and 500 experts were involved.

Without being presumptuous, we may consider the 1st and 2nd Global Think Tanks on Business as Mission, BAM, as a similar process. Global thought leaders and practitioners met in 2004 and will meet again in April 2013. (BAMthinktank.org/CONGRESS)

The BAM think tank is now facilitating conversations and research in over 30 national, regional and international working groups, with many hundreds of BAM practitioners and experts – from every continent – participating. (See also endorsements enclosed below)

Pope Benedict XVI commented on the texts and the results of the Second Vatican Council:

“It is a clear that this commitment to expressing a specific truth in a new way demands new thinking on this truth and a new and vital relationship with it; it is also clear that new words can only develop if they come from an informed understanding of the truth expressed, and on the other hand, that a reflection on faith also requires that this faith be lived.”

Alluding to Benedict’s text:

  • BAM is not a new truth, but we are committed to express specifics truths in a new way – for our day and age, with a view of serving generations to come.
  • BAM and a changing world demands new thinking, and a new and vital relationship with BAM and the Church.
  • The BAM concept and eco-system must be expressed in new words, but it presupposes that we deepen our understanding of God, the world and our mission; insightful and helpful BAM communication must come from an informed understanding of the truth expressed.
  • BAM requires praxis, and the BAM think tank is not an academic ivory tower deliberation. We are reflecting on BAM praxis, and we are listening and learning from BAM practitioners, who are living out their faith in business.

Pope Benedict writes that “new life developed and new fruit ripened” and continues: “Forty years after the Council, we can show that the positive is far greater and livelier than it appeared to be in the turbulent years around 1968. Today, we see that although the good seed developed slowly, it is nonetheless growing, and our deep gratitude for the work done by the Council is likewise growing.”

The 2nd Vatican Council was in many ways instrumental in a major paradigm shift. BAM is also about a paradigm shift and these shifts take time, they are intergenerational. But good seeds have been sown and are growing, also during our Global BAM Council 2003 (when the process started) to 2013.

It is my prayer that the BAM think tank will see “new life developed and new fruit ripened”, which will invigorate the global BAM movement.

We know that at times we will achieve less than we have hoped and planned for. But it is equally true that God is able to do more than we can imagine through the think tank process.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21, NIV)

 

To learn more about the BAM think tank, click here –> http://bamthinktank.org

 

Endorsement of the Global BAM Think Tank & the Global Congress   

I believe the Global Congress will be the largest assembly of BAM thinkers in the history of the world.  Al Caperna, Business Owner & Director, Call2Business

The Global Think Tank on BAM is not only timely, but sorely needed to refresh the movement’s vision and to maintain and accelerate its momentum. Neal Johnson, Ph.D., has had an extensive and unique thirty-year career as an attorney, banker, educator, business consultant and entrepreneur domestically and internationally. He is the author of “Business as Mission: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice”, IVP Academic.

In undertaking a global assessment and thorough analysis of the BAM movement, the Global Think Tank on Business as Mission serves as a catalyst to engage the Church and help it maximize business activities in order to bless the nations, extend the Kingdom of God and glorify its King. Dr. William H. Jones, President, Columbia International University; Board Member, Coca-Cola Consolidated; Board Member, Correct Craft

I applaud the Business as Mission Think Tank for their efforts to enrich and invigorate the worldwide BAM movement through a yearlong global assessment and I am hopeful that the resulting resources and tools will be employed by the body of Christ to carry the name of Jesus around the world. David Beasley, Former Governor of South Carolina; Fellow, Harvard University Kennedy School of Government; Chairman, Center for Global Strategies

The BAM Congress provides a unique opportunity for those involved in business to meet together and I would encourage all to participate, especially Iranian Christian Leaders. Rev Edward Hovsepian-Mehr, Church Pastor and Superintendent of the Council of United Iranian Churches

The Global Think Tank on Business as Mission will address important issues such as the role of business leaders in finding solutions to human trafficking and equipping Churches to support men and women serving in the market place. Ram Gidoomal CBE, Board Chairman, The Lausanne Movement

The Gospel of the Kingdom, as manifest through business and professional services, is truly unstoppable. And the 2nd global think tank will accelerate the BAM movement. J Gunnar Olson, Founder and Chairman of International Christian Chamber of Commerce

The BAM movement is a powerful witness to the Lordship of Christ over all aspects of our lives.  After more than a decade of application, important issues and learning should be considered and reflected upon.   Critical thought leadership and prayerful deliberation will ensure that BAM matures to be even more relevant and useful in the Kingdom. Edwin Keh, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Works also with Yale and Harvard on governance and capacity building in Africa. Until April 2010 the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Wal-Mart Global Procurement.

The 2nd Global BAM Think Tank is going to be a significant gathering of like-minded followers of Jesus who are focused on Kingdom impact. I would urge you to participate in this important event. Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, Chief Executive Officer/Secretary General of World Evangelical Alliance

I wholeheartedly affirm the strategic conversation flowing from the Global Think Tank on Business as Mission and look forward to how this will infuse fresh thinking and new ideas that will benefit everyone engaged in the priority one task of blessing the nations. Steve Moore, President Missio Nexus, representing 35,000 evangelical missionaries deployed by more than 190 agencies and churches in North America

I fully endorse the Global Think Tank on Business as Mission and look to the day when we give equal honour to business leader, missionary, and pastor alike. The Revd. Canon Mark Oxbrow, International Director  Faith2Share

I urge business people and missions leaders to participate in the BAM Think Tank and help the global BAM movement strengthen its orientation to action and creation, to God’s glory. Doug Seebeck, President of Partners Worldwide; Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

The Business as Mission Think Tank is a unique and highly strategic initiative that will magnify BAM’s impact even further by assessing the global BAM movement and mobilizing, strengthening and equipping BAM practitioners from the global church to glorify God and serve all peoples in and through business. Philip Green, Former CEO of P&O Nedlloyd and United Utilities PLC; Chairman, BakerCorp, Non-Executive Director, Carillion PLC; Chairman, Sentebale; Trustee, British and Foreign Bible Society

In COMIBAM we are currently hard at work to help the church, mission agencies and mission training entities and the missionaries to understand BAM, and get equipped to implement BAM strategies. It is with joy and expectation that we receive the invitation to this global dialogue and we commit to be fully engaged. Decio de Carvalho, Director Ejecutivo/Diretor Executivo/Executive Director,COMIBAM Internacional

The Global Think Tank on Business as Missions will have a critical role in identifying how business and professional Christians can bring a welcomed and valued resource to cross-cultural contexts for the sake of extending the kingdom of God. Jerry Rankin, President Emeritus, International Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention, Director, Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies at Columbia International University

I really welcome the think tank on BAM. Our shaking world needs valid, sustainable values and principles. I am sure the global think tank will make BAM movement stronger than before. Dr. Arto Hämäläinen, Chairman of Pentecostal European Mission (PEM), Chairman of World Missions Commission of Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF)

I recommend the Business as Mission Global Think Tank as an important and viable process for deepening the knowledge about and the use of this God-given tool for advancing His Kingdom. Bertil Ekström (PhD) Executive Director of the World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission         

 

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