This
paper
is
about
the
extraordinary
impact
business
can
have
in
the
hands
of
a
good
God.
It
explores
how
a
Christian
can
glorify
God
in
the
midst
of
doing
business,
and
why
business
itself
matters
to
God.
It
seeks
to
affirm
and
encourage
followers
of
Jesus
working
business
who
are
often
seen
as
second-class
workers
when
it
comes
to
advancing
Gods
kingdom
in
this
world.
This
paper
argues
that
for
all
the
good
that
business
is
currently
doing,
there
is
more
that
can
be
done.
It
explores
ways
that
Christians
can
honour
God
in
business
and
change
the
world
for
the
better.
Lets
start
with
a
word-association
exercise.
When
I
say
the
word
Business,
what
comes
to
mind?
You
might
think
of
words
like
Money,
Profit,
Occupation,
Work,
Greed,
Cutthroat,
Sales,
Opportunity,
Risk
and
Reward,
Suits
and
Ties,
or
Buy
low
sell
high.
When
Christians
think
about
business,
there
can
be
a
polarity
of
views.
On
one
end
of
the
spectrum,
business
is
viewed
as
evil.
On
the
other
end,
many
believe
Christianity
and
capitalism
are
joined
at
the
hip1.
When
Christians
think
of
ways
to
serve
and
honour
God,
what
comes
to
mind
is
serving
in
a
church,
doing
volunteer
work
at
a
charity,
going
on
a
missions
project,
spending
time
with
your
family,
and
sharing
your
faith.
Rarely
do
Christians
think
about
doing
business
as
a
way
to
serve
and
glorify
God.
When
it
comes
to
business,
Christians
often
live
like
practical
atheists,
doing
their
work
and
business
as
if
God
does
not
exist
or
matter.
Work
is
often
seen
as
a
necessary
evil,
a
means
to
provide
the
money
needed
to
live
on.
The
phrase
Thank
God
its
Friday
(TGIF),
the
inspiration
of
a
movie,
multiple
songs,
and
even
a
restaurant,
reflects
the
excitement
that
people
feel
when
the
workweek
is
finished.
People
think
of
their
career
as
a
prison
sentence,
hoping
for
an
early
parole.
The
commonly
used
term
Freedom
55
alludes
to
the
goal
of
many
working
adults
to
reach
a
point
when
they
have
enough
money
saved
up
to
retire
and
finally
be
free
from
doing
the
work
that
they
grudging
do.2
Businesses,
especially
corporations,
are
believed
by
many
to
be
evil
and
greedy.
There
are
valid
reasons
for
the
widespread
genuine
dislike
felt
towards
businesses.
Businesses
have
damaged
the
environment,
violated
human
rights,
exploited
workers
(including
children)
in
third-world
countries,
deceived
their
customers,
broken
the
law,
bribed
government
officials,
and
the
list
of
accusations
go
on
and
on.3
A
sign
of
the
widespread
damage
the
corporate
world
has
done
is
the
1
Van
Duzer,
Jeff.
Lecture.
Redeemer
Church
Gospel
&
Culture
Conference.
New
York,
NY,
United
2 Shigematsu, Ken. Lecture. Tenth Church Sunday Service. Vancouver, BC, Canada. 4 Sep, 2011.
3 Some recent examples of this include Enron Corporation, who used financial loopholes to cover-up
billions in debt of failed deals and projects leading to $11 billion of loss to its shareholders. Also, the Melamine scandal of 2008, where 21 companies in China were adding the industrial chemical to milk and infant formula to increase protein content, resulting in 6 infants dying and 860 babies hospitalized. Also, there are the allegations in 2011 against media giant Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp for phone-hacking and police bribery.
determination
of
some
businesses
to
be
different.
For
example,
publicly
traded
Google
Inc.
had
as
their
unofficial
motto
Dont
Be
Evil
for
many
years.
Many
Christians
that
seek
to
serve
God
rule
out
the
possibility
of
going
into
business,
because
it
seems
to
do
more
evil
than
good.
Recent
business
school
graduate
Ryan
Lui
viewed
business
people
as
fake,
proud,
cut-throat,
slimy,
manipulative,
and
shallow;
driven
by
money,
not
passion.
The
hidden
selfish
motives
of
many
successful
business
people
make
it
difficult
to
have
genuine
relationships
with
them.
Their
business
success
defined
who
they
were.
There
was
nothing
Ryan
had
seen
in
business
that
inspired
him.
And
that
is
a
sad
reality.
Instead
he
wants
to
serve
God
by
working
in
an
orphanage
in
China
in
the
short- term
and
teaching
high
school
in
the
long-term.4
When
Christians
want
to
serve
God
and
help
people
in
need,
most
think
about
doing
so
through
church,
non-profit,
government,
or
health-care
work,
not
through
business.
The
Opportunity
In
the
past
twenty
years,
God
has
been
awakening
more
and
more
Christians
to
rethink
business
as
a
way
to
honour
Him
and
serve
the
world.
Pastors
and
speakers
Henry
and
Richard
Blackaby
write,
We
both
strongly
believe
God
is
seeking
to
work
mightily
through
these
people
in
the
business
world
who
are
wholly
committed
to
him
(2
Chron
16:9).5
In
Matthew
5:14-16,
Jesus
told
his
followers,
You
are
the
light
of
the
world
let
your
light
shine
before
others,
that
they
may
see
your
good
deeds
and
glorify
your
Father
in
heaven.
Christians
are
to
be
a
light
not
only
in
their
family
life,
through
their
church
involvement,
and
their
volunteer
activities,
but
in
all
areas
of
our
life
including
our
occupational
work.
In
his
book
How
Business
in
Itself
Can
Glorify
God,
Wayne
Grudem
asks,
What
if
Christians
could
change
their
attitudes
towards
business,
and
what
if
Christians
could
being
to
change
the
attitudes
of
the
world
towards
business?
What
if
Christians
began
seeing
business
as
a
way
to
honour
God
and
serve
the
world?
What
if
Christians
saw
their
work
as
a
means
to
fulfilling
the
Great
Commandment
of
loving
God
and
loving
their
neighbour?6
As
of
today,
there
are
17.3
million
people
that
work
in
Canada.
Of
that
number,
2.6
million
people
are
self-employed
or
run
their
own
business.7
People
in
Canada
4
Lui,
Ryan.
Personal
Interview.
15
Aug
2011.
5
Blackaby,
Henry
&
Richard,
God
in
the
Marketplace
(Nashville:
B&H
Publishing
Group,
2008),
xii.
6
Matthew
22:34-40
7
Employment
by
age,
sex,
type
of
work,
class
of
worker
and
province.
Statistics
Canada.
11
Sep
complete
582
million
hours
of
work
every
week. 8
The
average
Canadian
works
36.2
hours
per
week,9
which
equals
32%
of
a
persons
waking
hours.
A
significant
portion
of
a
persons
life
is
spent
working.
It
would
be
a
lost
opportunity
if
a
Christian
did
not
know
how
to
honour
God
while
working.
Jeff
Van
Duzer,
dean
of
Seattle
Pacific
University,
writes
about
the
impact
of
businesses
on
the
world
and
the
need
for
Christians
to
engage
in
business.
The
twenty-first
century
is
destined
to
be
the
century
of
global
business.
More
than
any
other
institution,
business
is
likely
to
shape
the
face
of
our
world.
The
sheer
magnitude
of
the
resources
controlled
by
corporations
makes
it
almost
certain
that
business
will
dwarf
the
influence
of
other
traditional
institutions.
Of
the
150
largest
economies
in
the
world,
nearly
half
are
not
countries.
They
are
businesses.
In
short,
companies
doing
business
will,
in
many
ways,
dictate
the
kind
of
world
we
will
live
in.
Thus,
for
Christians
interested
in
advancing
Gods
agenda
of
peace,
justice
and
reconciliation,
a
focus
on
business
and
its
role
in
society
is
critical.10
Neal
Johnson
writes,
There
is
virtually
no
person
on
earth
who
is
not
directly
or
indirectly
affected
by
the
marketplace.
That
is
true
now
and
has
been
true
in
every
era
and
every
society
throughout
history.11
With
so
much
time
that
people
spend
doing
work
and
the
impact
that
businesses
have
on
the
world,
Christians
following
Jesus
must
engage
in
doing
work
and
business
that
honours
God.
The
Motivation
Before
answering
the
practical
question
of
How
can
business
honour
God?
it
is
important
to
reflect
on
the
bigger
picture
of
Gods
mission
and
the
mission
of
Gods
people.
To
put
this
in
other
words,
what
is
God
trying
to
do
in
the
world,
and
what
has
God
called
His
people
to
do
during
their
life
on
earth?
From
a
secular
point
of
view,
the
questions
asked
relate
to
the
purpose,
meaning,
and
significance
of
human
life.
Christians
have
been
trying
to
answer
the
question
of
purpose
and
meaning
for
centuries,
and
do
not
always
agree
on
the
answer.
The
common
starting
place
to
search
for
the
answers
is
in
the
Holy
Bible,
the
Word
of
God
given
to
His
people
to
help
them
understand
who
God
is
and
how
life
should
be
lived.
In
reading
Scripture
Web.
13
Sep
2011.
8
Actual
hours
worked
per
week
by
industry,
seasonally
adjusted.
Statistics
Canada.
11
Sep
2011.
9
Statistics
Canada.
Labour
force
survey
estimates
(LFS),
by
total
and
average
usual
and
actual
hours
worked, main or all jobs, type of work, sex and age group, annual (CANSIM Table 282-0028). Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2011. 10 Van Duzer, Jeff, Why Business Matters to God. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2010), 20- 21. 11 Johnson, Neal, Business as Mission. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2010), 22.
and
listening
to
the
guidance
of
the
Holy
Spirit,
Christians
can
understand
the
mission
of
God
and
His
people,
what
God
is
doing
and
how
humans
are
called
to
be
a
part
of
that.
It
is
important
to
note
that
the
methods
of
honouring
God
in
business
written
about
later
in
this
paper
are
a
response
to
the
varying
understandings
of
what
is
important
to
God
and
what
things
are
important
to
Christians.
From
the
vast
perspectives
and
understandings,
here
are
the
key
ideas
that
have
impacted
how
business
should
be
done
to
honour
God.
Westminister
Shorter
Catechism
The
Westminister
Shorter
Catechism
(WSC)
was
written
by
Scottish
and
English
theologians
in
the
1640s,
and
aimed
to
educate
laypeople
on
Christian
beliefs
and
doctrine.
The
WSC
starts
by
addressing
Gods
purpose
for
humans.
Question
1:
What
is
the
chief
end
of
man?
Answer:
Mans
chief
end
is
to
glorify
God
and
to
enjoy
him
forever.
Modern-day
pastor
and
theologian
John
Piper
slightly
modified
the
WSC
to
say
Mans
chief
end
is
to
glorify
God
by
enjoying
him
forever.
Christians
glorify
God
when
they
place
Him
at
the
center
of
their
lives,
when
He
becomes
their
greatest
source
of
satisfaction
and
joy.
The
Great
Commission
The
evangelical
movement
has
placed
a
very
high
value
on
what
is
commonly
known
as
The
Great
Commission
given
by
Jesus
to
His
disciples
and
followers
before
He
ascended
to
heaven.
Jesus
said,
Therefore
go
and
make
disciples
of
all
nations,
baptizing
them
in
the
name
of
the
Father
and
of
the
Son
and
of
the
Holy
Spirit,
and
teaching
them
to
obey
everything
I
have
commanded
you.
And
surely
I
am
with
you
always,
to
the
very
end
of
the
age.12
This
was
the
command
that
Jesus
left
for
His
disciples
to
carry
out.
The
majority
of
evangelical
churches
today
emphasize
evangelism
as
being
of
greatest
importance:
the
sharing
of
the
gospel
to
give
people
an
opportunity
to
be
saved
from
eternal
death
and
live
life
with
God
in
eternity.
Bill
Hybels,
senior
pastor
of
the
influential
Willow
Creek
Community
Church,
describes
his
belief
system
that
sharing
Jesus
with
people
was
the
most
important
thing
he
or
any
Christian
could
do.
True
followers
of
Christ
who
really
get
it
right
give
themselves
to
people.
Most
importantly,
they
give
themselves
to
pointing
people
to
faith
in
Christ.
That
is
the
highest
and
best
use
of
a
human
life
to
have
it
serve
as
a
signpost
that
points
people
toward
God.13
Part
of
what
shapes
this
understanding
is
the
belief
that
the
things
of
the
world
are
temporary,
and
the
only
things
of
eternal
value
are
the
souls
of
people.
Therefore,
evangelism
is
of
the
greatest
important
in
this
life
because
it
impacts
the
eternal
destiny
of
people.
This
perspective
ends
up
generating
a
multi-tier
system
for
the
12
Matthew
28:19-20
13
Hybels,
Bill,
Just
Walk
Across
the
Room.
(Grand
Rapids:
Zondervan,
2006),
28-29.
value
of
work.
Work
that
involves
evangelism
(the
work
of
pastors,
missionaries,
parachurch
workers)
is
seen
by
Christians
to
have
greater
value
than
work
in
other
fields
(work
in
business,
health
care,
teaching,
etc.)
Work
in
the
secular
world
is
seen
as
valuable
mainly
because
of
the
opportunities
Christians
have
to
share
the
gospel
in
the
workplace
and
the
ability
to
support
missionary
work
with
money
earned
from
employment.
The
Cultural
Mandate
The
Cultural
Mandate
can
be
summarized
by
Genesis
1:28
the
mandate
God
gives
to
people
to
fill
the
earth,
subdue
it
and
to
rule
over
the
rest
of
creation.
Dennis
Bakke
describes
the
Cultural
Mandate
like
this,
The
Creation
story
begins
with
God
working.
He
is
creating
the
universe.
He
then
creates
mankind
in
His
own
image.
He
assigned
humans
to
manage
the
Earth
and
all
the
animals,
plants,
and
other
resources
it
contained.
God
gave
us
the
capability
and
authority
to
work.
Through
the
act
of
Creation,
He
showed
us
how
to
undertake
this
responsibility.
Genesis
2:6
says,
and
there
was
not
a
man
to
till
the
ground.
This
implies
that
one
of
the
reasons
mankind
exists
is
to
work.14
The
Creation
Mandate
The
Creation
Mandate
is
based
on
Genesis
1
and
2
when
God
created
the
Earth.
It
includes
the
Cultural
Mandate,
but
covers
more
than
that.
When
God
created
the
Earth,
God
assigns
Adam
and
Eve
the
work
of
stewarding
the
Earth
and
all
that
comes
from
Gods
creation.
The
Earth
belongs
to
God,
and
humans
are
called
to
manage
the
Earth
on
behalf
of
God.
But
God
also
calls
Adam
and
Eve
to
do
more
than
just
steward
His
creation.
Jeff
Van
Duzer
breaks
down
the
Creation
Mandate
into
several
parts.15
1) Human
beings
are
called
to
steward
Gods
creation.
2) Human
beings
are
made
in
the
image
of
God
and
thus
created
to
be
in
relationship
with
God
and
with
other
people.
3) Human
beings
are
made
in
the
image
of
God
and
thus
created
to
work
like
God
did.
Adam
and
Eve
were
called
to
creatively
organize
(name
the
animals)
and
manage
these
resources
(take
dominion),
to
enhance
the
productivity
of
the
Garden
(be
fruitful
and
multiply)
in
a
sustainable
(guard
creation)
manner.16
4) Humans
are
made
to
live
within
limits.
Though
made
in
the
image
of
God,
men
and
women
are
inherently
limited
and
created
to
live
within
boundaries.
5) God
delights
in
variety
and
created
humans
to
complement
one
another,
as
Eve
was
created
different
from
Adam,
yet
complementary.
14
Bakke,
Dennis
W.,
Joy
at
Work:
A
Revolutionary
Approach
to
Fun
on
the
Job
(Toronto:
Viking,
2005), 247.
15 Van Duzer, Jeff, Why Business Matters to God. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2010), 27-38 16 Ibid., 33.
6) God
intended
that
men
and
women
would
take
the
raw
materials
that
had
been
provided
and,
in
partnership
with
God,
help
to
grow
and
construct
the
kingdom
here
on
earth.17
Humans
are
called
to
co-create
with
God,
to
cause
the
Earth
to
flourish
and
be
fruitful.
7) Human
beings
are
called
to
be
fruitful
and
multiply,
to
enjoy
sexual-relations
as
husband
and
wife
and
produce
offspring.
The
Solution
Now
that
the
question
of
why
humans
exist
and
what
God
calls
them
to
do
has
been
broadly
answered,
the
focus
turns
to
answering
the
question,
How?
How
can
Christians
in
business
honour
God?
And
what
role
does
business
play
in
the
larger
picture
of
Gods
call
on
all
of
humanity?
This
question
will
be
answered
in
two
parts:
1)
How
businesses
can
be
run
in
a
way
that
honour
God,
and
2)
How
Christians
can
work
in
business
to
honour
God.
Business
owners
and
leaders
have
a
larger
scope
than
someone
who
works
in
a
business.
Not
only
do
leaders
have
to
consider
their
own
personal
actions
and
behaviour,
but
they
also
have
to
make
decisions
such
as
the
mission,
vision,
practices,
and
operations
of
their
business,
which
impact
others.
A
leader
in
business
has
greater
responsibility
because
the
consequences
of
his
or
her
actions
have
ramifications
on
many
people.
Even
the
Scriptures
place
higher
standards
on
those
in
leadership.18
There
are
several
business
models
that
honour
God.
The
differences
in
these
models
reflect
a
difference
in
belief
and
understanding
of
Gods
mission
and
the
mission
of
Gods
people.
Ethical
Business
Like
the
majority
of
businesses,
this
business
exists
to
maximize
long-term
value
to
its
shareholders.
Maximizing
profits
is
seen
as
a
neutral
goal,
neither
good
nor
evil.
The
focus
is
on
how
the
business
maximizes
profits.
Business
must
done
ethically,
meaning
treating
employees
justly,
fulfilling
promises
to
customers
and
suppliers,
running
business
operations
legally,
doing
minimal
harm
to
the
environment,
and
doing
good
in
the
community.
Doing
business
within
these
boundaries
honours
God.
In
this
model,
Christians
believe
that
pursuing
secular
business
success
and
honouring
God
in
business
can
be
done
hand
in
hand
with
minimal
conflict.
In
addition
to
this,
business
has
instrumental
value
to
God.
Through
business,
profits
can
be
generated
and
given
towards
advancing
Gods
kingdom.
Also,
business
is
a
platform
for
doing
ministry
and
evangelism.
18
1
Timothy
3:1-13
17
Van
Duzer,
Jeff,
Why
Business
Matters
to
God.
(Downers
Grove,
IL:
InterVarsity
Press,
2010),
38
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
(CSR)
is
a
concept
that
is
gaining
popularity
in
Canada
and
around
the
world.
Unlike
the
traditional
business
which
has
the
single
bottom
line
of
profits,
a
CSR
business
has
a
triple
bottom-line
of
economic
goals
(profits),
social
goals,
and
environmental
goals.
While
CSR
does
not
have
a
universal
definition,
many
see
it
as
the
private
sectors
way
of
integrating
the
economic,
social,
and
environmental
imperatives
of
their
activities.
CSR
is
a
concept
that
frequently
overlaps
with
similar
approaches
such
as
corporate
sustainability,
corporate
sustainable
development,
corporate
responsibility,
and
corporate
citizenship.19
CSR
is
seen
as
many
Christians
to
align
with
their
Christian
values,
and
therefore
a
way
to
honour
God
while
doing
business.
An
example
is
Creation
Technologies,
a
global
top-50
electronics
manufacturing
services
provider
started
in
Canada
by
Christians.
The
mission
of
the
company
is
to
enrich
lives.
One
of
their
initiatives
is
called
Make
a
difference,
which
allows
employees
to
use
work
time
to
volunteer
with
local
and
international
charities.
Darrell
Lim,
program
manager
with
Creation
Technologies,
says
the
charity
work
that
was
done
initiated
rich
spiritual
conversations
between
Christians
with
their
non-Christian
co-workers.20
Business
as
Ministry
Under
the
Business
as
Ministry
perspective,
business
is
first
and
foremost
a
means
of
doing
ministry.
Running
the
business
and
generating
profits
is
a
secondary
goal.
These
businesses
would
have
a
double
bottom
line,
to
be
profitable
and
to
advance
Gods
kingdom.
The
biblical
term
tent-making
would
fall
under
this
category,
where
the
Christians
doing
ministry
are
supporting
themselves
through
doing
business.
Tyron
Piteau,
a
Christian
that
owns
a
small
fitness
business,
sees
the
primary
purpose
of
his
life
to
advance
Gods
kingdom.
Running
his
business
is
a
big
part
of
his
life,
and
a
way
for
to
achieve
his
lifes
purpose.
The
kingdom
of
God
is
about
seeking
and
saving
the
lost.
This
means
either
I
do
it
personally
or
I
help
others
to
do
it,
says
Tyron.
For
Tyron,
this
means
praying
for
clients,
taking
time
to
build
relationships
and
sharing
the
gospel
with
them.
This
also
means
getting
better
at
his
job
and
business
to
make
more
profits
to
give
to
kingdom
work.21
Philip
Lowe
has
owned
and
run
an
accounting
practice
for
over
25
years.
As
a
Christian,
his
motto
is
business
first,
ministry
second.
For
Philip
that
means
that
he
would
encourage
those
who
were
Christians,
and
plant
spiritual
seeds
in
those
19
Corporate
Social
Responsibility
(CSR).
Industry
Canada.
10
Aug
2011.
Web.
15
Sept
2011.
<www.ic.gc.ca>.
20 Lim, Darrell. Personal Interview. 24 Sep 2011. 21 Piteau, Tyron. Personal Interview. 22 Aug 2011.
that did not know Christ. His day-to-day work includes filing over 450 tax returns per year but also hospital visitations, prayer for clients (with their permission), and providing pro bono work for Christian charities and non-profits.22 One caution about this approach is taking it to its extreme. Steve Rundle and Tom Steffen comment on this in their book Great Commission Companies, "One model that has little to commend is the 'missionary in disguise' approach. This is one that uses a business merely as a 'cover' for people who quite frankly have little interest in business except for its usefulness as an entry strategy into countries that are off- limits to traditional missionaries. The aim is to do the least amount of work necessary to appear legitimate. While there have been some successes, the results have been generally mixed, and many Christians now recognize this 'ends justifying means' approach to ministry is dishonest and a poor witness".23 Rundle and Steffen go on to compare this approach to spies and terrorists using similar creative access strategies24. People who appear to have hidden agendas are difficult to trust. Business as Mission Business as Mission (often referred to as BAM) companies are for-profit commercial enterprises that seek to do economic, social, and spiritual good in a community. BAM companies often operate cross-culturally, strategically placed to reach people in countries that are closed to the gospel. BAM is not solely oriented toward evangelism or discipleship; it is holistic reaching the whole needs of the whole of humanity everywhere.25 The 2004 Lausanne Working Group 30 on Business as Mission was composed of sixty-eight BAM activists from twenty-eight countries. In the paper that was written, the result of a week of discussion, they say that BAM originates from the theological premise that Christians are called to love and serve God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, as well as to love and serve their neighbours.26 Business as Mission is based on the principle of holistic mission. BAMs ultimate bottom line is ad majorem Dei gloriam for the greater glory of God.27 Business as Mission started when Christians saw that missionaries were getting evicted from closed countries, but business people were welcomed into those nations. Christian business people started to establish real, for-profit businesses in
Press,
2011),
26.
24
Ibid.,
27.
22 Lowe, Philip. Personal Interview. 29 Aug 2011. 23 Rundle, Steve and Steffen, Tom, Great Commission Companies. (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity
25 Johnson, Neal, Business as Mission. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2010), 22. 26 Matt 22:34-40; Luke 10:27 27 Adapted from Business as Mission, Lausanne Occasional Paper No.59, Sep29-Oct5, 2004, in The
those
countries,
adding
value
to
the
society
while
building
trust
and
credibility
to
share
the
gospel.28
BAM
is
broadly
defined
as
a
for-profit
commercial
business
venture
Christ
led,
intentionally
devoted
to
being
used
as
an
instrument
of
Gods
mission
(missio
Dei)
to
the
world,
and
is
operated
in
a
cross-cultural
environment,
either
domestic
or
international.29
While
the
growing
corporate
social
responsibility
(CSR)
movement
emphasizes
a
triple
bottom-line
impact
of
financial,
social,
and
environmental
outcomes,
BAM
affirms
all
this
but
includes
a
4th
bottom
line.
This
bottom
line
is
a
spiritual
outcome,
intentionally
honouring
Christ
and
seeing
Him
transform
lives
through
business.
BAM
is
CSR+
where
the
+
can
be
seen
as
a
cross
putting
everything
under
the
Lordship
of
Christ.30
Business
as
Service
The
Business
as
Service
model
is
written
about
by
Jeff
Van
Duzer,
dean
of
Seattle
Pacific
University,
in
his
book
Why
Business
Matters
to
God
(And
What
Still
Needs
to
Be
Fixed).
Businesses
exist
not
to
maximize
profits,
but
to
serve
people.
Traditional
businesses
serve
customers
and
employees
as
a
means
to
the
ultimate
ends
of
maximizing
profits.
Business
as
Service
companies
see
generating
profits
as
a
means
to
its
end,
which
is
to
serve
its
customers
and
its
employees.
Jeff
writes,
I
would
conclude
that
at
this
time
in
history,
there
are
two
legitimate,
first-order,
intrinsic
purpose
of
business:
as
stewards
of
Gods
creation,
business
leaders
should
manage
their
businesses
(1)
to
provide
the
community
with
goods
and
services
that
will
enable
it
to
flourish,
and
(2)
to
provide
opportunities
for
meaningful
work
that
will
allow
employees
to
express
their
God-given
creativity.
31
Besides
pursuing
the
twin
goals
of
serving
customers
and
employees,
the
Business
as
Service
companies
should
seek
to
do
so
within
the
limits
of
sustainability.
The
decisions
should
be
limited
to
the
need
to
operate
in
ways
that
do
no
harm
to
any
of
the
businesss
stakeholders,
including
shareholders,
employees,
customers,
suppliers,
the
environment,
and
the
community.32
The
Business
as
Service
model
originates
from
the
Creation
Mandate.
Businesses
should
see
themselves
as
not
the
only
institution
to
attempt
to
fulfill
Gods
mandates
given
in
Genesis
1
and
2,
but
a
part
of
many
institutions
each
playing
a
unique,
yet
complementary
role.
Van
Duzer
writes
that
certain
institutions
are
better
suited
for
certain
tasks
within
the
Cultural
Mandate.
For
example,
the
family
is
a
better
institution
for
the
bearing
and
raising
of
children
(be
fruitful
and
multiply).
The
church
and
neighbourhood
might
be
the
best
settings
to
nurture
community.
The
28
Johnson,
Neal,
Business
as
Mission.
(Downers
Grove,
IL:
InterVarsity
Press,
2010),
32.
29
Ibid.,
28.
30
Tunehag,
Mats.
The
Mission
of
Business:
CSR+.
Connections
The
Journal
of
the
WEA
Mission
31 Van Duzer, Jeff, Why Business Matters to God. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2010), 42 32 Ibid., 28
government
may
be
in
a
better
position
to
assume
primary
responsibility
for
guarding
creation.33
As
businesses
pursue
its
purposes
of
enabling
creative
work
(innovation)
and
producing
community-flourishing
products
(productivity)
in
a
sustainable
manner,
it
should
be
mindful
of
the
fact
that
it
was
designed
to
work
in
partnership
with
all
other
institutions
in
order
that
they
might
collectively
advance
Gods
kingdom
on
earth.
Whenever
possible,
business
managers
should
operate
their
businesses
that
respect
other
institutional
agendas
and
wherever
possible,
look
for
opportunities
for
collaboration
to
advance
the
common
good.34
Christian
Social
Enterprise
Dr.
Michael
Hodson
teaches
a
class
on
Christian
Social
Enterprise
(CSE)
at
Regent
College,
and
defines
a
CSE
as
an
enterprise
that
funds
its
operations
through
generating
income
from
the
sale
of
goods
or
services
yet
doesnt
seek
to
maximize
profits
and
consciously
seeks
to
set
its
aims,
strategy,
ways
of
operating
and
relations
with
others
according
to
the
teaching
and
example
of
Christ.35
Like
other
businesses,
a
CSE
produces
goods
and
services
that
it
sells
to
make
a
profit.
How
it
is
different
is
that
it
seeks
not
to
maximize
profits,
rather
its
primary
motivation
is
to
be
socially
redemptive.36
In
Britain,
social
enterprises
are
growing
in
popularity,
and
serve
as
a
combination
of
commercial
and
volunteer
sectors.
Social
enterprises
or
social
businesses
are
impacting
British
communities
through
employing
unskilled
and
previously
unemployed
workers
to
provide
goods
and
services.
Among
the
group
of
social
entrepreneurs
are
Christians
who
create
CSEs
to
bring
the
Kingdom
of
God
to
the
countrys
needy
areas.37
A
great
example
of
a
Christian
Social
Enterprise
is
the
Just
Work
Economic
Initiative,
which
has
emerged
from
the
life
and
ministry
of
Grandview
Calvary
Baptist
Church
in
Vancouver.
Just
Work
employs
mainly
people
with
physical
disabilities,
mental
illnesses,
additions,
or
people
that
are
homeless
in
doing
landscape
gardening,
pottery-making,
catering,
and
building
maintenance
and
minor
renovations.
David
Holcumb,
the
program
director
of
these
social
enterprises
says,
JustWork
exists
to
help
provide
that
kind
of
work
opportunity
for
people
who
need
it
to
supplement
the
basic
[disability]
support
that
they
would
receive
from
the
government.38
33
Van
Duzer,
Jeff,
Why
Business
Matters
to
God.
(Downers
Grove,
IL:
InterVarsity
Press,
2010),
40-41
34
Ibid.,
168
35
Business
as
Mission:
Engaging
with
Christian
Social
Enterprise
Course,
Regent
College
<www.christianweek.org>
37
Soul
Business
the
rise
of
Britians
Christian
Social
Entrepreneurs,
FaithWorks.
15
Sep
2011.
38 Stirk, Frank. Entrepreneur, do you love me? Christian Week. 20 Nov 2009. Web. 15 Sep 2011.
<www.christianweek.org>
Well-designed
social
enterprises
are
participating
in
Gods
plan
for
humanity
in
at
least
the
following
ways:
1)
creating
and
promoting
as
God
did
and
does
things
that
are
good;
2)
working
toward
the
restoration
of
Gods
created
world
by
providing
productive,
meaningful,
and
dignified
work
(i.e.,
the
restoration
of
personhood),
by
tending
to
and
responsibly
using
natural
resources
(i.e.,
the
restoration
of
the
earth),
and
by
fostering
a
spirit
of
cooperation
and
selflessness
between
enterprises
and
within
society
(i.e.
the
restoration
of
relationships);
and
3)
reflecting
the
character
and
redemptive
purpose
of
God
the
image
of
God
through
an
attitude
of
loving
servanthood.39
Another
example
of
a
Christian
Social
Enterprise
is
TOMS.
Blake
Mycoskie
founded
TOMS
in
2006
after
going
on
a
trip
to
Argentina
and
seeing
the
extreme
poverty,
health
conditions,
and
many
children
walking
without
shoes.
With
every
pair
of
shoes
that
are
sold,
TOMS
gives
a
new
pair
of
shoes
to
a
child
in
need.
Their
motto
is
One
for
One.
What
started
with
selling
shoes
has
grown
to
selling
eyeglasses.
The
same
principle
applies.
One
pair
of
glasses
sold,
one
pair
of
glasses
given
to
someone
in
need.
Employees
that
have
worked
for
TOMS
for
a
year
can
go
on
a
shoe
drop,
joining
a
trip
to
bring
shoes
to
children
in
need.40
One
thing
to
consider
with
CSEs
is
whether
these
enterprises
are
giving
up
growth
potential
by
designating
a
portion
of
their
resources
towards
a
social
cause
(rather
than
reinvesting
in
the
company).
Starting
a
new
business
is
difficult
enough
as
it
is.
According
to
Silver
Linings
CEO
Carissa
Reiniger,
who
has
worked
with
thousands
of
small
business
owners,
90%
of
new
businesses
fail
in
their
first
year.
One
could
imagine
the
increased
difficulty
for
success
when
adding
the
element
of
doing
good
for
society
on
top
of
the
need
to
make
the
business
profitable.
There
are
many
business
models
that
aim
to
honour
God:
Ethical
business,
Corporate
Social
Responsibility,
Business
as
Ministry,
Business
as
Mission,
Business
as
Service,
and
Christian
Social
Enterprises.
Now
that
the
first
question,
How
can
businesses
be
run
in
a
way
that
honours
God?
has
been
answered,
we
can
move
on
to
answering
the
second
question,
How
can
Christians
that
work
in
business
honour
God
with
their
work?
The
majority
of
working
Christians
are
employed
in
a
business,
and
yet
many
of
them
struggle
to
find
meaning
and
purpose
behind
their
work.
Writing
about
how
to
glorify
God
through
work,
John
Piper
says
Whatever
you
do,
whether
you
eat
or
drink
or
work,
do
it
to
make
God
look
as
great
as
he
really
is.
In
his
book
The
Divine
Conspiracy,
Dallas
Willard
writes
that
the
most
important
place
2011.
40
One
for
One
Movement,
Toms.
Web.
16
Sep
2011.
<www.toms.com>
39 Lee, Lucas. The Vision, an assignment prepared for Dr. Michael Hodson of Regent College. 1 Jun
to grow in relationship with God is ones place of work or school. The gospel turns your work into a spiritual formation training centre. Here are some ways to honour God while working in business. By no means is this an exhaustive list, but it covers a range of topics. Consider your Vocational Calling In his book Courage and Calling, Gordon T. Smith writes about three types of calling. The first is a general calling to all humans to respond to Gods gift of salvation, to love Him, and to love others. The third is the daily calling to the tasks and responsibilities that require our immediate attention like the responding to needs of family or neighbours. The second type of calling is often referred to as vocation. Smith says, Every person has a fundamental calling or vocation. And it is this, more than anything else, that each individual must discover. Vocation is a critical means by which I fulfill my calling as a Christian. Yes, I am called to love God and neighbour, but how will this be expressed in my life? How am I specifically and uniquely being called to fulfill what it means to be Christian in this world?41 Vocational calling is not the same as career, job, or occupation. In many cases, calling can be expressed through occupation. Calling can also be expressed through other areas of life, like volunteer work or work in the home and family. This second type of calling comes from God and reflects a persons fundamental identity. We are called to vocational integrity, to have a pattern of living that is congruent with who we are. We have integrity when we are true to our own identity, true to ourselves.42 Christians can honour God in their work and their business when they take time to discern and consider their vocational calling, and choose to do work that expresses who they are. To do this, one must 1) know oneself; 2) be true to oneself. Smith suggests that a person ask themselves the following questions to come to know their vocational calling. What are my gifts and abilities? What is the deepest desire of my heart? Where do I personally sense the needs of the world and feel the brokenness of Gods creation? What is my unique personality or temperament?43 The real challenge is to live in a way that is congruent with who we are, with how God made us. A vocational calling can be lived out in many different careers, occupations, roles, ministries and responsibilities in the workplace, the church and the home. Ideally over the course of our lives, we will come to an increasing clarity
41
Smith,
Gordon
T.,
Courage
and
Calling:
Embracing
your
God-given
Potential
(Downers
Groce,
Ill.:
about who we are and what we are called to be and do. Over time, we grow in our capacity to live in a manner that is congruent with our fundamental identity. 44 Honour God in How you Work Depend on God. When you work, rely on God to be your sustainer and your guide. Depend on God for strength, courage, wisdom, and guidance. Pray to him for help. Work with Integrity. John Piper writes, Be absolutely and meticulously honest and trustworthy on the job. Be on time. Give a full days work. Thou shalt not steal. More people rob their employers by being slackers than by filching the petty cash.45 There are many Scriptures that highlight the importance of guarding your integrity.46 Work with Excellence. Get good at what you do. God has given you not only the grace of integrity but the gift of skills. Treasure that gift and be a good steward of those skills. This growth in skill is built on dependence and integrity.47 Work with gratitude and joy. In Pauls letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thes 5:16-18), he says to be joyful and thankful in all circumstances. This command can be applied to doing work in business. John Piper puts it this way, Always give thanks to God for life and health and work and Jesus. Be a thankful person at work. Dont be among the complainers. Let your thankfulness to God overflow in a humble spirit of gratitude to others. Be known as the hope-filled, humble, thankful one at work.48 Ruth Liu, a Christian lawyer in Toronto shares how she honours God in her work, Christians are called to be examples of how to live joyful and healthy lives (including emotional well-being and having healthy relationships) despite the challenges - because God gives them wisdom and strength in very real, tangible ways.49 Use Money Well The Bible instructs Christians to honour God with their wealth.50 Paul Stevens, a professor of marketplace theology at Regent College says this about money, Work enables us to provide for ourselves and our loved ones (2 Thess. 3:7-10). It equips
44
Smith,
Gordon
T.,
Courage
and
Calling:
Embracing
your
God-given
Potential
(Downers
Groce,
Ill.:
45 Piper, John. How to Glorify God at Work, Desiring God. 6 Sep 2011. Web. 15 Sep 2011. 46 see Ps. 18:23; 26:11; 37:37; 41:12; Prov 2:8; 11:8 47 Piper, John. How to Glorify God at Work, Desiring God. 6 Sep 2011. Web. 15 Sep 2011. 48 Ibid.
<www.desiringgod.org>
49 Liu, Ruth. Personal interview. 2 Sep 2011. 50 See Prov 3:9; 11:25
us
to
help
the
poor
and
needy
by
sharing
our
excess,
paying
taxes
and
being
stewards
(Eph
4:28)51
John
Piper
says,
Work
is
where
you
make
(and
spend)
money.
It
is
all
Gods,
not
yours.
You
are
a
trustee.
Turn
your
earning
into
the
overflow
of
generosity
in
how
you
steward
Gods
money.
Dont
work
to
earn
to
have.
Work
to
earn
to
have
to
give
and
to
invest
in
Christ-exalting
ventures.
Make
your
money
speak
of
Christ
as
your
supreme
Treasure.52
Take
Sabbath
from
Work
Humans
are
created
in
the
image
of
God.
That
means
that
people
are
created
to
work
as
God
did,
and
to
rest
as
God
did.
Christians
honour
God
in
their
work
when
they
restrict
their
work
by
taking
Sabbath,
a
day
of
rest
from
work,
as
God
instructed
His
people
in
the
Ten
Commandments.
When
people
take
a
day
to
rest,
they
are
saying
that
they
trust
God
to
provide
for
their
needs
even
when
they
are
not
being
productive.
When
people
take
a
Sabbath,
they
are
saying
with
their
actions
that
work
is
not
their
god.
Love
and
serve
others.
God
calls
Christians
to
love
their
neighbour
as
themselves.
In
the
workplace,
the
neighbours
are
co-workers,
customers,
supplies,
and
anyone
else
that
Christians
might
interact
with
on
a
regular
basis.
Loving
people
means
showing
them
kindness,
graciousness,
and
patience.
Loving
people
means
to
forgive
them
as
Christ
forgave
you.
Theologian
J.I.
Packer
writes,
Work
means,
precisely,
useful,
creative
employment
in
the
service
of
God
and
others
just
that.53
John
Piper
writes,
Serve
others.
Be
the
one
who
volunteers
first
to
go
get
the
pizza.
To
drive
the
van.
To
organize
the
picnic.
Take
an
interest
in
others
at
work.
Be
known
as
the
one
who
cares
not
just
about
the
light-hearted
weekend
tales,
but
the
burdens
of
heavy
and
painful
Monday
mornings.
Love
your
workmates,
and
point
them
to
the
great
Burden
Bearer.54
Share
the
Gospel
Christians
are
called
to
be
witnesses
for
God.
This
is
done
best
through
words
and
deeds.
Followers
of
Jesus
are
called
to
live
out
their
life
in
a
way
to
point
people
to
the
good
news
of
the
gospel,
as
well
as
to
tell
others
about
the
hope
they
have
in
Jesus
Christ.
Sharing
the
gospel
can
be
done
in
all
areas
of
life,
including
the
workplace.
For
many
Christians,
the
workplace
is
the
area
of
life
where
they
get
the
most
interaction
with
non-Christians.
51
Stevens,
Paul.
The
Other
Six
Days,
(Grand
Rapids,
Wm.
B.
Eerdmans
Publishing
Co.,
2000),
125
52
Piper,
John.
How
to
Glorify
God
at
Work,
Desiring
God.
6
Sep
2011.
Web.
15
Sep
2011.
<www.desiringgod.org>
53
Packer,
J.I.,
and
Nystrom,
Carolyn.
Guard
Us,
Guide
Us,
(Grand
Rapids,
Baker
Publishing
Group,
2008), 185.
54 Piper, John. How to Glorify God at Work, Desiring God. 6 Sep 2011. Web. 15 Sep 2011.
<www.desiringgod.org>
John
Piper
writes,
Work
places
are
webs
of
relationships.
Relationships
are
possible
through
communication.
Weave
your
Christian
worldview
into
the
normal
communications
of
life.
Dont
hide
your
light
under
a
basket.
Put
it
on
the
stand.
Winsomely.
Naturally.
Joyfully.
Let
those
who
love
their
salvation
say
continually,
Great
is
the
Lord!
(Psalm
40:16)55
Co-Create
with
God
Jeff
Van
Duzer
writes,
God
intended
that
men
and
would
take
the
raw
materials
that
had
been
provided
and,
in
partnership
with
God,
help
to
grow
and
construct
the
kingdom
here
on
earth.56
Humans
are
called
to
co-create
with
God,
to
cause
the
Earth
to
flourish
and
be
fruitful.
Tim
Keller,
pastor
of
Redeemer
Church
in
New
York,
says
that
God
feeds
every
living
thing
and
loves
everything
that
He
has
made
(Psalm
145
and
147).
God
could
have
easily
given
people
grain
and
fruit
without
growing
and
planting,
but
God
chose
to
provide
food
to
his
people
through
the
work
of
farmers.
So
when
the
farm
girl
milks
a
cow,
it
is
God
giving
milk
to
his
people.
Work
is
Gods
way
of
bringing
life
into
the
world.
This
is
why
work
matters
to
God.
God
is
distributing
gifts
through
the
work
of
people,
therefore
all
work
matters
and
all
work
has
dignity.
In
doing
work,
people
are
partnering
and
co-creating
with
God
to
provide
for
humanity.
57
Working
can
be
considered
participating
in
the
everyday
miracles
of
Gods
provision
for
humans.
Of
course
there
are
types
of
work
that
are
destructive.
Christians
have
the
opportunity
to
help
their
companies
to
do
work
that
is
life-enhancing
for
people
without
being
soul-destroying.
Some
industries
have
an
impact
that
is
destructive
(e.g.,
porn,
gambling,
abortion,
marketing
scams,
etc).
Christians
should
consider
whether
their
work
provides
for
humanity
or
harms
humanity.
Why
is
this
so
important?
Why
must
Christians
change
the
way
that
they
engage
in
business
so
that
it
honours
God?
First
of
all,
there
are
still
major
problems
the
world
faces.
Over
20%
of
the
world
lives
in
extreme
poverty.
There
are
25,000
children
dying
every
day
of
largely
preventable
causes.
We
are
facing
huge
problems
in
the
world,
and
non-profits
and
governments
are
unable
to
fix
these
problems
alone.58
According
to
Bill
Easterly
in
The
White
Mans
Burden,
since
1970,
Africa
has
received
over
$3
trillion
in
aid,
but
many
of
the
countries
growth
have
stagnatedeven
plummeted.
Despite
trillions
in
aid,
countries
in
Sub-Saharan
Africa
still
rank
at
the
bottom
of
poverty
indexes
such
55
Piper,
John.
How
to
Glorify
God
at
Work,
Desiring
God.
6
Sep
2011.
Web.
15
Sep
2011.
<www.desiringgod.org>
56
Van
Duzer,
Jeff,
Why
Business
Matters
to
God.
(Downers
Grove,
IL:
InterVarsity
Press,
2010),
38
57
Keller,
Timothy.
Why
Work
Matters
Lecture.
Redeemer
Church
Gospel
&
Culture
Conference.
58
Van
Duzer,
Jeff.
Lecture.
Redeemer
Church
Gospel
&
Culture
Conference.
New
York,
NY,
United
New York, NY, United States. 10 Oct 2010. States. 10 Oct 2010.
as the World Banks Doing Business report and the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI).59 The institution of business owns the more capital in the world, and will make the biggest difference and shape the world over the next 50 years, for good or for bad. The world desperately needs business to engage. Since the 1980s, extreme global poverty has been reduced from 52 percent to 26 percent, primarily through commerce and industry created in countries like China and Brazil, which are now dominating world markets. Business is revolutionizing the world to end extreme global poverty as none of our collective outside efforts and aid have achieved. As the global church seeks to alleviate spiritual and physical poverty, we often overlook one of our greatest resourcesour businesspeople. Although there has been an uneasy alliance between business laypeople and church leadership, business is vital in poverty alleviation efforts. 60 Second of all, people are facing a crisis of meaning in their work lives. According to a recent Harris Poll survey, one in five people care about the mission of their company. 61 An average person will spend almost 100,000 hours of their life at work. People want to do work that has significance and meaning, work that makes a difference. If they could discover the dignity, value, and impact of their everyday work, they could live with a greater sense of purpose and joy. Thirdly, many people do not know who Jesus Christ is. 29 percent of the worlds population, over two billion people, still has not heard the good news that God loves them.62 Rundle and Steffen state the importance of business in reaching people for Christ, Many forward-looking missions experts are starting to advocate business as one of the most strategic career choices a missions-minded Christian can make in the twenty-first century.63 Transforming work and business so that it honours God will change the world.
Sep
2011.
60
Ibid.
59 Greer, Peter and Butler, Robby. A Hand up, not a handout, Mission Frontiers. 01 Jul 2011. Web. 28
61 Van Duzer, Jeff. Lecture. Redeemer Church Gospel & Culture Conference. New York, NY, United
of 20th and 21st Centures, International Bulletin of Missionary Research 34, no. 1 (January 2010): 36. Press, 2011), 24
63 Rundle, Steve and Steffen, Tom, Great Commission Companies. (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity