Showing posts with label LEADERSHIP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LEADERSHIP. Show all posts

Sunday 11 October 2020

4 Benefits of Bible Trivia Questions in Youth Ministry

Benefits of Bible Trivia Questions

The aim of the bible trivia questions is to have fun and challenge participants to know, study, and apply the Word of God to their hearts and lives. Competition is a way to motivate members of a Bible study group. 


Group and team study immensely improve friendships, fellowship, discipleship, and accountability among members, the church, and the community in general. 


The Bible Trivia Questions in Youth ministry is not only competition focus but as good as the realistic, actual, and helpfulness in life ministry improvement that is the result of knowing and applying the Living Word of God.


“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” Psalm 119:9


“Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11


“Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

 


When you join the different types of Bible Trivia Questions, it is the group and team sole wish that you at all times the center of attention should always be your personal relationship with Christ Jesus our Savior and heavenly Father our God. 


The prayer to God is that every participant in the Youth Bible Trivia Questions will know and experience the joy of a deep personal walk with Jesus Christ. This is an exceptional opportunity to help young individuals in discipleship and evangelism. 



Below are the 4 benefits


1. Bible Trivia Questions in Youth Ministry gives leaders a chance and opportunity to develop and improve close relationships with the young people in the church. 


This developed and improved relationship when encouraged and nurtured is essential to using aBible Trivia Questions group and the team as a ministry, rather than a mere form of

competition. The leader's impact and guidance could be tremendous as the leader models the Christian life before the group or team.



2. Bible Trivia Questions in Youth Ministry encourages and motivates young people to comprehensively study the Bible.


In today’s world of negative social influences, How many young people systematically and consistently have Bible study either as an individual or a group/team? Many do not, this is the reality. Bible Trivia Questions is used as a way of developing a consistent daily Bible study time that even allows an adult ( either a leader or a coach) to assess and evaluate the progress and growth in studying the Bible.



3. Bible Trivia Questions in Youth Ministry allows and enables an atmosphere for in-depth Bible study.


By studying the Word of God in this manner for a period of time, the Spirit of God has the opportunity to help persons with guidance to see the meaning of the passage in everyday lives. 

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” John 14:26



4. Bible Trivia Questions in Youth Ministry forces and encourage young people to work as a  group/team.


In the preparation meetings, youth are positioned or placed in spots or situations that urge complete teamwork. With this, they learn the importance of dependency upon God and each other.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25


Friday 29 November 2019

Volunteering is a Good Career Activity


Christians volunteer because they are giving people. Volunteering, however, is not only a Christian act of devotion to one’s fellow man but also is a good career activity for the volunteer.

There are many reasons why volunteering helps volunteers not only to secure future jobs but also to thrive in their present jobs. First, let’s talk about future jobs. Volunteer experience can positively impress a potential, future employer. This positive impression can help a resume stand out over other resumes. The volunteer experience also can help the volunteer during job interviews.


There are different reasons for this positive bias during resume reading and during the conduct of job interviews. Employers want to hire people who can get along well with the other employees in their organizations' Such employers might reason that people who volunteer their time and effort are also the type of giving people who can get along well, not only with fellow employees but also with customers. As Erma Bombeck once said, “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.”

Good public relations is another reason for such a positive hiring bias. When employees of a company volunteer their time and effort, such volunteer work reflects well on the company that employs them. The public prefers to buy goods or services from companies that they like and trust.

Those who volunteer often feel better about themselves when they follow the Biblical encouragement of 1 Peter 4:10 which reads, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” Volunteering actually helps the volunteer to overcome depression.

There are still more benefits to volunteering. One such benefit is good work references for a resume. It is much easier for a volunteer to get a good reference from a volunteer supervisor than it is for an employee to get a good reference from a work supervisor.

Another advantage of volunteering is the opportunity to increase the network of people who might be helpful in future job searches. Many other volunteers will be working for many other companies that, in the future, might be hiring. Networking is one of the best ways to find a job.


Still another benefit of volunteering is the increased ability to try out new jobs. Instead of acquiring a reputation as a “job hopper,” a volunteer compiles an impressive list of volunteer experiences.
Such volunteer experiences also help volunteers to acquire new and transferable skills while performing their volunteer jobs. Many organizations also will train their volunteers.

Those who are interested in volunteering can search for opportunities by using the internet. There are national databases of volunteer activities that allow searchers to limit their search to their local area.
Volunteer and watch lives improve, including your own.




About the Author
Dan Vale has a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and he has been a career counselor, a director of a career counseling center, a graduate school instructor, and a career consultant. As the Career Examiner for the Examiner Online Newspaper, he published 270 career-related articles over a seven-year period, during which the time he had multiple endorsements and subscribers, and in April 2016 alone, he had over 19,000 page reads. 
You can view his books at his Amazon Author Page.

Friday 22 November 2019

Church Members Can Help Each Other Get Through Unemployment



Not too long ago, more people had secure jobs than is the case today. More jobs today are part-time, temporary, or contract jobs. Unemployment is more likely today because more people are forced to have many different jobs in a lifetime.

Under these conditions, the ideal scenario is to go from one job immediately to the next job. Unfortunately, that does not always happen, and they're often is a period of unemployment between jobs. Eliminating unemployment or at least keeping it as brief as possible is the obvious goal of most who are, or soon will be unemployed.

Prolonged unemployment can be a family disaster. This is especially true if the only breadwinner is unemployed for an extended period of time. The stress of unemployment eventually can lead to:

  • Damaged family relationships when the unemployed person asks to borrow from relatives
  • Bankruptcy
  • Foreclosed homes
  • Repossessed cars
  • Depression
  • Alcoholism or substance abuse
  • Spouse or child abuse
  • Divorce
  • Suicide

Unfortunately, too many people keep their unemployment status as a shameful secret. This is especially true with men. That is unfortunate, because, in the current era, unemployment often has little to do with the qualifications or character of those who are unemployed. It usually has more to do with a changing national job outlook, and workers are too often only innocent victims.

By networking with their family, friends, neighbors, work associates, social contacts, and fellow church members, these unemployed people are likely to be hired more quickly. Telling everyone about their job seeking status will increase the chances that these job seekers will hear information about job openings.

This article will focus on networking efforts with the unemployed person’s church members. Spiritual brothers and sisters are likely to give an unemployed member of their church their wholehearted networking support.
                                   
These spiritual brothers and sisters have many ways to help their unemployed brother or sister. They probably, for example, are members of many other types of organizations that also can expand a person’s job-seeking network. Some of those in the church also might have their own businesses. 
Thus, they might be able to offer to their unemployed brother or sister a part-time, temporary, or even permanent job. Finally, if the unemployed person’s financial situation is grim, some of these spiritual brothers and sisters might make unsolicited offers to loan them some much-needed money.

                            

If enough members of the church are unemployed, the church also might offer a room and computer equipment for the job seekers’ support group. These support group members can meet on a regular basis to help each other applicants for jobs. What job-seeking expertise one member does not have, another member might have, and vice versa.

During this difficult period, a priest or minister can offer skilled counseling only if the unemployed person does not hide his or her unemployment status. The urge to withdraw into private shame is counterproductive and can start a downward spiral. A willingness to accept the reality of their unemployment and a readiness to accept the available help is part of the adaptive, upward spiral that will get unemployed people past their temporary career setbacks.

In the future, the temporarily unemployed person might find that these roles have been reversed. At a future time, when the formerly unemployed person has a job, some of his or her fellow church members might be unemployed. Then, the now employed person will be in a position to help them in the manner that they helped him or her before. This will give new meaning to Christ’s command, “Do onto others as you would have them do unto you.”






About the Author

Dan Vale has a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and he has been a career counselor, a director of a career counseling center, a graduate school instructor, and a career consultant. As the Career Examiner for the Examiner Online Newspaper, he published 270 career-related articles over a seven-year period, during which the time he had multiple endorsements and subscribers, and in April 2016 alone, he had over 19,000 page reads. You can view his books at his Amazon Author Page.

Monday 11 November 2019

Shock Missionary Move Announced Francis Chan

Moving to Asia to be a missionary

Pastor and author Francis Chan delivers remarks as part of the Q Commons event, broadcast internationally on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019. Courtesy of Q Ideas/Parker Young

“I’m going to come under this because I’m going to stand before Him one day and I’m going to be judged by Him, and I don’t want to be judged as a coward,” Chan concluded. “That’s the greatest joy you’re going to find in life, is when you understand you have a holy, holy judge for a Father who is rich in mercy and full of love for you and is knocking on the door.” 

Former megachurch pastor Francis Chan has announced he will be moving to Asia in order to become a full-time missionary.

Chan delivered the shocking news during a sermon at Azusa Pacific University on Wednesday, to the great surprise of those in attendance.

“A few months ago, we were in Myanmar and my wife and I and kids, we were just with a translator going from hut to hut in these slums, trying to explain to people who Jesus is,” he explained, according to the Christian Post. “These people had never even heard of Him. And the eagerness, the way they listened, seeing people get baptized — it was just like, wow, what do we do on a normal day that even compares to this?”

Chan went on to describe the moment that he and his wife knew they had to go. “As we got on the plane home, I was like, ‘Honey, I think it’s time to move,’” Francis explained, noting that he felt he had “been fishing in the same pond my whole life and now there’s like thousands of other fishermen at the same pond, and our lines are getting tangled and everyone’s fighting over stupid things.”

The pastor continued: “What if I heard of a lake that’s like a five-mile hike away, and no one’s fishing it. And they’re saying, ‘Man, the fish are biting — just throw a hook in there and they’ll go for it!’ Man, I’ll make that five-mile hike if I love fishing.”



Continuing with the same analogy, Chan went on to note that there were many things keeping him in the United States. “I’ll tell you what would keep me at the pond is. I built a house on the pond, and all my friends have houses on the pond. And we don’t even fish that much, we just go out, and we hang out, and we talk, and we play, and I don’t want to leave my friends.”


“But if my calling is to go fish, and there’s no one fishing over there, why wouldn’t I go?”

Chan, the best-selling author of “Crazy Love,” hit the headlines back in 2010 after announcing that he would be resigning from his position as senior pastor of Cornerstone Church — a 6,000 member congregation in California which he himself founded.

Speaking to the Relevant Podcast in September 2018, Chan said he “got tired of hearing [his] own voice,” and felt as if the congregation was relying on him too much instead of seeking God for themselves.

Chan and his family are set to move to Asia in February of next year.

Sunday 10 November 2019

Churches can boost revenue through preaching and teaching

Show thee the money: churches can boost revenue through preaching and teaching


Talking money at church can be a scary prospect for ministers but overcoming that fear may bolster overall congregational health, according to a new survey of American churches.

The National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices (NSCEP) found that fellowships that engage in frequent, transparent conversation around receiving, managing and spending money often create giving cultures that multiple income streams.

But it isn’t easy for many clergies.

“They talk about this being something they were unprepared for in their education, so they didn’t have training on budgets and stewardship and finance in seminary,” said David King, director of Indiana University’s Lake Institute on Faith and Giving, which produced the study.

The survey highlights the benefit of taking up the subject. It found that 48 percent of the 1,231 American congregations studied from 2014 to 2017 experienced an increase in revenue during that period, compared to 35 percent that reported a giving decrease.

Congregations established after 2000 saw membership and income rise 66 percent and 69 percent, respectively. Black churches also reported strong gains in both attendance, 62 percent, and giving, 59 percent.

Catholics, at 56 percent, and mainline Protestants, at 38 percent, led among those who experienced declines in giving, the report said.

King spoke with Baptist News Global about other key findings in the report, and about the congregational attitudes they uncovered. His comments follow here, edited for clarity.

Were any of the findings particularly surprising to you?


The financial health of congregations is not quite as bad as we might have thought. We hear of scarcity and closings, and that is the case for many. And the narrative oftentimes is one of rising religious disaffiliation, which is about individuals. But we focused on institutions and we saw a slightly different story: 39 percent of congregations are growing; 38 percent are declining in the number of participants, and many others are holding steady.

Millennials are said to reject traditional tithing. Did the study bear that out?


We don’t know too much from this study about how Millennials are giving in general. Most congregations are not made up of just one demographic. Most arguments for giving don’t strike the connection point Millennials are looking for. They and the next generation want to be connected. Just doing their fair share or contributing to the overall mission of the congregation doesn’t motivate them as will a particular cause. While there is no one way that inspires everyone, we may need to reassess and reimagine how to motivate people to give.

Is the revenue decline among Catholics and mainline Protestants mostly driven by membership decreases?


Catholics and mainliners are declining in numbers and in revenues, Catholics the most strongly – in both numbers and revenues. Mainline churches were declining in numbers but less so in revenues. Catholics are often more dependent on general offerings and often don’t talk about pledge campaigns.

Why are newer churches doing so well with giving?


If newer churches are bringing in non-churched people, there may be an open imagination among them for participating in congregational life through giving and volunteering. There is a newness to it. A lot of newer churches are probably willing to ask because it’s part of the DNA of a new venture, so they can be flexible in establishing those traditions. If you are a more historic congregation, it may take longer to rebuild or expand giving traditions – but it is doable.

How has that been doable according to your research?


Congregations that have multiple forms of giving – such as text-to-give or a mobile phone app – are more likely to be growing. Second, those who are talking about money regularly, teaching about giving, specifically talking about higher levels of transparency in congregational finances and budgets – they are growing more than those who talk about it just once a year.

How can clergy and lay leaders push past the off-limits attitudes around this topic?


There is this taboo, a sacred-profane divide where money is considered to be worldly and we are supposed to be talking about spiritual things.  I think it’s often a nervousness and anxiety.

That’s where transparency and honesty are important. Knowing what’s happening allows these types of congregations to be out front on these issues. Lay people are hungry for conversations on these kinds of topics. They want guidance for themselves and their families on how to teach their kids about personal finance and how to share with others. That opens the door to other kinds of streams.


By Jeff Brumley
Jeff is assistant editor for Baptist News Global. He is based in Jacksonville, Fla.

SOURCE LINK

Friday 8 November 2019

Creating Space for The Weak

THE VERSE MOST CHURCHES IGNORE

In America, cultural Christianity has led to some serious problems. As a result, Christian America has become more and more post-Christian America.  One of the greatest reasons for our fall is our unwillingness to obey one particular verse in the Bible.  “Accept the one whose faith is weak….” – Romans 14:1.

By failing to include and disciple those without faith along with our impatience with those new to faith, we have caused people with genuine doubts and issues to give up or no longer come to us for help.

Too often Christians have been seen as judgmental and an increased pressure to embrace a facade to look like a “good Christian” has been cultivated.  As a result, churches have been tempted to operate under more of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Many who follow Christ want everyone to have it together or at least act like they have it together.  In the end, people who struggled with their faith or struggled with sinful choices have felt a need to go in one of two directions:

  • Hide their struggles and never get help.
  • Embrace their struggles and leave the church.


The antidote to this slide away from faith is to follow Paul’s command to the Roman church to “Accept the one whose faith is weak….” – Romans 14:1.  Romans challenges the church to create space for those weaker in faith; this exemplifies the love of God and the missional essence of the church.

JUST CONSIDER, WHAT IF…?


  • What if churches followed through on Paul’s direction to the Romans to accept those who are weak?
  • What if churches allowed people to belong before they believe?
  • What if churches communicated to the world in words and in action to truly “come as you are”?


Accepting the weaker person and creating the space for the unbeliever to be among us is difficult and challenging.

The realities of including the weak more intentionally in our church family have multiple facets:

  • Struggling people don’t often think of the church as their go-to place to find healing.
  •  For those who are part of the community, people who are struggling are messy.
  • Hurt people hurt people.
  • Many of the “more mature” people who follow Christ are looking for a church community in order to hide from the struggles and broken people of the world.
  •  “More mature” Christ-followers give money to be “fed” rather than looking for ways to invest in skeptics and new believers.


  CONSIDER MORE OF THE PASSAGE:

“Accept the one whose faith is weak…. without quarreling over disputable matters….

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself…

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  – Romans 14:1, 15:1-6

CONSUMER CHRISTIANITY

It appears consumer Christianity is not an issue only in America. Paul challenges the Roman Christ-followers to “bear with the failings of the weak and not please ourselves.”  Our human default is towards selfishness and pleasing ourselves.  Our American default is to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” more than anything else which leads to a consumer Christianity. The way of Jesus is to build up others – no matter how weak they may be.  As spiritually-minded people, another way to say this is that we need to join the mission of Jesus and His Church.

Unfortunately, we have misconstrued this word: “Church.”  The Church is not a building. The Church is not a service on Sunday. The Church is not an institution. The Church is not a religion.

We’ve been tricked and confused by distorted views of the Church. Additionally, the stereotype of the world religion known as Christianity often does not represent Jesus well.


  • Rather than loving others, religion judges others.
  • Rather than inviting others in, religion excludes others who look differently or make different moral choices or believe differently.
  • Rather than acknowledging our need for God’s love and forgiveness, religion reeks of hypocrisy and pride.


Instead, the true meaning of the word “Church” literally means “the called-out ones.” The Church is the community of people who follow Jesus!  The Church are those who give up their entire lives to follow Jesus. We are set apart from the world by our behavior and sent out into the world to bring new life!

We are wounded, healers!


There is a universal church – everyone on the planet who follows Jesus and there are local expressions of the church like Gateway.  If you follow Jesus, you are part of the Church!

Erwin McManus, our pastor in Los Angeles, used to say: “The Church is not here to meet our needs. We are the Church, and we are here to meet the needs of the world!”

THE TRUE CHURCH

How differently would the world view the Church if we chose to live as we were created to live – loving and serving and meeting the needs of the world around us?  The Church’s mission is to advance Jesus’ invisible kingdom. His invisible Kingdom is advanced through the faith, love, and hope expressed by those who follow Jesus!

We do not advance the Kingdom of Jesus through violence, arguments, protests, posts on Facebook or tweets on twitter.  We advance His Kingdom through a willingness to lay down our lives to love others as we exemplify Jesus by living godly, holy, and selfless lives.  We do this not so that God will love us. He already does! We do this in response to His love – out of gratitude for His love!

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:


  • Evaluate:  When are we or our ministry leaders operating out of religious tendencies and obligation as opposed to a relationship?


  • Invite a friend skeptical of faith to attend a Sunday service. Ask him or her to share what elements resonated and what elements were off-putting and not helpful.


  • Challenge your leaders to evaluate their ministry areas to consider if they are creating space for those who are weak in their faith.


  • Challenge your leaders to evaluate how they are challenging and helping Christ-followers in fully following Jesus rather than succumbing to cultural Christianity.

Written by Eric Bryant is the pastor at Gateway Church in South Austin, a professor with Bethel Seminary, author of Not Like Me: Learning to Love, Serve, and Influence Our Divided World, creator of churchgrowthworkshop.com, and founder of ericbryant.org

First published by SEND INSTITUTE

Thursday 7 November 2019

Today's Controversial Topics in the Church

Top Controversial Topics n the Church Today


Discernment is unquestionably necessary, even among several believers in the current culture.

What's the Christian take on gay marriage? Are spiritual gifts scriptural? Can Christians consume alcohol? These are the topics that frequently cause heated debate inside the church today. Christians take completely different opinions on these problems and each side makes reference to Scripture to aid their views.


Whatever your thoughts about all these topics, hopefully studying their list from the places that the church frequently encounters division will encourage us as Christ-supporters to shoot for unity inside our own places of worship as well as across denominations, because although there are much division and debate one of the broader church, there are also core doctrines that unite us.

ABORTION

Initially, one may think this subject isn't so questionable inside the church because it is between individuals within the church and individuals without. However, like a recent Pew Research Center study shows individuals who tell you they are religious yet don't affiliate themselves having a particular denomination really are mainly in support of abortion, with simply 17 % opposing it.


Still, most Christians are pre-existence, however, the subject remains a questionable one inside the church, especially with regards to the argument that pre-existence should mean more than merely "pro-birth."

GAY MARRIAGE

Gay marriage and whether it ought to be permitted within the church is unquestionably towards the top of their email list of contemporary-day questionable subjects. One do not need to search current headlines for lengthy to locate proof of this debate.


This problem is responsible for division among many denominations. The Presbyterian Church (USA) supports it, as the Presbyterian Church in the USA (PCA) yet others don't support it, for instance.


But possibly nowhere may be the debate surrounding this problem more widespread compared to the Anglican Church. Recently (as well as several weeks), the Anglican Church has softened its stance toward gay marriage and gay clergymen, but there's still much opposition. Some have known as around the church to become more welcoming of Gay and lesbian individuals, some go-to date as supporting gay local clergy and granting them the legal rights to do same-sex marriages, while some remain firmly dedicated to the standard meaning of marriage.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

The problem of ladies teaching/preaching in the church can rapidly become heated. Again, more conservative denominations are usually against women in leadership roles, while more liberal denominations have a tendency to accept it.


Lately, there's been a specific crisis about this problem with an upswing of Christian women bloggers. The internet presence and follower they have is substantial and it has caused some within Christianity to question their authority, while they aren't preaching/teaching inside a traditional church setting.

TYPE OF WORSHIP MUSIC

Contemporary or traditional? Hymns or modern worship songs? This really is certainly an element that has a tendency to spark debate within many places of worship. It's frequently a deciding factor if somebody chooses a church to fit in with. This problem also has a tendency to divide believers between older and more youthful generations.


Even certain instruments could be questionable. A drum kit may not be considered acceptable in certain places of worship, while another church might have a whole praise band having a full-range of instruments.

Some places of worship have tried to resolve the debate by utilizing both contemporary and traditional songs intermixed throughout their worship services.


SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Although spiritual gifts are pointed out several occasions within the New Testament, different church denominations have different interpretations of the items it genuinely way to have and employ a spiritual gift.

The spiritual gift of speaking in tongues is commonly probably the most questionable associated with a spiritual gift. While Pentecostals fully affirm this spiritual gift, other denominations go to date as so state that speaking in tongues as offending the Holy Spirit.


Other Christians embrace spiritual gifts as well as encourage congregants or church staffers to consider spiritual gift tests to determine where they're best equipped for everyone.

BAPTISM 

Although basically all places of worship practice baptism, baptism rituals in different denominations not just vary used however in theology. There's been a heated debate inside the church for hundreds of years on if the Bible promotes infant or only believer baptism.


More liturgical places of worship even tend to own the impression that baptism is important for salvation, while some don't appear to place lots of weight onto it. Some places of worship also baptize infants, but view it less proof of salvation, but instead like a commitment through the child's family and church body a single article the kid within the anxiety about god. In this manner, a baby baptism is much more just like a dedication from the child.


Still, other places of worship only baptize individuals who're of sufficient age to create a profession of belief that belongs to freedom.


Christians also provide opinions on where and how baptisms should occur--by sprinkling water, by flowing water on someone, or by full immersion.

POLITICS FROM THE PULPIT

Should ministers discuss politics or endorse a particular political party or view in the pulpit?

Churchgoers have completely different views about them, however, the debate is not limited to the church. Just recently President Trump signed a professional order ceasing enforcement from the Manley Amendment, which prohibited a church like a nonprofit entity from endorsing and promoting a specific political party or candidate. Many championed the manager order, stating that it gave places of worship more religious freedom, but others maintained that siding having a certain political party isn't something a church ought to be doing.

ALCOHOL

Can Christians drink alcohol? This question opens up all kinds of debate within the church. Many churchgoers believe Christians should completely stay away from alcohol, bars, and anything that has to do with drinking since the Bible condemns drunkenness and instructs Christ-followers to be sober-minded.

Other churchgoers, however, believe that consuming alcohol in moderation is not a sin. These Christians often argue their point from 1 Corinthians 8 in which the Apostle Paul says that "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak." Many take this to mean, by the context surrounding it, that drinking alcohol is permitted, but Christians should just be careful not to cause someone who is prone to alcohol abuse or someone who believes it is a sin to stumble in their faith by seeing another Christian drinking.


A church's views on alcohol can even be seen sometimes in the worship service; some churches use grape juice for Communion, while others use wine.


Monday 4 November 2019

The Reason Theology Matters in Business

A Quick Guide to Christian Business Theology


When I attended theology school (2008-2010), the professors never discussed business. (Although most of my former seminary classmates are now working in for-profit companies, in seminary, we were instead becoming prepared for pulpit ministry or to become seminary professors.)

When I attended business school (2010-2011), the professors never discussed the Bible. (Although I didn’t attend a “Christian” business school, I have learned that one could scarcely tell the difference of the teaching in a Christian business school classroom from that of a secular business school. Usually, Christian universities are simply content to find someone who can teach business who will identify as a Christian by signing a “statement of faith”, ensuring that the professor is at least a Christian in name only.)

I can’t blame my professors for not helping me to develop a well-formed theology of business. In most cases, they simply didn’t have one themselves. Their own professors probably didn’t have one, and their pastors likely didn’t have one either.

It wasn’t until after my theology and business schooling that I realized I had not yet done the deeper work of discovering what the Bible says about business matters. Since then, I have written two books, recorded over 110 podcast interviews, written dozens of blog posts, and produced an entire course to highlight what the Bible teaches about business.

During this time, I have discovered that many others share this same hunger to know God’s will for the marketplace and for our individual assignments within it.

How we see God is how we see business


Richard Hooker, a prominent 16th-century Anglican priest, defined “theology” as “the science of things divine”.

Augustine of Hippo defined the Latin equivalent, theologia, as “reasoning or discussion concerning the Deity”.

Theology literally means “the study of God”, and none of us will completely figure God out on this side of eternity … no matter how much we study Him. What’s important is that we never stop our pursuit of knowing Him. We must never settle for assuming we’ve reached some sort of enlightened nirvana state where we don’t need to keep learning and growing.

The Bible says “we know in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9a). This limited “part” is what you know about God and how you view the world in relation to Him. As a Christian, this “part” is your theology, and my “part” is my theology.

Within the framework of your theology, there is a certain way you view the issues of life in relation to God (e.g. business, politics, parenting, education, congregational worship, etc.). The way you view God focuses (or distorts) the lens through which you view all the issues of life.

This is why medieval scholars viewed theology as the “queen of the sciences”. Logically, they believed they couldn’t master any other fields of study in creation, whether commerce or otherwise, apart from knowing our Creator.

And neither can we.

Elements of a Well-Formed Theology of Business


While we all have a theology of business, far fewer of us have what could be considered a “well-formed” Christian theology of business in relation to the Bible.

A well-formed theology of business must include a robust, Bible-based perspective on issues such as these:

*The purpose of business
*How marketplace Christians fit into church structure, government, and mission
*How spiritual gifts apply to the marketplace
*The intrinsic value of work
*A biblical framework for all business disciplines: economics, innovation, management, marketing, sales, accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, human resources, strategic planning, business law, technology, negotiations
*The Holy Spirit’s activity in the marketplace
*Evangelism and apologetics strategies/methods for the marketplace
*Church history that highlights key marketplace Christians, Christ-centered companies, and marketplace movements
*How to approach ethical quandaries in business from a Holy Spirit-led, Bible-based perspective
*Biblical teaching for business owners, managers, customers, investors, advisors, consumers, and all other stakeholders of a company
*The role of business in shaping culture

Modern Expressions of Business Theology


If you were to interview Christian business professionals and ask them how God, the Bible, and the Christian faith relate to business, many different concepts would emerge–whether explicitly or implicitly.

Going further into the interview, you might be able to categorize the Christian’s predominant theology of business into one or more of these seven categories, which tend to emphasize certain element(s) of business theology over others:

1. Evangelism focused: business as mission, business as/is a ministry, marketplace ministry
2. Ethics focused: ethical capitalism, biblical business
3. Philanthropy focused: strategic philanthropy, Kingdom builders (typically a ministry of an institutional church aimed at increasing donations to the local church)
4. Goodness-of-work focused: the theology of work, work as worship
5. Social-justice focused: social entrepreneurship, community capitalism, liberation theology
6. Culture-shaping focused: Seven mountains mandate, Kingdom business
7. Employee-care focused: servant leadership

Certainly, there are more, but these are some of the categories that seem to be most commonly espoused by Christians. As you will notice, some of their expressions are more consistent with orthodox Christian theology than others.

How would you categorize your personal theology of business?

Factors That Form a Person’s Theology of Business


Even if we’re not aware of it, we all have a theology of business, which is shaped (or warped) by many different factors. Here are a few of the major ones:

-Family upbringing
-Religious, denominational, and church background
-Political affiliation and background
-Conversion story
-Spiritual gifts
-Negative experiences in business
-Positive experiences in business
-Personality
-Presence (or absence) of an admirable or dishonorable Christian business owner in a person’s life
-Socio-economic and cultural context

To be sure, one’s theology of business also makes a reciprocal impact on many of the items listed above.

Our Opportunity


The academic field of business theology is both fertile and somewhat uncultivated at present, and the People of God (aka., the Church) are in great need of Christians who are equipped with a robust Christian theology of business. I am not aware of an area with a more urgent need for disciple-making than the marketplace.

Currently, the aim of the Theology of Business Institute is to present a biblical framework for every major topic that is taught in MBA programs today.

We are also focused on developing a more robust perspective on the courses being taught in today’s seminaries and Bible schools to ensure that the marketplace receives the theological attention it so desperately needs.

Would you consider your theology of business to be “well-formed”? In which areas does your theology of business need to be developed?


By Darren Shearer


CREDIT SOURCE

Thursday 15 February 2018

Can the Church Leadership Quit Lusting for Power and Control?

Power and Control


Christian responsibility in work cannot be limited to just putting in the hours. It means doing the task with technical and professional competence… and, above all, with love of God.

The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. -1 Peter 5:1-4 (KJV)

A society that tends to turn people into puppets of production and consumption always opts for results. It needs control; it cannot give rise to novelty without seriously compromising its purposes and without increasing the degree of already existing conflict. It prefers that the other be completely predictable in order to acquire the maximum profit with a minimum of expenditure.

I often receive advertisements for books and seminars about Christian leadership.  Books that talk about the management of the church, the proper way to administrate things.  Some bring the best and brightest of secular management and leadership theorists into play.  This is nothing new, as names like Peter Drucker, John Maxwell and Steven Covey have long tried to bridge the gap between secular leaders and leaders in the church. Most of the church consultants I know use those kinds of models, those kinds of systems.

By leaders, I mean anyone who leaders, whether it be the Sunday School leader, the deacons, elders, or altar guild, or the pastors and denominational leaders that go by terms like Bishop, President or even Pope. My favourite title for a leader and I have heard every Pope in my life refer to it, is their title, "servant of the servants of God."  Not the King, or the Lord, or high exalted leader but the servant of those who serves.

Back to leadership itself.  I think the problem we often see when secular leadership style and theory come into play in the church is the idea of profit.  Not necessarily monetary, but the idea of profit as in return on investment (ROI).  I've seen this as churches prepare budgets, as denominations determine where to plant new churches, and whether to close other, smaller churches.  The latter because they use up too many resources (money, land, building space)

St Josemaria calls us o think differently, to work with the love of God.  Not just putting in the hours, but truly investing our talent, our knowledge, our competencies, all bathed in the love of God.

Francis likewise warns of turning the church into a puppet kingdom, where we strive for results and growth, forgetting the person's needs, and basing outreach on maximum profit for minimum expenditure.  I've seen this in meetings where rather than come alongside smaller churches in urban areas, advisors tell them to become legacy churches, closing and selling their properties to help growing churches thrive.  We want predictable and sure methods for growth or revitalization, something with a quick turnaround, rather than something that might consume us.

We come full circle back to Peter's epistle then, where he tells us not to do out work for pay (whatever the "payoff is - it might not be money)  Rather we should do our job from a desire to serve, even as our Lord served.  To work, not demanding this and that of those we are entrusted to, but by being examples to those we care for, investing in them, not expecting them to invest in us first.  We need to love them, not manage them,  Just as Christ loves and guides us, with gentleness and care.

This is contrary to modern business practices, yet it is the nature of ministry, of serving others, it is the nature of imitating Christ Jesus, who expended it all to save a bunch of corrupt and often shameless sinners like you and me.

May we lead our people into the peace and wonder that is found as Christ is revealed, as He ministers to, cleanses and makes us Holy. May we all find that healing available only in Jesus, as we help others heal.

AMEN!



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Credit: Escriva, Josemaria. The Forge (Kindle Locations 2578-2581). Scepter But Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Pope Francis. A Year with Pope Francis: Daily Reflections from His Writings. Ed. Alberto Rossa. New York; Mahwah, NJ; Toronto, ON: Paulist Press; Novalis, 2013. Print.

Monday 12 February 2018

Slogans, Sermons, and The Celebration

Celebrations


Christian obligation in work should not be restricted to just spending the hours. This implies doing a job with technical and professional efficiency and, most of all, with love of God.

Yesterday, my birthday presents were delivered a bit early.  Actually, they came just in time for the Superbowl ( my second favourite part of tomorrow!)

The present included two items, a hat and a sign for my office.

The first is a new cap, with what I thought was my favourite slogan for sports and ministry.  "Do Your Job" which is actually a vital consideration in football, at the military (as the centurion noted) or in our relationship with God and the ministry which is created by God in our lives.

We merely should walk with Him and do as He leads.  Which takes faith, the dependence on God that provides the will and ability (Ephesians 2:13 (KJV)) to do what pleases Him!   Do Your Job, do it trusting in God.  Do Your Job, loving God

Another slogan now hands on my office door, a couple feet from me.  No Days Off!  Perhaps surprisingly, this slogan had not been revealed through the entire march to last year's Superbowl victory, but afterwards, during the victory parade.  What was the secret to the victory?  The coaches and players lived football, they lived the game, in season and out of season.  They lived based on the standard of their slogans... and did their job, whatever it required.

Can you imagine if the church did this?  If it made the sacrifices to walk with God each day?  If it dwelt in His presence, relied on His mercy, recognized His love and peace satisfies our lives?  If we ceased treated being Christian was a part-time gig, and wished to live in His love, not just part-time (as if to hit the minimum requirements to gain heaven) nor even full-time ( meeting what we think is our duty) but every day treasured our time with Him, and rejoiced in the love that is our, in and through Jesus?  That is really what our "job" is, everything else, worship, loving for others, caring for others, these things are just the impact of walking with Him.

Plus there is the motto I haven't got anything on, one which I could not find out relevant within the Kingdon of God.  The latest slogan, 'Not Done Yet"

However, I knew that where that slogan is actually in the church.  It happens the moment sermon ends, and for a number of us, this is actually the very high point of our church time together.

This is not even close.


For the sermon is merely enlightening God's plan in our lives.   Still, we're not near to being done at that point.  The finest time in the church comes when we approach the rail with each other, as we bow as a group, acknowledging the presence and invitation of God, and people who can kneel, and as a community of His people, share in the Eucharist as one.

As I preach, my hunger for the sacrament grows, and I pray it grows in my people.  To be accepted at the dining room table, completely righteous in the eyes of God, entirely washed by Him and made able to celebrate.  Even as we realize we are not done yet, as we take a knee, the Lord's Supper is the start of the celebration of Jesus finishing His work in us,  For He has done all it takes to make us His own.  And the Eucharist is His thanks to the Father, and our thanks to Him, for it is finished.

He Has done and is doing, His job.
He takes no days off...
And Then He is not actually done yet and maybe, while he brings in the very last prodigal home.

For the time being, allow us to walk with, work with and celebrate the love of God.  AMEN!



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Credit:  Escriva, Josemaria. The Forge (Kindle Locations 2578-2581). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Saturday 27 January 2018

When Pastor is building personal kingdom instead of Christ’s kingdom

Some Signals that your Pastor is Establishing His Personal Kingdom



The term pastor comes from a Latin word indicates “shepherd.” In Ephesians 4:1, Paul identifies shepherding “pastors” as a single functionality in the Church alongside teaching, missionary work, evangelism and prophecy. The significance of this role can be viewed through the importance that Jesus placed on it in John 21:15-17 where Jesus charges Peter to feed and tend to His sheep. How is a pastor required to feed and tend to the flock of God? He does this when he is capable watch over and teaches the flock the Word of God (1 Timothy 3:1-2), To develop the flock into readiness and maturity.

Additionally, he carries a responsibility to safeguard the doctrine of the church. Retaining the integrity of the Gospel is considered among the pastor’s greatest callings. Several pastors obtain the title “overseer” as a general command to have their hand in all the things as well as the command to rule the church may well come to extremes too. What are examples of the signals your pastor is establishing his personal kingdom instead of Christ’s kingdom? Listed below are few indicators.



If Pastor Doesn’t Delegate or Assign 

A considerable warning sign that your pastor is creating their personal kingdom happens when he starts to do everything, declining to delegate and assign just about anything. If this occurs, your pastor has excessively control which is no more centred on Christ’s kingdom as well as the role of the church. The gifts of the many people in the church need to be useful to the ministry of the church. Every member of the church needs to be permitted to minister within their unique place in the body. One person can’t do it all.


When the Pastor is the Focus and attention, Not Jesus

Here is one of the truthful threat for pastors. Any time a ministry starts to grow and develops larger in capacity, there exists a real danger of the fact that pastor begins building his personal kingdom rather than the Kingdom of God. Ultimately that gradually, as time passes and practically undetected, the pastor turns into the core of attention and Jesus is swapped on the altar by the man. Without a doubt; this kingdom never will last since it is of man. It may well flourish for a while, however the same is true of a flower after which it’s all gone.


When the Pastor is Surrounded by "Yes Men"

This is often a relatively substantial warning sign and may have very unfavourable ramifications. “Yes men” is the term for those people who only say yes or agree with everything that is made available to them. When a leader desires to achieve success, they need to be prepared to say “no” to “yes men.” The challenge with yes men and people not wanting to differ, lead-up or question their leader is allowing their leader at risk of accepting things as they are. It’s necessary for leaders to develop an atmosphere where people will be open and sincere. In case your pastor isn’t performing this, you ought to be worried.


When the Pastor Overrules the church Board

What if your pastor a loosened cannon? Should they, this will be a wake-up call that possibly they are too controlling and get their eyes focused on a different kingdom. A pastor must not hold the church chequebook in their control. The church deacon or treasurer ought to be in possession of it and need no less than two signatories, and none should be the pastor. When you notice your pastor starting to violate the policies of the church, in that case, this can be a key warning that something is happening that shouldn’t be. A pastor is answerable to the church.


When Pastor Avoids and Resists Accountability

The word accountability means “the quality or condition of being accountable; a responsibility or readiness to acknowledge commitment or to account for one’s actions and activities.” Unfortunately, pastors are certainly not omitted. Attention must be given to a pastor who may have ceased being accountable for job duties. Here is a tremendous warning sign that the pastor is setting up his personal kingdom and not that of God. Pastors create the example for accountability. Keep in mind, a pastor’s basic responsibility is to oversee the church combined with elders, and his emphasis must be mainly spiritual, taking care of issues, for example, edifying believers and equipping the saints to do the ministry work.


When the Pastor is Always and Constantly Right

The moment your pastor is at all times making themselves right or perfect, this is often troublesome for many different reasons. Nobody is always right or perfect, plus pastors. A pastor’s responsibility isn’t to interpret the Bible; their job is to preach the Gospel. It’s not depending on what they think or assume. It’s according to what God says. When your pastor is hesitant to recognize or admit their errors or doesn’t admit an evident mistake, that can be a big warning sign.
Furthermore, if there’s an issue in the church, your pastor needs to be approachable and friendly. If a pastor is indeed unapproachable and not open to constructive worries or criticisms, then he his heart is simply not in the proper place in regards to the ministry.


In conclusion


Generally, all signs including the above mentioned must not be ignored or overlooked. Pastors that don’t delegate and assigns, do not allow input or suggestions, refuse any correction are creating their personal kingdom and never God’s. As soon as they rarely take accountability, always do what they desire no matter what the church policies and bylaws say, this is definitely a pastor that isn’t centred on advancing God’s kingdom. A church can’t survive under this type of leadership.



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Saturday 13 January 2018

Reason Marketplace Is a Great Place for Christians

Seven Reasons Why a Marketplace Is a Great Place for Christians



If God has called you into business, please don’t wish you were called somewhere else. A marketplace is a great place for Christians right now. Here’s why:

Marketplace opportunities

1. Almost all non-Christians are in the marketplace


Today, less than 20% of Americans attend church regularly. In many European countries, the percentages are much lower. At the current rate, regular church attendance is projected to drop to 11.7% by 2050.

The good news is that these people who aren’t attending church will still be waking up to go to work alongside their Christian co-workers in the marketplace each morning.

2. Almost all Christians are in the marketplace


At least 85% of the Christian workforce spends 60-70% of their waking hours in the marketplace. In addition to serving our families and our local churches, the marketplace is the primary context in which our spiritual gifts should be used. The ministry potential for Christians using their spiritual gifts collaboratively in the marketplace is astounding!

(In case you don’t know what your spiritual gifts are, my forthcoming book will include a spiritual gifts assessment as well as teaching on how you can use your unique gifts for ministry in the marketplace.)

3. Discipleship actually can happen in the marketplace


Church leaders often are criticized for the lack of discipleship and spiritual growth among their congregations. Let’s give our pastors a break. How much discipleship actually can happen during a two-hour church service on Sunday?

Discipleship-that is, becoming more like Jesus-happens in everyday life. Yes, discipleship can happen anywhere… even during a two-hour, lecture-style event on Sunday. However, the potential for discipleship and ministry investment in a weekly service is a fraction of what is possible during an entire work-week spent with our co-workers, clients, etc.

4. The marketplace is a more authentic showroom of Christianity


If you were shopping for a car, you’d probably go to a showroom. Before you bought anything, you’d probably want to see if the car actually functions properly on the road. You might even ask the dealer to allow you to take the car home for a day or two to test it out.

The local church is like the showroom for Christianity. The marketplace is the test drive. The marketplace is where our unbelieving co-workers get to see if they really want what we have. Daily, they see how we react under pressure. They see how we treat people. They see how much God truly matters to us in our daily lives.

As mentioned in “Reason #1,” most people aren’t even coming to the “showroom” anymore, so marketplace Christians are now serving as both the showroom and the test drive of Christianity.

marketplace Christians

5. The marketplace forces the Church to use all of its capabilities


Personality-driven and super-pastor Christianity don’t work in the marketplace. Having a bunch of Christians sitting on the sidelines of ministry may not prevent a local church from increasing numerically, but it won’t transform the marketplace for the glory of God.

So far, most of the teaching about “marketplace ministry” has been defining marketplace ministry without regard for people’s unique spiritual gifts. For example, if I have an apostolic gift, of course I’m going to view marketplace ministry as a mandate to “ascend and take the Business Mountain for God” (see 7 Mountains). If I have a pastoral gift (i.e. marketplace chaplains), of course I’m going to view marketplace ministry as a calling to “care for the personal needs of my employees and/or co-workers.”

We need to approach marketplace ministry in a way that leverages the spiritual gifts of all Christians in the marketplace. The “one-size-fits-all” approach only produces self-condemnation and ineffectiveness for marketplace Christians attempting to operate outside of their God-given spiritual gifts.

6. Denominational divisions are less-destructive in the marketplace


We can choose whether to attend a Baptist Church, Pentecostal-Charismatic Church, Presbyterian Church, a Non-Denominational Church, etc… but most of us don’t have the luxury of co-working only with Christians with whom we agree theologically. The marketplace has a way of diluting some of these differences. This opens the door to collaborative ministry beyond the walls of our local churches and traditions.

7. Everything gets funded from the marketplace

All money comes from value that has been created in the marketplace, and business professionals ultimately decide what gets funded. These business professionals need to know God and His plan for their lives in order to make righteous decisions concerning money.

Although business is often thought of only as the economic engine of the Church, I hope that we will begin to see and realize its full potential for transforming society for the glory of God.



Discussion: In addition to these seven reasons, what is another reason why God is mobilizing Christian business professionals for ministry in the marketplace?



Written by  Darren Shearer





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Saturday 4 November 2017

Leading Leaders

Truths to Understand When Leading Leaders


More often than not, once the subject of leadership is introduced up, we have a tendency to immediately begin speaking on how to lead "doers." By doer, I merely mean those who are there to perform a job.

They agreed to volunteer inside your ministry. You hired the right results inside a specific department. They're in your team and therefore are expected to handle tasks. They're doers.

That is certainly as opposed to leaders. If you're in leadership for just about any timeframe, there'll most likely be a time where you will have to lead other leaders. Leading other leaders is, in several ways, distinct from leading doers. Leaders require that you connect with them differently.

Actually, There are free facts that I believe that all leaders who lead other leaders need to comprehend:

Leaders need resources


This may include money, equipment, and people. Something about it frustrate a leader quicker than firing them up with a persuasive vision and then not equipping them with resources to achieve the vision. Leaders are goal-driven and an essential thing to them is attaining the finish line-without resources, you are making it impossible for them to get there.

Leaders need freedom


Leaders have to have the vision, however, they do not need you to lay out each and every step along the way for them. Leaders should have the freedom to lead from their strengths, experiences, and preferences-and it's highly likely that all of those are not the same as yours. Let them have the freedom to make decisions, freedom to become creative and freedom in making mistakes. Freedom can result in a better result and better leadership.

Leaders need space 


Micro-management may not work for leaders. When you are leading a leader, you ought to let them have the vision as well as the goal and then get out of the way for them to use the team they're leading toward that bulls-eye. Continuous looking over the shoulder of a leader or moving infrequently to give unwanted input and guidance will push the leader to question why they are even needed. Often, I have found, anytime leaders I lead are given the room to lead, they come up with ideas I might never have and achieve goal better/more quickly/more creatively than I could ever have myself.

Leaders need the vision


Although leaders are often capable at vision casting, if you are leading them, they want to know and get into your vision. From that, they will then inspire the team they lead, but it needs to be aligned with your vision. Asking them to lead something and not connecting it to a larger vision can seem like busy work or insignificant work and may lead to burnout for that leader and those that he/she leads.

Leaders need feedback


Sure, leaders need space ... however, they don't need you to be missing. Whenever they know the vision, their goal is to achieve that vision. And it is your vision. Additionally, good leaders demand feedback on their performance. They wish to know what they're doing well and what they are able to improve. They have to hear it from you, and you have to know that they are on course and going into the direction that you expect. Leaders who don't have any responses from the person leading them could find themselves wondering whether progress is being made and whether they're greatly regarded as a leader.

No matter who, leading-doers or leaders-leadership has never been easy.


However, if you're a leader who is leading leaders, there are a few specific truths that apply ... in case you miss them, you might find that you will not be able to keep leaders and that you're missing the goals you have for your work, family members, your ministry and more.

Thursday 2 November 2017

Ministry through Business

 Ministry and Sharing Jesus through Business


To an average person, the word ministry refers exclusively to the Pastors and Preachers of the gospel; it does not apply to anyone who does not fall directly or indirectly under these two individual categories. Well, that may seem like a popular opinion held by the majority, but it does not in any way make it a fact. Biblically, ministry as a word and the engaging of ministry as an act does to apply to Preachers or Pastors alone. Instead, it refers to every Christian who desires to carry out God's commandment through their lives and in whatever they do.

The earlier that Christians understand that in whatever area or field of life they find themselves, that God expects them to do the work of ministry, affect people’s lives positively and bring glory and honour to His name, the better and easier it will be to affect the cooperate world for God. Be it in business, politics, government appointment or multinational companies.

For Christians who go into business, beyond the sales and the profit made from the business, one thing must always be on their mind, and that is transforming nations through business. When Christians develop this kind of mindset, even in the marketplace, it helps a great deal in spreading the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all the corners of the universe. As Matthew 28:19 said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The truth that must be told is that the Preachers alone within the walls of the church cannot fulfil this task, there is, therefore, need for every hand especially businessmen and women to be on deck in winning souls in the business world and other fields of life.

Changing Lives beyond the Church Walls

A fact that cannot be denied is that every Christian (Preacher or not) have been called by calling into a full-time life of Christian service. This service extends beyond our various church walls and mission fields. It goes right into the cooperate world where we live and make daily communications with people.

In fact, a majority of Christians are not working in the church as Preachers or Missionaries. They are working in common spheres of life such as the civil service business, healthcare, academics, skilled craftsmen and the rest. This so means that the greater tasks of changing the lives of people as Gods representatives lie not within the four walls of any church but outside it which is in the cooperate society.

When Jesus spoke in Matthew 9:37 that “…the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few”, h was simply implying that the Pastors and church workers along are not enough to get the job done. This is because a large number of person out there in the cooperate world who are yet to experience a change and accept Christ as their saviour. One factor that must also be noted is that a lot of these unsaved or unchanged lives will not come any closer to the church building. Not to talk of being spoken to by the Pastor, so this is leaving them practically to the mercies of those Christians in the common spheres of life who understand their ministerial assignment even outside the church and are faithfully keeping to it.

Effectively Impacting People through Business

Having established that business is supposed to be a ministry for Christians; an avenue to spread the kingdom of God to the entire nation, another truth that needs to be established from now on is that the aim of ministry in business is not just to show up every morning in your marketplace.

A business with a bible and trying to convince people to believe in God, the aim is to establish changing lives business, a business that through its operation and reputation, the lives of people around is transformed and imparted on positively. If that is the aim, it, therefore, means that every Christian in business should understand and appreciate the fact that business and soul winning can be inter-related in so many ways.

To adequately fulfil these ministry aims of changing lives and effectively impacting the lives of people, this ministry business needs to, first of all, be instituted using basic foundations. As well as procedures for establishing an excellent and profitable business, but then after that, there are key points that must be considered seriously which are of uttermost importance. They exhibit great value to the business of which integrity, stewardship responsibilities, fairness, and uprightness are practised.

other points worth noting, which enables a business to have a transforming impact on people are;
1. Serving people rather than just business for profit
2. God-centered business, not self-centred business
3. Business as Christ’s ambassador


You can see also Business Ethics and Christian Faith

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