Something that I have been reflecting on more recently is the increasingly apparent move of God that is now, and will be, coming through the marketplace rather than only in the church. While this does not take away from the vital nature of the church, it does increase...
And at The Stone Table, we define BAM this way: Business as mission is the intentional integration of business and ministry to create a sustainable, missional presence of the kingdom of God in a particular community. Across the globe, all kinds of marketplace work is being embraced as a Great Commission opportunity to take the Gospel to every ethnos. We have missionary entrepreneurs that are starting sustainable farms, tourism companies, CrossFit gyms, and coffee shops in areas devoid of Gospel witness. We have gig economy workers like graphic designers and book editors that are moving their base of operations to strategic missions’ outposts. We have take-a-job missionaries that are partnering with local church planting teams and are embedding in local corporations that are moving them to unreached parts of the world. We have business owners that are franchising their models to missionary teams that could take the Gospel into places that traditional missionaries cannot go. And missionary investors are underwriting the risky startup costs of these strategic BAM projects through grant and investment dollars. And they’re embracing this multiple bottom-line definition of success and Great Commission returns.
Workism: Faith in Work As I’ve been piecing together Paul’s theology in the epistle to the Colossians, I’ve found that there is something interesting he addresses when it comes to spiritual powers. While there is some debate about the verse in specific, there is a...
So, what is the Great Commission? Do you know? The Great Commission is Jesus’ last instructions to his disciples as he ascended into heaven. These instructions weren’t just for professional pastors and missionaries. Jesus’ words were aimed at all of us who call him “Lord,” including those of us with marketplace jobs. Look at Matthew 28:19. It says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” It says “go,” to move out, to train up followers of all nations. And the Greek word here is actually ethnos. It’s ethnos or a people joined by similar customs or culture. We can better translate this word, not as geo-political nation states, but as people groups. And Jesus said to go make disciples of all of them. But the Joshua Project estimates there as many as 7,400 unreached people groups in the world today. These 7,400 people groups total 3.1 billion people or 42% of the global population. And for many of these people, were not just talking about a general disinterest in Christianity, we’re talking no access to the Gospel. If you are born into this 42%, there is a good chance that you will live and die without ever as much as meeting a Christian let alone hearing the life-giving message of Jesus. And this should disturb all of us. See, if you belong to Jesus, the Great Commission belongs to you.
Many times throughout the Gospel, Jesus presents to us the challenge & encouragement to keep our eyes on the things that matter – the things that will last for eternity. Paul also continues this teaching throughout the epistles in the New Testament, keeping...
The images and stories coming out of Ukraine are still hard to digest. I will leave the geopolitical pontification to people much smarter than me, but you don’t have to be an expert on the world stage to be moved by the contrasting leadership on display. Ukrainian...
This newsletter is two days late. I know you watch your inbox with eager anticipation every Tuesday morning waiting for its arrival (insert sarcasm emoji); but not only has it been a busy start to the week, I was also struggling to find something of value to say. As...
I began reading through Isaiah this morning and came across a unique passage in chapter three where the LORD condemns a group of women for being outwardly flashy, seeking to draw attention, and displaying their wealth overtly while inwardly they were corrupt &...
Workism is a common topic here at The Stone Table because of its prevalence both across the US and throughout much of the Western world. Workism can be presented in many ways, often as one seeking a sense of self-worth or value from their work, but it can also be a...
Workism, a common new “religion” in the US and other Western cultures, has ridden the waves of secularism and taken a spotlight in the past few years within the global West. Workism promotes a sense of valuing oneself based on production and finding oneself rooted...
Recently we sat down and had a great chat with Tom Paino, a 98-year-old (or should we say 98-year-young) pastor whose mission legacy is one for the books! We got to talk about generosity’s ripple effect and how one conversation with a local businessman inspired others to join in global missions giving. So, let’s dive in and hear some of Tom’s story. Are you ready?
Recently we sat down and had an awesome chat with Tim Shrout, one of our founding board members! We got to talk about how to unleash your inner creativity as an entrepreneur. It’s interesting, many business leaders out there don’t think of themselves as creative people. But we think they’re selling themselves short! So, let’s dive in and see what Tim had to say about it. Are you ready?
We can indeed engage the Great Commission wherever we go – even in the marketplace. What does that look like for you?