In episode 11 of the Missional Marketplace Podcast, I think the big takeaway was this… “Marketplace skills are missionary skills. So, marketplace people, what are you doing to forward the Great Commission?”
We looked at Business as Missions once more, reiterating the definition for those wondering: “BAM is the intentional integration of business and ministry to create a sustainable missional presence of the Kingdom of God in a particular community.”
BAM currently operates in four different ways across the world; three of which are good and one of which is a “please-don’t-do-this” kind of thing.
- Job Fakers. This is the please-don’t-do-this kind of thing. This is the “dark side” of BAM that looks to, basically, deceive people into receiving the Gospel. These are businesses set up exclusively for the preaching of the Gospel and establishing of the church, but they add no real value to the local community.
- Job Takers. These are the people who are gifted specifically in one area who may be able to get a job in a local UPG community based on their skillset. In doing so, they can partner with a local church planting team while employed in this region. Some examples may be someone educated in a specific type of farming or agriculture that can move to India or Thailand, someone working in the oil industry that can move to the middle east, or a teacher that can teach in a school in Europe.
- Job Makers. This is the entrepreneurial spirit at work. These are the people who identify an unreached people group, identify a market need, develop a business to meet that market need, and then build businesses that give access to that UPG community through genuine value-adding business creation. These plants typically add jobs as well, and often times even an anti-Gospel government will approve visas for those who are doing this. They meet a local need, add value, and even hire locals.
- Gig Makers. These are the gig-economy workers, who can take an online business with them anywhere. They may consider moving to an area of the world with an unreached people group and setting up their business alongside a church plant.
Next, Erik closes us out with a challenge to marketplace people, reminding us again that “marketplace skills are missionary skills.” He says,
“[Marketplace people]… How are you utilizing your business, your work, your money, your resources, your skill sets for the global mission of God in the world?”
He asks further, “What is God speaking to you?”
Perhaps He’s asking you to give a certain percentage of your profits to global missions… perhaps He’s you to use your skills to move to a certain unreached part of the world. Press in.
Lastly, in our Missional Moment, we continued our conversation with Dick Brogden, head of LiveDead. Dick shared stories of the Gospel being spread in the middle east, as well as encouraging business people with this,
“Business people [can] access the influential sector of the community that may be difficult to get into as people with the theological background. Business people are often with leaders, elders, and government officials. Plus, they can leverage the business to get more visas.”
He closed with a challenge, saying, “Don’t waste sideways energy on things that don’t matter. It’s Jesus, missions, the kingdom, and the Second Coming.”
