Business as a Ministry

If you lead a business, there is a greater purpose to what you are doing. 

Business as a Ministry? Have you heard of it?

A Barna Group study found that around 75% of US workers are either non-practicing Christians or non-Christians. They might not be walking into the doors of our churches, but they are walking into the doors of our companies.

Christian business leaders have an incredible opportunity for influence. To give perspective on the volume of influence you have in your leadership role, get this: that same Barna study found that while pastors in the US will interact with 8.8 million nominal Christians and non-Christians per year, and will have on average, 12 hours of influence with each of them. In comparison, Christian business owners in the US will interact with 118.1 million nominal and non-Christian employees per year with an average of 2080 hours of influence with each. 

So the question here is, if you find yourself in the position of influence as a business owner, how are you going to steward those 2080 hours? 

In short, that is what Business as a Ministry (BaaM) is: a concept that encapsulates the idea of using your business platform to make a difference beyond financial success. It's about stewarding your influence to impact lives and communities. You might not have been called into “vocational ministry” in the sense you are a paid pastor or missionary, but you have been called to a vocation that can be leveraged  for ministry.

 If you lead a business, there is a greater purpose to what you are doing. 

You wouldn’t be alone. 

If the idea of BaaM feels foreign or isolating to you, here is something you should know: over 4,000 business leaders around the nation and beyond are committing to doing the same, with each other as motivation, encouragement, and accountability. 

Over 300 of those leaders are right here in Georgia and South Carolina, meeting in Myrtle Beach, Spartanburg, Savannah, Atlanta, Newnan, Marietta, Columbia, Charleston, Columbus, Gainesville, Alpharetta, and Cummings and are meeting each week to receive counsel from their like-minded peers. 

How do you do it? 

C12 members are carrying out a wide variety of ministry initiatives in our community. One example is the Dream Manager Program at New Life Facility Service. Owner and president Lillian Radke recently shared  at a local banquet the incredible journey of realizing the opportunity for ministry within her company. She says that Life Facility:

“is not a cleaning business—it is a people business; it is God’s business.”

After reading The Dream Manager, Lilian Radke and her husband, were inspired to uncover their employees’ aspirations and help fulfill them. Lilian discovered that asking “What are your biggest burdens or desires?” offered valuable insights, helping her better assist her team in achieving their dreams.

Lilian and Silvano realized that many employees dreamed of owning a home but struggled to afford the down payment. To address this, they organized a breakfast at which a loan officer and a real estate agent shared insights on home-buying resources. Twenty-three employees attended, and so far, the fifth person from that group is buying a home.

For Lilian, empowering employees is what gets her out of bed each day. She has learned that, 

“the most impactful stories often cost nothing except compassion and faithful stewardship.”

But that is just one BaaM story. There are countless more. What will be yours?

To get started, you can view 105 ministry ideas here. 

Experience the camaraderie. Lead the Leaders. 

If you are interested in hearing more about stories similar to Lilian’s, right here in our community, you can connect with one of your area C12 Chairs at c12gaandsc.com/meet-our-team. We’d love to share more about this opportunity of C12 with you. 

Are you a business leader interested in leveraging your experience and skills to influence other business leaders in leading their Business as a Ministry? There is an opportunity for you. You can learn more at c12gaandsc.com/become-c12-chair.

We continue to be hopeful for the ways God is moving in the marketplace. We invite you to join us in this mission to build great businesses for a greater purpose. 

References: 

Barna Group. (2020). "Changing State of the Church." Retrieved from https://www.barna.com/research/changing-state-of-the-church/