Business as Mission

In this groundbreaking book, economist Steve Rundle and missiologist Tom Steffen offer a new paradigm for the convergence of business and missions--the Great Commission Company. These companies intentionally create businesses in strategic locations, pursuing profits while remaining unabashedly Christian in their purpose. By establishing authentic businesses that employ local workers among the least-reached peoples of the world, they contribute to the economic health of the immediate community and also provide avenues for both physical and spiritual ministry.

Based on a five-year study of innovative companies like Pura Vida Coffee, this volume offers keen analysis of the principles and practices of these companies. In an era where multinational corporations have global influence and impact, the Great Commission Company opens up new possibilities for missions-minded entrepreneurs and businesspeople who want to change the world to the glory of God.

"This a remarkable book. Two street-smart business professionals grounded in a contemporary holistic biblical theology have demonstrated that income-producing businesses managed by 'kingdom professionals' can play a central, essential role in extending Christ's kingdom worldwide. Rundle and Steffen have plowed much-needed, new ground for all who take the kingdom seriously."

James F. Engel, coauthor, Changing the Mind of Missions. For more info and an interview with Steve Rundle Click Here

Business as Mission (EMS 14)

From Impoverished to Empowered
"To put it bluntly," wrote Doug Pennoyer, Dean of the School of Intercultural Studies, Biola University and President of EMS, when announcing the call for BAM papers, "Business as mission (BAM) is a work in progress. It is a field that needs definition, theological clarity, and missiological focus. Our call for papers for our regional conferences is timely, and the culminating discussions and presentations at the national level puts us in a place to make a pivotal contribution in a sea of some confusion and even controversy" .... While this volume will certainly not bring total clarity to the topic, it will provide some needed definition and precision while at the same time identify areas that will demand further discussion, clarification, and maturity.

"The fine work that Drs. Steffen and Barnett have carefully placed together in this book brings added light and depth to the BAM movement. It will stimulate the reader to seriously consider the current and future impact and potential of the movement in the spreading of the gospel. It also has the potential to encourage and validate the role of the Christian business person in the Great Commission, both at home and abroad."
— LARRY STRAND, Dean, School of Business, Biola University

Tom Steffen is professor of Intercultural Studies in the School of Intercultural Studies at Biola University in La Mirada, California, directs the Doctor of Missiology program, and is co-author of Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role of Business in Missions.

Mike Barnett is the Elmer V. Thompson Professor of Missionary Church Planting at Columbia Biblical Seminary and School of Missions in Columbia, South Carolina.

Business Power for God's Purpose
Partnership with the Unreached

The world is in need of Christian businesspeople who are willing to share in God's concern for unreached ethnic groups, especially in restricted-access countries. They can be of great service in the advancement of the kingdom of God, making use of their business networks, expertise, influence, logistical, personal and financial resources to help plant churches where Christ is not yet known. If you want to know how you can be a part of this great task, this book is for you!

The Power of Business in the Kingdom of God

"While some Christian professionals dream of being "freed from business" to go into the ministry or see business as enemy territory to be invaded for Christ, others are convinced that Christian principles simply don't work in the "real world". In this book, Michael Baer challenges each of these positions. He rejects the unbiblical thinking that ministry and business are by definition separate activities - that our lives can be compartmentalized into the sacred and secular. Instead he guides business leaders in developing the vital characteristics of a kingdom business - the kind of business that will free them live fully integrated lives and lead organizations that significantly impact the world."

About the Author
Michael R. Baer has worked in the field of organizational and leadership development for over twenty-five years. He has founded several businesses, including the business advisory and strategic consulting firm that is his current company, a construction and remodeling business, and a bed and breakfast inn. In addition, as executive director of an international mission organization specializing in microenterprise, Mike has launched a small business incubation process used in over seveteen countries.

Transforming People and Nations Through Business

Global business has the potential to bring biblical cultural values, greater economic prosperity and blessings to the nations of the world. It's already happening in innovative undertakings, such as ET, a call center business in India where at least 60 percent of the employees call themselves Christians. Modeling biblical principles and recognized for its world-class level of service, this successful company has created jobs, built a profitable business, strengthened the local church and seen people decide to follow Jesus.
In God Is at Work, Ken Eldred examines how God is transforming people and nations through companies like ET amidst an emerging missions movement called "Kingdom business." Challenging the view that capitalism and biblical principles cannot coexist, Kingdom business is achieving economic and spiritual transformation around the globe and is welcomed even by developing nations that are traditionally closed to the gospel. This unprecedented book gives a comprehensive overview of Kingdom business, its objectives and approaches. Ken Eldred's personal experience, as well as other Kingdom business efforts around the world, highlights this integrated missions movement, a unique combination of missions, successful business practices and economic development.

Learn how leaders of developing nations around the world, some of whom are Muslims, are inviting Christian business leaders to come into their countries and bring needed spiritual capital and business principles to create greater economic opportunities for their people. Discover the role of Kingdom business professionals in advising, funding and operating for-profit enterprises of varying sizes and types. See what happens when God is at work giving individuals the opportunity to participate with Him in Kingdom business, one of the greatest missions endeavors of the twenty-first century.

The opportunities to advance the cause of Christ have never been greater. We are called to act now.

About the Author
Ken Eldred is currently CEO of Living Stones Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Parakletos @ Ventures. For over 20 years, Ken served as CEO of Inmac, a public company he founded. He has assisted in the founding of several other successful companies, including Ariba Technologies. Ken is involved in ventures in the United States, China, Europe and India and he advises various Kingdom business ventures and ministries. He has an MBA from Stanford and was a Visiting Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution. Ken is the coeditor of On Kingdom Business, winner of a 2004 Christianity Today Book Award. Ken and his wife, Roberta, have three sons and spend their time in Northern California and Colorado.

Holistic Entrepreneurs in China

A Handbook on the World Trade Organization and New Opportunities for Christians
"This book is educational, encouraging and inspirational. It is a book not just for those in business but for all who care about the Chinese people and want to understand how economic change is bringing about a new society. It is full of practical information, starting with the basics anyone working in China should know about history, culture and the economy and points out issues and opportunities for Christians wanting to work in China. The cumulative impact is one of encouragement." - Dr. Carol Hamrin, George Mason University

Transforming Missions Through Entrepreneurial Strategies

More than one quarter of the world’s people have little or no opportunity to hear the gospel. While few of the unreached care to investigate the claims of Christ, they are concerned about their own economic advancement. This is an opportunity for the gospel. On Kingdom Business proposes a new model for using business in missions: kingdom entrepreneurship. Kingdom entrepreneurs are “job-makers,” starting for-profit businesses of all sizes—real businesses that meet real needs. On Kingdom Business provides a conceptual foundation for kingdom entrepreneurship and explores its contemporary development using case studies of kingdom businesses and reflecting on the lessons kingdom entrepreneurs have already learned.

“Probably nowhere can you find the range of actual examples and keen insights offered by the spectrum of contributors to this landmark book. We are deeply indebted to both the contributors and the editors for so stout and comprehensive a set of documents, on so crucial and yet baffling a challenge.”
— Ralph D. Winter, President, William Carey International University

Contributors: Kim-Kwong Chan, Clem Schultz, Sonia Chou, Ken Crowell, Margie Crowell, Abiir William, Patrick Lai, Norman Teece, Daniel Batchelder, Juerg Opprecht, Byung Ho Choi, Luke Watson, Joe Suozzo, Peter Tsukahira, and Wayne Grudem.

Innovation in Mission

As the world around us is changing, our methods also need to adapt in order to fulfill the unchanging vision of reaching the lost. Innovations provide outstanding opportunities to solve the great challenges of ministry in this new Century.

This book is not an all or nothing approach to being innovative in ministry. It offers what has worked in other areas and lets the reader choose what might be a possibility for their church or ministry. It will provide insight, encouragement, and hope to those who are critically looking at the world and considering the problems that must be addressed.

Missionaries, mission executives, mission pastors, and mission committees wanting to adapt effective strategies in order to stay current with global changes will benefit greatly from this book.

www.innovationinmission.com

Contributing Authors

Jim Reapsome, Jon Hirst, Ellen Livingood, Joseph Vijayam, Roger Peterson, John Maust, Kurt Wilson, Sam Chiang, Aaron Sandoval, Joel Dylhoff, Brent LindquistAh Kie, and Paul Heidebrecht.

This book represents innovations from organizations including TransWorld Radio, Link Care Center, TEAM, International Forum of Bible Agencies, CAM International, STEM International, MAI, YWAM and others.

This book presents innovations in

short term missions
global e-learning
content management
media missions
church partnerships
business as mission
resourcing national pastors

And many more!

About the Author

Jim Reapsome is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College and Dallas Theological Seminary. He has served as public relations director for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, the editor of The Sunday School Times, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, and Christianity Today, and has taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Malone College, and Columbia International University. He resides in Wheaton, IL.