Whatever gifts and abilities God’s given you, business and professional skills are an amazing way to further his global mission in cross-cultural settings. From IT to engineering, making jam to running a coffee shop, avenues to share the gospel go beyond stereotypical roles.
What is Business As Mission?
Business As Mission (BAM) is when sustainable businesses are intentionally used to further God’s kingdom and bring the gospel to people who may not otherwise have had a chance to hear it.
Those running the business can model biblical principles to employees, suppliers, clients, government workers and business associates, working in a Christlike way to bring God’s good news to their community.
Missional business in action
Yvonne spent many years serving in northern Ghana, where she trained pastors and church leaders to disciple their members to become ‘marketplace ministers’.
Now based in Scotland, she still relates with the Ghana team and continues to be in touch with the people she worked with on an organic farm in Northern Ghana. Yvonne also helps to lead ‘Work is Worship’ online training with a global team.
The aim of Yvonne’s rural workplace ministry was to not only see economic transformation, but also to encourage local church leaders to see that every believer can be missional and disciple-minded every day of the week, wherever they work.
“I worked with pastors, market leaders and through a Bible Institute to give them the skills to encourage, testify and disciple people living in rural farming communities, to worship God through their work,” she adds.
“I loved seeing when people realise that God is present and interested in all aspects of their lives and has no sacred/secular divide.”
During her time in Ghana, she also helped to oversee the building of a commercial food processing centre, which was constructed to provide employment for people living in a rural area that had very limited employment opportunities. The centre aimed to produce and sell products made from local farmers’ crops.
Read more about Yvonne’s time serving in Ghana.
Could missional business be for you?
France, Ethiopia, Bolivia and the Middle East are just a few of the places with opportunities for you to use your professional skills to reach people with the gospel. We’d love to walk with you if this is something you’d be interested in exploring – get in touch with us by emailing [email protected].
Explore opportunities to serve in missional business.
Please pray:
- for God to raise up more people interested in using their business skills for his glory;
- that those serving in missional business ministries would know God’s guiding hand in everything they do;
- for more opportunities to use businesses to reach people with God’s good news in least-reached countries and communities.
Yvonne’s case study has been adapted from our article: ‘Profit for the Lord’. Read it in our Innovate Magazine.