Napada Handicrafts - Bangkok, Thailand
Napada handicrafts employs women from low-income communities enabling them to improve the lives of their families while forming community with Christians and learning the truths of God.
Business as Mission Resources
We want to share with you those resources that we are aware of. We don’t endorse all of these, or necessarily agree with every viewpoint expressed, but they represent a range of thinking on Business as Mission. Let us know what you have found helpful so we can share it with others.
Books
• Great Commission Companies by Steve Rundle and Tom Steffen (IVP)
• When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert (Moody)
• My Business My Mission by Doug Seebek and Timothy Stoner (Faith Alive)
• Business For the Glory of God by Wayne Grudem (Crossway)
• On Kingdom Business by Tetsunao Yamamori and Kenneth Eldred (Crossway)
• Business As Mission by C. Neal Johnson (IVP)
• Changing the Mind of Missions by James Engel and William Dyrness (IVP) NOTE: This is not on business in missions specifically, but helps us to think about missions in our time in a healthy way.
• Business as Mission: The Power of Business in the Kingdom of God by Michael R. Baer
African Friends and Money Matters by David Maranz (SIL International)
Articles
Business as Mission, Occasional Paper No. 59, Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, 2004
Business as Mission, Principals and Strategies for Building Profitable Kingdom Ventures with Non-profit Resources, Thomas Sudyk, 2006
Websites
Get Involved
Here are some examples of ministry "models" for business as mission activity:
• Partner with a missionary to determine how overtly Christian your teaching should be depending on the context and the goal.
• You will need to have some preliminary training in the culture into which you will be teaching and sharing, which MTW will arrange and provide.
• You will be expected to have prepared so that you provide a very professional and valuable session(s). Students in some cases will be paying for this teaching. Your time in country for this will likely be from 3-7 days.
To see more details on this model, download the Getting Started brochure.
• You are most likely someone who has broad business experience, and possibly experience starting a business or who has operated a small business.
• You will most likely teach/consult/mentor several nationals who want to start businesses. They will have been “pre-qualified” for this training only somewhat. You will most likely be part of a 3-4 person team who follows a program that is a series of 3-4 one –week sessions over a several month period.
To see more details on this model, download the Getting Started brochure.
• This is not for everyone. It can involve much in terms of learning and adapting to a new culture. It may require learning a new language.
• It is also many times more difficult to be in business in another country. • However, it can be done successfully!
• You may want to become an employee or consultant for a company with a presence in the country you desire to live, work and minister in. Every culture needs kingdom-minded businesspeople. • You may want to consider being a MTW BAM Regional Coordinator and help nationals start and operate businesses and work to bring businesspeople from the U.S. or other countries to the country or region you would live in.
• If you want to start a business yourself, MTW is prepared and excited to help you however we can. This will vary from one place to another but may include: (a) learning the new culture and language and customs; (b) introducing you to a pastor and church in the area; (c) possibly assisting you with finding employees, suppliers, customers, financial and legal advisors in country; (d) praying for and with you.
To see more details on the model, download the Getting Started brochure.