Posts by Mike Baer
What Is The Quadruple Bottom Line?
Management guru, Peter Drucker said, “The purpose of business is to make money.” Clear. True. Factual. And, incomplete. There is no one bottom line. There are, in fact, four! Financial Profit Social Profit Environmental Profit Spiritual Profit These benefits of business are based originally on the Creation Mandate (Genesis 1:26-31). It was essentially the command to…
Read MoreBAM: It’s Not Exotic
Over the years I’ve seen a lot of people who get hung up on what exactly BAM or Business as Mission is. Sometimes, I think that’s the main reason we don’t see more practitioners—confusion! So, let’s break it down. First, BAM is business. Think real business with real products and services and profits. In other…
Read MoreThere’s Always Risk
Over the years in BAM, I’ve met a lot of people who believe that just because they are starting their business for the Kingdom, they will be able to avoid the risk of loss and failure. It is certainly true that Jesus will never fail you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5-6). It is certainly true…
Read MoreCreative Compassion
At the heart of all Business as Mission work is the heart of Jesus Himself. And that means creativity and compassion. Never have these things been more needed than right now in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Let’s think about those two BAM characteristics in reverse. Compassion. Jesus was moved with compassion when He…
Read MoreThe BAM Relief Fund
Business around the world has been hit very hard by the COVID19 pandemic. Economies in large industrial countries and in developing countries have been wounded and set back. And the Business as Mission ecosystem is not immune. Most BAM companies run on a shoestring budget in good times. There was a shortage of BAM capital…
Read MoreBusiness as Mission and COVID19 #2
Crises are tailor-made for Christians to demonstrate the love, ingenuity, and grace of God. If we can recover our wits and turn our focus “up and out,” we can quickly see all manner of opportunities to serve. The “fields are white unto harvest.” The last post was more focused on how to support BAM companies…
Read MoreResponding to COVID19
Business as Mission and COVID19
So, like everyone else on the planet, I’m thinking about COVID19 and the destruction it has wreaked on people everywhere. Then, when I can tear myself away from worrying about its effect on me, I find myself asking, “Lord, what can I do for others? How can the BAM ecosystem respond?” Here are some introductory…
Read MoreOptimist, Pessimist, or Realist?
People usually say that I’m an optimist—that I see the bright side of everything, the silver lining to every cloud. That’s not true and my family will testify under oath. For some, people call them a pessimist—that they always see the problem, the cloud in front of every silver lining. I am not that either.…
Read MoreA Time For Family First
Probably our most cherished and challenged Core Value is “Family First.” Now, during this period in our company’s history and our personal history, it probably means more than it ever has. Our Core Values are such that you can’t just pick one above the others. Nor can you pick one and discard it. They are…
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