Necessity, Challenges, & Strategies for Reaching the Next Generation for BAM
Part 1: From OG to NG (Next Gen) — Why the Future of BAM Depends on Them
Becoming the “OG”
Being called an “OG” means we’ve been around long enough to see the fruit of what God has done through business beyond our own borders. But it also means something else: the next generation is already here—and they’re looking for their place in the story.
The question is whether we’re preparing them to take the reins and lead it forward.
The Call to Multiply
Paul captured the heart of generational leadership in 2 Timothy 2:2:
“The things you have heard from me… entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others also.”
That’s God’s blueprint for sustaining movements. It’s not about preserving influence; it’s about reproducing it. Note that in this one verse, there are four generations—Paul, Timothy, Timothy’s disciples, and those they disciple. This wa always the plan!
If BAM is truly God’s idea—and I’ve lived my life believing it is—its longevity depends on whether we pass along not just the what, but the why.
A Growing Gap
Many in today’s universities and early workplaces have little understanding of missions—and even less of Business as Mission.
The world has changed. Borders are closing, governments are restricting, and traditional models of mission are being squeezed out. Yet through the marketplace (entrepreneurs, employees, investors, etc.), the Gospel continues to advance in ways no one can stop.
That’s where the next generation must step in—if we help them see it.
Why the Next Generation Gives Me Hope
- Digital natives — they are fluent in technology and global communication
- Cause-driven — they hunger for meaning and impact and they don’t want to wait 20 more years for it
- Justice-minded — they’re passionate about restoring what’s broken (as God is)
- Entrepreneurial — eager to create new ways to do good and have the courage and risk tolerance to do so
They already have the instincts for BAM. They just need a Kingdom vision for how business can bless people, reach the unreached, and honor God.
Our Role Now
We’re stewards, not owners. BAM doesn’t belong to a generation—it belongs to God. There is no identifiable “founder”; it’s something God did among a number of people in a number of places with no direct human coordination.
Our task is to prepare those who come after us to take it further:
- Open doors for younger leaders.
- Share wisdom freely and humbly.
- Trust them with responsibility, not token roles.
- Encourage innovation, even when it looks different. Let them make their own, new mistakes!
We can’t preserve BAM by holding it tight. We can only grow it by letting go.
The Finish Line
My focus now is shifting—from building projects to building people.
Business isn’t just a livelihood; it’s a calling, a “high and holy calling from God equal to all others.”
It’s a way to make disciples, bless humanity, advance God’s Kingdom, and honor His name—even in a world that’s closing its doors.
If we do this well, BAM won’t end with us. It will flourish through them. They will not merely repeat what we’ve done; they will do more, greater things that have greater impact.
Who are you mentoring? Who are you inviting into the story?
The next generation of BAM leaders is ready—if we’re ready for them.
One group newly formed to address the passing of the torch is Team 67:2–look for them on YouTube, Instagram, TicToc, and other channels.
Part 2: Meet the Next Gen — Hope, Challenges, and the Great Disconnect
Who They Are
Born into a digital world, this generation moves fast, questions everything, and values authenticity over image. They’re not impressed by titles but drawn to meaning. Social media has made them skeptical about claims and brags; they aren’t impressed with “numbers of followers” or bot-driven comments and likes. They demand reality!
That’s good news for BAM. These are the very qualities that will drive the movement forward.
Their Strengths
- Digital Natives: They can reach the world from their laptop.
- Cause-Driven: They want their work to matter.
- Justice-Minded: They see brokenness and want to fix it.
- Global Citizens: They think across cultures by instinct.
- Entrepreneurial: They’re wired to start, build, and create.
They’re already equipped for BAM—their hearts and habits align with its DNA.
The Challenges
- They live in a world of distraction and information overload.
- They’re skeptical of institutions, including the Church and agencies.
- They’re overwhelmed by endless options and receive little useful guidance.
- Most haven’t connected faith and work into a unified calling. While they don’t live in the false “sacred-secular” dichotomy they also don’t see a clear path to live integrated lives.
It’s not that they’ve rejected missions—they often just don’t recognize it anymore. The old language has lost its connection to their world.
An Awakening Waiting to Happen
This generation is asking big, eternal questions:
Who am I? Why am I here? Does my life have meaning?
Those are Kingdom questions. BAM holds Kingdom answers.
The opportunity before us isn’t to convince them to care—it’s to help them see that they already do and point them to practical ways to release their compassion and sense of justice into the world.
A Word to Us
If we want to reach them, we must listen before we lead. Walk with them before we teach. Show them what BAM looks like before we tell them what it is.
When we do, we’ll find they’re not cynical about God at all—they’re waiting for a mission that matches the world they actually live in.
Start a conversation with a young entrepreneur or student. Ask what breaks their heart. That’s where their calling begins—and where BAM can take root.
Part 3: Passing the Torch — How to Reach, Inspire, and Release the Next Generation for BAM
A Sacred Trust
If BAM is to grow, we must do more than admire the next generation—we must invite them, equip them, and release them.
Our calling now is to hand over what we’ve learned, trusting God to multiply it through others.
The Message They Need to Hear
The Gospel still speaks clearly in the marketplace:
- You were created for a purpose.
- Work is sacred when it serves God’s Kingdom.
- Profit can serve people and reflect the heart of God.
- The marketplace is one of God’s great mission fields and mission enablers.
They need to know that business isn’t second-class ministry—it’s frontline mission.
How to Communicate It
This generation learns differently. To reach them, we must adapt.
- Tell stories. Authentic, personal, and global.
- Use their channels. Short-form video, podcasts, interactive content.
- Build community. Peer connection fuels passion.
- Highlight impact. Justice, sustainability, and transformation attract their hearts.
The message of the Gospel stays the same, but the methods of bringing it to the world must change.
How to Engage Them
Once they’re inspired, we must give them ownership.
- Create BAM internships and mentoring networks.
- Bring them into strategy, not just logistics.
- Give them real responsibility early.
- Celebrate initiative—even when it fails forward.
They’ll rise to the level of trust we extend.
The Cost and the Reward
Letting go isn’t easy. But this isn’t about our legacy; it’s about God’s Kingdom.
When we empower younger leaders, BAM will move into new sectors, digital frontiers, and even closed nations we could never reach.
That’s the legacy worth leaving.
The Final Word
The BAM movement isn’t a monument to the past—it’s a bridge to the future.
Our faithfulness becomes their foundation.
Let’s hand the torch forward—bright, burning, and alive—so that the light of Christ shines through business in every corner of the world.
Pray. Mentor. Release.
The next generation isn’t waiting for permission; they’re waiting for invitation. Let’s extend it.