Can Missionaries Do Business? Part IV

Again, yes! Don’t confuse doing business with being an entrepreneur like Elon Musk. They are not the same thing. Less than 15% of people have the “entrepreneurial gene” yet 90% are in business of some kind. Business is simply the discovery of need(s) in your community that people are willing to pay to have met.…

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Can Missionaries Do Business? Part III

Yes! The answer is empathetic, “Yes! Missionaries can do business!” But there are several “if’s” to consider… They can if they see business as a good thing from God and useful (not just acceptable) for the Kingdom. They can see that their call may include business and not treat it as a sideline. They believe…

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BAM: 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…

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Creative 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…

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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…

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Lean Waste #7: Motion

Now, of course I don’t mean getting your steps in but I do mean unnecessary walking around, driving around, etc. to get your job done. One of the things I’ve done in my lean journey is a “spaghetti map” of an office or branch. It’s simple. Just track when people get up and move to…

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Lean Waste #3: Waiting

“Please take a seat,” they say. “The doctor will be right with you.” Lies. Lies! It’s all LIES! They will not be right with you. They’re overscheduled and behind and even though you showed up early, you will WAIT until they are ready to see you. What a waste of your time! All waiting is…

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Does Your Technology Work for You or Vice Versa?

Do you ever feel that your technology is ruling you? That you have become a slave to the constant barrage of emails, texts, phone calls, voicemails, etc.? Duh! The other day a high level executive confided to me that he had already received over 1000 emails that week and it was only Wednesday. Here are…

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Where in the World is Jesus Not Lord?

David, the Shepherd-King, wrote that there was no place in creation where God was not present: Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of…

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