BLOG
I came to faith as a child in the early 1950s. What different times they were! Post-WWII North America was thriving, yet people feared the rise of communism. Christians were aware of their eternal hope, and they sensed that heaven was imminent. Dispensational theology was thriving, so believers were encouraged to help get everyone ready […]
It seems the Jesus listened to the human condition, and then responded to real needs with love and care before initiating a spiritual teaching. Story and reference What happened first Spiritual Integration Simon’s mother with fever and other sick people arriving at sunset. (4:38ff) Jesus healed her and she got up; healed many after that. […]
See if you can find the lie among seven truths written by Business as Mission authors. In the early church, evangelism was the prerogative and the duty of every church member. Communicating the faith was not regarded as the preserve of the very zealous, or of the officially zealous, or of the designated evangelist. Justice […]
Mike Baer is well qualified to answer the question ‘Expatriates or Nationals?’ in this article first published by Jo Plummer on March 7, 2025 on the Business as Mission website. Thanks Mike and Jo for your important role in the BAM movement. Larry W. Sharp, BAM Support Specialist, IBEC Ventures Larry.Sharp@ibecventures.com —– As the global […]
Historian Richard Morris suggests that there are seven key Founding Fathers. Predictably they are John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington. If you are an entrepreneur or a business owner, you may identify most with Benjamin Franklin. Arguably, he may have been the most successful inventor, entrepreneur […]
This is the story of Mwana Wa Pepa (MWP), a Tanzania company that gives hope in more ways than one and represents its hopeful meaning: “Don’t lose hope.” This story demonstrates how entrepreneurs think; it shows how problems are solved; it defines the Quadruple Bottom Line of BAM;* and it shows God at work, transforming […]
The word ‘retire’ is an interesting word requiring context for a clear understanding. I know someone who retired at age 52 (but began another career); military personnel can retire after twenty years; I am eighty and am considered ‘retired’ but still working. Common definitions state phrases like “leaving one’s job and ceasing to work’ or […]
This article by IBEC board member and author of THE STEWARD INVESTOR, Don Simmons, applies to those in leadership of Business as Mission businesses, and to any business. Larry W. Sharp, BAM Support Specialist, IBEC Ventures Larry.Sharp@ibecventures.com Have you ever felt like life—or the stock market—is cutting away at everything you’ve built? Lately, financial headlines […]
It is good sometimes to think about the most basic of things. Ideas like ‘why am I here?’ and ‘why am I doing this?’ We who are devoting our time and talent to business, especially Business as Mission, need to remind ourselves why we are doing it. I graduated from business school in 1969, one […]
I hear the word “entrepreneur” a lot these days, as America is increasingly referred to as an entrepreneurial economy. However, the word is used with numerous nuances which begs the need to define exactly what one means with its use. It is often confused with words like creativity, invention, innovation, or disruption. Here, I want […]