Seven Truths and a Lie about the “Mission” in Business as Mission

See if you can find the lie among seven truths written by Business as Mission authors.

1. 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.
2. Justice and evangelism – gospel demonstration and proclamation are the two big rocks of Jesus’ mission: serving the hurting and saving the lost.
3. True ministry is done by the ordained, and the role of parishioners is to fund and help rather than to do and lead.
4. Most marketplace missions’ practitioners firmly believe the church is perpetuating misguided and unbiblical perceptions: the secular-sacred divide, the holy hierarchy, and the serf complex.
5. We are now experiencing a Reformation of mission. It is a missional way of living out the whole incarnated gospel in our daily life, where we work and where we live.
6. If God has called you to business, don’t lower yourself to be a pastor.
7. Unless missionaries are modelling the Gospel in the workplace, I fear that Biblical change is not going to take root in the wider community.
8. Faith as a program is intrusive; faith as a lifestyle and principles to live by is powerful and engaging… if you focus on mission, churches will follow, but if you focus on churches, mission often gets lost.

The authors of the seven truths are here along with the lie.

1. Mark Greene
2. Ed Stetzer
3. False as corrected by Mike Baer
4. Neal Johnson
5. Gea Gort
6. Mats Tunehag
7. Patrick Lai
8. Bob Roberts

Whatever you’re good at, do it well for the glory of God, and do it somewhere strategic for the mission of God.”

— J. D. Greear

Larry W. Sharp, BAM Support Specialist, IBEC Ventures
Larry.Sharp@ibecventures.com