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Have you ever set out to check on something only to discover that you should have known the answer?  It just happened to me.  I wanted to check all the countries were IBEC has served and see what their Christmas traditions were.  Well, duh!  From the beginning IBEC has tried to serve the most unreached […]

My wife and I, being true Northerners, had never observed cotton growing on a plantation until just recently.  Those fuzzy bolls of soft cotton intrigued me to think about the history of cotton in America. Even though cotton had been grown in the South from colonial times, by the 1790’s rice, tobacco and indigo dominated

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31 NASB® Work when done for the glory of God changes everything.  Do you believe that? For some, work is drudgery.  We all know the person who comes to work not one minute early and can’t

As I think about this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I can’t help but reflect upon how God has blessed me throughout my life.  It certainly begs the question…Lord, how can I possibly begin to repay all the ways you continually bless me on a daily basis?  Parents who have always been there for me, coupled with

Michael Baer has written another book following up on his 2006 Business as Mission: the Power of Business in the Kingdom of God.  This time, in 2IC: Business as Mission for the Rest of Us, he clarifies that we all can – and should – be involved in Business as Mission.  Even those who are not the

I have loved sports all of my life and I love to watch major league sports especially at the culmination of the season.  This year’s World Series was no exception. Sports may be a metaphor for life – and for business.  Remember the Aaron Rodgers commercial in the school classroom when several professional people were

I recently visited an interesting dairy farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Our friends knew that I had a farming background and loved good ice cream so after attending a cattle auction, we drove through the autumn countryside to the Lapp Valley Farms, a family owned business which produces milk and cream for a top quality

Earlier this year I tried to consolidate the material that exists on the subject of ‘Best Practices for BAM Startups’.  These seven items are not necessarily comprehensive and complete, but hopefully they will be a help to organizations and individuals starting down the pathway of Kingdom entrepreneurship. Work with an entrepreneur.   Though such people

You don’t usually hear from me directly, but today I’m going to step out from behind my role as IBEC blog beautifier (and editor and social media marketing specialist) and let you in on a secret: Old dogs CAN learn new tricks! The proof is in the five new share buttons at the bottom of this

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value”    Albert Einstein A couple of weeks ago I wrote about values and outlined the values of IBEC Ventures. I believe that every business has values, but more than that – they should clearly articulate their values and seek to live by them