What is Business as Mission?
Business as Mission involves "the whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world."
The Whole Church
Business people in local congregations often feel like their “contributions” to the Kingdom of God are limited to financial giving, serving on a committee, or as a deacon. All of these are wonderful things, but few business people recognize the significant role their business activities can play in impacting individuals, families, and communities for the Kingdom.
"Business as Mission involves 'the whole church taking the whole Gospel to the whole world.'"
The Whole Gospel
When many evangelical believers consider Jesus’ commands about the Kingdom, His words recorded in Matthew 28 and Acts 1 come to mind: making disciples, baptizing and teaching them. We often forget Jesus’ words in Matthew 25 in which He separates the “sheep” from the “goats” based on acts of love and compassion. As followers of Jesus, we are to live holistically, ministering through our actions and our words. Doing one without the other is incomplete.
The Whole World
With all our mission efforts, still, 41% of the world’s population does not have a realistic chance to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Part of the problem is that many nations have closed their doors to traditional missionaries. Still, our church and para-church bureaucracies have been shaped by past experiences so that our people and our money go to the places where work has previously existed. Less than 1% of the money given to churches goes to support work in the most unreached places of the world. The same is true for our personnel. Of all the missionaries sent into the world, 87% goes to places already reached with the Gospel.
“Business as Mission is about real, viable, sustainable and profitable businesses; with a Kingdom of God purpose, perspective and impact; leading to a transformation of people and societies spiritually, economically and socially – to the greater glory of God.”- Mats Tunehag
While the activity of believers intentionally integrating their faith and their vocational calling is nothing new, the name Business as Mission and the movement around it is a relatively recent development. Business as Mission businesses and the Business as Mission practitioners who start and run them seek to strategically live their lives of faith in places and ways that allow them to speak into a community naturally and holistically to bring the good news of God’s saving grace through Jesus to people who might have no other way of hearing this news.
Business as Mission entrepreneurs and managers recognize that they are stewards of the resources that God has given them and seek to work alongside Jesus in restoring His creation.