We need a new kind of job profile for anyone venturing out to start, build, and grow a great company: ecclesiopreneurship.
Ecclesiopreneurship is a created word—a combination of ekklesia (the Greek word commonly translated as “church”) and entrepreneurship (a technical term to describe the designing, launching, and running of a new business). Ecclesiopreneurship combines the theological role of the church with the drive and passion of entrepreneurs who create new businesses.
Read MoreEven after experiencing West Texas-like storms of life, Ron Betenbough of Betenbough Homes, was able to rebuild his life thanks to God’s provision in his business. After committing the business to God, Ron and his son Rick Betenbough, experienced God’s blessings in business and in the lives of their employees. Take a listen to this inspiring Monday video.
Read MoreA discussion with an entrepreneur who had begun to think about how to deliver “systematic surprises” led Rusty Rueff to think about it’s implication beyond product management. Systemic surprises are things that keep an offering fresh and exciting, without extra strain on the “system” so that these moments of surprise can be delivered flawlessly and with excellence. Rusty steps us through what systemic surprises could look like as part of our daily witness in the marketplace.
Read MoreAs Genesis 1 shows us, the first thing God revealed about Himself in Scripture is not that He is loving, holy, omnipotent, gracious, or just. No, the first thing God showed us is that He is creative! For the first six days, God revealed His creative spirit by speaking stars, animals, and oceans into existence. Then, on the sixth day, He created man “in His own image” and called Adam to create, thus reflecting God’s image to the world.
To call a human being “creative” is redundant. We are all made in the image of the Creator God. But as Romans 12 makes clear, each of us has “different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” Some of us have clearly been granted more creative talents than others. Perhaps no Christian in the 20th Century provides a better example of this than C.S. Lewis, the acclaimed scholar, theologian, and author of masterpieces such as Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and of course, The Chronicles of Narnia.
Growing up in Ireland, Lewis appeared to be most comfortable when buried in a novel. But not only did Lewis consume literature; at a very early age, Lewis had begun writing and illustrating his own stories. Lewis obviously had a passion for writing, and it didn’t take long for others to validate his giftedness at the craft.
Read MoreNancy Ortberg boldly goes where few dare - a must see!
Read MoreJordan Raynor explains why calling a Christian a full-time missionary is redundant.
Read MoreThis week’s episode finds the team fielding questions. Marty asks, "how do we keep a Christ-centered attitude while growing a business?" For Henry, It’s about identity. It’s almost impossible when the goal is solely financial success. We should seek God first. If there’s frustration at work, it’s an opportunity to pray to God. Rusty brings a tactical point of view, and recommends starting the day prepared. Spending time with God is top priority. We should boot up with God first in order to avoid crashes, or at least minimize them. William reminds us that we can’t forget our first vocation; we are beloved children of God.
Read MoreMy best friend and business partner at Bandwidth, David Morken, was an editor for the ORU Student Newspaper. He's a great writer, and an even better editor....and an even better friend, who can tell me like it is. He thinks I'm a lousy writer.
Read MoreNothing has changed me quite like having a daughter. Sure, there are all the cliches about having a gun sitting in your lap when boys come over. That’s the easy stuff. The hard stuff is instilling beliefs in your daughter that will serve her well in the face of what at times feels like overwhelming forces.
Read MoreAfter the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine faced a debilitating economic crisis, leaving many without enough food to eat or clothes to wear. Along with others in my church, I felt compelled to respond. There were people who were hungry, who needed shelter, who didn’t have the hope of Jesus Christ. As we read in Isaiah 58:7, God has a specific idea about how we should translate our faith into action:
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Isaiah 58:7
We couldn’t turn away.
Read MoreBig data has revealed a shocking finding regarding the American dream: you have a better chance of achieving it if you don’t live in America. We Americans generally think of our country as the land of opportunity, that no matter where you’ve come from, you can improve your station in life through hard work. But research by Raj Chetty at Stanford University reveals that for large swaths of people, they’d have a better chance of reaching the American Dream if they grew up in Canada. Or Great Britain. Or Denmark. In other words, America is no longer the leading candidate for the title, “The Land of Opportunity.”
Read MoreA "restful buying experience."
Few American consumers would ever think to describe mattress shopping this way. In fact, if you have been mattress shopping recently, restful is probably the last word that comes to mind.
"This is one of the sleaziest industries in the world," says business owner Ethan Rietema. "Customers are treated so poorly. Stores beat you up, trying to get as much money as they can, but they couldn't care less if you get the right bed."
Rietema and Steve Van Diest, both former campus ministers, are bringing rest—and integrity—back to a business largely devoid of it.
Read MoreEvery once in a while I (HK) will highlight a sermon that I think is especially good and helpful for the entrepreneurial journey, but without any mention of being a business owner per se. This work from Toby Kurth is one of those. From time to time we need a message that brings us radically back to the faith that we have and that makes the “faith” part of the Faith Driven Entrepreneur.
Read MoreWe've come to know that the most important question that we need to be able to answer as Faith Driven Entrepreneurs is "Why?" Simon Sinek does, in my opinion, the best job of unpacking why this question is so important in leadership in his now famous Ted.com video, but he's not the only one. Clayton Christensen talks about "why"in his business writing at Harvard, and Jim Collins mentions that the Level 5 leader is able be about something greater than seeking his or her glory.
Read MoreFaith-and-work content consistently beats the drum of affirming that marketplace vocations are as important to God as professional ministry. That message is crucial, as resources like this one give those of us with non-church giftings the confidence to pursue our callings. But we can’t stop there. Even if all believers in the marketplace one day know that our vocations matter, we still need to understand why. Otherwise we may run successful businesses guilt-free, but miss the motivation and focus that come from knowing our place in God’s story.
Read MoreThis short speech (about 3 minutes) by Martin Luther King Jr. inspires me each and every day to work for the glory of God and not for the glory of man.
In 3 minutes, I feel that MLK really sums up the basics of faith and work integration. In all honesty, I try to come back and listen to this 20+ times a year. I am looking for a place to hang the quote on the wall, but MLK's voice is so much more inspiring than the written quote. He was one of a kind with regards to motivation for the gospel.
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