Often, we find gems in mainstream media that can be of value to you as a faith-driven entrepreneur!
This article was originally published by Forbes and can be found here.

— by Jordan Daykin

From Baby Boomers and those that grew up at a time of dramatic social change, to Generation X and those that saw the dawn of the age of technology and then to the Millennials who were born into the age of information. A generation that has been described as lazy, narcissistic, entitled and unable to stay in one job, have also been described as the most purpose driven and potentially the most entrepreneurial of all previous generations.

Every generation has its stereotypes, they all have their good, their bad and their ugly characteristics. I will not go on too much about how it is our parents’ fault, as mentioned by Simon Sinek in his chat on Inside Quest. He believes four characteristics make up the generation, one of which is failed parenting strategies. The others being our addiction to technology, particularly social media, as well as inpatients and environment. Overall, he says we are a depressed generation, yet ambitious, as millennials, otherwise known as Generation Y, are supposed to be the most entrepreneurial. John Smart, CEO of Foresight University, believes that the “real issues” faced by millennials are related to social imbalance, a society governed by the wealthy and the problems they create. “Within every generation, there are always many subgroups by culture, ethnicity, wealth, class, education and other factors, which makes generational generalization very difficult.”

Millennials are believed to be the most purpose driven than previous generations, but, where does the purpose lie? According to USA Today, interests in saving the environment dropped by 30% since the baby boomers. Paw Research Centre speculates, “Millennials have become more detached from major institutions such as political parties, religion, the military and marriage.” In her book Generation Me, Jean Twenge writes, “The trend is more of an emphasis on extrinsic values such as money, fame, and image, and less emphasis on intrinsic values such as self-acceptance, group affiliation and community.” After a survey of over 2,000 respondents, author Zach Mercurio wrote, “for the first time, we see a generation prioritizing purpose in their work.” It would seem in the abundant amount of research done into millennials that they are driven by growth, a balanced lifestyle and security. Though, the elders of this generation are more driven by passion and impact.

Regardless of an individual’s conditions, this generation has been generally influenced by an increase and fluency within communications, media, and technologies. Never has a generation been so aware of their options, thanks to the internet. Over half of millennials would rather make $30,000 a year at a job they love than $100,000 a year at one they don’t, according to Millennial Career, lifestyle and travel blogger, Hannah Becker. With a multitude of possibilities at their finger-tips, digitally savvy millennials are using social media and the internet to build communities and a following of customers. According to Inc.com, the top 20 most influential millennial entrepreneurs all created an internet-based service. Gone are the days of businesses solely focusing on financial gains, as 87 percent of millennials believe that the success of a business should be measured on its impact on the world. It is about “balance,” finding a gap in the market that is also fulfilling to the individual on a personal level. Mark Zuckerberg claimed that Facebook was created to accomplish a social mission “To make the world more open and connected.” Ben Silbermann believes that Pinterest will connect you with the most important things in your life.

So, what does is it take to be a millennial entrepreneur? Inc.com wrote, “Although many millennials have an entrepreneurial mindset, fewer in this generation are starting their businesses before the age of 30 than their baby boomer counterparts were.” Becker believes, “So the odds may be stacked against millennials for landing that postgrad job, the world of entrepreneurship is abounding in opportunity for the ambitious Gen Y member.” In a “super-connected world” it is easier now than ever to start up a business. With focus, an ability to adapt and open-mindedness there is nothing to lose.

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About the Author:

Jordan Daykin is a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record of identifying business opportunities and capitalizing on them since the age of 12. As founder and CEO of GripIt, Jordan runs a £20m business exporting to 34 countries. In 2017 he grew staff from 5 to 47 and increased revenues by 350%. Jordan regularly appears in the mainstream media and speaks at business events to share his story and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

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[Photo credit to Forbes]

We continue to count down the Top 100 Books for Faith Driven Entrepreneurs with…

What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done

by Matt Perman

Productivity isn’t just about getting more things done. It’s about getting the right things done–the things that count, make a difference, and move the world forward. In our current era of massive overload, this is harder than ever before. So how do you get more of the right things done without confusing mere activity for actual productivity?

When we take God’s purposes into account, a revolutionary insight emerges. Surprisingly, we see that the way to be productive is to put others first–to make the welfare of other people our motive and criteria in determining what to do (what’s best next). As both the Scriptures and the best business thinkers show, generosity is the key to unlocking our productivity. It is also the key to finding meaning and fulfillment in our work.

What’s Best Next offers a practical approach for improving your productivity in all areas of life. It will help you better understand:

• Why good works are not just rare and special things like going to Africa, but anything you do in faith even tying your shoes.

• How to create a mission statement for your life that actually works.

• How to delegate to people in a way that actually empowers them.

• How to overcome time killers like procrastination, interruptions, and multitasking by turning them around and making them work for you.

• How to process workflow efficiently and get your email inbox to zero every day.

• How your work and life can transform the world socially, economically, and spiritually, and connect to God’s global purposes.

By anchoring your understanding of productivity in God’s purposes and plan, What’s Best Next will give you a practical approach for increasing your effectiveness in everything you do. This expanded edition includes a new chapter on productivity in a fallen world and a new appendix on being more productive with work that requires creative thinking.

Click on the book cover to check out the Reviews and Purchase at Amazon

– by Generous Giving

Generous Giving is a national non-profit organization creating opportunities to support the generous faith of Christians in America. Founded in 2000 by The Maclellan Foundation, Generous Giving’s mission is to spread the biblical message of generosity in order to grow generous givers among those entrusted with much. It was launched with a vision to stir a renewed, spirit-led commitment to generosity among followers of Christ through conversation. These conversations consistently allow us and our friends to discover joy in ways we didn’t expect.

Each year, Generous Giving has small gatherings across the country, and once each year they host a “Celebration of Generosity.” John Cortines and Greg Baumer were invited to Colorado Springs, CO, to speak about the journey they went through to write their book, God and Money: How We Discovered True Riches at Harvard Business School (previously namedThrough the Needle). John Cortines and Gregory Baumer, both MBA candidates at Harvard Business School, met in a men’s Bible study group and broached a topic with major implications for the rest of their lives. As young Christians with sky-high earnings potential, what should they plan to do with their money?

Watch them below talk about what God taught them as they sought him!

[Special thanks to Amazon for the cover photo.]

We are excited to share with you a chapter from the FREE resource compiled by Gary Hoag, Generosity Monk and Christian Super during the summer of 2018. Go here to download your FREE copy of “Purposeful Living: Financial Wisdom for All of Life” eBook!

— by Helen Rhee

The handling of possessions in the early church was motivated and influenced by its understanding of God’s intent for and absolute ownership of the created world. While early Christian authors in general affirmed the legitimacy of private property, they considered it a share of the common creation intended for the common good.

All material goods are God’s gracious gifts intended for sustenance of all humans, through common access to His grace. Therefore, human possession of earthly wealth is good when it fulfills God’s creative purpose — sufficient provision of our needs and the needs of others for common enjoyment and flourishing.

On the one hand, this understanding affirms the material dimension of human needs. It also shows the appropriateness and necessity of providing for needs following God’s design for life and the common enjoyment of earthly goods. On the other hand, it reveals that the needs of others must matter in human stewardship of God-given possessions. This should influence our decisions about money or property. Human stewardship is always conditional in light of God’s absolute ownership and creative purpose (the common good).

Beyond sufficient provision and common enjoyment, we do not have a natural right to hoard money, indulge in riches, and display wealth conspicuously. These are all symptoms of avarice and greed. Our possessions, even as the fruits of our hard work, are always contingent upon our broader social responsibility and our witness to God’s ultimate ownership. Moreover, while all wealth ultimately comes from God, wealth brings a real and powerful temptation and deceitfulness that easily leads to idolatry and injustice.

In light of these fundamental teachings, how should we handle God given possessions in our time? Consider two practical points:

Firstly, since we are physical and spiritual creatures with physical and spiritual needs, it is appropriate and necessary for us to use God-given money and possessions for our sufficient physical and spiritual care. Thus, we rightly spend in areas that nurture our souls and bodies. God expects us to enjoy His creation and the works of humans with gratitude. Sufficient care and appropriate enjoyment is not just about quantity but also quality, without harming people or God’s created world, or falling into consumerism and covetousness. 

Key words here are “sufficient care” and “appropriate enjoyment” since these notions, and the notion of necessities, inevitably evolve and are contextualized through time (e.g., antiquity, medieval times, modern world) and geographical and social locations (e.g., Australia, Vietnam, USA). In this new era of a culture of affluence, what used to be considered “luxury” items a decade ago such as smartphones, iPods, flat screen TVs, and laptops have become “necessities” for many in developed and even developing countries.

Many (even most) people in developed and developing countries have come to enjoy and even take for granted dining out, urban entertainments such as movies, concerts, sporting events, vacations, and domestic and international trips, not as an extravagant lifestyle but as affordable and necessary leisure. Here we do well to remember what the early church believed — that what feeds our bodies, as we use God-given money and possessions, affects our souls. We must consider how meeting our physical needs and finding enjoyment through material things helps and affects our spiritual needs — positively or negatively. 

Secondly, prominent voices in the early church repeatedly exhort us to invest earthly possessions into what is eternal, and to transfer our earthly possessions into heavenly assets. What are our heavenly assets? From the early church’s perspective, it was first and foremost people as God’s image bearers. We must, therefore, think about ways in which we can invest the money and possessions we steward into people and their welfare, and nurture relationships near and far that last eternally. Those people become our “neighbors” to love. 

This could mean giving to disaster relief works and urgent needs (e.g., to literally save the victims of disasters, to feed and provide shelters for the homeless, to care for the sick, or to provide needs of struggling relatives or friends, etc.). This could also mean giving to the development organizations that work toward long-term, structural, and institutional changes for the betterment of the poor and the underprivileged (e.g., basic education and literacy, affordable housing, asset-based community development, microlending, access to health care, etc.). These are all direct and indirect forms of “people-investment” — fulfilling God’s creative intent — sufficiency for all humanity through common access to the created world (through productive means and finished products) for common flourishing.

This content was originally published here by the RightNow Media (RNM).

Yesterday on our podcast, you heard a great interview with Alan Barnhart. Within Barnhart Crane & Rigging, which he runs with his brother Eric, a group of employees and spouses decide where to distribute a portion of profits made every year. This group is named GROVE, God’s Resources Operating Very Effectively, and puts into the action the value of good stewardship!

Watch the video to hear how the GROVE works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZdbwBkD6ck

This week’s episode guest is Alan Barnhart of Barnhart Crane and Rigging of Memphis, TN. Originally a small family business started by his parents, Alan and his brother, Eric, grew the company into one of the largest Heavy Lift and Heavy Transport organization in the United States with 1,000 team members in more than 40 locations across the country and a nationwide reputation for solving problems (Even if it means building a 200+ wheel truck!). They accomplished this by actively seeking out a way to express their faith through their business and the team sits down with Alan this week to hear his story. Alan tells us how he and his brother’s decision to view their lives and their company from a stewardship vs. ownership mentality created a productive environment for Barnhart Crane & Rigging to grow in not only its ability to create wealth but to be an intentional investor into the Kingdom. He shares how his decision to live life within boundaries to support his and his families desires to be kingdom investors actually led to greater freedom and blessing for him and his entire family.

Alan’s story is proof positive of the gain in deciding to be a faith driven entrepreneur, that submitting one’s whole life and all that’s in it to God is the only way to gain everything and anything else (Matthew 6:33). Share with us how the decision to lose your life so that you could gain it has impacted you and your sphere of influence in the comment section below.

Useful Links:

God Owns Our business

We also have a very brief survey we’d love for you to take that will help us shape the direction and future of the FDE podcast. As always, we love taking your questions and hearing your comments. Feel free to submit your thoughts in general here.