It is possible to be a business leader fully on mission for God! However, just as many believe incorrectly that science and Christianity are at odds, some believe business and God do not mix. This Pathway will consider the ways in which businesses and business people are redeemed by God when fully committed to him. Join us to hear several believers who have business success discuss how they mesh their training and careers with their vocational calling in Christ. The Business Wholeness pathway is presented in collaboration with ACU’s Halbert Center for Missions and Global Service, and the Lytle Center for Faith and Leadership Development.
Van Duzer grew up thinking business was the source of much damage and evil in the world, the work of greedy capitalists polluting the environment. Thirty years later he was dean of a business school. In the course of that remarkable transformation, he found cause for both hope and concern. He discovered many business people achieving a great deal of good for society as well as a lot of illegal and unethical behavior. Along the way he found some who thought that merely being honest and kind was what made business Christian. In this session, Van Duzer will present and discuss the principles covered in his book, Why Business Matters to God. In it, he explores the nature and meaning of doing business and finds it calls for much more than most think. He presents a profoundly Christian approach integrating biblical studies with the disciplines of business and economics. Looking beyond the place of ethical principles and the character of the individual, Van Duzer displays a vision of business that contributes to the very purposes of God.
In 2007, social entrepreneur Leonard blended passion and purpose to found Second Chance Coffee Co.; His passion is roasting and distributing exceptional coffee and his purpose is the transformation of the lives of post-prison people. By June 2009 he completed the invention of the company’s coffee roasting system and Second Chance began roasting commercially. Shortly thereafter, it adopted the DBA “I Have a Bean.” The business model is as simple as it is unique: Meticulously select beans from the top 1 percent of coffee in the world, roast and deliver the same day, and hire post-prison people into an environment that allows them shine. In this session, Pete will talk about his experience establishing and running a for-profit that helps redeem people’s lives, and share his thoughts on the principles of business and discipleship.
When Alan Barnhart and his brother, Eric, decided to start a business, they were dedicated to building it on the biblical principles of money. Upon starting Barnhart Crane and Rigging, the brothers capped their own income at a middle-class level, and started giving away profits. More than 30 years later, the Barnharts have given away tens of millions of dollars, and eventually the company itself. The brothers will never reap the company’s accrued value; they kept none of it. They have inspired hundreds of employees, involving them in the process of giving company profits.
With Bock’s help, his Christian community, Jesus People USA, has started more than 30 for-profit businesses in 40 years. One of them provides 90 percent of JPUSA’s operating revenue. Bock believes business must be ministry and that disciples are called to much more than just making money. In this session, he will share his insights into building businesses that exist to join God in building his kingdom, lessons he has learned through his successes and failures, and what it looks like for a disciple to be in business.
Patrick Lai has decades of experience as a business for transformation (B4T) worker. He has started multiple profitable businesses with the goal of kingdom growth, planted churches, and authored multiple books on the topic of transformational business. In this session, Patrick will draw on years of experience and training to share his ideas on transformational business. He will provide examples of how he and others have used business all over the world to join God in His plan to create disciples and grow His kingdom. You will be enriched by hearing how to effectively combine a business career with kingdom work. .