Business Models for the Missional Church

In my last post, "For-Profit Ministry," I talked about how the church often limits its effectiveness because of its allegiance to the non-profit, tax-exempt model for ministry. Some folks thought I was suggesting that we throw the baby out with the bath water by doing away with non-profit altogether, and that is not what I implied. There are many good benefits to non-profit, and we would be foolish to not take advantage of them as long as we have the option. But what I do see is the ever-increasing need to find other ways to subsidize our missional ministries, and I am convinced that there are many for-profit businesses that could not only provide that subsidy, but some could even serve as the foundation of some mission outreaches, rendering said missions self-sustaining, while simultaneously meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the people we have been sent to minister to.

This week I would like to focus on some business models for the mission field. In the next post, I will look at some models for business we can engage in on the home front that can radically transform and expand a church's capacity for missional ministry.

Last week, I included a link to a Christianity Today article entitled Red-Light Rescue. If you haven't already, I encourage you to follow that link, because Chiang Mai, Thailand missionaries, Mark and Christa Crawford, Calcutta, India missionary Kerry Hilton, as well as social entrepreneur Pierre Tami working in Cambodia, and others present us with some incredible business models that are already in operation, and that are successfully rescuing women in those countries from some of the most horrific lives of prostitution imaginable. If you don't have the time now, please mark that article and read it in full when you have the time.

Here are the sites of their businesses plus a link to YWAM's Business as Mission site.

Just Food, Inc.

Hagar International

Freeset

The Well

This is great stuff. It is encouraging to see others not only share such a vision, but that they are years ahead of most of us in its implementation. They are truly visionaries that God has raised up for the rest of us to follow.

In the work we are endeavoring to do in Ukraine with Heart to Hand, we are researching similar businesses that will provide vocational training, jobs and even business opportunities for the street kids and orphans in that country. Among the ideas are a peanut-butter distribution, and possibly manufacturing company, a furniture manufacturing business and a restaurant.

The idea for the peanut-butter business came from the realization that Ukraine doesn't have peanut-butter, yet it would be an inexpensive nutritional supplement that kids everywhere love, and which would offer starving homeless children a better-than-nothing alternative to going hungry. The furniture and restaurant ideas come from interests of the kids themselves, and both offer promising profit potential in Kiev's growing economy. We hope to lay some groundwork in one or more of these areas soon. A January 24th and a March trip are scheduled and we hope that things will start to fall in place from those visits.

Starting a business-mission should take into consideration the economy, government regulations, and marketability of your product, like any other business venture, but it also must be founded in charity, compassion and the vision for delivering people from the various social and economic injustices they are forced to live with. The goal should be that, in most cases, eventually those whom we are reaching will take over these businesses, and that they will not lose sight of mercy and charity nature of their companies, but that they will, in turn, help those whose lives are still in the midst of social crisis.

Now, I realize that not all are businessmen. But that is where the for-profit idea works to our advantage to attract business investors on the home front, who are given an opportunity to turn a profit, while doing something good for humanity. Pierre Tami, whom I mentioned earlier is one such investor who proves just how successful and rewarding a mercy business can be.

We are already finding that this works as a great evangelism tool back home, as many who are interested in becoming involved with our business missions have little or no prior church background, but have grown very open to the missional/emergent Gospel message as they learn more about our vision. This reciprocal evangelistic windfall is something we never expected, but it is turning into a very important part of our ministry.

Put on your thinking caps, because I don't believe the Church has even scratched the surface of the potential that the for-profit business mission model holds for us. Please don't sit there on the sidelines. Let's see what ideas a good discussion will develop. Remember, iron sharpens iron.