This article was originally presented at The Christian Economic Forum 2019.
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The Christian Economic Forum hosts a world-class Global Event each year to connect the top industry leaders and experts from around the world with other individuals who are compelled to act upon the principles of God’s economy. The following paper was presented at CEF 2019.

— by Chris Conant

It was June of 2017. I was at a Christian business conference when a pastor got up on stage and repented on behalf of the church-at-large. The apology was to God and all the Kingdom-minded CEOs and business owners in the room. The offense was: “treating business leaders like a second-class citizen, like you have one foot in the world and one foot in the church; for downplaying your assignment in the Kingdom; for not sharing you with others; and thinking that you are the source of our financial provision for ministry.”

He had the right words. And the offense depicted the treatment of a misunderstood Kingdom-minded CEO, owner, or managing director.

CEOs/owners are leaders with many talents. Much like Bezalel of Exodus 35—36, the Holy Spirit fills CEOs with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. God made them multi-skilled to know how to carry out the work He commands.

As a former owner/CEO for 18 years and now Managing Director of Monmouth Society, I understand the life, challenges, and assignment of a Kingdom-minded owner. About five years ago the Lord revealed to me why we need to link Kingdom-minded investments to Christian leaders of companies.

When we compared the segments of the US population to Pew Research Center’s data indicating how many church-attending Christians there are in the US,[1] and then applied that metric against Gallup data on the number of small businesses in the country,[2] [3] [4]we identified there are approximately 459,000 Christian CEOs/owners/managing directors of companies in the USA with 10 or more employees.

Let me ask the reader: How many private investments do you have in these Kingdom-minded CEOs? If the answer is zero, you’re not alone. There are currently very few private equity companies taking capital from investors who were only Kingdom-minded for the purposes of supporting Christian CEOs and their companies. Second, the infrastructure in the Christian business sector is not yet mature for incubating mass deal flow from God-honoring companies, plus the due diligence is complex. Third, we noticed universally that the Christian community frets about the direction of America, yet continues to purchase public stock, thereby preferring to invest in secular companies that support values in opposition to theirs so the Christians can sustain provision for their family. That sentence just saddens me to write.

If a young Jewish entrepreneur today starts a business, the elders in the temple are likely to come around him and invest, and they very well could become his or her board of advisors. The Mormons do this well. Even the Muslims have a $1B Sharia fund. But where are the Christ-follower investors and why have we not taken care of our own or our culture?

To answer this question we must examine a strong argument as to why we should invest in a Kingdom-minded CEO.

 The Monmouth Society compared the population of unbelievers in the workforce versus in the church on an average week. Approximately 98 million unchurched Americans are in the workplace for 30+ hours a week, versus an estimated 7 million in church for a 30+ minute service on a Sunday3. (See figure 1.) The results should compel us into this mission field.

 In the workplace, Kingdom-minded CEO/Owners get 2,940 million hours per week of “unbeliever mindshare” versus a pastor who would get about 3.5 million hours per week of “unbeliever mindshare.” At large, CEOs/Owners get 840 times more influence!

Imagine the shift inside corporate culture when Christian CEOs/owners are supported to steward their influence for Christ! Non-believers would speak highly of the amazing workplaces and their value on people. Customer satisfaction would shoot through the roof. Profit would follow. The Holy Spirit would be present in the organization: physical healings, answered prayer, marriages restored, and more. The gospel would be getting preached, and His kingdom would advance while He gets the glory!

These statistics made us realize that Christian CEOs and owners are perhaps the most underserved and misunderstood US missionary today. As I recall Billy Graham’s words, “the next great revival will be in the marketplace,” Kingdom-minded investors cannot solely expect financial ROI without understanding the value of very tangible outcomes from eternal ROI, when we support our own (like 1 Timothy 5:8).

Many investors are or have been CEOs or owners, so we, myself included, understand a Kingdom-minded CEO/Owner has to function in the role of both king and priest; balancing work and home, while always being “on” for crises, relationships, sales, vision, spiritual leadership, and the like. It can be lonely, exhausting, and isolating, sometimes unto sin.

Intercession, Peer Advisory, and Capital

These are the three investments CEOs have expressed they need in order to build godly cultures and fulfill their assignment.

“Intercession” means standing with the CEO to fellowship closely with God, but we use the word “intercession” to also encapsulate all chaplain efforts, journaling prayer, prophecy, and ministry to the CEOs (and their companies and families). Prayer gives us access to God, and we want the CEOs to experience Him daily.

“Peer advisory” means flourishing in a Christian CEO group and receiving counsel from peers because it is lonely at the top, and sometimes non-CEOs, including a senior pastor, can’t effectively counsel on business issues.

“Capital” means being a resource to fund the vision, including using it to make critical hires, build inventory, and grow the Kingdom impact.

The investor benefits here when an approved Kingdom-minded CEO/Owner builds an organization that hosts the presence of the Holy Spirit and models God’s love. We invest in Kingdom-minded CEO/owners/managing directors because they are our agents or carriers of ministry and evangelism. They lead the companies that steward the influence. In this regard, we are truly operating in a spiritual economy, by letting our fruit grow on someone else’s tree.

This eternal ROI is a great success even without an IPO. Sometimes an aging Christian CEO may want to sell his company, but not to a secular private equity firm. Instead he could seek out a Kingdom-minded private equity firm to do a fair deal (that honors all), and assures the spiritual equity inside the culture is maintained first and foremost.

Speaking of going public, another challenge investors face is the allure of the “spirit of mammon.” As the Word of God clearly states, we cannot serve both God and mammon (the love of money, greed, putting ourselves first, the spirit of relying on self-provision instead of God).[5] And yet, sometimes we meet Christian investors who, within minutes of introduction, direct the conversation to what the financial returns are because “they are being good stewards.” If they are truly stewards of God’s money, then are they saying God wants financial returns first and foremost, at the expense of compassion, love, or salvation?

I wrote that rhetorical question only to provoke thought.

It’s not wrong to ask about financial ROI, but the timing of the question and the focus on money seems to suggest that mammon motivates that person. I will admit, we can all be influenced by mammon to some degree because we participate in the world economy, but, we are also a redeemed people, so it is important to recognize mammon and reject its influence.

If you’re a Kingdom-minded investor, may I propose that you seek the Holy Spirit and ask which investments matter to Him and where He wants you to invest His money. The parable of Luke 19:12–25 clearly tells us of a master who leaves his wealth in the hands of a faithful steward who figures out how to multiply his master’s money. The master was so pleased with the outcomes that he put the steward in charge of many cities. Why cities? Because if one can build a wealth ecosystem with someone else’s money, then that impressive act deserves a reward worthy of leading cities. Here on earth, our Master will return one day and we will be held accountable for where, how, in whom, and possibly even why we invested His money.

I still acknowledge that investors want to invest in something that will make a financial ROI, so they feel connected to stewardship, perpetuating giving to Kingdom work. Perhaps I can address financial ROI this way. The due diligence on a potential asset must be thorough and intelligent, management and company fully researched, investment committee advisors consulted, returns experienced should be excellent, and in most all regards, above market; but all this excellence is not to our credit. It is trusting God, by obeying His leading—that is what qualifies us for Kingdom work—obedience. It’s also what qualifies our CEOs and owners to perform well—spending time in prayer, listening to the Holy Spirit, and then doing what He says. Obeying His voice commands a blessing.[6]

 Our SEC attorney will tell a fund manager, “You have a fiduciary responsibility to your investors.” However, if you ask anyone at Monmouth Ventures (including the investors) who the number one responsibility is directed to, they will say, “the Kingdom-minded CEO/Owner.” When the focus is on hearing God in prayer, then Matthew 6:33 is at work (“Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, then all these things shall be added to you”). Plus, there are countless benefits and blessings fulfilled as we come into agreement with the promises of God.

One might ask, “Why not receive the wealth from unbelievers as investment into Christian CEOs?” To that I would answer, “That is not what we believe to be our assignment from the Lord,” and “Asking non-believer investors to give spiritual counsel to our Christian CEOs doesn’t work,” and “That would be off-mission for us.” Furthermore, I would add that receiving wealth from unbelievers does happen for us below the CEO level, since the company should be a light to the world, selling products and services that attract and minister God’s attributes to all customers.

With this Kingdom wealth ecosystem at work, the investor serves as steward of the Master’s money. ROI can be used for re-investment into more Kingdom-led companies or for funding Christian agendas. Just like the Parable of the Minas, the Kingdom investor puts the Master’s money to work. This same Master reaps where He hasn’t sown.[7] We understand that God’s ways and purposes are higher than ours, and He does abundantly more than we can ever ask or think, including causing increase where we haven’t strived.

By investing in Christian CEOs/owners for the primary purposes of reaching the lost and shifting culture, Kingdom-minded investors will feel fulfilled by participating in acts of redemptive stewardship and advancing the Kingdom of God.

Ultimately we want to see unbelievers in the workplace turning to Christ. It’s what matters most long after the company is gone. As the Christian CEO/Owner is empowered by intercession, peer advisory, and financial capital they can more effectively encounter God themselves, and then with the love of Christ they can reach the lost among their employees, their clients, their vendors, and their communities. There will be true culture change, and the Kingdom-minded investor and the CEO will both be rewarded (1 Corinthians 3:8).

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 states, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today.”

[1] pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/attendance-at-religious-services/ (Est. 5.7% of “2”).

[2] https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/employed-persons.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_attendance.

[4] https://news.gallup.com/poll/224642/2017-update-americans-religion.aspx.

[5] Luke 16:9-11 (NKJV), “You cannot serve God and mammon.”

[6] Deuteronomy 28:1-2 (NIV), “If you fully obey the Lord your God . . .  All these blessings will come. . .”

[7] Matthew 25:26 (NKJV), “you knew that I reap where I have not sown.”

Pragma Advisors recently released The 2020 B4T Investment Market Study—a collection of interviews with more than a dozen of the funds and groups focused on investing in the BAM/B4T space, with faith-driven entrepreneurs at the helm. They were kind enough to sit down with us and answer a few questions about who they are, what this report is all about, and why it matters for the Faith Driven Investor.

FDI: What is Pragma Advisors all about? 

Pragma: We are startup advisors and investors who are committed to mobilizing skilled business men and women to get involved in the Great Commission using their talent, time & capital. We do that by providing research about the BAM & B4T space and places for our audience to collaborate around interesting companies and deals.

FDI: Who is your intended audience for the study and why?

Pragma: We wrote the study for Kingdom-minded investors because many just aren’t exposed to a broad picture of the BAM/B4T investing landscape. We wanted to highlight areas that need more support in the B4T ecosystem, in particular, thereby advancing the Gospel to the least-reached areas of the world through business.

FDI: What exactly is BAM/B4T and what are the differences between the two?

Pragma: The main difference is that Business for Transformation (B4T) companies are exclusive to least-reached areas, focused on two bottom lines, while Business as Mission (BAM) focuses on four bottom lines. On page four of the study, we show a nice side-by-side comparison to helps articulate the finer points.

FDI: What motivated you and your team to compile this research?

Pragma: I was looking to make investments in B4T funds when I quickly started realizing they all operate differently, with distinct focuses, and various ways to invest or give. After meeting with several, I got introductions to others that were not on my growing list. Finally, when I shared my initial analysis with leaders in the space, they encouraged me to share my findings more broadly. Thus, the market study was born.

FDI: We talk about Faith Driven Investing quite a bit, so what insights did you uncover about the role of faith in Business As Mission and Business For Transformation investments?

Pragma: In talking with seasoned investors, we uncovered war stories of great successes and great failures brought on by unstable economic and geopolitical climates. You find out really quickly what matters to you when things go south. There were also some great wins. Walking by faith doesn’t mean making bad investment decisions, but in BAM / B4T investing, it almost always means taking on much greater risk for the sake of bringing the Gospel to where few have gone before. We found that “Faith-Adjusted Returns” far outweigh the risk, from an eternal perspective.

FDI: Based on your research, where does Pragma see the BAM/B4T investment market heading in the next year or two? Also, what do you see as areas needing improvement or growth?

Since the investment market is young, we see the market maturing the “norms” and “best practices” for the structure, diligence and follow-on support of these types of investments. With all the new funds coming on the scene, there will be a growing need for collaboration across funds and diligence processes. The support services space will also grow to meet the demand. As an industry, we need to do a better job of getting startups validated before they raise money and become more accountable to basic financial management post-investment.

 FDI: The report mentions that “all investors need to start by checking their heart-level motivation for investing.” Why was that important to your team and why do you think that matters? 

Pragma: As investors, our most present temptation is to protect the money we have as if we are its owner, to the point where we prioritize wealth preservation over Kingdom-advancement. Does that sound familiar? (hint: the one-talent servant who buried it in the ground, and later rebuked). Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and money.” It was important to mention heart-level motivation because we do not own this money we have, but God asks us to faithfully steward it. Checking our hearts allows us to invest wisely and boldly in the face of risk. Investing from a greedy or fearful heart will create agnst, stress and ultimately sin in our hearts.

FDI: During your research, did you find anything that surprised you?

Pragma: We were surprised by how many investors were coming into the space in the last 18 months and also how no one was even close to having the whole list of firms in the space. It underscored the need for such a study like ours to provide that industry-wide view of the funds focused on Business As Mission.

FDI: For people that aren’t aware of many BAM or B4T opportunities, where should they look to learn about them?

Pragma: Great question. Go to the BAM Conference or the B4T Expo to get familiar with the space first. Events are the best way to get exposed not just to deal flow but also to other investors (who you can co-invest with). The Lion’s Den Birmingham and Dallas are local, while the OPEN USA and BAM Global have pitch events along with the ACE Development Fund. Also on page 13 of our study you can find a list of resources hubs and startup training as well.

DOWNLOAD THE 2020 B4T INVESTMENT MARKET STUDY HERE

This article was originally published here.

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by Jason Myhre

All of us want to make wise investing decisions. For many today, that means focusing on profit. And while that may be the de facto understanding of wise investing, it isn’t wise.

What does wisdom mean?

Wisdom is an ancient word, of course, and we all know it – or think we do. Today, it means a kind of ‘street smarts’ or ‘knowledge applied skillfully.’ But this modern definition is only part of the word’s meaning. What I want to do is take brief look at the meaning of the word in different times and places, going back to ancient wisdom teachers for understanding.

Wisdom in western thought, c. 300BCE
Let’s go back in time to around 300BCE, to listen to western wisdom teachers, like Aristotle. At that time, the word for wisdom was phronēsis (or that’s how you would pronounce the Greek word, which looks like this: φρόνησι). Phronēsis translates to our English word ‘wisdom,’ or better ‘practical wisdom.’ But for western teachers, wisdom wasn’t just practical, like it’s understood today – it was ‘aimed at’ doing what’s right. It was a kind of ‘know-how’ that ‘knows why.’ For this reason, some say phronēsis should be read as ‘mindfulness.’1 Wisdom was knowing in a particular situation what to do in order to progress towards life’s highest ends. It was decision-making oriented towards doing what’s right. For western teachers, wisdom meant two things together:

1. doing what’s smart

2. aimed at what’s right.

We can talk about these two components of wisdom as analytically distinct, but in practice they were indistinguishable. Wisdom described one action that’s both smart and right.2

Wisdom in near eastern thought, c. 600BCE
Let’s go further back in time to around 600BCE to the near eastern wisdom teachers, like Solomon. At that time, the word for wisdom was hoekma (Hebrew: חָכְמָה). This word translates to wisdom in English. Again, we discover wisdom meant two things:

1. doing what’s smart and

2. doing what’s right.

Leading scholar on the Jewish and Christian Old Testament wisdom books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job, Craig Bartholomew of Redeemer University College, says, “Wisdom […] has a double advantage: it pleases God” (what’s right) “and enables one to negotiate life successfully” (what’s smart) (emphasis mine).3 Bartholomew writes that for the Hebrew wisdom teachers, what’s right and what’s smart were so bound up together that it would be impossible to dissociate the two concepts. In near eastern thought, the righteous (the person who does right) and wise are ‘co-referential’ terms that describe the same type of person.4 The wise person does what’s right and what’s smart and the fool does what’s wrong and what’s stupid or insane.

In both western and near eastern thought, wisdom meant one action that’s both smart and right. It’s only a recent, modern, and mostly western turn of events for wisdom to have the limited sense it has today, of only skill or technique. For most of human history and in most cultures, wisdom required both virtue and skill.

Returning to investing, we can see that focusing on profit only isn’t wise. Wise investing, must be as concerned with people as it is with profit. It would mean investing that prospers by serving well the needs of others. It would mean doing well, by doing good.

Wise investing means paying attention to both profit and people. This not only satisfies a technical point about the criteria of wisdom – it’s also just a more satisfying way to invest. We’d love for you to experience it with us.

This article expresses the views of Eventide Asset Management, LLC (“Eventide”), an investment adviser, and there is no guarantee that any investment strategy will achieve its objectives, generate profits, or avoid losses. Readers should be aware that Eventide’s approach may not produce the desired results, and Eventide’s ethical values screening criteria could cause it to underperform other firms that do not have such screening criteria. The term “smart” is used for informational purposes only, and does not imply a certain level of skill or training by the Adviser. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal.

Eventide is providing this information for informational purposes only. Eventide serves as investment adviser to mutual funds distributed through Northern Lights Distributors, LLC (“NLD”), member FINRA/SIPC. NLD and Eventide are not affiliated entities.

4643-NLD-6/1/2018

1. Thomas McEvilley, The Shape of Ancient Thought, 2002, p. 609↩

2. For Aristotle, what was most important was a life well lived, or a life worth living. When you hear people talk about ‘the good life,’ they got this from Aristotle. What’s required to live well is first to discern life’s highest ends – the most important things in life – the ‘precious things’ – and then to make all decisions in life such that you progress towards those ends. Establishing the life’s ‘destination’ required virtue, or good character, and ‘getting there’ required wisdom. “Virtue makes the goal right,” (doing what’s right) “phronēsis [practical wisdom] the things toward the goal” (doing what’s smart aimed at what’s right) (Eudemian Ethics/Nicomachean Ethics, 1144a7-9, translation by Jessica Moss).↩

3. Craig Bartholomew, Ecclesiastes (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms), 2009, p. 140↩

4. Christopher B. Ansberry, Be Wise, My Son, and Make My Heart Glad: An Exploration of the Courtly Nature of the Book of Proverbs, 2011, p. 77↩

This article was originally published here.

Check out Jeff Haanen for other quality content!

by Jeff Haanen

Financial advisors play a critical role in the future of America.

They are stewards of a sacred trust, helping clients to save money for when they can no longer work, live a life of generosity, invest in businesses that align with God’s purposes for the world, spend wisely, and re-discover their calling to work and serve their neighbors over a lifetime.

If you’re a financial advisor, or you know one, what might it look like integrate Christian truth into this entire field, a $27 trillion-dollar industry that is shaping the destinies of millions?[i] (Click here to access a free downloadable pdf of this “Manifesto for Financial Advisors.”)

Here’s a place to begin.

1.Christian financial advisors help clients save money for when they can no longer work.

Saving is wise (Proverbs 21:20). Financial advisors have the privilege of encouraging people to prepare for the day when they cannot work due to old age or health. They also have the honor of helping clients still have enough to share with others (Proverbs 13:22; 1 Timothy 6:17-19).

But Christian financial advisors resolutely resist the narrative about saving for retirement built on utopian dreams of travel, never-ending vacation, and a care-free lifestyle. They recognize that sin and the Fall have affected all people, both wealthy and poor, and that there is no such dream of heaven on earth until Christ comes again. They also boldly call into question fear-based motives for saving in retirement, pointing people to trust God alone for their daily bread.

Also, since retirement (the cessation of work for a lifetime) is essentially a foreign concept to the Bible, Christian financial advisors work diligently to help people save for the day when they can no longer work due to health concerns, not for the day when they don’t want to work.

To work is to be human.

Financials advisors help their clients save money for retirement in order to provide for themselves in old age or illness, their family, and their community.

2. Christian financial advisors encourage clients to live a life of generosity.

God’s call to generous giving could not be clearer (Matthew 6:19-21; 10:42; Luke 21:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:12-15; 1 John 3:16-18; Proverbs 11:24-25). Generous living most closely reflects God’s grace toward his people (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Christian financial advisors counsel clients toward sacrificial giving toward the mission of the church, the well-being of the poor, and the critical social, economic, and cultural needs of our day. They explore creative ways to facilitate their clients giving their cash, assets, time, skills, relationships, and influence. They lead by example.

Even though Christian financial advisors often don’t have a financial incentive to encourage generosity amongst their clients, they do so anyway because God first gave generously to them (John 3:16). 

3. Christian financial advisors counsel their clients to invest in businesses that align with God’s purposes for the world.

Christian financial advisors believe that God owns everything (Psalm 24:1), including both their client’s money and also the money that is invested in companies through stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.

They are leaders in the space of socially responsible investing (some Christians also call this values-based investing, or biblically responsible investing). They believe God’s purpose for business is to provide for the needs of world by serving customers and creating meaningful work, while giving glory to God.[ii] Profit, therefore, is a means to an end, not the end of business. They believe investments are intended to help businesses grow and bless their communities. Christian financial advisors also believe business has been tainted by the Fall, and today corporations, like individuals, are bent toward greed and injustice (Micah 6:8-10). There are no “neutral” investments.

Inasmuch as they are able, Christian financial advisors seek out investments for their clients that align with their client’s values and God’s good purposes for business. They take leadership in providing ample returns for their clients and multiplied societal blessing through their client’s investments.[iii]

4. Christian financial advisors counsel their clients to spend wisely.

God has given us money to be enjoyed and spent wisely. But Christian financial advisors also recognize that “godliness with contentment is great gain,” and Christian history is filled with vows of poverty and commitment to simple living for the sake of more deeply enjoying the riches of Christ (1 Timothy 6:6, 17-19).  Frugality is not a curse but a means to experiencing the abundance of God’s love, care, and heavenly riches.

Christian financial advisors are uniquely able to speak to our cultural moment and the current “retirement crisis” because they believe God himself, not the pleasures of this world, is our greatest joy. They believe in a deeper wealth than what money can offer.[iv]

Christian financial advisors counsel their clients to avoid debt, live within their means, defer gratification, and discover non-consumeristic ways to enjoy life and God’s good world.

5. Christian financial advisors counsel their clients to consider the different seasons of work over a lifetime.

Christian financial advisors see God’s pattern of six days of work and one day of rest as a blessing that lasts for a lifetime.

Rather than preparing clients to completely cease from work at retirement, they encourage sabbaticals and seasons of rest to renew a sense of calling for the next phase of life.

Therefore, they are instigators of a deeply counter-cultural movement. They begin to help clients save money for both sabbaticals and for when their clients can no longer work. They ask pointed questions to help their clients see a deeper purpose to life than entertainment or pleasure.  Christian financial advisors, then, become sages, mentors, theologians, and philosophers who help their clients prepare for the next season of work, whether they are 60, 70, or 80 years old.[v]

Christian financial advisors are the innovators who call for a new movement of work, sabbatical, and re-engagement based on God’s design for work over a lifetime (Leviticus 25).[vi] They openly challenge the Let’s vacationparadigm of retirement, and honor the men and women who work later in life as the dignified elders of our churches, communities, and society.

They are the first to point out the valuable, brilliant, and creative work of men and women stewarding their skills, knowledge, and abilities into the sunset of their lives.

For a free downloadable version of this manifesto, visit https://www.uncommonretirement.com/financial-advisors.

[i] Nick Thornton, “Here’s What the $27 Trillion US Retirement Industry Looks Like,” Think Advisor, 2 January 2018, Accessed on August 10, 2018: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2018/01/02/heres-what-the-27-trillion-us-retirement-industry/?slreturn=20180714204623.

[ii] Jeff Haanen, “Theology for Business (Video),” Denver Institute for Faith & Work, Accessed on August 1, 2018: https://denverinstitute.org/video-the-purpose-of-business-today/.

[iii] Organizations like the Christian Investment Forum and faith-friendly mutual funds like Eventide Funds actively explore how to pursue competitive returns for their shareholders while upholding Christian values. For examples of philosophies of Christian faith and investing, watch the video “Investing 360 – The Story of Eventide Funds”: https://vimeo.com/223488058 or read “Integrating Faith Into the Way We Invest,” by Tim Macready, CIO of Christian Super, an Australian Pension Fund: https://denverinstitute.org/integrating-faith-way-invest/.

[iv] For an excellent treatment on faith, money, and retirement, see: Chad S. Hamilton, Deep Wealth (Denver: PFI Publishing, 2015).

[v] I recognize this is almost unheard of today. But my thesis in this book is that this rhythm of work and rest is more biblical than the contemporary idea of retirement and it more closely aligns with God’s intent for us to work, in different capacities, over a lifetime.

[vi] Rob West, the CEO of Kingdom Advisors, a Christian ministry to financial professionals, says, “One of the roles of the advisor is to not only help the client to answer the question, ‘How much is enough financially?’ – in terms of our financial finish line so we can maximize giving – but also, ‘What are you going to do in the retirement season?’ Even if we stop our vocation, what are we going to do to be of service to the Lord full-time for God’s glory?” Both Rob West and Ron Blue, the founder of Ron Blue Co. believe both wise financial decisions and a lifetime of work, which changes in different seasons, are biblical.

This week, we featured Donnie Smith, former CEO of Tyson Foods, on the podcast to share about the role of chaplaincy in their organization. And recently, CNBC featured an article that dealt with an employee-related problem at Facebook.

When it comes to large, publicly-traded companies, it’s time to ask the question: how do we ensure that we’re doing everything we can to care for our employees? How do chaplains and employee resource groups play into this? As Faith Driven Investors, it’s our responsibility to push this conversation forward. Below is one example of why this matters…

Why I Quit Facebook to Become a Mother

A year ago, I had to make the hardest decision of my life: Choose between my dream job and my baby girl.

I loved being a data scientist in Facebook’s Social Good department. The open culture and shared sense that we could reach so many people and improve their lives made me enjoy my work even more.

Facebook’s benefits for new parents were quite generous by US standards, including four months’ paid leave, $4,000 in “baby cash,” partial reimbursement of childcare expenses and ample lactation rooms in every building.

I was incredibly lucky to work there for five months while pregnant with my third baby. My 5-year-old and 3-year-old spent the day with a patchwork of family members and babysitters, while my husband worked as a software developer. Working full-time left me just enough time to feed my kids, tuck them into bed and catch enough sleep for myself and my unborn baby. I was both exhilarated and exhausted.

After my daughter was born, I soaked up as much time with her as I could. I loved her tiny yawns and delicious toes — and dreaded the end of my leave. During wakeful nights of nursing, my mind ran in circles scheming on how to return full-time. I wished for on-site child care so I could bring her to work and take nursing breaks.

Maybe I could leave early and make up the hours after my kids went to bed. I’d catch up on missed sleep over the weekends. Holding the baby who saw me as her world, I tried to convince myself that I could leave her all day. I couldn’t.

Read the full article at CNBC