by Vip Vipperman

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” 

Galatians 6:7-10, NIV

As believers, we are called to do good to one another, to love sacrificially, to give generously. This absolutely applies to how we manage our resources and businesses. But there is a common misconception of tension that because of these principles: that faith driven entrepreneurs and investors end up making and taking bad deals simply because their partners are also Christians. The reality is that tension is wildly exaggerated. 

Risks that faith driven professionals are willing to take may be higher due to their faith, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a high amount of wisdom and due diligence involved in the process as well. In fact, we are to act in wisdom as good stewards. FDIs and FDEs take risks knowingly, willingly, and lovingly. And this kind of intentional business manifests in amazing ways that we are only beginning to see on Marketplace. 

Being a faith driven professional does not negate the value of due diligence. Rooted in the truth and love of the gospel, due diligence practices are about more than just numbers; they influence relationships, build community, and honor the Lord in a broad spectrum of industries. Marketplace serves as a platform for faith driven investors and entrepreneurs to pay-it-forward, recognizing the ecosystem—or community—that assisted them in their early ventures is now a place to support the coming generation of entrepreneurs through capital, wisdom, and encouragement. It brings together a worldwide community of faith driven professionals that promotes investors and changes the lives of founders and entrepreneurs through funding dreams and enabling truly flourishing work. 

Marketplace is more than a financial projection pitch. We want the entrepreneurs to be the best companies in the world, we want investors to find the best deals in the world, but we want them to do it for the glory of the Lord and for the impact of His work in the world through the company. It’s about connecting the innovative entrepreneur that has a good plan and is seeking the Lord with the investor that’s doing the same. The biggest thing is a connection point in the heart: mission alignment. That’s what sets Marketplace apart from other platforms. Yes, having a sound pitch is important, being able to articulate the business model is necessary, but those aren’t the only factors. Marketplace adds the relational component because as faith driven investors and entrepreneurs, we know relationships are significant.

Entrepreneurs who find funders on Marketplace not only have a great idea, but they connect with investors on a heart level. They are mission-aligned and frequently have a common past experience or connect through personal stories that drive their venture. It is no secret that communication is crucial to any good relationship. Therefore, entrepreneurs seeking funding through Marketplace should, in addition to a thought-out pitch, be able to articulate their specific passion for the venture—why this cause?—as well as their understanding of returns, short term, long term, or even eternal. 
At the end of the day, it is a move of the Holy Spirit that draws people together and fosters these faith driven partnerships. Scripture says a man reaps what he sows. Faith driven investors and entrepreneurs seek to reap life, joy, peace, true flourishing. So as partners on Marketplace, we sow the same, increasingly enabled by like-minded community. When we sow with our eyes and hearts fixed on the glory of the Lord, we will humbly reap in the same way. We can be encouraged to stay the course and trust that we will reap a harvest “at the proper time.” We can take opportunities to do good to all, especially those in the Body, confidently knowing that the returns are worth the effort.

At the end of every podcast, we like to ask our guests to share what God has been teaching them in this season of life. Malcolm Johnston joined us all the way from Belfast, Ireland to share how Faith Driven Investing helped Europe recover from a 65% unemployment rate and his hope for the international movement.

Psalm 27:4

One thing I ask from the Lord,

    this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

    and to seek him in his temple.

What God called us into and through in some difficult places. It took me a long time. I’m probably like you. I want to change the world where there’s brokenness. And Isaiah 61 is the call of God in my life when there’s brokenness and lack of hope and opportunity. I want to change the world. 

God brought me through a lot of tough stuff of realizing that, Malcolm, all I’m calling you to do is be faithful to what I called you to. You don’t need to have a big success story to shout about. Your success is that you were faithful to what I called you. 

And what God has taught me a lot about in the last while is from Psalm 27 where David who was a go getter and he was a fighter. He was a king and all that stuff. And he got to the point of saying, in Psalm 27, he said one thing I ask of the Lord this is that I seek and I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days in my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in this temple. 

And that was a go getter who got to that point of saying, this is the one thing I do. And I’m glad to say that God had to break me down from wanting to constantly be getting things done, to be able to say this is the one thing I value above everything else, to learn to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to learn what that means. To actually just gaze on the beauty of the Lord to spend time in his presence in silence, learning to appreciate his beauty, that these nations that I care about, wanting to see them being restored and transformed. 

God says these are my nations. I’m working. Even before you turned up, I’m working because I’m the God of all the earth. You learn to gaze on all my beauty and realize how big a God that I am. And you just be faithful to what I’ve called you to today. And don’t worry, if you don’t see it happen in your lifetime, you just be faithful and learn to gaze on all my beauty and enjoy walking with me. 

And so Psalm 27, I would say, is the big thing that has meant so much when seeking to learn to walk faithfully, whether there seem to be results or not. 

Article originally posted here by Denver Institute for Faith & Work

by Denver Institute for Faith & Work

On Friday, January 31, Denver Institute for Faith & Work hosted more than 300 guests from across the nation at “Business for the Common Good,” a one-day event for business leaders passionate about professional excellence and using their gifts and resources for lasting impact.

In this powerful presentation, Aimee Minnich and Alan Barnhart discuss: What does it mean to be a truly generous business leader? How does this impact our sense of identity and ownership? How much money should we give away, and how much should we keep? Do ancient Old Testament practices like gleaning have relevance for how we think about hiring, investing, and “successful” businesses? What kind of investment returns should we target? This session considers how a deep sense of generosity transforms our culture as well as our hearts. Please visit their website to see more great content from the “Business for the Common Good” event.

by John Silverling

Two recent articles I came across about capitalism and faith made me think about how most of us really view economic theory.  For most, we hear capitalism or socialism and immediate images come to mind based on our own opinions and our own experiences.  We have pre-conceived ideas whether it is good or bad, and most of us that are not economics professors or philosophy majors don’t usually consider the terms more deeply.   Maybe we should, if only to more consciously integrate our faith into our work, our money, and our investing.  So the question – Is Generous Capitalism possible, or is capitalism only about greed?

Eventide Funds wrote about “Generous Business: A Divine Blueprint“ in their Faith and Business series.  They took up the question of whether businesses could, or perhaps should, be generous, and whether this concept for businesses fit within the concepts of capitalism and its underlying economic philosophy?  The point of the article was to present information of how businesses can be generous (“Blessing Businesses”), and why that aligns with the Bible’s teachings, but it also suggests there is a conflict between being generous and capitalism.  This conflict was highlighted through the main character in the article, Arthur Brooks of the American Enterprise Institute .

The article from the New York Times mentioned in the piece seemed not intended as advocating for or against capitalism, but rather about generosity and happiness.  In fact, the content of Mr. Brooks article seems very much in alignment with the writings from Eventide.  Here is a video of Arthur Brooks talking about “The Moral Case for Capitalism” at a QIdeas event, and in it he goes further into the alignment between his view of capitalism and his NYT op-ed.

The second article was a blog from the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics (TIFWE), called “Christian ‘Hipsterpreneurs’ Work to Redeem Capitalism” .  TIFWE come from a very similar viewpoint as Arthur Brooks AEI in economic theory, and their preference for free market capitalism as the economic driver for a flourishing culture.

Each article conveys a different sentiment towards capitalism, but what I find interesting is their descriptions of what they envision as the solution are nearly identical.  Even the language they use is similar.

Here is a section from the TIFWE blog:

“While Christian hipster entrepreneurs recognize a capitalistic society can create temptations toward greed and selfishness, and that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, they see business as a God-given opportunity to love their neighbors through their work. They trust the profits will come if they work with a heart to serve others.” (“Christian ‘Hipsterpreneurs’ Work to Redeem Capitalism“, April 15, 2015)

And here is an article from Eventide’s Tim Weinhold (Director of Faith & Business) :

“… Let me have Tim Keller explain.  Teaching about the watershed significance of God’s command to ‘Love your neighbor,’ Keller says, “There are only two kingdoms and each has a foundational operating principle. For the kingdom of God, that principle is Serve. For the ‘kingdom of this world,’ that principle is Be Served.” In other words, the way we fulfill or violate the ‘Love your neighbor’ First Principle of God’s moral universe is by choosing either to serve others, or to serve ourselves at others’ expense.”

“Business is meant to love and serve by creating value first and foremost for customers, employees, and its other neighbors. When it does so, people flourish . . . and so does business. But when business makes creating value for itself paramount — when it’s primary objective is earnings per share, or operating margins, or share price — it selfishly prioritizes its own success over the human flourishing that God desires. In so doing, it embraces both the Be Served principle of the enemy’s kingdom and the decay and dissolution that inevitably ensue.”  (“God and Money“, Dec 8, 2014)

I suspect that TIFWE and Tim Weinhold would not see themselves as having the same opinion of capitalism.  TIFWE would certainly side with AEI from a political and even economic theory foundation.  But maybe TIFWE, Tim, and Arthur Brooks really are all still describing the same thing – but from different sides and preferring different names.

Someone recently said to me that he prefers the term “Kingdom Capitalism” to describe this common ground between these viewpoints.  Whatever term we use, or names we use to label it, the vision and concepts are shared.

Our responsibility, and our opportunity, is to see the common ground that honors God and his creation.  There doesn’t need to be a barrier between our Christian faith and capitalism as a means for all of us to flourish.  It means we have to do more to integrate that faith into our work directly, resist the temptations we are drawn towards, and see the good that can multiply from it.

by Amanda Lawson

God designed humans for community. You already know this. Scripture uses the metaphor of one body with many parts everywhere—each part with different roles and skills and all of them supporting the overall mission of the body. A hand on its own cannot throw a ball and your right big toe is pretty purposeless without a connection to the rest of your foot. 

But when connected and supported properly, you can pitch a curveball and run a marathon.

The same applies for faith-driven business endeavors. Investors need entrepreneurs, and vice versa. Everyone needs knowledge, wisdom, and support—all three of which often come through community and relationships. 

The Global Collab is a community of people who work with incubators, accelerators, and capacity builders, dedicated to supporting Faith Driven Entrepreneurs around the world. As they support entrepreneurs, Global Collab provides a place for them to receive similar support from one another. It has grown to include 32 members from around the world who believe in the power of community and discipleship as crucial elements to effective kingdom-based entrepreneurship. 

Philip Geldenhuys, one of the founding members, explained that as a faith-driven support system, the Global Collab encourages members to openly share their questions and struggles, while surrounding them with a community of understanding friends who can offer solutions or access to networks that would have otherwise gone untapped. 

Geldenhuys also helps to lead Triga, an accelerator in South Africa, where he knows firsthand the value of a faith-based support system for entrepreneurs. A graduate from Praxis Labs, he took his passion and knowledge to Africa to bring a similar program to African entrepreneurs, connecting budding entrepreneurs with experienced mentors who will support and affirm them on their journey. 

Recognizing the challenges to African entrepreneurs—significant opportunity and wealth gaps, educational disparities that fall along racial lines, and difficulty accessing resources—Geldenhuys knows as well as anyone the importance of a solid community of wisdom and support. 

But regardless of geography, some universal struggles challenge all entrepreneurs. Geldenhuys noted that one of the biggest problems for entrepreneurs in this space is finding funding and leveraging resources effectively—especially for those operating in emerging or frontier markets. The Global Collab functions as a working group that enables growth for entrepreneurs both professionally and personally—through a supportive network of seasoned entrepreneurs with a variety of experiences. 

The Global Collab provides a level of discipleship and mentorship for entrepreneurs around the global. There is accountability and encouragement to be found when believers get together.  We see throughout Scripture that discipleship and accountability are important components of these relationships, useful for edification, teaching, and comforting. And these benefits are not limited to the functions of church congregation but reach the Body of Christ globally and in diverse industries. 

Geldenhuys noted that one of the most significant benefits to the Global Collab is simply the recognition of a shared story. CS Lewis once said that “friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one!’” Being a part of a working group like Global Collab is the same; a group of faith-driven professionals who can support one another as they press on toward the goal, even if that is simply saying “I understand; I’ve been there, too.” 

Article originally hosted and shared with permission by The Christian Economic Forum, a global network of leaders who join together to collaborate and introduce strategic ideas for the spread of God’s economic principles and the goodness of Jesus Christ. This article was from a collection of White Papers compiled for attendees of the CEF’s Global Event.

by Mats Tunehag

God’s Investment and Ours

By Peter Heslam

The Bible uses rich figurative language, and a variety of metaphors and analogies, in its depictions of God. Many of these are well-known, such as king, shepherd and judge. But one that is almost unknown is God as investor.

Yet it occurs right at the start of the Hebrew Bible. There we find God investing a formless, dark and empty earth with light and a profusion of plant and animal wildlife. God then invests this creation with human beings. And in them – them alone – God invests his image (Genesis 1).

Later in the Hebrew Bible we find God advising Jeremiah on a property investment – the prophet is to buy a field (Jeremiah 32). But God clearly shuns the ‘location, location, location’ precept of today’s real estate experts. For the field in question is situate in territory occupied by the invading Babylonian army! Whatever happened to due diligence and caveat emptor (buyer beware)?

When we turn to the New Testament, we find that the use of wealth is a major theme in the teaching of Jesus. Yet here too, conventional wisdom is turned on its head. He does not, for instance, advise the rich young ruler to invest his wealth wisely and responsibly to optimise social impact. Instead, Jesus tells him to sell all he has and give to the poor (Lk 18.18-25), an action that would have added the man to the number of poor people needing help. And the parabolic rich man who builds bigger warehouses to invest for the future is not called prudent but a fool (Lk 12.13-21).

Similarly perplexing is the parable that addresses the issue of investment most directly – the parable of the talents (Mt 25.14-30). The reader is left to work out its meaning. What is it about the three servants in that story that makes them so different in the investments and returns they make, and in the rewards and punishments they receive? Could it really be saying that all God cares about is the return on God’s investment?

We also find Jesus investing a good deal of his time and energy – during his prime years – in a pretty flaky and shaky collection of prospects. It amounts to a motley crew of largely unschooled, hapless, and unreliable followers, all drawn from a relatively deprived region of the Roman Empire, and who end up abandoning him. When the crunch comes, they liquidate whatever investment they had in Jesus’ ministry, one of them receiving a shoddy dividend of 30 pieces of silver (Mt 26.15).

The Apostle Paul shares in the apparent recklessness of Jesus’ investment strategy. He pours his life into small and fragile communities of persecuted

Christians dispersed around the eastern fringes of the occupied territories of the Roman Empire. In doing so, he admits to acting ‘like a madman’, for it cost him heavy toil, imprisonments and near-death floggings (2 Cor 11.23).

In fact, anyone currently considering whether or not to invest their lives in the service of Christ may first want to read the preamble to Paul’s investment proposal:

Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked. And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches (2 Cor 11.24-28).

Neither Jesus not Paul made such costly investments, of course, without hope of a return. In the case of Jesus, it was ‘for the sake of the joy that was set before him’ that he ‘endured the cross, disregarding its shame’ (Heb 12.2).

Following his conversion, Paul shunned the return on investment (ROI) he had been making from his training to become a learned Pharisee. The ROI he now looked for was ‘to know Christ and the power of his resurrection’ (Philippians 3.8-10). And he considered the church communities in which he invested to be adequate ROI in themselves; he refers to them as his ‘joy and crown’ (Phil 4.1; 1 Thess 2.19).

Some of the biblical material will be revisited later in this series, in order to explore its ramifications for our investment in our work and in the people around us. Faith in Business, the co-publisher of FiBQ, is exploring this question in 2022. It will consider God’s investment in the world and what implications that has for our investment strategy.

This exploration began with the Faith in Business Monthly online seminar on 6th January. In that seminar, a panel of experts approached the theme of investment from different angles. In doing so, they provided rare insight on how scriptural principle relates to everyday practice. As part of Faith in Business’ attempt to bring the quarterly journal and the monthly webinar closer together, subscribers can expect to read within these pages some of the theory and practice that is shared and discussed in these webinars.

I opened that seminar by noting the point I make at the start of this article about the picture of God as investor that is presented in the creation narratives. To elaborate here a little, this picture

is reflected in God’s ‘investiture’ of Adam and Eve as those appointed to name the animals and to rule (or ‘have dominion’) over God’s creation (Gen 1.28). God thereby elevates them to the role of prophet, priest and king – three offices symbolized in ancient Israel by the wearing of a mantel, or vestment.

Investiture, vestment, investment – all these words derive from the Latin vestire, meaning to clothe. Solomon, Jesus tells us, was vested (clothed) with splendid garments, yet God vests ordinary wild flowers with even greater splendour. How much more splendid, Jesus continues, is the way God vests ordinary human beings (Mt 6.28-30).

Made in God’s image, Adam and Eve and their descendants are vested by God with dignity and authority. In other words, we need to regard ourselves, and all those around us, as God’s investment.