The starting point of caring for business missionaries

Chinese missionary care has a history of 20 years. Most churches can care for the missionaries they send out and walk with them on the missionary journey. However, when it comes to the topic of business mission, different controversies often arise in the church. Not many people care about business missionaries, and they are not as concerned as they are about other missionaries. What prevents churches from caring for business missionaries? Where should we start caring for business missionaries?

Understanding business as mission

“Is business as mission missionary?”

“Are business as mission participants missionaries?”

"How to do missionary work through business? Why use this model?"

How would your church respond to the above questions? Without a correct understanding of business as mission, different people may have different interpretations and responses. As a result, without a common understanding, communication and dialogue will be difficult, and arguments may even arise.

What is business as mission? According to the 2004 Lausanne Project Report No. 59, business as mission includes the following four elements:

1. It is a sustainable and profitable business operation;
2. Determined to bring the purpose and influence of heaven to people and countries;
3. Focus on economic, social, environmental and spiritual effects and achieve holistic transformation;
4. Care for the poorest and least evangelized groups in the world.

Business as mission is "business" + "mission". They are a pair of twins. Whether you go to business with business or go to business with mission, you must take into account both "business" and "gospel mission". Two aspects, that is to say, the business must be profitable and sustainable, and bring transformation to the local people (who are often the poorest and least evangelized groups in the world) spiritually, economically, socially and environmentally. , thereby displaying the glory of God. Therefore, business missionaries face greater challenges than ordinary full-time missionaries, and they need more care and support from the church.

Unfortunately, business as mission, as an emerging missionary model, has not been widely recognized by Chinese believers and has not been generally accepted by churches as one of the missionary models. We have to look at the reasons behind it. When people face something they don't know, they tend to have fear and resistance, and then become intimidated and hesitate to move forward. And when not accepted, the desire and opportunity for understanding will be stifled. In particular, business missions involves a wide and deep scope, and each business environment is different. It is like one mountain after another, difficult to cross, which is a challenge for the Chinese who always value stability. It challenges us to open ourselves up and be willing to absorb new knowledge; it challenges our inherent traditional thinking, even theological and service concepts, and is willing to renew and change.

Care begins with understanding, and understanding begins with learning. The Greek word for disciple is mathetes, which means “learner.” As a disciple of the Lord, are you willing to come closer and see the background of Business as Mission? Are you willing to learn together with business missionaries and meet the challenges brought by the new missionary model?

Understanding the needs of business missionaries

Just imagine: you go to a strange Muslim country. They are a third world country that is politically, religiously and culturally closed, and is hostile to Christians. When you first arrive in a new environment, you are unfamiliar with life, don’t understand the language, and don’t have many friends. Faced with cross-cultural impact and pressure to adapt to life, you often feel inadequate. Even survival and life feel very difficult. When running a business, you need to understand different local government departments, business and labor laws, etc., and spend a lot of time and energy dealing with different departments. You can imagine how great the pressure and challenges are.

▲Faced with cross-cultural impact and pressure to adapt to life, business missionaries have to run businesses, understand various local laws, spend a lot of energy dealing with different government departments, bear the risk of failure, etc... They are like supermen, but they actually need special care.

Business missionaries, like other missionaries, need to have a clear calling, a mature life, and all aspects of knowledge and skills. In addition, you must have professional knowledge in running a business, including: company and personnel management, market research and promotion, cost control, financial statements, taxation and legal requirements, etc. This knowledge alone is not enough to meet the challenges of business missionary work. He must also have practical experience, be good at building a business network, have a spirit of continuous risk-taking, be able to withstand extreme pressure, and be able to bear the risk of failure... At this point, you probably know the diversity and uniqueness of business missionaries. They are like supermen who can do what others cannot, and they are the bosses who strategize. People may think they don’t need to care, “I’ve been praised so much, do I still need to care?”

But wait, don’t forget that they are just ordinary people. Just like you and me, there are only 24 hours in a day, and they have different needs of body, mind and soul. Many business missionaries may have no business experience, but when they see the needs of people in the workplace and see the door to the gospel being closed, they have to seek a breakthrough and resolutely accept the challenge. So I tried to embark on the difficult road of business missionary work with trepidation. In the process, I often faced various setbacks and failures, and felt lonely and helpless.

Therefore, we not only need to come closer, but also go inside and enter their situation, listen to the stories of how they embarked on business missionary work, and understand their lives and the various difficulties and challenges they face. They are not supermen or bosses, but our members. They are the hands extending to the closed places of the gospel on our behalf. They are in urgent need of brothers and sisters to care for and walk hand in hand.

On the other hand, business missionaries also need to learn to accept care. Don’t think that the church doesn’t want to communicate because it doesn’t understand, and don’t lose patience because the church moves slowly. Business as mission is a long road. If you want to go on a healthy and long-term journey, you must have partners such as the church, brothers and sisters, and caregivers to accompany you.

God wants to use business mission to bless more people in places where the gospel has not yet reached them. They face the bondage of the soul, the hardships of physical life, and the injustice of society and the system, just like the Israelites who were slaves in the past. God had mercy on them, heard their cries, saw their suffering, and saved them from Egypt and into the good land of Canaan. Today, are we willing to take a step for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, for the needs of the poor, and for the care of business missionaries?

Care begins with understanding business missionary work and understanding business missionaries. When you understand their situation and needs, you will know how to pray for them and provide timely support. You will then be able to use the various ideas you care about to accurately touch their needs and become an effective supporter.

Lin Rufeng, is a missionary caregiver and counselor, and a senior co-worker of the mission.