We talk a lot about "business as mission" and even more so lately about "work as worship" which can be done in any workplace.
I received an email a week ago from our DML leader with the Christian Missionary Alliance (CMA) in West Africa, Pastor Theo Pare, who has been asked to bring the "work as worship" message to the CMA in several West African nations. This email showed me the potential of "translation as mission" - another workplace where unique opportunities (coupled with obedience) opened doors to the work as worship message. Pastor Theo gave me permission to share his email with you:
Dear Renita,
I hope this message finds you well in God's grace. This month, I unexpectedly attended an international Christian Missionary Alliance (CMA) conference in Monrovia, representing DML at President Job's request. Surprisingly, I was chosen as the translator for the event, translating between English and French for eight days. This unplanned role turned out to be a blessing for DML, significantly increasing its visibility.
During the conference, missionaries shared impactful stories of integrating business and mission. When I presented DML, it resonated strongly with the audience. The Congo Church and Guinea Church expressed eagerness to adopt DML, with the Congo Church, known for its extensive medical centers and schools, enthusiastic about implementation. Guinea is considering sending a representative to Mali for DML training.
Burkina Faso and Mali, celebrating their 100 years CMA anniversary until year-end, propose holding the DML training after the celebration, around the beginning of the new year. This unexpected turn of events showcases God's divine planning.
I appreciate your prayers and support, and I wanted to share the incredible impact of this trip. It was a testament to divine circumstances leading the way.
God bless you abundantly!
Pastor Theo
Isn't that amazing? Pastor Theo is working fulltime with the Christian Missionary Alliance in Burkina Faso to equip every local church with this message. This position was created in part because there was increasing demand for this message from other West African nations and the President of CMA in Burkina Faso wanted to respond to that. Please pray for him, these open doors, and the opportunity for the flourishing of many as we begin to do our work as an act of worship, for the flourishing of all creation!
We can't do this without the partners who help to support this work through denominations and churches across Africa and Asia! Tuesday is Giving Tuesday, and we hope to meet our year end goal of raising $80,000 in order to meet our 2023 budget and move into our 2024 goals with strength. Please prayerfully consider joining us - go to Donate - Discipling Marketplace Leaders for more information!
[Don't miss the important announcement at the end of this post!]
This past week we were able to enjoy a visit from one of our partners from South Asia and learned about more than 2000 churches that have been planted in the marketplace in the past two years! There are small churches gathering in factories, laboratories, hospitals, schools, transportation centers, farms, and more! The priesthood of believers are disciples making disciples who are making disciples (2 Timothy 2:2).
While we celebrate this, we understand that this is happening in a context where it is very difficult to be a Christian, where there is persecution and corruption which can be so discouraging.
We often think that poverty causes corruption, and sometimes that can be true. Proverbs 30 says that God should give neither poverty nor riches...or I might have too much and disown God or have too little and steal. But Vishal Mangalwadi, an Indian Christian philosopher, tells us that the opposite is more true - corruption causes poverty.
This excellent video gives perspective on corruption by using examples of the consequences of honesty and corruption in both the Netherlands and India. Vishal Mangalwadi shares that corruption costs five trillion dollars every year and adds no value to the cost of goods that are being sold.
He says that transforming a nation requires cultivating character. He says that nations need more than investment, aid, or protests. They need hearts and minds that are transformed.
Please take a few minutes to watch this three-minute video. This is what Discipling Marketplace Leaders is seeking to do. When we do our work as an act of worship, instead of for our own personal gain, it changes everything.
In this week of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for the mission of God, which invites us to participate in bringing reconciliation to all spheres of creation - including hearts and minds transformed in the marketplace! We are also thankful for each of you who has partnered with us, in prayer, encouragement, and financial support. The demand for this message continues to grow and we could not respond without you!
PS - In light of Giving Tuesday, just a few days after Thanksgiving, we will be announcing that a generous donor has agreed to match any new recurring donations for 2024 (up to $25,000 USD). This means if you give a monthly gift of $50 to DML, the donor will match that for twelve months! Additionally, on Giving Tuesday only, they have agreed to match any gift over $250. Please prayerfully consider if you can partner with us in this way to reach more people in 2024! Go to Donate - Discipling Marketplace Leaders - giving is easy with ACH, PayPal, and credit cards!
This week DML had its annual summit - virtually this time. [On the even years, we gather in person; on the odd years, we gather online.] We had more than 90 people in attendance, from fourteen countries, across thirteen time zones. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, fun, worship, sharing, planning, and processing.
Each of our implementing partners went to a retreat center to have some fun, fellowship, prayer time, rest time, and planning time for 2024. A big thank you to all of our partners who help to make this possible! This is such an important time, as we look at what we have done thus far in 2023, what our impact surveys have told us, what we can celebrate, and where we need to make course corrections. We then plan on how to use our time, treasure, and talent better in 2024 to increase the return on our investment for the building of the Kingdom of God on earth!
Here are a couple of quotes that we heard this week from pastors and marketplace ministers:
As a pastor, I had no idea how to equip myself economically and I was living a low-level lifestyle. After the DML training God opened my eyes as he did with Moses. I sold my house and bought land for farming. Then I planted banana trees.
After a few months, I covered all the cost that I spent on the land. This has become a good example for other church ministers.
I am a taxi driver. I used to charge
unreasonable amounts to my customers. I attended the training of DML and
understood that I need to honor God through my business. I started being honest
to my customers.
I have a weighing machine's business. I
provide sales and service. Customers used to bring their weighing machines for repairs, and I used to give them a time frame. I never used to stay true to my
word. I learned that I must do work as worship. I brought change into my behavior. My customers are happy with me now.
Some of the team pictures from this past week are below.
This week, one of our partners from South Asia, Praveen and Chrysolite Karagani, will be with us to share about the incredible work being done in planting marketplace churches. We are so excited to hear from them as they share what God is doing to build His church in places where churches are no longer welcome - the marketplace is such a place where real growth can be seen!
