"Church does not create Kingdom. Kingdom creates genuine church."

Greetings from Uganda, where I will have the opportunity to speak at a national conference for a local denomination this week.  Thankful to God for church leaders who are opening doors for this message!

Recently I was forwarded an article by a DML board member in which I found a quote that is the title for this blog:  "Church does not create Kingdom.  Kingdom creates genuine church."  The message articulated well what DML has been trying to say for some time.  The author stated that the church is born from necessity, as described in the book of Acts.  But the Kingdom was formed from the beginning, from creation.  

In too many places, we have forsaken the Kingdom to create the church, often a place of nourishment, comfort, and healing.  Not a bad thing, but not complete.  The Kingdom requires us to attend to the Father's purposes, carrying the message and power to a hurting world.

We have been asking the world to join the church, but we have failed to equip the church to provide hope and direction in the Kingdom.  

The time is coming where this may change.  

At the end of this month, the fourth Lausanne Congress will meet, where a significant discussion will take place regarding the role of the church and the role of the workplace.  The number of global church leaders who are showing an interest in this conversation is significant.  The message of "the purpose of Sunday is Monday" is resonating among many and there is a movement toward understanding the need for holistic discipleship.  

But message and method are two different things.  We may appreciate this message, but knowing how to implement a methodology to help this come alive in a local church context can be complex and rigorous. 

We have found that the first thing needed is to UNLEARN some things before we can learn some new things.  We need to unlearn the definition of the church as a building rather than the people.    We need to unlearn a clergy/laity divide (these are not Biblical terms) and go back to the understanding that we are all the people of God, all called into the general full-time service of giving glory to God, with very different specific placements.  We need to unlearn a sacred/secular divide that is so very deeply embedded into our faith that we often contribute to it without being aware of it!

For example, I was at a church a few weeks ago and the pastor was preaching on Matthew 9, when Jesus had dinner with the tax collectors.  The pastor said, "Maybe this was a goodbye dinner for Matthew, as he would not be able to return to being a tax collector again - not like the disciples who were fishermen and could go back to their craft!"  Immediately, a red flag went off for me, and I wondered why this pastor believed a tax collector would not be able to return to his work.  Is that work too secular?  Too worldly?  Too sinful?  And if that is the belief, isn't it even more important for Christians to be in those places, doing that work with integrity and excellence?  When I shared this story with some businessmen some days later, one said with a grimace, "I was in tax collection for many years."  Imagine the impact of working in a profession that your pastor believes is beyond redemption.

It seems obvious that the church does not create Kingdom.  While 33% of the world professes Christianity, most of us would agree that we do not see the Kingdom of Heaven on earth in any significant way.  In countries where the majority profess to be Christian, we see the same levels of corruption, destruction, and poverty that we see in countries where the majority are not Christian.  There are exceptions to this, of course, but as a rule, we probably can agree that the church does not create Kingdom.

But do we agree with the statement that "Kingdom creates genuine church"?  For this to find agreement, we may need to use our imagination.  Imagine a place where the Kingdom of Heaven is palpable around us.  Where all people are treated with dignity and respect, where every person sees the part that they can play in contributing to the flourishing of others, as image-bearers of God.  Where every person can participate in being blessed to be a blessing, working with integrity and excellence, working with purpose and as an act of worship, while caring for creation and loving their neighbor.  What would such a place look like?

And if such a place existed, how might people respond?  

I know that when I am in nature, there is almost an automatic response to worship.  When I see nature, I see the hand of God.  When I see people and cities, I don't have the same reaction.  But if I saw people and cities behaving in the way I described above, I wonder if there would also be an automatic response to worship?  Seeing the Kingdom displayed in such a way would draw people together to not only worship but to continue to encourage and equip each other to stay true to our purpose, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, a little at a time, every day.

I would like to see such a place.  I catch glimpses of it here and there.  But sometimes it feels like water at the beach...the water hits your feet and as soon as you start to appreciate it, it's quickly gone.  

But we can do better.  We are called to do better.

Please join with me in prayer that the conversations at Lausanne will lead to a revival of the people of God being the church in every place and space.  From tax collectors to fishermen/women, from sales to service, from pastors to teachers to auditors to cleaners to police officers to guards, and more and more!

2.4 billion people living this out.  What an amazing impact that could bring!  

DML Global Summit: Revival and Reformation in the Marketplace

I'm preparing to head out on Saturday for a one-month trip, starting in Uganda for two weeks, then Singapore, Malaysia, and lastly South Korea for the Lausanne Congress.

While the majority of my travel typically centers around me meeting with teams in their locality, every two years our teams gather together for community, fellowship, learning, and sharing.  So while I've been preparing for this trip, I am also actively working on the upcoming DML Global Summit in November.  In 2022, we gathered in Tanzania (team picture from that summit is below) and this year we will gather in Ethiopia, with the theme: Revival and Reformation in the Marketplace. 

This is a big ministry opportunity and here's why: 

DML is now eleven years old and this year has seen significant growth for our ministry.  We see the ripples of the message going out to more and more countries and denominations.  So far in 2024, we have started work in Benin, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Pakistan, and Guinea, and soon will start in the DRC and Trinidad and Tobago.  The connection through the Lausanne Congress is opening more doors for partnership with the Congress’ emphasis on the workplace.

This is exciting!  We knew that this growth and expansion was coming, and we have been trying to prepare for it as best we can.  Therefore the opportunity to gather together in person to discuss best practices and lessons learned, as well as to pray together in person, have communion together, laugh, and cry together, is very important.  

We have seen a sharp increase in ownership of this message by our teams, as they implement this message in their own homes, communities, and churches, and as they take their own initiative to carry this message further in their locations and spheres of influence.  

Our call is to join God in what He is doing in bringing revival and reformation to the Marketplace.  He is doing this work!

 

Our mission would not be possible without the prayer and financial support of committed partners like you. We thank God for your faithful support.

Our Summit is planned for November 2-9, where we will be gathering 50 ministry partners from thirteen different countries.

We invite you to participate in this summit through prayer and potentially sponsoring one or several of our partners. The per-person cost for the summit (which includes airfare and travel, visa, lodging, food, etc.) is $800.  Should you desire to sponsor a team member for this year’s summit, feel free to give online or by sending a check to DML at PO Box 231, Sparta MI 49345. Any support, both prayer and/or financial, is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Lighting the Way: Misgana’s Path to a Brighter Future

This week, I want to share an inspirational story from our partner in Ethiopia.  It's not unusual for us to share stories of how business skills help to alleviate poverty, but this story also tells what can happen when denominations allow their pastors to be co-vocational.  Often members can't afford to pay their pastor a living salary, but denominations want their pastors to be fully focused on the ministry.  Pastors then struggle to survive and feed their families.  But when churches recognize that almost every person in the Bible worked in the marketplace in addition to spreading the gospel, they begin to see that the two can actually work together, and not necessarily be in conflict (hence, "co-vocational" as opposed to "bi-vocational").  Stories like this inspire me and I hope it will do the same to you as you do your work as an act of worship this week!

My name is Misgana. I am a resident of Jinka Town in Ethiopia. I am married with one child. I have been a full-time minister for 10 years and my monthly income was around four thousand birr (about $37). Three years ago, I was one of the trainees when DML training was given to 200 people at Tena Adam Local Church in our town.

After the training, I took time to think and pray, and I decided to start a metal welding and manufacturing business. Over time, this work started becoming effective. As my income increased, I opened a merchandise store for my wife and got her to work. I am currently employing four people in my business! We are able to eat 3 times a day, which was never possible before. For more than ten years I have been struggling, but now, with the light given to me by DML, I have found the ability to buy a motorbicycle and run my ministry and business successfully. 

Because the church leaders have taken the training with us, all those who used to prevent us from getting involved in business have now cooperated so that I and other fulltime pastors can be blessed in everything. I used to rent a lamp for 20 birr ($0.20)for the house I live in but the owner would come and take the lamp back whenever he wanted it. We were not allowed to use pans and stoves in our house. But now I can afford to put in an electricity meter and we are getting full electricity service in our home.  

We used to carry water from the river. But we have been able to install a water pipe and we stopped going down to the river. The water is able to come to our house. This has greatly reduced the daily pressure on our family. I was also able to renovate my house to a better condition than before. In addition to this, I have bought a piece of land as well as different machines for the business. Based on what I learned about saving from DML, I was able to save 120,000 birr ($1,125) to buy a 3-legged Bajaj vehicle.

I am leading a happy life in my locality, not only with my ministry and business, but also with my money as I can give better tithes and various gifts to others. May God bless the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church and DML for bringing this important lesson to us.

Finally, I thank God that I stand here today to witness the beginning of this change for those who have not started like me. 

Impacts like this could not happen without the generous support from friends like you and we appreciate you this day!

If you would like to join us to help others like Misgana, please click here for more information.

Understanding "Blessed are the poor"

This past week, Pastor Isaiah, our DML leader in Burundi who was visiting us in Grand Rapids, shared more about the impact of forty years of war in Burundi.  He shared that when the war broke out in the early 1970s, the church was still very young.  The first genocide killed most of the pastors and all the missionaries were evacuated.  This left a significant leadership vacuum in the church.

Because of this "brain drain" (which often occurs in wartime), many false teachings crept in.  

One false teaching that has lasted to this day is that you must be poor to go to heaven.  To be rich, therefore, means you will not go to heaven.  Because of that, people are afraid to be successful.  And that means that you do not work, you do not create or innovate.  He said that people will even let some crops spoil or not process them due to that fear.

Suddenly, the understanding of this majority Christian country that also bears a significant challenge of poverty, begins to make more sense.  

Where does this false teaching come from?  There seem to be two key texts:

Luke 6:20: Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 5:3:  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

I can see how it could be confusing and it is not teaching that is unique to Burundi.  In the 12th and 13th centuries, poverty was the goal of many.  But there was a lopsided view toward wealth and an exalted status for those who were poor.  

The Bible does teach us to be content.  Our hope and our identity are not to be found in material things, power, or position. The Bible does teach us to be willing to give up ALL things to follow Christ - we are owners of nothing but stewards of everything.  And the Bible does tell us that the poor may be richer in faith.

But these texts do not imply that being poor is therefore a good thing or that it should be our goal. Poverty is often the result of injustice but it is also equated with laziness in the book of Proverbs.

Rather, the Bible over and again tells us to work diligently and that the reward is often greater wealth.  With that wealth, we are encouraged to be generous - to help those in need.  Poverty does not mean an advantage - rather it is a disadvantage that God meets with His love.  

Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that wealth creation is a command from God and a confirmation of His covenant.  We are not to forget that it is a gift from Him and therefore an opportunity for more stewardship - wealth management in God's way.

The idea that many are languishing in poverty as a result of this false teaching is very sad.  Intentionally reducing oneself to poverty keeps us from providing for others.  As we often teach, there is no wealth to be shared unless it is first created.  

We continue to be so thankful for our partners and supporters who are seeking to correct this message and equip the church to do work as an act of worship, to the glory of God!

Burundi is in the house!

It's not often that we have the opportunity to have our DML colleagues join us in the US and meet the DML partners and supporters that are Stateside.  Last year, we were privileged to have one of are partners from India join us in Grand Rapids, and this past weekend, Pastor Isaiah from Burundi with us.  What a joy to hear him share about what God is doing in Burundi and how the message of DML is joining in that work!  (Picture is Pastor Isaiah preaching at my home church in Grand Rapids.)

Pastor Isaiah leads two organizations in Burundi - the United Christians for Change and Development, as well as International Christian Ministries Burundi.  He has a staff of 52 and about 500 volunteers who work throughout the country.  God has opened doors for his teams to influence churches and denominations, government, education, and business.  And Isaiah knows how to make quick and good work of those opportunities!  He is a natural connector and leader, equipping his team to also be leaders and own the vision of seeing Burundi develop and flourish.  We thank God for him and the privilege to work alongside him!

While he was here, he shared several stories of impact from the 400 youth that we are working with over five years in Burundi, and I'll share one with you here:

My name is PACIS NDUWAYO. I am a businesswoman and I sell clothes. When I finished Secondary school, I was hopeless. I didn’t see anything I could do, after a certain period, I chose to start a business but I used to do everything the wrong way. I was even put in jail for not respecting the law of our country in my business. I was not doing my work as worship.  I used to differentiate sacred and secular activities and my business was stagnant due to many mistakes. I was depending on my husband. I got life-changing teachings in DML which opened my mind amazingly. These teachings helped me grow my relationship with God by correcting all mistakes in my business. I wholeheartedly learned that I am serving God in the Marketplace. I decided to please God in all my activities and I started seeing much income. Now I am getting more money from my business to support our family than my husband does. I am proud of my contribution to the family and it is because of the life-changing teachings I got from DML. I am becoming a living testimony in the Marketplace. People are seeing Christ through observing how I run my business.  I know to count everything well and I do everything to please God, the Owner of all that I have. I am full of hope for the future because of what I learned in DML. I understand that I have been made on purpose. I have a great vision for my future. I see myself as a big entrepreneur in the future. God bless everyone who contributed to getting these teachings in Burundi. We pray for you to reach them to many. 

We thank God for His call to do all things as working for the Lord!  

We ask for your prayers this week as we have the DML board retreat and seek to discern how to continue to join God in what He is doing in reclaiming the redeemed Marketplace!

Pastor Isaiah being prayed for by DML Board members, friends, and partners.

Breaking Down Silos

Home sweet home!  Five weeks, five countries, twelve flights, forty hours by road, eleven cities, fifteen different beds, and eleven different workshops speaking to about 2000 people in total.  So thankful to God for what He is doing and how we get to join Him!  So thankful for the DML partner teams in each place who do amazing work at organizing, facilitating, and spreading this message!  And so thankful for each of you who has prayed, encouraged, and/or supported this work financially.  We can't do this without you!

Last week, in Cameroon, we saw the beginning of silos breaking down - silos that exist between church denominations, government, education, and business.  It was beautiful to watch the dialogue begin as people began to stop pointing fingers at the other for the cause of problems and begin to see opportunities for how to work together.  And the opportunities are many. The theme of the BAM Cameroon conference was "Synergy for Transformation" and we definitely saw synergy and discussed practical ways to move forward for transformation.

The government of Cameroon wants to equip 500,000 youth every year in doing business but does not have the capacity to mentor and teach them.  But churches have the natural environments to disciple and teach a healthy theology of work.  Faith and work NGOs present have the ability to mentor and provide guidance for new and emerging entrepreneurs.  Educators need to focus on character development, as well as creating not just job seekers but job makers.  

It was a refreshing, healthy dialogue with members of government, education, church, and business present.  There were two phrases that they caught and kept repeating:  "The purpose of Sunday is Monday" and "We don't have problems.  We have opportunities."  Those two phrases alone indicate the beginning of a paradigm shift.

It was time well spent.  Please continue to pray that the seeds planted, and the action steps that each group made, will result in growth for the flourishing of Cameroon, to the glory of God!

Nurturing Hope in Burundi

In my life, I have seen time and again that the rich have hope, the poor have faith, and together we can produce love.

This past week we were busy nurturing hope among 400 young adults (aged 18-35) in Burundi.  The hope planting began last year, when we started a five-year plan to develop entrepreneurship through young adults from twelve churches in four different cities in Burundi.  These young adults have been on a path for 15 months so far.  Last year, they learned about the God of business and about a healthy theology of work.  Then they went through DML's basic business training.  This year, they started with mentoring and working on their business plan.

And this past week, because of the generosity of many of you, we brought these young adults together, under one roof, for six days of singing, praying, laughing, playing, and learning.  It was an amazing time.  There was so much energy!  

Our goal was to provide inspiration for these young adults.  Inspiration to work as worship.  Inspiration to see themselves as co-creators with God.  Inspiration to be job makers, not just job seekers.  Inspiration to think outside the box.  Inspiration to create wealth in God's way and to manage wealth in God's way.  Inspiration to break strongholds that say "I can't" or "I have nothing" or even "I am nothing."  Inspiration to break the bondage of poverty and develop a vision future.

And from everything we heard from those gathered, that mission was accomplished.  

These were some of the testimonies from a few of these young adults:

• From a young man:  I had a farm where I was growing sweet potatoes. Thinking creatively about my work, I started making flour from the sweet potatoes.  Now I'm making donuts from that flour. It is seen as an innovative product and people love the taste, so many are coming to buy.  Demand is high!  
• 
  From a young woman:  I felt I had no future before going through DML. But after the training, I started to think about what I could do for myself. I started working as a home servant and began to save, as that is something we had been taught in DML.  I have been saving money to buy a sewing machine and will have enough money to do so in a few months. I have saved 500,000 Burundian francs (about $174). I want to be a job maker and not just a job seeker! I know have a vision for the future! This message was so important for me to hear, and it needs to go out to all youth! 
  
• From a young man, who is also a DML trainer:  I was trained by DML in 2021.  I thought that I was going to a conference to learn about evangelism, but rather found myself in a conference about development.  But I learned that evangelism and development can go hand in hand!  At the time I went through the training, I was working for the government.  I even had a car that I could use from that position.  But because of this training, I realized that I could go into business for myself and be a job maker.  I began to develop my vision.  I then left my government job and people thought I was crazy.  But I have been blessed to be able to buy many hectares of land for cultivation and the business has grown.  I currently employ 17 people and this September I will expand again and hope to have thirty employees.  I am so happy to get up and go to work every day, and I love doing discipleship with my employees!  I thank God for the chance to learn about work as worship - it has brought me much more joy every day!

Today (Monday), I begin the trip from Burundi to Cameroon, where DML is engaged in the launching of BAM Cameroon.  We pray that seeds of networking and collaboration amongst key institutions may result in fruit that will be for the flourishing of this country and its people!  Please pray along with us!

The God of Justice

Greetings from Burundi, where we are having an entrepreneurship training with 400 youth this week. We'd appreciate your prayers!

In our trainings, we seek to help people understand how they reflect the characteristics of God through their work, as image bearers.  We consider six different attributes of God:  He is revelatory, creative, providential, just, compassionate, and redemptive.  Most of our work fits into one of these six characteristics.  Most of the time, people in the workshop recognize themselves in each of these categories, except one:  Justice.

I've wondered why that is - is it that the church doesn't attract people who are in the field of justice or people who choose the field of justice are not typically Christian?  Or is it just that those who are in justice aren't attracted to our workshop?  

Thankfully, this seems to be changing with several of our partners.  The DML team in Burundi has been invited to engage senators, justices, and the police department with topics relating to faithfulness in the workplace.  Our partner in Tanzania is seeing the prison ministry embracing DML and teaching the prison staff as well as the prisoners about work as worship.  

And on Friday night, while still in Togo, we had a visit from brother Charles (pictured on the right with Pastor Theo on the left) who went through the DML training in January and has turned himself into a trainer.  He is CEO of a Security Guard company, with about 40 guards.  Security guards are everywhere you go in Africa - it is one of the largest job opportunities across Africa.  Churches, businesses, homes  - all have 24/7 security guards.  Yet the people are often not paid well, and are expected to work seven 12-hour shifts per week, with no days off.  This can result in the guards stealing from those they are supposed to be protecting.

Charles felt convicted after the DML workshop as he realized that he was not contributing to the flourishing of his employees.  He began to change his perspective on his business, from viewing it as a means for profit, to viewing it as a means to bring flourishing to his employees and customers.  Since January, he has seen a tremendous change in his security guards and in his company.  He had brought this training to other security guard companies as well, and has been hired by one large company to do all the training of their employees.  He has started attending Bible school as he wants to learn more about discipleship in the workplace.  He says he now loves his work. We thank God for Charles and how he has embraced and applied this message!  

We also have an upcoming opportunity in Cameroon, where the government, educators, church, and businesspersons are coming together for a two day conference to discuss how these institutions can work together.  They will be launching the BAM Cameroon ministry at this event, and our prayer is that we may stop pointing fingers at each other and rather find a way to come together for the flourishing of the nation and all citizens.  

They do have needs to meet this budget and I would humbly request your prayerful consideration to support this effort.  DML has already contributed some funds toward this conference, but as more is needed, I would invite you read more about its purpose and needs by clicking here.  If you decide to partner with us in this effort, please click here if you are in the US or here if you are in Canada (find my name in the drop down for missionaries in Africa).  Please put "BAM Cameroon" in the comment section.

We thank you in advance for your consideration!  Please continue to pray with us as we continue to share the good news that work is a gift of God - something to be treasured and done with excellence - not part of the curse!

Exploring Benin: From Voodoo to Vibrant Markets

Greetings from Togo!  I left Benin yesterday, and as it was my first visit there, I wanted to share a bit with you about what I learned.  As you can see on the map, Benin is a country that borders Togo, Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina Faso.  This country was colonized by France and French is the official language.  

Cotonou, the largest city, is right on the ocean and is a beautiful, clean city with very large beaches, covered with coconut trees!  And while flying in, I saw amazing fish industries, structured in ways that I've not seen before - apparently the government is pushing this, and it seems to be doing well!

Benin is a country of just under 13 million people, with about 51% Christian, 30% Muslim, and the rest mainly traditional.  Of the Christians, about half are Catholic.  Benin is considered the birthplace of voodoo. I was told that the word "voodoo" came from Catholics who declared the traditional religion and witchcraft to be like worshipping the golden calf by the Israelites.  The French for "golden calf" is "veau doré" - hence the word voodoo.  Unfortunately, many who belong to one religion or the other often continue to practice voodoo, to cover all their bases.  Interestingly, Fetish priests are given a Bible when they are about to die since they don't need voodoo in their next life - they are told to leave the voodoo behind and go and meet their Creator.

About 70% of the population relies on agriculture, producing yams, cassava, corn, and many other crops.  The majority of their exports go to Bangladesh.

In Benin, we shared the message with the Christian Missionary Alliance (CMA) Church, thanks to the work of Pastor Theo, who leads DML for the CMA in Burkina Faso and West Africa.  He has been working so hard and traveling so much!  He has introduced DML to Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, and Benin, and soon will start in Guinea.  I am learning from him as he contextualizes the message for French-speaking Africa.  He is an amazing teacher!

He shared this message yesterday with the DML Global team on WhatsApp:

Hello Brethren, the DML movement continues across the nations. This week Benin received the message. You know, Benin is known to be the center of voodoo practices and we passed through (the city of) Ouidah where the Python temple stands. Let us pray that Benin will now be a center where Christ is glorified by marketplace leaders. Many African businesspeople travel to Benin to get satanic blessings from voodoo. May that change now, in the name of Jesus.

Today we begin training in Togo - we will do a two-day workshop with the Church of Pentecost, a two-day workshop with the Baptist Church, and every evening will be with the Christian Missionary Alliance, teaching our Basic Business Skills class.  It will be a busy four days!  I then fly to Burundi, where we will start a Work as Worship Entrepreneurship Training for 400 youth on Monday, July 1.  

I continue to thank God for traveling mercies!  I almost was not able to enter Togo (long story) and yet God, through His people, provided a way.

While I was waiting for my ride the other day, I noticed something crawling up my skirt.  I shook it off (admittedly with a jump and scream) and then took a picture of it with my foot, to show scale.  It was as wide as my foot!  No idea what it is - they have a local name for it here - but I was closely watching for bugs for the rest of the day as I felt them crawling all over!

May God bless you this week as you seek to serve Him and the people around you through your work!

"Business people are not Christians."

Greetings from Ghana, where I am ready to travel to the fourth city to present the message of "Work as Worship."  I started presentations last week in Kumasi (west), then to Tamale (north), then to Navrongo (far north, almost to Burkina Faso border), and now to Ho (east).  Lots of driving this past week!  Thankful to God for safety! On Thursday, I will leave for Benin.

The quote in the title, "Business people are not Christians," was spoken to me by a young pastor in Kumasi.  He continued by saying, "They are not Christians because Christians have given their whole selves to Jesus and business people clearly have not done that."

Thankfully, by the end of the workshop, he had changed his perspective.  

But how sad that it was even spoken.  And I know that if it was spoken by one pastor, it was likely in the minds of others. 

There is such a tension between business people and pastors in many churches.  Recently I attended a service that included three offerings and six announcements of fees that were due.  If my pocket was empty, I would be inclined to stay home from church.  The same service announced about eight different programs that were going on during the week, encouraging all members to come.  While these programs are designed to be helpful with discipleship, they put a lot of pressure on those who are doing business six days a week, often for 10 hours a day (especially in cities where traffic is terrible), not to mention other obligations.

We had important discussions about the challenge of church attendance becoming the "end" or the goal, rather than transformed lives through whole-life discipleship.  Members who do not attend Sundays and Wednesdays and many of the other meetings can be viewed as "back-sliders" by the pastors.  Those who attend regularly are assumed to be "right with God."

In the north, we had debates about whether pastors could be co-vocational - doing both business and pastoring a church.  Knowing the challenges of poverty faced by members in predominantly rural/agricultural settings, my tongue-in-cheek initial response was, "If your church isn't paying you enough to take care of yourself and your family, then you should do business.  Otherwise, you may be tempted to become creative with trying to get more from members, charging fees-for-service for prayers and blessings."  That got a good laugh (mostly because everyone knows that to be true) and then ensued a good discussion.

I spent an afternoon with the youth (ages 20-40!) to talk about entrepreneurship and had excellent discussions about the need for each person to release their potential in order that others may also release their potential.  For example, a farmer produces crops, which when are consumed releases potential in the person eating the food.  Those people then do their work, maybe as a mechanic, which releases the potential of someone to drive from point A to point B to do their work.  And on and on.  We emphasized that you can't do just one thing - everything is connected!

Sadly, starting a business is often viewed as a sign of failure for those who get a college education. So we talked about the value of being job makers and not just job seekers.  What a privilege to be able to provide a job for someone, where they can flourish and their family can flourish!

Lots of good and important discussion.  Discipling Marketplace Leaders stands on such a solid Biblical foundation that the debates that ensue can almost always be resolved by going to Scripture.  

But soooooo much work to do to help churches get a healthy theology of work and begin to understand the importance of teaching wealth creation and wealth management from God's perspective.  

It looks like another denomination might formally join with DML and set up a workplace department, which will bring our partners in Ghana to four.  We thank God for what He is continuing to do and that we get to join Him! Please continue to pray for the seeds planted!

Leaders for Assemblies of God in Northern Ghana

Faithfulness in the Workplace

Greetings from Ghana!  So thankful for traveling mercies!  

I was recently asked to give a speech for a large international company on “Faithfulness in the Workplace.”  The company executives were looking to encourage their employees to be more faithful in achieving the company goals, but of course, the responsibility for employee faithfulness is not a one-way street.

As I considered the topic, I realized that we don’t hear the word “faithfulness” in the workplace very often anymore – we hear more about loyalty.  Loyalty is defined as a "strong feeling of support or allegiance," but the word "faithfulness" is richer - it goes deeper than loyalty. 

There are two main components to faithfulness:  1. It is the willingness and 2. the ability to complete a job. 

And in this definition, the two-way street in terms of the relationship between employee and employer becomes very obvious. 

Let’s look at the employee first. 

A faithful worker is one who is WILLING to complete a job regardless of their personal feelings.  They don’t only do the jobs they like but they consider all the tasks that need to be done for the flourishing of the customer, the work environment, and the company.  Being willing is about our attitude and it is about the only thing in life that we can control.

It reminds me of the Circles of Control, Influence, and Concern by Stephen Covey (author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), which describes the largest circle in the picture as the circle of concern.  Unfortunately, this is where we spend most of our time but where we have the least amount of influence or impact.  The middle circle is the circle of influence.  That is where we spend some of our time, seeking to influence those in our inner circles.  The smallest circle at the center is the circle of control. This is where we often spend the least amount of time and when explored, we find that the only thing we really can control is our attitude and how we respond to things that concern us or deal with the areas of potential influence.  This is where willingness and understanding can be developed. 

But a faithful worker is also ABLE to complete the job.  They have the skills and resources to be successful in terms of their goals and the company’s goals.  Ability includes physical, mental, legal, moral, financial, and spiritual capacity.  It comes from education, training, mentoring, resources, networks, and access.  In our Christian life, it is called discipleship.  And in our workplace, we also need the tools and resources to help us have the ability to do the job.  For Christians, understanding that work is to be done as an act of worship increases our spiritual ability to integrate faith into all aspects of life.  It then motivates us to be successful in all other abilities, as we recognize ourselves as co-laborers, co-creators, with the most high God.  

Companies need to help create an environment that allows their employees to flourish.  Employees need to challenge their personal circle of control, to strive for the customer to flourish.  The reality is that when the primary goal in a business is the flourishing of all, the company will do better.  Goals will be achieved.  Turnover will reduce.  

And so, on this Monday morning, we can ask ourselves, 

1. 
   How willing am I to do all the tasks on my list for this day and this week?  How willing am I, even if I don't like my boss, colleagues, or the work itself?  Who am I working for today?  God or man?
2. How able am I to do the work that has been given to me to do?  Am I seeking to improve, to do it with even greater excellence?  If so, where can I get the help to grow in my ability?
   

Usually, if we are struggling in our work, there is a challenge in one of these two areas.  Remember that we can't control our boss or our workplace, but we can control our attitude.  And when we turn our work over to God and do it for Him and the flourishing of this world, it can get easier!  If you need a Biblical example of this, read about Joseph and Daniel - two men who worked as slaves and captives, yet worked with excellence and not only flourished for themselves but brought about flourishing for many others.

May God bless you in this work week, whether you work in the home or outside the home!

Five Countries, Eight Cities, and Eight Partners in Five Weeks

This Friday, June 7, I leave for Africa again, and I will be spending most of my time in West and Central Africa.  I will start in Ghana, where I will spend time with each of our three partners there (Assemblies of God Ghana, SIM, and Hopeline Institute), doing training in four different cities:  Kumasi, Tamale, Navrongo, and Ho (see yellow stars on map).  I am blessed to join with three amazing DML leaders there:  Rev. Derek Amoo-Sakyi, Yvonne Mildred, and Apostle Emmanuel pictured below (L to R). 

Ghana Team

From Ghana, I will travel to Benin, where I will be joined by Pastor Theo from Burkina Faso, who is leading the workplace discipleship ministry for the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination in Francophone West Africa. The CMA in Benin has called for this opportunity, and Pastor Theo has responded!  This will be my first time in Benin.

Pastor Theo

Pastor Theo has also started work in Togo, but that work has gone beyond the CMA to the Pentecostal and Baptist churches, with the help of our Life Ministries (CRU) partner.  We will be doing the "Work As Worship" workshop and the Basic Business Training while in Togo.  DML started in Togo in 2023 and we are seeing a good reception and application! 

From Togo, I will travel to Burundi, where I will join the amazing DML team that is doing youth entrepreneurship with 400 youth in twelve churches.  The trainers for these 400 youth are pictured in blue shirts below.  DML Burundi is doing a five-year study to see the impact of church-based workplace discipleship on youth (aged 18-35) and the greater community at large.  We will be gathering all 400 youth for one week to do some intensive business training and inspirational teaching on work as worship.

DML Burundi Trainers

Lastly, I will travel to Cameroon for the launch of a "BAM Cameroon" initiative.  BAM Cameroon is a consortium of churches, businesses, government, and education, looking to see how these institutions work together for the flourishing of the nation.  I have been asked to speak on the roles of these institutions and how they can complement and not compete with each other.  

Please pray for this trip and all the different opportunities that are involved in it!

As a DML team, we have been spending our time in the book of Ezra where the people are engaged in rebuilding the temple of God.  In this book, we have seen the role of the prophets in not only calling the people to that work but also joining in that work (Ezra 5).  The DML team is also seeing our team members learning to "flex" their prophetic voice as they call the church to a new understanding of a holistic gospel from a Sovereign God.  The evidence of this voice is showing up in multiple new partnerships across Africa.  We are thankful for the old and new voices that are being brought into this message of purpose and meaning for each person!  In just this past week alone, I had conversations with potential partners in Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Chad, and the Congo, with more voices looking to join this movement!

God is at work in rebuilding His temple through His people and we are delighted to join Him!

How the World Gives

I've been engaged in connecting Christians to global ministry opportunities for 27 years and have learned a lot along the way.  You'll notice I didn't say, "I've been engaged in fund-raising for 27 years," as that term connotes a singular direction of getting money from people for ministry.  I've learned, with God's help, that my work is to tell the story of what He is doing and invite people to participate.  That type of partnership goes both ways and is a much healthier approach.  DML has been blessed with many loyal donors who not only believe in the vision but also seek to live it out in their own lives - what a blessing!

Over the years, as I've sought to grow in wisdom in this subject matter, I have become curious about how the world gives.  This is in part because DML is currently trying to help our implementing partner ministries find connections with Christians in their local community who can also partner in this work.  And what I'm learning is fascinating (maybe just to me...I know not everyone loves statistics!).

So let me share some facts that I read from the websites cited below:

• 72% of the world's population supports others. I've helped people with their budgeting in many warm cultures, and found that often upwards of 40% of their budget goes to helping family members, parents, the poor, and more!
• Religious people have a higher giving index.  However religious giving is less than it was during the Great Depression when giving was at 3.3%.  
• Jews outgive every other religious group for generosity.  Muslims are required to give 2.5% of their wealth.  Christians currently give 2.5% in the US, which is 7x the amount given by European counterparts and 2x the amount given by Canadians.  (As a Canadian, I'm a little surprised at this!  Canadians are known to be generous people!)
• The US gave $471 billion to charities in the year 2020.  Only 20% of that comes from companies; 80% from individuals.
• Of this, 41% goes to congregations, 3% goes to religious charities, and 27% goes to groups with no religious ties.  In total, 73% of all giving is connected to religion.  There are 25 churches for every Starbucks in the US, showing the strength of religious philanthropy in numbers.
• Immigrants give more than nationals.
• In the US, those making less than $50,000 a year give more in relation to total income than those in all other income ranges except the highest earners.  Those who make between $100,000-$500,000 are the least charitable in relation to gross income.
• The least likely reason for people to give is for a tax break.
• 84% of Millennials give; 59% of Gen X give; and 72% of Baby Boomers give.

[80+ Charitable Giving Statistics & Demographics (2023) (definefinancial.com); Less God, Less Giving? (philanthropyroundtable.org); World Giving Index 2023 | CAF (cafonline.org)]

The report on the Great Commission (written about last week) shows that the additional information that the same small amount of money that is given to global missions is also lost to ecclesiastical crime.  That's a difficult number to accept. 

The often-overlooked statistic (in a world of "should" and "ought") is that generosity is linked to life satisfaction. It's what we were made to do - blessed to be a blessing!

Recently a donor shared with me how things have changed of late in terms of giving.  She relayed that growing up, she saw her grandparents and parents give out of the meager amounts that they had.  Today people seem to give out of their abundance but it is rarely sacrificial.  We talked about how sometimes we need to ask ourselves not "how much are we giving" but "how much are we keeping?"  [This reminds me of a not-so-great parenting moment I had when Hannah and Noah were about 10 and 8 years old.  I walked into the room as they were talking about the lottery winnings of 10 million dollars that the TV had advertised.  Hannah proudly said, "Mommy, if I win 10 million dollars, I'm going to give 9 million to the poor!"  Rather than thanking her for her generous heart and spirit, I instinctively responded, "Why do you need one million dollars for yourself?"  Case in point.  Not my best parenting moment, but it speaks to the question of how much should we keep? (Something that I had struggling with at that time in my work with the poor, and poor Hannah got the brunt of it!)]

Some of the challenges inherent in giving stems from our motivation.  Does it come from a "should?"  Does it come from a tradition or habit?  Or does it come from "blessed to be a blessing," an understanding that Christ's love compels us as we have been loved much (2 Cor. 5).  Does it come out of fellowship in the body of Christ?

The reality is that with finance, there are often strings attached.  This is even seen in New Testament times as Paul sometimes didn't want money from some people/places because of the expectation of recompense.  If we give to control, boast, or make strategic statements, control is not given to the Holy Spirit.

And so the struggle of how to give and how to be generous continues.  Our generosity goes beyond our treasure but also to our time and talent.  The struggle is real, as these statistics suggest.  But generosity does lead to life satisfaction.  True happiness comes from being involved in something greater than ourselves - as Christians we know this...but science is also catching on.  It's how we were created.  

At DML, we are looking for partners not donors.  Champions of the idea that work can and should be an act of worship.  This opportunity is global and has nothing to do with poverty.  But it can alleviate poverty.  And it can bring flourishing at a global level.  If you are interested in learning more, please email me!

State of the Great Commission Report: Exciting and Troubling

The Lausanne Commission released the State of the Great Commission Report about two weeks ago.  This paper has more than 150 authors, written over several years.  The timing of this report is in preparation for Lausanne 4, the meeting that will be held in Seoul in September.  While you can watch the entire presentation here, I thought I would highlight a few key takeaways.  

(I apologize - this are a lot of graphs in this post and I'm told that not everyone loves graphs - something I don't understand as a visual learner!)

The first graph titled the "Regional Christian Population" shows that the highest percentage of Christians was in Europe in 1900; the majority of Christians are now in Africa.  There are not a lot of surprises in this graph, but it's always interesting to look at the changes over 120 years relating to geography and Christianity.  This graph doesn't show gender info, but Christianity is made up of more females than males, therefore the average Christian today is an African female.

The second graph titled "Missionary Activity" shows that the US both receives the highest number of missionaries AND sends out the highest number of missionaries. What an interesting position for the US!

The third graph titled "Global Christianity" is rather sorry-looking, showing that the percentage of Christians in the world has not changed in 120 years.  While the number of Christians has increased with the population, the overall percentage has stayed the same.  This graph generates a lot of questions relating to what is working and what is not working, relating to fulfilling the Great Commission.

This leads to the graph titled the "Great Commission," relating to how Christians view this mandate, in terms of being prepared to share, and viewing it as essential or optional.  More Christians say they are not prepared to share and that sharing is optional. Another graph (not pictured here) shows that most Christians report that they are not discipled in the Great Commission Mandate, which may be the reason for people not feeling prepared to share.

This then leads to my favorite graph (in light of DML) entitled, "Call to Discipleship."  This graph asks the question, "In your context, when a person becomes a new believer in Christ, do you feel they are then adequately discipled in the following areas?"

The first area is "Biblical and Theological Understanding."  Most say they do limited discipleship (yellow circles).  

The next is "Christian Integration with Profession." This relates to the work that DML does, which is why it is interesting to us.  Surprisingly, most say that they do limited discipleship (I would have expected that percentage to be lower), but a significant percentage say they do no discipleship as it relates to the workplace.

This graph is important for two reasons.  The first is that it is SO exciting that this question is even being asked!  That tells me that the many ministries engaged in faith/work integration are raising awareness that this is a growing need and opportunity for the global church.  The second reason this is important is that we believe this graph is going to open more demands for workplace discipleship resources for the church.  And DML has been preparing for such a time as this!

DML continues to experience this growing demand (so far this year we have started in Benin, Malawi, Sierra Leone, South Africa, as well as some South Asian countries which will remain unnamed), but there are a few more things that we need to get done in preparation for the exposure that will come through the Lausanne 4 conference in Seoul!  

We are thankful for many partners who continue to join us through prayer, encouragement, financial support, and giving of time and talent!  We believe these requests will increase, as the global church begins to recognize the significant potential of fulfilling the Great Commission by releasing every person to be the church every day of the week!

We hope that you will join us as we seek to see the Great Commitment, Great Commandment, and Great Commission lived out in every workplace!  Please continue to pray for this message and for the work of the Global Church to be salt, light, and leaven in every place and space.

After Apartheid

There's no other way to say it - for me, it's uncomfortable to be white, Dutch, and reformed when in South
Africa.  Especially in a city like Cape Town, where excessive and obvious wealth is still held by many whites, and so much congestion and poverty is lived out by people of color.  As in many places where racism exists, these two drastically different situations are often divided by just a highway or a train track.  On one side are incredibly beautiful mansions - on the other side are clutters of iron-sheet houses, practically on top of each other, each with a TV dish on the top.  One way to escape the despair of poverty, I would guess.

I taught at a black church in an area where many people of color were forced to live during apartheid.  It is a place marked by drug addiction and alcoholism.  I was the only white person at this church and, while that is the case for most places I go in Africa, I was particularly self-conscious of it in this church.

Yet, I was met with grace and warmth. It was quite surprising. During my few days there, relationships grew and stories were shared.  I was humbled by their acceptance.  I was not taken on tours of the beautiful nature surrounding this city, but rather the tragic history of the ugliness of apartheid. I grew increasingly angry during this time but found that my hosts were not. Given that it has only been thirty years since apartheid ended, I wondered how this could be.  

There is no simple answer for this, but one point of significance seems to be that South Africa is a country where the majority are people of color.  When apartheid ended, people of color took control of the government and quickly worked toward economic empowerment for black-owned businesses, restoration of land claims, and more.  

The young woman in the picture with me has a degree in conservation and had never heard creation care taught within a church building before!  She was super excited and can't wait to help churches create plans to promote stewardship of the environment, to the glory of God!

A rainbow could be seen over a vineyard as I left Cape Town.  Thankful to God for His presence in all places! 

From Sierra Leone to Cape Town: Quite the change!

Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa, which is known as one of the most beautiful cities in Africa.  After three weeks of limited electricity, connectivity, running water, and road challenges, I arrived in Cape Town with two suitcases that were full of water due to the downpour in Kenya.  But amazingly, I arrived at my hotel room to meet a washer/dryer - the first time I've ever had that in a hotel room! - and I was definitely in need of it!  I thank God for this provision! 

But back to Sierra Leone, this was my first official trip to Sierra Leone.  Having lived in Liberia for several years, there were a couple of times that I "dipped my toe" in the land of Sierra Leone when doing some work near the border.  I thought that I knew what Sierra Leone was like - I made some assumptions that it was similar to Liberia, and it is in some ways, but in many ways, it is not.

The biggest difference (from my limited perspective) is that Sierra Leone is about 77% Muslim and only 22% Christian, compared to Liberia which is majority Christian.  Sierra Leone is also more economically depressed than Liberia in terms of average income, which was a surprise to me.  For some reason, I always thought it was stronger than Liberia.  But driving through Sierra Leone last week was eye-opening to a significant level of poverty, coupled with a significant lack of access to stable electricity.  

So I moved from a heavy heart for Cameroon to a heavy heart for Sierra Leone.  In my conversations with Sierra Leoneans, there seemed to be a lack of "hope in the heart" for positive change anytime soon.  And, as is typical in many nations where we work, the answer for change seems always to be perceived as lying only in the hands of the government leaders.  [While it's true that the government wields power, seeing them as the only change agent often leaves us feeling like victims, as government behavior is often outside of our control.  Instead, we need to ask "what is in our hand" (i.e. what can WE do) especially as Christians, made in the image of God with the capacity to work and bring flourishing to a nation.]

As we drove through the country, I saw acre after acre of unused land.  I saw many, many mango trees, ripe with fruit, yet many mangoes were rotting on the ground.  

I saw latent potential, yet undeveloped and released, amongst people who seem to think that there is nothing "in their hand."

But then we spent two days with the leaders of the Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone.  There is a high degree of transparency and accountability within this church.  There is an openness and eagerness to look again at the structure of the church and examine if some methodologies could be changed.  The bishop is a humble servant, willing to listen, dialogue, and discuss how to bring positive change in discipleship within the denomination.  

We are excited to work with the Wesleyan Church as they implement workplace ministries in their local assemblies and begin to help those without hope to see that they are a miracle, made in the image of God, with the potential to be the answer to someone else's prayer through their work!

PS - You may have seen that we have a matching grant campaign for scholarships going on for the last four weeks and we are close to reaching the end of this campaign.  We can't over-emphasize the potential for change that can come as pastors and church leaders who hear the message of "work as worship," revealing the God of Business and the need for discipleship in the workplace.  These scholarships allow pastors, church leaders, businessmen, and businesswomen to see their individual purpose, and the purpose of the church, with new eyes.  We have an incredible opportunity in a $20,000 matching grant for scholarships and wish to invite you to join this effort and see your gift doubled!  These funds will impact many church leaders and will allow us to continue to promote the message that our work matters to God.  If you have already given, we thank you!  If you would like to give, please click here.  

Thank you for your continued partnership!  This work can't be done without you!