What
responsibility does a Christian leader have to express faith in, through and to, the
organisation he/she leads?
Whether your
business is a for profit entity or a ministry such as a campsite, care facility,
school or other form of ministry; as a Christian leader or leader in a Christian
run enterprise/ministry we have a responsibility to not only represent the
founding vision, mission and core values but to represent the King of the Kingdom
in and through that organisation.
Putting your
business in his hands on a daily basis enables us to keep a right focus on all
we do; that we are serving the King of kings in our enterprise and not just
doing a job from which we make our living.
His wisdom, knowledge,
understanding, heart and passion should be the motivating force behind all we
do and it should show in the way we behave (character) and all we say (charisma).
To this end
Christ will be the reference point to do the job to the best of our abilities,
not to shirk on duties just because the boss isn’t looking (your bosses boss is
always watching).
Is your business
a kingdom business?
Is your church/
ministry/ school etc a kingdom church/ ministry/ school?
If so it means
that you are focused on building His kingdom through all that you do (not just
your kingdom). This does not only apply
to what we might call front line people (ie those that have a direct
interaction with members/ clients/ students etc) but applies to the accountant,
the chef, the cleaning staff, the maintenance person, the receptionist and admin staff
and all behind the scenes people etc. If each of us is operating at a kingdom level it will show in an excellent
spirit, a helpful and friendly attitude and where possible the opportunity to
share Christ either as a witness to his glory, evangelistic gospel sharing, or
opportunity to console or pray with someone suffering.
As the
owner/ manager, do you reflect these values in your client and staff
interactions and do you encourage them to do likewise in theirs?
Ken Costa, a London-based investment banker, in his book ‘God at Work’ makes this powerful comment: “If the Christian faith is not relevant in the work place, it is not relevant at all.”
'There is a new generation of business leaders who see the world differently. For them, God has called them into business. Their company is to be used by God for His purposes. They are passionate about creating products or services. They love marketing and sales. They are always mindful of the bottom line. But there is a higher calling. Everything that the church stands for is actually expressed in “real terms” in their business.'
Derek Brown, Rediscovering the Kingdom
'Maturity does not come with age; it comes with the acceptance of responsibility. The decision to be responsible for our actions and performance in life is critical.'
Rohan Dredge,
Pastor
Discovery Church
Are you being responsible and mature with your Christianity in your workplace?
Manager for CSC Buying Group. He has a
wealth of experience in marketing, publishing,
printing and finance in the small business area
as well as Christian ministry. He is passionate
about helping Christian ministries be more
effective. He has a B.Bus (Management &
Marketing), an Advanced Diploma in Ministry
and is a practising ordained minister.