The Art of Multi-Tasking: Conducting a business while making disciples
By Larry Johnson, Kingdom Growers Church Relations Director
Think ahead. To truly be effective, a mission-integrated business needs to support more than evangelism. It needs to strategically encourage discipleship.”Discipleship” is a noun and describes a Christian’s relationship to Jesus. That relationship can begin even before a person becomes a follower of Jesus. A person can be “discipled” into becoming a believer when they read the Bible and learn more about God. Those actions can start the relationship.Once a person becomes a believer, he or she needs help walking through the process of growing in Christ. This should include assistance with the spiritual disciplines of prayer, scripture reading, evangelism, study, worship, confession of sin and others.Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” The obvious goal is to be Christ-like in our life. We will never attain this goal, but we can grow to be more like him over time.And, believe it or not, a business can help Christians grow in that relationship.Occasionally, we have theological discussions about our work at Kingdom Growers. We see it as an opportunity to facilitate the making of Christian disciples.The word, “facilitate,” means “to make easy or easier.” We facilitate a lot of things. Kingdom Growers offers farmers and cooperatives easier access to markets through training and consulting. But we also make it easier for missionaries to develop relationships with locals through programs that help growers increase their earnings. Those relationships can encourage discipleship.We make it easier for churches to create mission opportunities, as well, by providing quality coffee. When congregations serve good coffee, they enhance social and spiritual interaction among visitors and members. And through those relationships, church members can share Christ’s message. And thus, discipleship happens again.What can your business do to help churches and missionaries build relationships? How can you facilitate discipleship?