One thing is for sure - we’re about unity.

We’ve had many conversations with church leaders who see the potential for more Kingdom impact through missional business and want to see a way forward…

The truth is this: business and the Church (on a global and local level) are not at odds. God designed us to function and feed together, in one body. Work is worship - no matter where you find yourself, and God calls it good.

But also, we get it. Starting a conversation to bridge the divide between these two perceived “sacred and secular” spaces in your local context can feel daunting. We hope these next few paragraphs leave you feeling more equipped to tackle that.

After all, we’re so much better together.

Before we give you our 3 tips, here are two interview segments we conducted with Canadian pastors:

Here are 3 Ways Church Leaders Can Start To Engage Their Business People:

1) Gain an understanding of a different daily context.

Although you come together on a Sunday and are found in the same space, it doesn’t mean that your point of view and understanding of life and daily rhythms are the same too. We serve each other better when we are curious, learn and grow from each others’ perspectives.

Work is a means to outwork God’s calling on our lives - and no matter the profession or discipline you find yourself in, it’s ministry. What is your theology of work? As BAM Canada, we believe “Business As Mission” is the most practical and tangible way to bring Heaven down to Earth - through business and work. After all, we spend the majority of our waking hours at work somewhere!

BAM is not “a Christian business” or “Christians in business”. It’s a totally new framework and a redemptive way of setting up, engaging in and outworking business in the day-to-day. It’s very practical in being Kingdom-minded in your work.

For more on the Business As Mission movement, we recommend starting with:

Visiting BAM Global’s website for significant additional information and a Global context.

For the Canadian Business As Mission context, we recommend:

Starting here, with our blogs and resource page.
Signing up for our newsletter - for even more context and understanding.
Joining the Network as a church leader - to meet and learn from others not in your field, on the app. Or, add this to your next board meeting/leadership agenda: becoming a member of the BAM Canada Network.

2) Pray for business people - in your congregation and community.

How do you tangibly care for others as pastoral staff, leader or vocational minister? Here are some ways we’ve seen pastors do this:

They meet with business owners, entrepreneurs and workplace professionals (perhaps at their places of work) for the sole purpose of praying with and for them. Specifically, ask:
- How is God blessing them in their work or business, and how are they helping people (employees, customers, suppliers) to flourish?
- What are the challenges that their business, industry and/or company is facing – and what they would like included as you pray for them?
- How are they and their family being impacted and dealing with all of the workplace or business stressors?
On a Sunday, feature prayer for different workplaces, industries, business owners etc., regularly during gatherings. You probably already do this for politicians, health workers and teachers. Why not other areas of business?

We all want to be seen and known. We get to strengthen each other - from Monday to Sunday.

3) Take another step out of your comfort zone.

Business people are, at the end of the day, believers and regular human beings. We gently encourage you to shift away from a stance of intimidation: people in your congregation need and want to learn from you - and the opposite is true too.

Here are a few practical ways we’ve seen church leaders take action in their local context:

They take business people out for coffee - simply to ask questions (like the ones above!) and to listen. Not to ask them for anything.
They connect business owners to more resources, like the BAM Canada Network and opportunities to network for greater impact.
They engage in (free) BAM Canada events to hear others’ perspectives and stories.
They perform a sermon “audit”: when was the last time you preached about faith and work integration?
They engage in conversation with other churches, asking local leaders how they’re building into their business leaders and those in the workplace to create a thriving community. It’s not a competition.
They are aware of other like-minded resources and groups, such as: