4 Critical Things Business People Need from Pastors

Here is a brief overview of four critical things business people need from pastors, with specific suggestions on how to implement each one. (Pixabay)

In a previous post I shared "5 Things Every Pastor Needs to Know About Marketplace Leaders" on how to begin a business impact dialogue with your Pastor. This post continues the dialogue.

Believers in business need direct help from their pastors in how to be a better marketplace leader. Yet so many marketplace leaders I advise tell me their pastors rarely if ever speak to this real and urgent need.

Here is a brief overview of four critical things business people need from pastors with specific suggestions on how to implement each one.

1. Education

Education is about the "what." Marketplace believers need to understand exactly what the Word says about how to run a business.

Yes, there are many fine CEO roundtable faith-based groups that dive deep into how to integrate biblical principles at work. Yet the clear majority of your members do not belong to any of these excellent groups.

Even if you have limited for-profit work experience, you can educate your members on such topics as:

What a kingdom business looks like.
What it means to be a kingdom employee.
Key biblical leadership and business principles.

2. Application

Application focuses on the "How." It's one thing to have head knowledge; quite another to apply it.

Pastors can take a leading role in teaching members how to:

Better apply the Scriptures at work.
Know if we are on-track or off-track with the Word.
Encourage others (even non-believers) to work God's way.

3. Connection

Connection focuses on the "who." Pastors are great at connecting hobbyists in their congregations, be they golfers, hunters, baseball coaches, fishermen, scrapbookers, bargain shoppers and so on.

Pastors can easily offer a similar focus and connect marketplace workers to:

Other members who truly desire to honor God at their workplace.
Business mentors, advisors and coaches.
Christian business groups in our marketplace.
Biblically-based business training programs and resources such as my 55 Critical Resources for Believers in Business.

4. Manifestation

Manifestation focuses on how to lead, work and flourish through the leadership of Holy Spirit art work. This is exactly why I was led to write Our Unfair Advantage: How to Unleash the Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Business.

Pastors can their members in:

Recognizing where the Holy Spirit is already at work in our work.
Growing discernment and sensitivity to God's movement in our marketplace.
Being more Spirit-led and less flesh-led in our business.

Unlimited Impact

I encourage you to continue your dialogue and begin to build a business network with your pastors. Help them create a business ministry, be it as simple as a resource listing on your website or sponsoring business-focused workshops and outreach opportunities for your members and other local believers.

Imagine the potential marketplace impact of launching kingdom-focused training and connections through your church.

I exhort you to share this article with your pastor (and pastors to share it with your top business leaders), then follow up with a meeting to discuss how to integrate these suggestions in your church.

My prayer is that 100 of you will agree and comment below "I'm in" to dialogue with your pastor/business members on to better meet the needs of your marketplace leaders.

Dr. Jim Harris is the author of 14 award-winning business books including Our Unfair Advantage: Unleash the Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Business. Download his FREE tool, 55 Critical Resources for Believers in Business. Connect with Dr. Jim on Facebook LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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