IBAM EP65: How Everyday Work Becomes Ministry (and Why It’s Time to Rethink Success) from 35+ Leaders

“Your boardroom can be a pulpit. Your business plan can be a discipleship strategy. Your giving can be an eternal investment.” — IBAM

How Everyday Work Becomes Ministry (and Why It’s Time to Rethink Success) from 35+ Leaders

What if your business did more than succeed?
What if it made disciples?

That’s the question shaping a quiet revolution happening across Africa, Asia, and North America—a movement where entrepreneurs are becoming disciple-makers and companies are becoming Kingdom outposts.

This isn’t a theory. It’s happening right now through the International Business as Mission (IBAM) network, and at the upcoming Kingdom Impact Summit (Nov 4–6, 2025) you’ll see how founders, investors, and pastors are re-imagining work as worship.

Whether you lead a business, a church, or a household, this post will show you:

✅ How to design your work around disciple-making
✅ Real stories of entrepreneurs transforming cities
✅ Simple frameworks you can use this quarter
✅ How to join a global movement that’s redefining impact

Work Is Worship—and Work Is Witness

For decades, Christians have separated “sacred” and “secular.” Sundays belong to God; Mondays belong to spreadsheets. But Scripture never made that divide.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord.” — Colossians 3:23

When your business becomes a platform for love, integrity, and discipleship, every meeting becomes ministry. Payroll is provision. Coaching sessions become mentorship moments.

At IBAM, we call this shift Business as Mission—the integration of biblical discipleship and economic impact so that every workplace can multiply both faith and fruit.

🧩 The Kingdom Framework: “Calling → Build → Fruit”

Most entrepreneurs ask, “What should I build?” Kingdom entrepreneurs start earlier—with Calling.

1️⃣ Calling: What has God placed in your hand—and where?
Like Moses’ staff or David’s sling, the gifts already in your hand are the raw materials of your mission.

2️⃣ Build: How do you design the business so that it forms people, not just products?
This includes your culture, rhythms, and governance. Systems can disciple, if built with intention.

3️⃣ Fruit: What outcomes does your model reliably produce—spiritually, economically, and socially?

IBAM teaches leaders to track all three:

Spiritual: disciples made, Scriptures opened, lives transformed
Economic: jobs created, profit reinvested, stability increased
Social: communities strengthened, vulnerable protected

That’s the new Kingdom ROI—a triple bottom line of people, purpose, and profit for the glory of God.

☕ Aziza’s Story: Five Branches of Faith in Central Asia

Aziza started with coffee and flowers in her living room. No investors. No business plan. Just obedience.

Today she leads five thriving branches across Central Asia, hiring young missionaries and discipling them through work.

“IBAM helped me see that my business is God’s business.” — Aziza

Her story mirrors the miracle of the loaves and fishes. What seemed small—one woman, one coffee pot—became abundance when surrendered to God.

At the Summit, Aziza’s framework will come alive through practical sessions that help you:

Identify the “five loaves” in your own hands
Align business structure with spiritual mission
Measure results that actually matter

👉 Lesson: Don’t wait for scale to start serving. Start where you are. God multiplies the small when it’s surrendered.

⚙️ Suryan’s Story: The Culture Flywheel

In Indonesia, Suryan employs university students struggling financially. They work, pray, and grow together. His secret? A simple rhythm called the

Kingdom Culture Flywheel:

Hire → Coach → Measure → Celebrate → Correct → Multiply

Hire for heart, not just skill. Look for teachability.
Coach weekly. Skill development + soul care.
Measure what matters. Track excellence and discipleship.
Celebrate wins publicly. What gets celebrated gets repeated.
Correct with grace. Truth spoken in love forms character.
Multiply leaders. Equip others to replicate the cycle.

1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 says, “Work with your hands… so that you may walk properly before outsiders.”

That’s exactly what Surya’s doing—turning his business into a living testimony.

👉 Action Step: Pick one rhythm—like weekly 1-on-1 coaching—and make it consistent for the next 30 days.

🌍 Across Africa: When Business Heals Cities

In Zambia and Kenya, IBAM partners are proving that the Gospel and good business belong together.

Fegas Kaumba runs a logistics company that funds discipleship training. Elijah Avesa oversees a poultry venture that supports church programs.
Their companies have become community incubators—teaching integrity, creating jobs, and discipling young leaders.

This is Jeremiah 29:7 in motion:

“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city… for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

We call this the Shalom Economy—where business leaders pursue holistic flourishing: spiritual, economic, and social.

🧱 The Summit Framework: Three Days That Could Redefine Your Year

The Kingdom Impact Summit (Nov 4–6) is your field manual for this new way of working.

🕊️ Day 1 — Foundations: Calling, Identity & Culture

Keynote: Mike Baer, father of the global Business-as-Mission movement.
You’ll learn:

How to architect your business model as a discipleship system
The rhythms and governance patterns of a Kingdom company
Why identity and culture determine sustainability

⚒️ Day 2 — Build: Models, Marketing & Operations That Disciple

Keynote: Ken Gosnell, CEO Experience & author of Well Done.
Learn to:

Translate values into manager rituals and scorecards
Use integrity-based KPIs that measure fruit, not just performance
Create spirit-led marketing and soul-honoring sales

🕰️ Day 3 — Scale & Legacy: Wealth, Post-Exit & Ecosystems

Keynote: Cary Summers, President Emeritus, Museum of the Bible.
Explore:

How to scale excellence without losing your witness
Legacy governance and succession for family and faith
Building networks and ownership models that outlive you

Every session is free for 24 hours, with Lifetime Access upgrades available for deeper learning and team implementation.

🙋‍♂️ Common Questions (and Real Answers)

“I’m too busy.”

That’s why each session is on-demand for 24 hours. Watch during lunch, early morning, or after work.

“I’m not a CEO.”

Perfect. This Summit is for anyone who wants their work to serve the Gospel—employees, pastors, donors, and dreamers alike.

“Isn’t mixing faith and business risky?”

It’s risky only if you’re using people. When you serve people, faith and business merge beautifully. Paul made tents. Lydia sold textiles. Both preached with their lives.

📖 Biblical Anchors for the BAM Movement

Belief

“I’m not qualified.”

“Business isn’t ministry.”

“Giving doesn’t matter.”

“I’m too small.”

“I might fail.”

Scripture

Exodus 4:10–12

Colossians 3:23

Mark 12:41–44

Luke 16:10

Matthew 14:29

Reframe

God equips the called.

Work is worship.

God multiplies the small.

Faithful with little → ruler over much.

Jesus honors the step of faith.

💼 From the Field: Voices of Transformation

Patience Chiesu (Africa):

“IBAM has helped me grow as a person and a business owner. I’m more determined than before.”

Mapheso Shillai (Zambia):

“I’ve learned to share my faith effectively and encourage youth to engage in business for collective well-being.”

Elijah Avesa:

“Our chicken business now sustains ministry programs and spreads the Gospel.”

These aren’t charity cases—they’re case studies of sustainable discipleship through enterprise.

💡 Why This Matters Right Now

In a world weary of charity fatigue and “one-time fixes,” the next generation of Christian entrepreneurs is looking for a model that multiplies.

Traditional charity gives relief.

Business as Mission gives restoration.

It restores dignity through work, discipleship through mentorship, and hope through sustainability.

“We don’t do handouts—we launch entrepreneurs and multiply impact.”

That’s the heartbeat of IBAM.

🧰 How to Apply This to Your Own Business

Here are 5 practical steps to start turning your workplace into a disciple-making environment this quarter:

1️⃣ Pray over your calendar. Dedicate meetings, goals, and partnerships to God’s purpose.
2️⃣ Audit your culture. Ask: “Does our system form people or just track performance?”
3️⃣ Integrate Scripture. Begin staff meetings with a short reflection or prayer.
4️⃣ Mentor intentionally. Choose one employee or peer to coach both professionally and spiritually.
5️⃣ Measure fruit, not just profit. Track generosity, integrity, and testimonies as metrics of success.

Small steps compound into eternal impact.

🌱 The Belief Shift

Old Paradigm: “Ministry happens at church.”
New Paradigm: “Ministry happens wherever believers create value.”

Every invoice, handshake, and leadership decision can reflect Christ.
That’s not extra spirituality—it’s ordinary obedience.

💖 The Heart Behind IBAM

IBAM exists to empower, educate, and equip believers to disciple nations through business.

Through micro-loans, biblical training, and mentorship, $10 a month can:

Launch new Kingdom entrepreneurs in developing nations
Fund training programs for pastors and churches
Send transparent reports showing exactly how impact grows

It’s the widow’s mite multiplied.

“If you’ve ever wondered whether $10 can make a difference in the Kingdom, you’re not doubting generosity—you’re doubting multiplication.”

🙏 Closing Reflection

Wherever you are—executive, entrepreneur, pastor, or parent—God can use what’s in your hand.

“Father, thank You for calling us into Your work. Give us wisdom to build with excellence, love to serve people well, and courage to obey You in every decision. Multiply the fruit of every company, every family, and every church represented here—that Jesus would be known and loved.”

Amen.

🚀 Ready to Take the Next Step?

🎟️ Join the Kingdom Impact Summit (Nov 4–6)