About Our Father's Business

The Creator has gifted business leaders across America with the unique talent and ability to create. Through the company where you serve, you have the power to create jobs that bless families, invent products and services that make the world a better place, and create wealth that can solve some of the greatest needs on the planet and bring redemption and restoration to a lost and hurting world.

For the past several decades at the National Christian Foundation, I have witnessed the tremendous positive changes that generous businesses have created for their communities, employees, and the world. And I am encouraged by the growing trend of business owners using their giftedness to convert financial capital into spiritual capital that results in Kingdom impact. When business leaders are about their Father’s business, the returns are staggering and the results are eternal.

Today, America’s corporations are facing one of the greatest opportunities in history to harness creative talent for the greater good. Although the challenge is great—the whole church taking the whole Gospel to the whole world—we definitely find ourselves living during the greatest time in all of human history. The generosity that we experience as we resource the fulfilling of the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandments will bring life that is truly life.

Imagine a day when all business owners commit a percentage of their time, talent, and equity to accomplish this God-sized project. What changes could you create around the world through your company? There could be less hunger, more education, better healthcare, Scripture in every language, and countless more souls reached and restored through the love of Christ. In whatever way the Lord leads, I challenge you to become a more generous business…it’s the best investment you’ll ever make and the ROI is out of this world…literally! 

Top Ten Ideas For Generous Business Owners

1. Focus on excellence 
Taking care of your customers and providing great products and service is the first step to impacting the world through business. 

2. Lead by example
Make a personal commitment of your own time, talents, treasure, and influence. Don’t ask your staff to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself.

3. Include generosity in your mission, vision or core values
Make your goals more powerful and meaningful by going beyond just being number one in your market.  Find creative ways to practice generosity as a company.  Your employees will be more fulfilled and the workplace will be more productive.

4. Set giving goals
You may want your initial goal to be a percentage of profits/EBITDA, total dollars, or volunteer hours. Everyone uses business metrics, so why not use giving metrics? 

5. Empower your staff and their families
A generous business may start with the owner but transformation happens as your whole staff and their families become owners and shapers of the vision.

6. Be creative. Take risks.
Get creative when it comes to giving programs, and add them progressively as the giving culture grows. Support new ventures and passionate people.

7. Develop guidelines for focused areas of giving
Be careful about where money goes because your reputation goes with it. Draw boundaries that you and your staff can live with.

8. Remember, it’s not about the money
It’s about building relationships and changing the hearts of your staff, vendors, customers, and the lives of all the other people you are reaching.

9. Learn from mistakes
Don’t be afraid to experiment and change. Use mistakes in grants or programs as opportunities to learn.  Get your employees involved in the learning process.

10. Celebrate your success
Develop programs to recognize the impact of your company and staff. Celebrate the joy of giving and don’t forget to measure effort, not just numbers.