Comments on: Responsible Stewardship: Effectively Managing God’s Business

By: Matthew D. Miglin

Matthew D. Miglin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:12:30 +0000

Business Stewardship is not only being an example of Christ in the market place but showing it in our value of time, money, employees and resources that God has entrusted to us. Christians should not be wasteful, but wise and careful with God’s resources to make the most of everything he has given. We are called to be Fruitful and Multiply that which is given us. If we are not bearing fruit and not multiplying what we are given, then it is time to check our motives and our heart.
Christian stewardship is not easy but the rewards are endless.

Matthew D. Miglin-Christian Business Coach & Publisher

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:35:52 +0000

I am only on page 14, but I am enjoying your new book Peculiar Marketing: The Christian Business Owner’s Guide to Effective Marketing. I love the way you pray before you speak on your videos and in the book. Your book is scripturally sound advice and understanding. I would recommend your book to all Entrepreneurs. Of couse, as you state we are not Entrepreneurs, but Christianpreneurs.
Most of the information I have read so far are the same as I believe and I can’t help but smile as I read. I love the way you write. Keep up the good work that He has begun in you, until the day of completion.

By: George Brown

George Brown — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:37:56 +0000

This is a wonderful thread, and I shall add these awesome comments to our messages to our business owner clients and our associated advisors who work with business owners.

Our mission is to advance the Kingdom by enhancing the values proposition of the businesses whose owners are of like mind and embrace their responsibilities as stewards in service of the Lord.

These ideas will help us, and I hope the thread prevails. It ties into our “Values Assessment” vehicle that strives to guide our business owners to the ultimate achievement of the Word.

By: Bill Bliss

Bill Bliss — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:14:00 +0000

I really enjoyed Joel’s comments. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” Because of the words ‘everything’ and ‘all’, this applies to businesses as well.

I am a member of a Christian business leaders organization called Fellowship of Companies for Christ International (www.fcci.org) and one of the key foundational principles of this 30+ year old ministry is that God owns our business, not us. As such, we are to be responsible stewards of what God has provided us. FCCI has wonderful teaching about this principle. In fact, at a recent local FCCI meeting here in South Carolina where I live, a new member was commenting how powerful that lesson was to her, as the “owner” of her business.

Thanks R. E. for this discussion thread – it is so important for the business leader community.

By: Joel Sigmon

Joel Sigmon — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:39:19 +0000

I appreciate your boiled-down definition of stewardship as “someone who serves.” Since a good steward is the faithful manager of another’s assets, when a business recognizes that all assets are the Lord’s assets, how much more faithful a steward should that business be! Thank you for bringing forth tangible ways to be a good steward over God’s business.

Chick-fil-A, the company that I am blessed to be a part of, has taken hold of this concept of good stewardship. Interesting story – in 1982, facing a financial crisis after borrowing a large sum of money to finance the construction of our corporate headquarters in Atlanta, GA, our founder Truett Cathy organized an executive leadership retreat to discuss the future of the business. At a crucial time in the company’s existence, Dan Cathy, Truett’s oldest son and current president, stood up in front of the executive committe and asked a simple yet profound question: “Why are we in business?” The answer has become the Chick-fil-A Corporate Purpose: “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us, and to have a positive impact on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” One sentence is now the cornerstone of how we do business. Needless to say, this was not the response to our financial crisis that franchise owners and corporate staff were expecting!

Your point of doing business by anticipating customer’s needs and catering to them with creative, personalized marketing doesn’t make much sense to the everyday businessperson. It seems much more cost-effective to use the 2-step marketing approach rather than the 4-step plan you outlined. But results speak for themselves in customer loyalty and referrals received by going above and beyond the call of duty! It’s the Matthew 5:41 principle that is key to customer service in our organization: “If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

Thank you for an insightful article on an important topic, and here’s hoping this discussion will continue.